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Windows Genuine Advantage Notification 1

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judgehopkins

Technical User
Mar 23, 2003
780
US
I apologize is this has been answered elsewhere; I couldn't find it.

There's a pop up on my computers asking me to install Windows Genuine Advantage Notification.

How do I get rid of it (other than by installing it)?

I am assuming Mike Dell had the authority to sell me Microsoft products so, I further assume, I am completely legal in this respect.

Thanks.

There are two guaranteed rules of success: First, never tell everything you know.
 
Have a look at thread779-1545026 for several solutions/opinions.

Hope this helps

HarleyQuinn
---------------------------------
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Get the most out of Tek-Tips, read FAQ222-2244: How to get the best answers before posting.

 
I would run it if you believe your product is legal, if you find out it isn't you can go after Mr. Dell.

If nothing else at least you will know if your product is legal or not.

You be the "Judge".

Good Luck

sam
 
if its on an automatic download from MS - you can untick the download and OK - it will ask if you wish to ignore in future - just OK again and itll never bother you again.

I've seen this come through lately also.

Regards
James

James O'Neill BSc (Hons) MBCS
 
in order to continue recieving any updates, you must download and install that file
 
in order to continue recieving any updates, you must download and install that file

NOT true. Critical and important security updates will continue, as will some other updates. You will need to install WGA to download Windows Defender, some templates, add-ons, etc. from the Microsoft Download Center.



Hope this helps.

Please help us help you. Read FAQ690-6594: How to ask the best questions and site policies before posting.
 
I think there's some confusion here regarding what's going on:

KB892130 is the WGA piece, and it needs to be installed or you won't get access to Windows/Microsoft Update and some other things, as well as many other applications. Basically put, this needs to go on the system if you want it to work right in every way.

KB905474 is WGA notifications, and this piece is what most have the trouble with. For all intensive purposes, this piece is spyware, it phones home to Microsoft, reports on what it thinks the system is doing, and then will post notifications to the user and perform whatever it is programmed to do. This is a definite do not install if you get the option.

But if you don't like any of it, there's always Linux waiting for you. Because both pieces are baked into Vista and will be in Windows 7 as well.



Measurement is not management.
 
>For all intensive purposes, this piece is spyware, it phones home to Microsoft, reports on what it thinks the system is doing, and then will post notifications to the user and perform whatever it is programmed to do

I'm afraid not. WGA Notifications hasn't behaved like this since for at least two years.
 
I appreciate everyone's time and thoughts.

What I did was the least destructive thing I could think of: I deleted the wga* file in c:\windows\tasks.

Works fine.

There are two guaranteed rules of success: First, never tell everything you know.
 
I am having a problem with the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification. It is an office that I support but I am not always there. I run the installation in all the PCs which run correctly, but then I am getting calls that the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification is there again... Any ideas. The PCs have all legal versions preloaded by Dell.
 
They seem to keep updating the WGA download, at least that is my take on the matter.
 
How to disable WGA:

Official Method by Microsoft

1. Lauch Windows Task Manager.
2. End wgatray.exe process in Task Manager.
3. Restart Windows XP in Safe Mode.
4. Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32.
5. Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32\dllcache.
6. Lauch RegEdit.
7. Browse to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify
8. Delete the folder ‘WgaLogon’ and all its contents
9. Reboot Windows XP.

Note: With this method, you may be prompted to install WGA Notifications again, after which you can still unselect it from being installed in the future.
and
Disable WGA Notifications

1. Log on to the computer by using an account that has administrative permissions.

2. Make sure that the WGA Notifications version that exists on the computer is a pilot version listed above. The version format for the pilot version is 1.5.0532.x. In this case, you can uninstall versions 527-532 only (Note: the steps should disable other version of WGA Notifications too). To find the WGA Notifications version, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add or uninstall Programs, locate and then click Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications, and then click Click here for support information.
3. In the Support Info dialog box, verify the version number, and then click Close.

3. Rename the following files by changing the extension to .old:
Rename %Windir%\system32\WgaLogon.dll to %Windir%\system32\WgaLogon.old
Rename %Windir%\system32\WgaTray.exe to %Windir%\system32\WgaTray.old
4. Restart the computer.
Uninstall WGA Notifications Manually

1. Log on to the computer by using an account that has administrative permissions.

2. Make sure that the WGA Notifications version that exists on the computer is a pilot version that range from 1.5.0527.0 to 1.5.0532.2 (Note: other versions should works too). To find the WGA Notifications version, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add or uninstall Programs, locate and then click Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications, and then click Click here for support information.
3. In the Support Info dialog box, verify the version number, and then click Close.

3. Rename the following files by changing the extension to .old:
Rename %Windir%\system32\WgaLogon.dll to %Windir%\system32\WgaLogon.old
Rename %Windir%\system32\WgaTray.exe to %Windir%\system32\WgaTray.old

4. Restart the computer.

5. Unregister LegitCheckControl.dll by using Regsvr32 with these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following, and then press ENTER:
Regsvr32 %Windir%\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll /u

6. Restart the computer.

7. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

8. At the command prompt, delete the following files by typing the Del command and follow by pressing ENTER after you type each command.
Del %Windir%\system32\wgalogon.dll
Del %Windir%\system32\WgaTray.exe
Del %Windir%\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll

9. At the command prompt, type regedit.

10. Locate and then right-click the following registry subkeys. Click Delete after you locate each subkey.
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WgaLogon
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WgaLogon
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\removeremove\WgaNotify

11. Restart the computer.
Source: MyDigitalLife


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
 
you will get all the security and critical updates even though you refuse wga. you just won't get the goodies and bells and whistles. if you un-select wga in any download, it still comes back asking to download it some time later. wga is a spyware - everybody agrees on that. i have a legit copy of windows. i get all the updates without any problems. i even get the goodies after the downloader asks for validation. legally wga is like a search without a warrant. even if you have an illegitimate copy of windows, nobody has the right to snoop around your computer to see if you have done anything illegal. imagine police to install a camera in your house to make sure that you don't kill anybody or your residence is free of crime. is that scary?
cheers.
 
>wga is a spyware - everybody agrees on that

<sigh> Actually, no they don't.

>legally wga is like a search without a warrant

No, it isn't. As you yourself note, you can refuse it. It doesn't sneak in. It doesn't force its way in.
 
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