Genuine Advantage Notification

[Caro]

Every morning for the last week I have received a pop-up invitation to install Windows Genuine Advantage Notification which will apparently verify my software is genuine/legal. Hand on heart, it is genuine and legal, purchased with the machine October 2005 from a reputable supplier. So why is this message coming up every day and how do I get rid of it? I mean, if it was legal and genuine back then, how come it suddenly might not be now??? And if it's genuine now, why would it suddenly become un-genuine?

I operate from a logical world, I find difficulty interacting with the computer/software world. I CANNOT understand technical stuff, I don't know what I'm being asked, so if anyone can help, please help in plain English with instructions if neccesary.

[-pops-]

It is quite common for this message to appear, I had it this week when doing updates, and it doesn't mean that your copy of Windows is not genuine, just that it needs to be checked.

Are you saying that you are not letting the pop-up continue and check for WGAN? If that is so, allow it to continue. If it does tell you that your copy is other than genuine - this happens more often than it should - contact MS and explain. They are very helpful and will get you out of any difficulty.

[Caro]

It is quite common for this message to appear, I had it this week when doing updates, and it doesn't mean that your copy of Windows is not genuine, just that it needs to be checked.

Are you saying that you are not letting the pop-up continue and check for WGAN? If that is so, allow it to continue. If it does tell you that your copy is other than genuine - this happens more often than it should - contact MS and explain. They are very helpful and will get you out of any difficulty.

Ta very much. I will allow it to install the programme and check the software next time then.

How on earth do you contact MS tho if there is a problem? On first investigation I went around in a circle b'cos MS said refer problem to computer manufacturer and CM said refer problem to MS. Hence me being brave and finding & using this forum.

[-pops-]

Get more detail - straight from MS by going to:

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/Facts.aspx?displaylang=en

and

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/mpa.aspx

Note that in one part it states:

While a false positive is possible, it is extremely rare. Across over 200 million WGA validations, we have identified only a handful of false positives. Almost all of these were due to data entry errors that were quickly corrected and only occurred for a short period of time.

that is not quite true. I've known several instance myself where a false positive has occurred.

[Caro]

Thanks again. I'm off for 4 days now but as soon as I'm back at the coal face, so to speak, I will install & cross my fingers. I'll have a wee peek at the info you pointed me to today first to set me in the mood for the job on Tue morn.

[Dencandy]

This annoyance from Microsoft is simply part of a marketing ploy (SEE THIS ARTICLE). The popup come from a previous download about WGA which you must have downloaded and, as -pops- writes, you can stop it nagging you by saying Yes to its demands.

But, as the article explains, you don't actually need this WGA thingy because if your copy of Windows isn't genuine you wouldn't be able to download many other updates & patches, etc.

Microsoft sure are getting devious these days.