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 WGA may not be optional if you’re interested in receiving the latest updates from Microsoft on their systems. It’s also stated that if WGA doesn’t see a legitimate copy of Windows installed on the machine, it gives you a 30-day deadline to get a genuine copy or you will be shutdown.
The latest podcast of Buzz Outloud really had some issues with this and honestly I don’t care. Is there problem the fact that it’s a little, additional 3rd party program you’re now forced to download and install if you want to receive updates? Or is it the fact that it calls home? Or is it the fact that it will have the ability to shut down the functionality of the computer if you’re running an illegitimate copy of Windows? Here’s my response:
- 3rd Party App: Would it be okay if Microsoft just embedded the functionality in a future security update? I personally think they should do it this way and in the future it should be included in all copies of their software.
- Calling Home: How is calling home any different than being notified of needed updates for any other piece of software on the machine? If I could have my car contact my preferred garage and let it know there’s an issue arising before something actually breaks, cool!
- Shutdown: If you’re not running a legitimate copy of a piece of software, why shouldn’t we expect that the publisher could shut it down? Last time I checked that was illegal right? If someone stole my car, cellphone, computer and I had the ability to “kill” it and make it useless to them, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
What are everyone else’s thoughts on this matter? I’d love to get into a little bit of a debate about this.
Tags: kill-switch, piracy, Windows-Genuine-AdvantageRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Corporate News, Security, Speculation, Windows OS's
1 opinion for WGA Killswitch
annarovita
Aug 30, 2006 at 1:55 pm
WGA kill switch is a racketeers’s dream.
I could care less if Msft takes this incident seriously or not, as a set of CA lawyers likely will in class action suits against Msft. But, FYI - this is being posted all over…
The WGA kill switch did kick in when I scheduled a chkdsk to run on next reboot. Msft is LYING about a kill switch not kicking in. The keyboard and desktop were LOCKED - so I couldn’t log into any account (passwords). There was NO prior notification and I have witnesses. Those WGA screens came up AFTER the keyboard was locked. Computer came up only in SAFE MODE. Corporate customer. When I clicked on RESOLVE now, it went to a go.microsoft site THAT NO LONGER EXISTS.
And that’s where Msft will pay - hopefully in a “currency” that will hurt VISTA.
Computer was purchased 2 years ago from a reseller. As were many, many others.
Took this WGA-killed computer to Best Buy at 8pm. Best Buy looked at the hologram sticker and said the computer was Msft genuine. Someone else said the Bay Area reseller who sold the computer had been in the papers as having VL issues; another tech said the reseller had been burned by Msft; and yet another said the reseller was clean, and that was also “in the papers”.
All however acknowledged OUR company had been screwed by Microsoft’s WGA, they offered their “911 service”, meaning, 24 hour turnaround - would have cost $900 dollars. They tried to figure out a way to lower the cost to us. However, all our biz programs would have to be reloaded. SOL for 3 days at least.
I am taking this time out to start a Linux conversion business for biz applications and use this incident as the quintessential WGA horror story that Vista won’t survive.
My opinion? This WGA business is corporate thievery, as the Msft WGA “knowledge base” process can make any claim whatsoever, with ZERO TRACEABILITY and RECOURSE. It is likely a disreputable pre-VISTA marketing practice. What else can CUSTOMERS expect of a company that can buy it’s way out of anti-Racketeering laws. Lets see, if Enron lawyers can purchase a decriminalization of KEN LAY, why can’t BILL GATES - IMO a higher echelon racketeer than KEN LAY or CARLOS MARCELLO (Mafia) - get away with CORPORATE TERRORISM.
Anna
PS I posted this on Microsoft, and everywhere else I can.
http://forums.microsoft.com/genuine/ShowPost.aspx?postid=682624&siteid=25
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