Microsoft set to push out updated antipiracy tool
Posted on Zorboard thought I would pass along.
Microsoft will soon start pushing out a new version of its controversial
Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications antipiracy tool to Windows XP users.
The updated WGA Notifications package includes additional changes in
response to continued criticism Microsoft has faced over the software, the
company said Tuesday. Microsoft in June also updated the tool after critics
likened it to spyware because it checked in with Microsoft after each
Windows restart.
In the latest update, Microsoft has changed the installation procedure of
the tool so it's clearer to people what it does, said David Lazar, director
of the Windows Genuine program at Microsoft. In the original version, WGA
Notifications displayed only a wordy user license, which people don't
typically read.
"We received a lot of feedback that people wanted more information when the
package came down through Automatic Updates and was offered to them," Lazar
said. The first screen of the new version gives an introduction to WGA
Notifications in plain English, explains the benefit and the possible
consequences if the XP copy is pirated, he said.
WGA Notifications, part of Microsoft's effort to combat software piracy,
displays alerts on systems running illegitimately acquired copies of
Windows. Users get the tool the same way they receive security updates, via
Automatic Updates or Windows Update. Microsoft plans to push out a new
version about every three to four months, Lazar said.
"It is necessary because we continue to discover new, compromised product
keys," Lazar said. "We want to update our notifications and validation tool
from time to time to also check for those compromised keys."
Microsoft has faced a lot of heat over WGA Notifications--in particular,
because it delivered a prerelease version of the tool alongside security
fixes, perhaps turning Windows users into unsuspecting guinea pigs. Also,
WGA Notifications was found to ping a Microsoft server after each reboot, a
behavior the company did not disclose.
Finally, Microsoft has improved the process to help users get a legitimate
Windows license if needed. The old system had several glitches, Lazar said.
WGA Notifications is still an optional installation, meaning users can
decline the installation when it pops up on their desktop. However, Windows
users must have their PC electronically approved before they can download
add-on Microsoft software such as Windows Media Player and Windows.
The updated WGA Notifications tool will be gradually pushed out via
Automatic Updates during the next weeks and months, according to Microsoft.
Source:
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+set+to+push+out+updated+antipiracy+tool/2100-7355_3-6139161.html
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