Neowin News Feed for: Genuine

Microsoft planning new Windows 7 piracy check

Tom Warren — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:58:51 +0000

Microsoft said on Thursday that it plans to release a Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7 that will detect 70 known activation exploits. The update will be distributed on Microsoft's Genuine Windows site on February... Read more...

Microsoft changes 'Windows Genuine Advantage' name

Kevin Weiner — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:24:08 +0000

Microsoft will be changing to name of it's activation and validation system from "Windows Genuine Advantage" to "Windows Activation Technologies" according to a report by Mary-Jo Foley. However, the "Genuine" brand isn't completely disappearing.... Read more...

Muslim Massacre game pulled, along with a genuine apology?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:35:58 +0000

Muslim Massacre is a game which puts players in control of a soldier whose mission it is to rid the world of every last Muslim. Nice. The Internet-only game caused controversy amongst the Muslim population... Read more...

Microsoft to add the Genuine Advantage 'nag' to Office

Steven Parker — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:24:07 +0000

Microsoft is set to begin a pilot of a new Genuine Advantage anti-piracy mechanism for Office that will add a "nag-like" feature, akin to what is now part of Windows Vista, to Office. Office already... Read more...

Microsoft: Windows Genuine Advantage works!

Steven Parker — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:17:01 +0000

IT may have cost Microsoft millions of sales, but Redmond claims that Windows Genuine Advantage has forced punters to buy legitimate copies of its software. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Vole had tried everything... Read more...

Windows Genuine Advantage suffers worldwide outage

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:35:46 +0000

Late last night we started receiving reports from readers experiencing problems with Windows Genuine Advantage authentication. Users of both Windows XP and Windows Vista were writing to say that they could not validate their installations... Read more...

Only 244 copies of Genuine Windows Vista sold in China

Steven Parker — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:16:28 +0000

Microsoft spent millions of dollars advertising its next generation OS 'Windows Vista' in China, in fact the IT juggernaut threw up the biggest Vista Ad on the 421 meter high Jin Mao tower in Shanghai... Read more...

Office Genuine Advantage (OGA), Now Mandatory

Steven Parker — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:03:14 +0000

If you don't like the mandatory anti-piracy checks that Microsoft now enforces for Windows, brace yourself. The Microsoft Office productivity and collaboration suite is about to get a similar program. The company's Office Genuine Advantage... Read more...

Microsoft Tightens Grip with Genuine Advantage

Steven Parker — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:13:15 +0000

To date, with its Genuine Advantage anti-piracy programs, Microsoft has targeted consumers. Windows and Office users have been required to validate their products as "genuine" before being able to obtain many downloads and add-ons. Come... Read more...

Microsoft Plans 'Office Genuine Advantage'

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 11:55:43 +0000

Despite the criticism leveled at Microsoft Corp. after its recent rollout -- and partial rollback -- of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), that tool was just the first phase in the company's latest antipiracy effort. ... Read more...

Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage: An Overview

Steven Parker — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 11:50:43 +0000

Microsoft announced its Genuine Advantage software initiative in March 2006. It's designed as part of the company's wider assault on software piracy (another infamous part of this fight, Product Activation, won fame and fortune for... Read more...

Worm poses as Windows Genuine Advantage

Steven Parker — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 14:10:12 +0000

IT security experts have warned of a worm that purports to be Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti-piracy tool. WGA has recently been branded as 'spyware' in that it collects unnecessary hardware and software data... Read more...

Utility Nukes Windows Genuine Advantage Callbacks

Daniel Fleshbourne — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:32:10 +0000

A private security company has found a way to nuke the controversial callback component in Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage anti-piracy tool. Firewall Leak Tester, a company that provides tools to test the quality of personal... Read more...

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Not Spyware!

Steven Parker — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:42:10 +0000

Thanks MrCobra for the heads up on this update in Back Page News on our forums. Microsoft defended its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool this week against charges that it acts like spyware because it... Read more...

Windows Genuine Advantage now supports Firefox

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 10:07:58 +0000

Microsoft Genuine Windows Validation process now works in Firefox and other Mozilla browsers. Firefox users can manually install the Windows Genuine Advantage validation Firefox plug-in available on Microsoft's website to complete the Windows validation process.... Read more...

Windows Genuine Advantage Circumvented Yet Again

Sat, 06 Aug 2005 03:24:45 +0000

Hot on the heals of Microsoft patching the Windows Genuine Advantage program against malicious scripts and hidden checkboxes, an interesting new workaround has been discovered. It seems that running GenuineCheck.exe in Windows 2000 compatibility mode... Read more...

Genuine Windows Validation fixed

Steven Parker — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 10:20:36 +0000

Seemed to of missed this one, the fix was implemented a few days ago and now requires users to enter a code before being able to download. One can only wonder if the less tech-savvy... Read more...