Microsoft Weblog

August 30th, 2006

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Kill Switch Experience

I just received this comment on the site from an old post I listed about the changes to the Windows Genuine Advantage program. This reader has had an exceptionally frustrating experience with the WGA kill switch. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

WGA kill switch is a racketeers’s dream.
I could care less if Msft takes […]

By Jason Bean -- 5 comments

June 29th, 2006

New Poll - Piracy

I just added a new poll to the site, look over there on the right. It’s a question about piracy and whether or not companies (not just Microsoft) should have the right to actively go after piracy. The first “Yes” option includes Microsoft activity of actively interacting with already installed software on a users local […]

By Jason Bean -- 0 comments

June 29th, 2006

WGA Killswitch

The big news now is that the Windows Genuine Advantage program may have a kill switch. If you remember, the WGA was under scrutiny recently due to it’s E.T. complex to phone home regularly. Microsoft has said they may change that to contact Redmond a little less regularly.
However, now the news is that installing the […]

By Jason Bean -- 1 comment

June 9th, 2006

“I always feel like, Microsoft’s watching me…”

Many of you have already read the story about Microsoft’s Piracy Tool checking in with the mothership once a day. The Windows Genuine Advantage tool supposedly does this as a quick way to shut down. I’m not sure how a program needs to check in daily in order to shut-down if it’s needed.
“It’s kind of […]

By Jason Bean -- 0 comments

April 28th, 2006

Ballmer’s Piracy Quote

Now I’m all for anything to eliminate and reduce piracy. I just love getting in discussions with people when they think taking something of ANY value, actual or implied, isn’t theft.
Forever Geek is miffed at the following quote from Steve Ballmer recently:
“With less piracy, with more proper use, it certainly creates an opportunity for […]

By Jason Bean -- 3 comments