Features

Microsoft Improves Anti-Piracy WGA Program Update on Customer Feedback

By Sophia Mayengbam

Software piracy has plagued millions of consumers and businesses. The artificially low priced counterfeit software have made it difficult for companies that invest a huge amount on developing license legitimate software. Also, these counterfeit software may not provide the customers with the latest features, security and support that help improve productivity and PC capabilities.

Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is one such initiative to help customers differentiate between a genuine and a counterfeit copy.

Microsoft launched WGA validation in July 2005 as part of its Genuine Software Initiative (GSI) program. The WGA ask users to make sure their copy of Windows was genuine when using Windows Update, Microsoft Update and the Download Center. The tool is required for users seeking to download non-security updates and free applications from the Microsoft website, but is optional for downloading security updates. The tool was pushed to Windows XP users in the U.S. and few other countries who downloaded its security update.

However, the tool had its pitfall. The anti-piracy tool interfered in with Microsoft every time users rebooted their machines. It was a nuisance for users who fail the WGA test with constant pop-up messages saying that the copy of Windows may be pirated.

This led to a furor among several, who complained that the company had not given clear instructions about the kind of information its program would collect about users.

In response to the customer concern, Microsoft has come up with an updated version of the tool with minor changes to the program.

Microsoft maintains that the initial check-in frequency was part of a pilot which has now been completed. Microsoft says with the update, the pilot phase of WGA notifications is complete, and the program will continue with a phased roll-out to Windows XP users worldwide. All English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese users of Windows XP running Automatic Updates will soon be offered an updated package with a new version of WGA Notifications.

The updated package includes some changes to the software based on customer feedback from the previous version. In the new version the configuration file check has been removed. However, WGA Validation still periodically checks to determine whether the version of Windows is genuine.

The End User License Agreement (EULA) in the older version has been replaced with a standard, General Availability EULA that more clearly explains the purpose of the software and details about WGA Notifications.

For customers who choose not to install the updated package, and wish to remove an installed previous version, Microsoft has made available a set of instructions for removing previous versions of WGA Notifications from their PCs.


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