SCREW MICROSOFT! DISABLE GENUINE ADVANTAGE

[ZombieGak]

Some months ago Microsoft introduced its Genuine Advantage program. It serves their interests in that it validates whether a copy of Windows is genuine or counterfeit. That hardly seems our concern. I know my original copy of ME was OEM and I bought my copy of XP which was validated when I installed it.

We can't let a monopoly like MS dictate that our right to updates or other software is dependent on a serial number and an ActiveX control plug-in we don't know if we can trust. If anyone remembers the controversy around Intel's plans to include a unique ID number in the Pentium 3 cpu that would destroy any anonymity on the web... then we must fear MS's Genuine Advantage program as well. We simply do not know who can access this unique serial number.

These are the components I know about... In IE go to
Tools/Internet Options
under Temporary Internet Files click on SETTINGS then VIEW OBJECTS

The ActiveX control is there and can be deleted.

Microsoft also hides another file here:
C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/LegitCheckControl.DLL

If anyone knows of any others... please post! Thanks!

[raysr]

1. Dump Windoze, move to Linux

[Warpy]

5. I would love to

but I keep looking into it and thinking it'll be ready for the average home user in another 2 years. Then 2 years down the road, they will still be concentrating on servers and business and the sucker will still be too cumbersome for the average user.

It's so damned close, too.

[skids]

14. Have someone else install it.

The world is full of Linux users, surely you must know one?

[Warpy]

19. I can install it, chum

It's just a pain in the ass to USE.

When it gets a little more friendly, I'll be the first in line to dump Microshaft.

[ZombieGak]

6. easier said than done....

It's not like switching toothpaste. I bought into Amiga back in the 80's... only to see it die. Money down the drain. I had a stand alone word processor that had a proprietary OS for its floppy disks. I'm lucky I found a place in NYC that could convert the files. I have to go with the OS that offers me the most flexibility even if it's a despicable monopoly like MS.

Also when one has chalked up years of user knowledge operating Windows... and a huge investment in software designed to run on a proprietary OS... then the obstacles are monumental.... and it's not a if Linux has the software I'd want anyway. I really have no desire to learn another OS. Hell... I'm so used to Windows that I can't even put up with Apple.

But that doesn't mean I intend to put up with MS's bullsh*t. I want nothing to do with GA nor will have nothing to do with their plans for so-called "trusted computing."

[ZombieGak]

16. WINE!!! Maybe the transition would not be that difficult after all......

Never knew there was a free Windows emulator that ran in Linux:
http://www.winehq.com/site/why

[skids]

20. There's also some pro (for pay) packages...

...Crossover Office for productivity apps, and WineX for gamers.

[killbotfactory]

18. I'm in the process of moving to linux

thanks to ubuntu, and all the helpful guides at their forums
http://www.ubuntu.org
http://ubuntuforums.org

It's getting more a lot more user friendly, but it can still take a lot of tweaking if something doesn't work quite right on your hardware. It kind of reminds me of win95 in that regard.

[William769]

2. Hate to burst your bubble but yes the active x control can be deleted.

[90-percent]

3. Interniet Privacy

This will all be a moot point when Congress turns control of the Internet over to the Big corporate phone companies this week.

This is the start of the corporo-facists take over of the formerly free and uncensored internet.


-85% Jimmy

[ZombieGak]

4. only bubble is yours.....

I CLEARLY wrote: "The ActiveX control is there and can be deleted."

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. This PC laptop has to be repaired again and I'm getting an Apple Ibook.

It will feel good to get back to using a Mac. Unfortunately I can't do that with my office PC... I need the Window's programs for my work. :(

[alfredo]

17. Which Windows programs? Anyway, it appears, according to Cringley,

that OSX will be able to run Windows apps natively. Using Boot Camp you will be able to dual boot right now. Another solution called Parallels enables XP or Linux to run alongside OSX.

[sipnsail]

8. What happens when you delete the activeX control and the

LegitCheckControl.DLL?

Can you get updates then?

[ZombieGak]

9. you can get updates....

My understanding is can get Windows security updates.... even counterfeit Windows can get those. You can't get special software like the MS Anti-Spyware program.

Of course you can download the GA then delete it once you get whatever programs you want. But without public resistance, MS will then feel free to push more intrusive programs.

[ZombieGak]

10. here's more from MS

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx

Don't hit the VALIDATE NOW button.

There's a demo you can watch that explains GA. Of course assuring us that they don't collect personal info is not the same as assuring us no one else can read the unique ID they assign us.

[negativenihil]

11. The only real way to fully get around WGA...

...could be seen as less than legal. There are various hacked/modified versions of the LegitCheckControl.DLL on the internets...

Not that i'd know anything about it....

}(

[ZombieGak]

12. trying one now...

LOL

[ZombieGak]

21. just what is the crime?

So just what would be the crime? If one is using a counterfeit version of Windows... then it can be argued that depending on the laws of that country... it may be an actual crime.

But if one has a legal copy of Windows and uses a hacked WGA dll because they do not trust Microsoft or wish to assist it with its war against Linux... where is the actual crime?

[negativenihil]

22. In this day and age...

with the DMCA, it's plausible that this could be seen as a method to circumvent copy protection.

[ZombieGak]

13. MS uses GA to target Linux WINE users......

Microsoft admits targeting Wine users
By Ingrid Marson, Special to ZDNet
28 February 2005 08:08 AM

Microsoft prioritised making its anti-piracy tool prevent users of Wine, an open source toolkit that allows users to run Windows applications under Linux, from downloading Windows updates, the software giant said on Friday.
A Microsoft spokesperson said it made sure the validation tool used by its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) programme identified Wine users, so that only users are running a genuine version of Windows could download updates and add-on tools.

"As the most popular third-party translation technology in use, Wine was the first emulator to be specifically tested for via WGA," said the spokesperson. "Microsoft does not knowingly provide copyrighted Microsoft Windows OS files to users of third-party emulators or cross-platform API translation technologies such as Wine."

More at http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39182686,00.htm

[alfredo]

15. Vista's firewall will be partially disabled at the request of

business interests. This according to slashdot.org