Is “Windows Genuine Advantage” becoming ominous?
I previously noted that the latest version of Microsoft’s anti-piracy software (in Microsoft-speak called “Windows Genuine Advantage”) was causing a lot of complaints. Not only was it downloaded surreptitiously as a “critical” update but was causing many people with legitimate systems to have crashes. But the story is getting more ominous as reports surface that Microsoft may force you to use WGA and that they may disable your Windows copy if the program decides (perhaps erroneously) that you stole your copy of Windows. Read Ed Bott’s blog for some more details. Here’s an excerpt
Two weeks ago, I wrote about my serious objections to Microsoft’s latest salvo in the war against unauthorized copies of Windows. Two Windows Genuine Advantage components are being pushed onto users’ machines with insufficient notification and inadequate quality control, and the result is a big mess.
Guess what? WGA might be on the verge of getting even messier. In fact, one report claims WGA is about to become a Windows “kill switch†– and when I asked Microsoft for an on-the-record response, they refused to deny it.
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