Windows Genuine Advantage

[fireontheway]

Can someone enlighten me what Windows Genuine Advantage is?

 

[thehstrybean]

It's a tool that Microsoft released that makes sure you're not using a pirated copy of XP

 

[fireontheway]

So users with legit operating systems should not be alarmed? If it is just a harmless (i hope) little tool to combat piracy then its cool with me. But why do some people refer to it as the MS spyware ?

 

[thehstrybean]

It's harmless, IMHO, if you're legal...
It's MS Spyware because MS is...spying...on...you...
Yeah...
Their seeing if your copy is legal...kinda..spying..

 

[fireontheway]

Do you have it installed (i have it) and is it really a requirement to get windows updates?Imho, validation is good but spying is not. I also noticed that there is a lot of silence regarding the topic (lots of views but few responses).I would also like to hear from other anandtechers how they are dealing with it.

 

[Raincity]

There was a long thread about this a month ago here in the OS forum. You way want to search for it.

 

[fireontheway]

Found a nice thread from July last year with poll but i could not find the one from last month.Anyway, thanks a bunch.

 

[Raincity]

The search at Anands is flakey. There was a thread about this last April and the usual paranoia set in because there was the rumors that MS was considering once again to stopping critical updates to pirated copies

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: thehstrybean
It's harmless, IMHO, if you're legal...
It's MS Spyware because MS is...spying...on...you...

Are they? Does the tool actually send them personally-identifiable info?

 

[Varun]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: thehstrybean
It's harmless, IMHO, if you're legal...
It's MS Spyware because MS is...spying...on...you...

Are they? Does the tool actually send them personally-identifiable info?

Technically no:
Windows product key
PC manufacturer
Operating System version
PID/SID
BIOS information (make, version, date)
BIOS MD5 Checksum
User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
System locale (language version of the operating system)
Office product key (if validating Office)
Hard drive serial number

I've bolded the parts I don't agree with, but what choice do I have? Linux would be the choice, however Linux doesn't agree with me.

Technically nothing is personally identifiable, but things like locale and especially Hard Drive Serial number can certainly be used. I just think they gather more info than they need just because they can.

 

[fireontheway]

Originally posted by: Varun

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: thehstrybean
It's harmless, IMHO, if you're legal...
It's MS Spyware because MS is...spying...on...you...

Are they? Does the tool actually send them personally-identifiable info?

Technically no:
Windows product key
PC manufacturer
Operating System version
PID/SID
BIOS information (make, version, date)
BIOS MD5 Checksum
User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
System locale (language version of the operating system)
Office product key (if validating Office)
Hard drive serial number

I've bolded the parts I don't agree with, but what choice do I have? Linux would be the choice, however Linux doesn't agree with me.

Technically nothing is personally identifiable, but things like locale and especially Hard Drive Serial number can certainly be used. I just think they gather more info than they need just because they can.

What shows up as PC manufacturer for DIY systems?

 

[oynaz]

Normally the MB manufacturer, IIRC

 

[xolademoness]

There's no reason they need the hardware serial number other than to say on a legal basis "YES, that hard drive matches with one we found using a pirated copy of Windows" - so yeah, it's a tool to help personally identify people and prosecute them

 

[Brazen]

My version of Windows is legit, so I never noticed a thing. I have two linux computers at home (one is a web and file server, the other is my desktop computer) and one Windows laptop (that will eventually have linux). At work we get all our updates through our WSUS server and didn't notice anything there either. This is one more reason why I'm switching from Microsoft though. It would be one thing if they were struggling or just making a decent profit, but, you know, they are not. If they want to make it harder to use their OS (with activation, and DRM coming) then fine, I won't use their OS. I only see this as help to convert pirates to linux.

 

[wpshooter]

Does anyone have any opinions as to the integrity of the information regarding the "FIRST SALE DOCTRINE" as espoused on the following site ?

link

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[Brazen]

It means Microsoft owns you, and your first born male child.