Download everything from Microsoft without WGA

[Slimy]

ghacks.net has found a workaround to bypass the WGA, wonder how long MS will take to fix this.

When you want to download a file from Microsoft a WGA (windows genuine advantage) check is performed. Microsoft installs a small piece of software on your computer that contacts the Microsoft server and checks for validity. If the test fails you will not be able to download the file(s). The following method gives you the ability to download every file from Microsoft without a WGA check.

All you need is the tool mgadiag.exe and the download url of the file that you want to download. Mgadiag.exe is the Microsoft Genuine Advantage Diagnostic Tool. Start this tool and check the value of the ?Download Center Code?, this should be seven chars consisting of upper case letters and numbers. Remember that code and open the website of the file that you want to download.

Source

[Shof]

I've done that mutiple times, and i think micrsoft did that to stop people claming about there legal copys being illegal

[RaisinCain]

Buy a legit copy. For the love. It will get to the point that M$ will fix the problem. LOL Yeah right

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

BUT, the WGA is also in the EXE of the installers now too!

[Rogue`]

Or you could just use Windiz Update (google it) :p

[ozgeek]

Jeeze. I don't understand why people are bashing WGA when everyone with legit copy of Windows does not have trouble downloading. WGA does not hinder your ability to download MS files in anyway. It's not that hard to click an extra button on their site.

Just buy XP. If you say you have a legit copy of XP and WGA disagree. That's what WGA is designed to do - Tell you whether your XP is really legit or not. It's your responsiblity to make it legit by reporting whoever you got XP from to MS. You might even be compenstrated by MS (free product key, maybe) if you report a business selling illegial copies.

WGA is NO big deal if you just leave it.

This thread should be closed since it cirumvent MS's right to lock illegial people out of "premium" downloads only provided to people that pass the WGA.

[hotdog666al]

Heh cool, it works.

It's so crap they built it into the installers now though. Meh, it only stops me installing IE7 anyway, boooohooo. hahhahaa.

[Shetland]

why not just use autopatcher?

[alpha_omega]

It's not exactly a bypass. mgadiag.exe still connects to MS server and checks if product key is valid or not.

[ring0]

yay for university-licensed copies. $10 for a legit copy = win.

having to jump through hoops just to update montly must really suck for you thieves :D

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

why not just use autopatcher?

that works... or people could just buy a legit copy, and wouldn't run into this problem in the first place.. and microsoft would have to release stuff like this.

[ThePitt]

how I like this chain of news/links...

[Menge]

that tool isn't even needed...

most of the downloads you can just go to the page, copy the file name, open www.filemirrors.com and paste it in... there you go! lotsa links to that file.... most from microsoft's own site :p

[GAM]

Jeeze. I don't understand why people are bashing WGA when everyone with legit copy of Windows does not have trouble downloading.

Your assumptions are wrong.

My wife bought a brand new Asus notebook PC earlier this year with Windows XP Home, but when we got home we discovered that the OS had been overwritten with a copy at the store when they installed various drivers and free extra software, and now WGA complains about an illegal copy. Fact is that her PC was bundled with Windows XP, yet now she can not download any updates from Microsoft.

So before you claim that everyone with legitimate copies of Windows do not have trouble downloading, you should check the facts.

[Bwizzel-B]

Perhaps you should have immediately taken your laptop back to the store you brought it from, and demanded that they fix the problem.

Or you could simply restore/reinstall your OS, instead of being lazy.

[large_nostril]

Your assumptions are wrong.... So before you claim that everyone with legitimate copies of Windows do not have trouble downloading, you should check the facts.

Agreed.

I build/distribute computers for friends, co-workers, and various other clients. I usually install Windows XP for them (unless they don't want an OS installed, or a linux distro). I purchase all my copies of Windows from Newegg as OEM bundles. And I never take the contents out of the cellophane packaging before giving it to the client. I install Windows from my personal discs, and register it using the product key on the clients copy. I've NEVER had a problem doing this.

However, 2 months ago I was contacted by Microsoft, and they told me they had received two reports of software counterfeiting against myself. I was shocked, to say the least. After arguing with them and providing extensive documentation for several days, they finally agreed that there had been an error on their end, and that I had properly distributed legitimate copies of Windows.

I have many repeat customers, not because my prices are dirt cheap, but because I'm always fair, honest, and do my best to help my clients. But I can be pretty sure that, thanks to Microsofts WGA program, I've lost two clients on trust issues.

[ozgeek]

Your assumptions are wrong.

My wife bought a brand new Asus notebook PC earlier this year with Windows XP Home, but when we got home we discovered that the OS had been overwritten with a copy at the store when they installed various drivers and free extra software, and now WGA complains about an illegal copy. Fact is that her PC was bundled with Windows XP, yet now she can not download any updates from Microsoft.

So before you claim that everyone with legitimate copies of Windows do not have trouble downloading, you should check the facts.

As I said in my previous post, if you bought a computer with XP on it and take it home to find that copy of XP is illegial (WGA is designed to tell you whether you got a legit copy of XP. If it complains that you got a illegial copy of XP...then your computer is defective and you should return it to whereever you bought it from and demand they repair the problem (provide you a legit key or threaten to report them to MS (you can because if you do, MS will likely to take them to court for counterfeiting their software and making customers, like you, suffer all this.

Not EVERY copy of XP bought are branded as legit. Many people assume brand new copies of XP are always legit when in fact some are branded as pirated by MS because the product key included was used before (people can open software boxes and get the product then re-shrinkwrap it to make it as if it has never been opened). WGA is designed to tell you if you bought one of those pirated copies in which all you need to do is return the product (if it is on a computer, take the computer back too) and demand them to legitmise it or a refund or threaten to report to MS.

large_nostril, where did you buy your copies of XP to be resold to your customers? Are you sure you bought your software from a legitmize wholesaler? I know you said that MS admit it as an error. But if you say many of your customers are recieving illegial software, then there is something wrong with your wholesaler.

[large_nostril]

large_nostril, where did you buy your copies of XP to be resold to your customers? Are you sure you bought your software from a legitmize wholesaler? I know you said that MS admit it as an error. But if you say many of your customers are recieving illegial software, then there is something wrong with your wholesaler.

I get them from Newegg.com, as OEM "system builder" bundles:

WinXP Pro

WinXP Pro x64

WinXP Home

As far as I can tell, there have only been two instances of WGA reporting a copy I've distributed as "pirated". I've followed up with as many of my clients as possible (about 50 or so), and none of them report this problem. Granted that's only two instances out of 83 copies I've distributed in the last three years. But I've also had at least three other new clients come in with computers (that I had never worked on before) reporting their retail copies as pirated, while two of them were able to provide the original COA and packaging.

While Microsoft has been helpful in the process, by replacing the "pirated" copies promptly, I can say from personal experience that WGA is flawed, and I don't support it.

[SIE]

I get them from Newegg.com, as OEM "system builder" bundles:

WinXP Pro

WinXP Pro x64

WinXP Home

As far as I can tell, there have only been two instances of WGA reporting a copy I've distributed as "pirated". I've followed up with as many of my clients as possible (about 50 or so), and none of them report this problem. Granted that's only two instances out of 83 copies I've distributed in the last three years. But I've also had at least three other new clients come in with computers (that I had never worked on before) reporting their retail copies as pirated, while two of them were able to provide the original COA and packaging.

While Microsoft has been helpful in the process, by replacing the "pirated" copies promptly, I can say from personal experience that WGA is flawed, and I don't support it.

http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/2006/07/16/667063.aspx

The chances on getting 2 legit keys out of 83 flagged as non-geniuine are slim to non, i think it's fair to say that theres a good explanation as to why these were. I've installed well over 83 copys of Genuine Windows over the last 3 years and have had zero problems. Also as someone else said just because you have a disc and COA etc doesn't mean it's genuine.

[SIE]

Just wanted to say, at the end of the day you have no idea what happens to those PC's after they have left you, i've known people who have had Genuine Windows and have asked a family member or friend to have a look at it and they have installed a Corporate Version of XP on it, i've also known people that have had the same thing done when they have took there PC to a shop to be fixed and allot of these people don't even know. I've even known people who have had a legit copy and have had to format there PC for one reason or another and have installed a corporate version simply because they couldn't be bothered to activate there own genuine copy.

[SIE]

Your assumptions are wrong.

My wife bought a brand new Asus notebook PC earlier this year with Windows XP Home, but when we got home we discovered that the OS had been overwritten with a copy at the store when they installed various drivers and free extra software, and now WGA complains about an illegal copy. Fact is that her PC was bundled with Windows XP, yet now she can not download any updates from Microsoft.

So before you claim that everyone with legitimate copies of Windows do not have trouble downloading, you should check the facts.

If you read what the guy has wrote he said his wifes laptop came with XP but was overwritten with a diffrent copy at the store where he got it from so clearly whats happened is the copy the store put on wasn't genuine. How can you claim your wifes laptop is running a legit copy when the fact is you don't even know. How WGA is at fault here is beyond me.

[Agnes Leroy]

WGA is not fool proof my friend just got IE7 and Media Player 11,with his pirated copy of XP.He un installed IE(It is a cr@p).Cracking WGA is very simple, but MS can't go further because it will frustrate the experience of legal users.

[Echilon]

Personally I hate WGA. This sounds like good news!

[AxelStone]

You know, that "slim to none" statement SIE is making is total crap. Domain of 30k+ Computers, the "odds" of some of the software issues we run across microsoft says is slim to impossible. Yet... several times they have actually changed/reversed thier own policies due to issues we have discovered. Dont even get me started on wua. The "WGA" has an average hit or miss ratio on legit keys to about 20%... so... 20% of legit keys are going to be marked bad. What does that mean, you do the math. Oh and the "product activation" craze other software vendors are doing are 100x better. Take Adobe. Except for the annoying reinstall if you want/need to change the key it works flawless. Oh and btw, most OEM keys you have to activate. Now you always have to talk to a Microsoft rep because they flaged most if not all OEM keys.