Tip #3115 - WGA
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Q:
What exactly is Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage? I had a problem
with it the other day and I would like to know more about it. Please help!
A:
Yes, this happens quite often. I'm sure you're not the only one who has
been struck by the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) pop up balloon and
I know you won't be the last. Basically, the WGA is an anti-piracy program
that Microsoft created in 2005. The program is set in place to require
Windows users to validate that they have a genuine "real" copy
of any Windows operating system.
The WGA comes to
your attention through a little pop up bubble in the system tray on your
desktop. Even with all of those pop ups annoying you to no end, this one
could top them all. So, let's say you're trying to access a program within
a Windows service. Maybe you're trying to do an update and you're getting
that update from the Microsoft Download Center. Well, expect a WGA pop
up, because it will happen. This is true with any Windows program you
try to use.
So, why is Microsoft
doing this? Well, they're trying to cut down the number of pirated copies
of their operating systems that are still being used today. Unfortunately,
some people are using "fake" copies and as with everything else,
it ruins the fun for everyone. So, even if you know you have a genuine
version of your operating system, you'll probably still be required to
prove it. And although it's a pain that you have to go through that, you
have to think about Microsoft's view on the whole thing.
Yes, they already
have a lot of money embedded in everything that they do, but they're losing
out with all the people who are using pirated versions. It's not fair
to everyone to let those certain people get away with it, so as a result,
they have to question all of their users. If you get caught by the WGA
pop up bubble, Microsoft just wants you to verify that your computer's
hardware matches up with the 25 character product key
that came with your Windows installation CD.
The bubble will say
something like "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting.
This copy of Windows is not genuine. Click this balloon to resolve now."
To fix the problem, just click the balloon and you will be asked to manually
enter your 25 character code. This code can be found on your Windows installation
disk that came with your computer when you bought it. This will work for
whichever version you use. You can also usually find the code on the side
or on the back of your actual PC. So, be sure to check there as well.
Just enter in the
key and click OK. If your copy is genuine, Microsoft
will leave you alone and you can go about your business. Now, if you decide
not to resolve the issue right away, you will continue to receive error
messages when you go to download something from a Windows service. This
message will say something like "This copy of Windows is
not genuine and you have not yet resolved this issue. This computer is
no longer eligible to receive select security upgrades from Microsoft.
To protect your copy of Windows, you must click Get Genuine now."
So, as you can see, you need to take care of this issue as soon as it
comes about or you'll risk missing out on important security updates for
your computer.
Older versions of
Windows may not have as many problems with this, but Windows 2000 and
XP users can expect to see it. You can also check the validity of your
operating system by running the Windows Validation Assistant. You can
do that right now from this Web
site if you'd like. It's not a bad idea to do this as well.
Keep yourself safe
from any piracy acts and set yourself straight right away!
~ Erin
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