Neowin.net - Microsoft issues warning to VLK customers over WGA fail

Microsoft issues warning to VLK customers over WGA fail

Posted by Steven Parker on 05 October 2006 - 10:15 · 17 comments & 11562 views

Phil Liu of Microsoft has reported problems with the Windows Genuine Advantage authentication method for Volume License Key (VLK) customers and a temporary work-around.

"Just a heads up on an issue related to (Volume) VLK validation. On Monday and Tuesday of this week (Oct 2-3), some VLK customers may have experienced problems with WGA validation. If a Windows XP system with a VLK recently began failing validation or reporting as non-genuine, then they may experiencing this problem. The problem was the result of an issue on the Microsoft server side, and we are still investigating the cause. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused you, and I am personally working to get the information you need to resolve this issue.

We do have steps available that affected customers can take to correct the problem, and we’ll continue to work on solutions and post them on this forum."

Customers who are affected can:

Delete the data.dat file from Cocuments and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataWindows Genuine Advantagedata (The drive letter will depend on where the OS was installed)
Revisit http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/validate.aspx to confirm that the machine is now genuine.
Run wgatray.exe /b from the command line to ensure that the latest validation is updated for WGA Notifications. This command may not be present on the user’s machine and should not be considered an error if it is not. Please ensure that this is run as an Administrator. A reboot may be required to remove all non-genuine notifications.

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#1 Posted by Foub on 05 Oct 2006 - 10:18: These so-called anti-piracy measures are nothing more than a joke and an annoyance since they truly don't actually stop piracy.

#2 Posted by :: Lyon :: on 05 Oct 2006 - 10:23: Well at least they are making it harder but you're right, they can't stop it

#3 Posted by ndoggfromhell on 05 Oct 2006 - 10:39: Nice, this happened with my colleges VLK and when I called M$ about it, they told me that I was using a pirated version and that I had no support options except to purchase a legit copy. Then they hung up on me! Now I do this and my problem goes away. I agree with Foub above. It's an annoyance to legit users, and the people using pirated versions don't have to deal with it cause they work around it. Anti-piracy is actually anti-productivity.

#4 Posted by ThaCrip on 05 Oct 2006 - 10:58: all it does is basically make it "harder" for people to bypass it... which for them is a winning situation cause if they can just make it a little harder ... some people might say screw it and just buy the thing... but most of us (i mean people lol) will just pirate it anyways

#5 Posted by ahhell on 05 Oct 2006 - 11:01: Our company got hit with this crap too.
Part of their problem was WGA was detecting XP as an invalid copy of Vista.

IDIOTS.

#6 Posted by Denver_80203 on 05 Oct 2006 - 13:31: We had machines trip in colorado and canada. MS support was AWFUL.

MS quote "There IS NO phone support for WGA issues" period

Then they directed me to a web page with an email link but, the link was down. I tried to explain this to the "support lady" but she was not allowed to use the internet.

I did get a new VLK generated with also was reported by diagnostic software as "blocked" within an hour.

I eventually found their suppport forums where many people were flowing in with the same issues.

Finally they posted the above fix but, it was a little nasty at first.

#7 Posted by ahhell on 05 Oct 2006 - 14:35: MS posted a knowledge base article on this

KB 926333

They have instructions for an automated scripted which can be pushed out through GPs.

(3 replies) #8 Posted by XP-RTM on 05 Oct 2006 - 14:36: my uncles pc got a lot of spyware and the genuine thing came up lol
microsoft should just stop wasting time and money on stuff like this

(1 reply) #9 Posted by excalpius on 05 Oct 2006 - 17:20: imagine if this software bug/server problem was connected to the new vista SPP software...shutting down or crippling machines worldwide...ahem.

I don't trust Microsoft NOT to be human and make human mistakes. I will be disabling SPP/WGA/WPA etc. on my legit Vista licenses purchased on my new machines.

I've already decided that Vista is too expensive and offers no value whatsoever to all of my older machines, so this is the first time I won't be upgrading my entire farm of cpus to Microsoft's latest and...ahem...greatest.

#10 Posted by RiVaLSSJ on 05 Oct 2006 - 20:29: Quote -
Delete the data.dat file from Cocuments and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataWindows Genuine Advantagedata (The drive letter will depend on where the OS was installed)

Little typo .. and no ~~slahses~~ - er, slashes...

Last edited by RiVaLSSJ on 08 Oct 2006 - 16:53

(1 reply) #11 Posted by Adequate on 05 Oct 2006 - 23:34: And THIS wouldn't have happenned if they BOUGHT their copies instead of using pirated software, AS THEY CLEARLY DID!

Microsoft had no reason issuing this workaround but did anyway. Be thankful they got fed up of pirates trying to pass as legitimate users. But then again, a pirate is so easily detected; anyone who calls MS stating that WGA labels their Windows as non-genuine IS a pirate, plain and simple.

Look, you all know MS's way is absolutely flawless, and any attempt to disprove that is nothing but jealousy.

So up yours, Pirates!

#12 Posted by JiveMasterT on 06 Oct 2006 - 21:50: Well, that's what you get for BUYING Microsoft software. :p

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