Windows Genuine Advantage Servers Out 300
krewemaynard writes to let us know that Microsoft has been having major problems with its WGA servers since at least Friday evening. Quoting Ars: "Users of both Windows XP and Windows Vista were writing to say that they could not validate their installations using WGA, and one user even said that his installation was invalidated by the service... The Microsoft WGA Forums are full of problem reports, and Microsoft WGA Program Manager Phil Liu has acknowledged that there is a problem, and that MS is investigating." Update: 07/25 22:10 GMT by KD :Microsoft has identified and fixed the problem and posted instructions for anyone whose system mistakenly failed a WGA check. (The link posted earlier was to a 2006 article.)
"Fight club scenario?" (Score:5, Interesting)
Man can dream...
The bigger problem for Microsoft... (Score:5, Interesting)
Repay the compliment (Score:3, Interesting)
Microsoft frequently shill online forums, they're even attacking the venerable ISO! From this Groklaw article [groklaw.net]:
So, this would seem like the ideal time to feed them some of their own medicine. Get over to the WGA forums [microsoft.com] and do some pro GNU+Linux astroturfing. Here was my message:
As long as you're polite and make a point it can only help the adoption of Free software. Show these people that we're not zealots and offer them a way out of the WGA doldrums! :)
Microsoft fanboi (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:WGA sucks (Score:5, Interesting)
Are you just horribly mis-informed, joking, trolling or shilling? The missus and I have been using GNU+Linux on our laptops, desktops and servers (2 laptops, 2 desktops, 1 home server and one dedicated web server) and have never compiled the Linux kernel. The only times I've ever bothered compiling anything is if I want cutting-edge, not-even-released-yet software, and what's wrong with that?
Here's a deal for you: when there is a single day where Microsoft don't cock things up, shill standards organsations or act as an abusive monopoly then there will be a single day on Slashdot without an anti-Microsoft story.
true story (Score:3, Interesting)
- A Vista installation at a company I work with 'invalidated'.
- I called Microsoft.
- A person named Josh, who had quite an Indian accent as well as a speech impediment answered and after MUCH effort I provided the information required. (Please note I have the greatest respect for people of Indian decent as well as people with speech impediments but you can, I am sure, appreciate how this makes communication difficult.)
- A few minutes later he came back on and said that 'Microsoft is currently having computer problem' and please can I call back later.
In fairness, 2 days later the machine automatically revalidated but the whole thing was rather comedic.
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Re:WGA sucks (Score:3, Interesting)
For the rest of us there's always the real solution of just not using it. It's been working out pretty well for me.
Proof the piracy has the 'genuine advantage' (Score:4, Interesting)
If i was buying the software on a lease/maintenance agreement, things might be different, but Windows is VERY expensive, and rather poor quality. I know of no other server OS that needs frequent reboots to correct weird slowdowns, and strange resource leaks.
I am just glad that I switched to Linux when Microsoft went down the product activation route with Windows XP. They cleary think that their customers are criminals, and i'm sure most of their customers have a similar opinion of Microsoft for delivering substandard products and exercising criminally monopolistic practices.
Good ridance Microsoft. I don't miss you.
Re:WGA sucks (Score:3, Interesting)
It's 2007. I use cutting edge software on Windows, to the point of daily builds. Never needed to compile one yet.
Thank god for The Pirate Bay. (Score:4, Interesting)
I downloaded and installed OS X 10.4. (Score:1, Interesting)
Downloaded and installed the WWDC beta of 10.5. Not a problem.
Are we seeing a pattern here?
DRM, copy protection, vendor lock in, Genuine Advantage, Sony's rootkit fetish.
NONE of them work.
And when something like this which affects millions of legitimate users happens, what is end result that gives MS reason to ensure it doesn't happen again?
You go and buy their latest OS AGAIN!
Seriously, how many times are you going to let yourselves be fucked over by MS, before you switch to Linux or Mac or just sodding file class action suits against the bastards?
In Soviet Russia, YOU fuck over Operating System monopolies!
We are only a few years away from (Score:4, Interesting)
Retaining one's freedom has no "workaround". (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:"Fight club scenario?" (Score:5, Interesting)
Personally, I think it's both.
Like many people here, (I imagine), I change hardware frequently, and am also cursed with being my neighbours', friends', childrens' software and hardware support. So I get this 'activation' bs regularly. Have you ever tried fixing a system that was delivered with a 'recovery' CD, that tries to access some (corrupt) partition etc...of course, no 'original' installation CDs
How long before you cut your losses and install from one of your 'corp.' CDs, or - if it's not in the family - download some streamlined thing from isohunt? Believe me, its 10x quicker than going the ms way. Shit, it's not even as if they or I did not BUY the software in the first place... Anybody want a load of VALID ms serials - you can have 'em...
The real problem is that 'activation' punishes the honest user, whilst doing little or nothing to stop the pirates...
National Security Risk (Score:5, Interesting)
The dangers of software monoculture are well known, now combine that with an authentication system the government has no control over. Once the entire Windows desktop marketshare (+90% of all desktops) is using a Windows OS featuring WGA, what's to stop criminals and terrorists from capturing the datacenters that house these servers and holding a major factor in world finance hostage?
WGA can disable your running system? (Score:5, Interesting)
Why do people use that crap?
Re:No compiler needed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:WGA sucks (Score:3, Interesting)
Hell the pile of semi working laptops I have sat here very from a powerbook 100 (still works) through a dell latitude ( I think a 166 Mhz processor) through to a High end HP laptop with a busted screen (runs headless).
But as for PCI video cards, they always come in handy, like whenever I feel the need to add another monitor to my desktop - I was up to 4 for a while but the S3 card I used on monitor 4 was less than worthless at 800x600, (I'm back to a 15" a 19" and a 21" all on different cards, one of which is AGP). In fact on top of a stack of pci video cards I also seem to have a pile of 15" LG monitors that have been retired..
Forgot the point of the post now, but I haven't had a coffee since 6 so its probably OK.
Re:National Security Risk (Score:2, Interesting)
Suppose the government (US and allies) wants to keep, or be able to achieve when needed, control of people computers, say being able to put spyware, get access to user files, shut down machines etc, what requirements would the system have to allow this?
1: It needs to be produced by a single company with strong ties to the government(s).
2: It must employ methods to allow remote access of user files and system resources.
3: It must be closed source, and people exposed to the source code must be closely monitored.
4: It must be as widely used as possible, in order to discourage the use of alternatives. Giving it away installed on new PCs by default and closing one or both eyes when dealing with piracy will help to spread it.
On other words, Windows fits perfectly the requirements of the most obiquitous system of global public surveillance ever conceived.
Now back to your post, WGA isn't considered a threat to national security because WGA is a brick of the national security building.