Real Truth behind Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is an anti-piracy system created by Microsoft that enforces online validation of the licensing of several recent Microsoft Windows operating systems when accessing several services, such as Windows Update, and downloading Windows components from the Microsoft Download Center. WGA consists of two components:

“An installable component called WGA Notifications that hooks into Winlogon and validates the Windows license upon each logon and an ActiveX control that checks the validity of the Windows license when downloading certain updates from the MicrosoftDownload Center or Windows Update. “


WGA Notifications covers Windows XP, Windows Vista and current versions of Windows 7. WGA also advertises the latest service pack for Windows XP, which requires manual intervention to disable. Previously voluntary, it became mandatory for use of these services in July 2005.


Despite its name it does not directly evaluate the integrity or security of any computer.

What's the relationship between activation and genuine Windows? 


Activation pairs your product key with your hardware configuration and helps verify that your copy of Windows hasn't been used on more computers than the Microsoft SoftwareLicense Terms allow. Usually, you need to activate Windows only once, unless you make a significant hardware change.

Genuine Windows, however, is a recurring process that checks your product key to make sure it's not blocked or being used on different hardware than what your product key was originally paired with when you activated Windows. If the product key is found to be non-genuine, or not valid, it's likely that the product key is either being used on another computer or is counterfeit.

The genuine, or validation, check is performed each time your computer attempts to contact Microsoft. For example, when your computer downloads updates, Windows checks to see if your product key is valid. If it is, Windows on your computer is genuine. If it's not, your computer is running non-genuine Windows so you won't be able to keep Windows up to date, which might expose your computer to security risks, such as viruses, worms, and other malicious software. To get a genuine copy of Windows, go to the genuine Windowswebsite and check to see if your copy of Windows is genuine. If it's not, follow the instructions to buy a new product key.


Is activation the same as registration?


No. Activation is required, but registration is not. Activation is the process of ensuring that Windows on your computer is used according to the Microsoft Software License Terms. Registration is the process of entering information (such as your e mail address) to sign up for product support, tools and tips, and other product benefits.

If I activated Windows, why is Windows on my computer non-genuine?


Genuine Windows is a recurring process that checks your product key to ensure it's being used with the hardware it was paired with during activation. If the product key is found to be non-genuine, or not valid, it's likely that the product key is either being used on another computer or is counterfeit.

For more about activation of Windows read this article.


According to Microsoft:


What is genuine Windows? 

Genuine Windows is published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and supported. With genuine Windows you get access to support, updates, and downloads to help you get the most from your PC.

About genuine Windows

Genuine Windows is published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. Only genuine Windows customers have access to all optional updates and downloads available from Microsoft, which are designed to help you get the most from your PC. Genuine value: protection, reliability, and performance Protection.
 
Protection: When you buy genuine Windows 7, you can download and install Microsoft Security Essentials, the high-quality, award-winning antivirus solution from Microsoft which helps to safeguard your PC and your privacy. Microsoft Security Essentials is available at no cost to genuine Windows customers, including small businesses with up to 10 PCs.


Reliability: Genuine Windows 7 makes the things you do every day faster and easier, with fewer clicks, faster searching, easier browsing, and simpler ways to connect.


Performance: Genuine Windows 7 is designed to improve the performance of your PC, so it’s faster, more secure, and more reliable.

The WGA validation process validates the present installation of Windows and its license key against the detected hardware and determines if the software was licensed from Microsoft. It is accessible by either a stand-alone program, a Netscape-compatible web browser plug-in, or as an ActiveX control within Internet Explorer, the latter of which is relevant to any attempt to access Microsoft updates via its browser. It includes the following steps:

• Upon their first visit to Windows Update or certain updates on the Microsoft Download Center, users receive a message requiring them to validate their copy of Windows by downloading an ActiveX control which checks the authenticity of their Windows software. If successful in validating Windows, it stores a license file on the PC for future verification.

• After successful validation, the regular update download can continue.
If the software decides the instance of Windows does not have a valid license, WGA displays a specific notice to the user and prevents non-critical updates from being downloaded from Microsoft.
The ActiveX control is downloaded on the first validation and when a new version is available, but the validation itself can be performed any time the user connects to a Microsoft Website to update.

• Microsoft has recently made some changes with a WGA update for Windows XP Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate as well that result in not just a pop-up balloon, but instead the wallpaper changes to black, and there will be a translucent notice in the lower right-hand section of the screen that the user cannot get rid of. However, they can interact with things placed behind it still. There will also be a notification at the login screen. The user can change their desktop wallpaper to whatever they want, but the notifications will remain, and every 60 minutes it will revert back to the black screen.

 

When a user installs Windows Genuine Advantage, an Internet Explorer add-on is installed labeled "Windows Genuine Advantage". In early releases the tool could be readily disabled with the IE Add-on Management feature. A Windows Group Policy was added by later updates, causing this option to be unavailable by default, but still accessible if the policy were removed. As of July 2006, the latest update blocks management by other means.

The program uses either a stand-alone program to generate a key or an ActiveX control to discover whether the license key is valid; either way an Internet connection is required. If WGA determines that a user's copy of Windows is unauthorized but was installed from seemingly-legitimate media (i.e., the CD and holographic emblem present on real copies of Windows seems genuine), then Microsoft will supply the user with a new CD. Microsoft also offers discounts to people who want to purchase a legitimate copy of Windows but do not have a valid CD. Microsoft has indicated that they will continue to deliver critical security updates through their Automatic Updates service as well as via the Microsoft Download Center, so that all systems, including those that fail to pass validation, will still continue to receive critical security updates.
 
The company has made installation of Windows Genuine Advantage a requirement for use of the Windows Update and Microsoft Update websites, in part to be sure those customers who use support resources of the company are aware when their software is unlicensed. According to Microsoft themselves, it is legal to run Microsoft Windows without Windows Genuine Advantage. However, since non-critical Windows updates are not presented by Automatic Updates, installation of WGA is required for installation of such non-critical updates, which are only available through Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center.
Data collected

Windows Genuine Advantage checks the following components:

• Computer make and model
• BIOS checksum.
• MAC address.
• A unique number assigned to the user's computer by the tools (Globally Unique Identifier or GUID)
• Hard drive serial number.
• Region and language settings of the operating system.
• Operating system version.
• PC BIOS information (make, version, date).
• PC manufacturer.
• User locale setting.
• Validation and installation results.
• Windows or Office product key.
• Windows product ID.

The latest update (version 1.9.0040.0) was released on March 24, 2009.