Microsoft adds nagware to Windows

First Noticed Syl has WGA on Left Ring Finger. I'm sure its Validated. Nice. Next, some of WGA can involve answering questions. Questions about color of plastic disc is made out of & due to changing enviorment of Light, often simply wrong. You get blamed for disc that came with Retail purchased computer. I doubt if WGA is even owned by Microsoft. What recourse would there be in that case? Someone located SGA(Syl Genuine Advantage) & tagged it with visual clue, it could be false, as Men are Stupid. Yet On Computer, it seems more unneighborly thing about validation & shurlie most denied get pretty peeved. Test it & over & over & over until it fails, I guess, is only point. drashek

For farts sake, I always set mine to black to generate less unneeded, eye-straining light.. Wouldn't it make more sense to set it fluorescent green or yellow, which nobody would ever voluntarily do. Plus it might be irritating enough to get the bums to buy a legit copy.

"XP users who don't have WGA notifications will be asked to accept an End User License Agreement which gives the users consent for the anti-piracy validation control to auto-update itself with fewer releases." So if I dont have WGA they'll ask me if I want to accept/install WGA? I wonder what my answer will be.

That's it, that's too much, tired of being forced to run code I don t want. protect your freedom here: http://www.ubuntu.com/ This is my personal opinion. Francois

Instead of trying to reduce the prices of their products they will release this shitware and make the life of the costumer even more harder Micro$oft antipiracy junk is really pissing me off...

"The nagware will be aimed specifically at XP Professional users for now, as Microsoft believes this is the most pirated edition." Ya think?

How will this do anything? The first thing I do when loading my pirated CD key for XP Pro, is crack the activation. I've never had a problem with it thinking it was a pirated copy.

Like with the last one, the users don't care. It's a problem of windows, a computer problem that needs to be fixed by the 'computer people'. I have been asked to 'fix' the nagscreens more time that I'd like to admit. I proceeded to install mublinder which rooted out this malware called WGA and ensured that the system won't be infected again.

Why put nagware in XP? didn't they say XP was of the past and not giving out licenses anymore? If they have so much confidence in vista they should give people XP for free right? How can you 'steal' something that's not sold anymore exactly? What's the rationale in that? I guess a courtcase would be lost and nagware is the only way to get companies to switch to vista is the logic here.

If people supported these guys a windows alternative could be released sooner..... http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html This is an open source recreation of windows that will be free

I would suggest they focus their energy on fixing Vista not trying to win an unwinnable battle. I just rolled back from Vista x64 after a year long test (which I think is more than most would give for them to fix it), and it will take some convincing for me to now go back. I think its about time they sort the broken OS out.

Microsoft just seem determined to make Linux a success. Let us install spyware on your already leaky closed annoying system and give false positives to really drive you nuts. I'm enjoying Ubuntu so much these days.

I noticed they are targeting XP first. I've installed pirated copies of XP for a number of users who found Vista intolerable. Is this an attempt to prevent users from exchanging their valid Vista bloatware license for and invalid XP license?

Microsoft will also be shocked to find that Vista ultimate is the most pirated version of MeII... Although their marketing department will be happy to further burger future releases because what with nobody with the basic computer knowledge needed to pirate vista wanting to install vista I expect piracy figures will have dropped dramatically for this release...

"The nagware will be aimed specifically at XP Professional users for now, as Microsoft believes this is the most pirated edition." I wonder what this will do to the legit (and non-legit) "Corporate" versions of windows.

The next WGA implementation will start badgering users of XP to upgrade to Vista.

After rolling back one thing I thought could not be affected was the internet speed, maybe its a coincidence but from capable servers (most) I now get 1-1.5 MBps, on vista this was commonly around 400-600, with the odd peak at 800. I know the file transfer and P2P were broke, but I didn't think it was this bad!

It seems obvious that pirates who have free access to either XP or Vista still prefer XP. If Vista was the prefered OS they would be giving that more of their WGA attention.

Microsoft is a has been, the problem is they are so out of touch with their customer base that they are clueless to this fact. The last good OS they had was Windows 2000. Everything else since has been downhill. Instead of fixing old bugs like desktop icons that don't sort properly, they waste their time ruining the only good OS they have left, by junking it up. Meanwhile they look the other way to all of the pirating going on in Asia. That's the way to run a business, keep degrading your best product and then act surprised when business customers leave in droves and adopt Linux. They can't innovate because most of their talent has left them for Google. Is this the best business plan the remaining dead wood can come up with? I don't expect much from Windows 7, just more of the same old insecure MS bloatware. They need a good competitor to come along and put them out of their misery.

I just bought a new computer with Vista Home and was surprised to get some nags and start menu links to upgrade my version of Vista to a more expensive version for almost $200.

If XP Pro is the most pirated version it means that there is a demand for it. And what does MS do? It tries to stop people from pirating it instead of lowering prices and starting to sell it like the healthy market economics would dictate. I think MS should patent the idea of shooting yourself in the foot with a full auto rifle...

Because the Chartreuse Screen of Spite just isn't Microsoft; The Black Screen of Spite (BSoS) is. EULA: "Substitution of color and other fitting words is permitted; the phrase is neither copyrighted nor considered intellectual property."

That will teach 'em. May their iron smelters produce pigs instead of iron too.

I've also had a black background for some years. (I really, really need those extra few resources.) If it weren't already taken I would vote for blue; with the message "Windows has detected Windows and your system might suffer".

Give me a break. The pirates and eunuchs fanboys are flaming away at Microsoft. If you're selling a product that a significant number of users are stealing, wouldn't you do what you could to stop tht THEFT? I see the same attitudes/arguments when it comes to copy protection on movies and other digital media. In all of my years as a consultant, I've NEVER had a problem with WGA, or similar protection flagging a valid copy. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen... I will cut some slack to the the guys who are ONLY using Linux. O.K., you practice what you preach. For the rest of you, if you don't like Microsoft, then don't use their products. </rant>

I say the people should go to fedora or a linux based OS and then the Microsoft corporating shall be knocked down a level . If they would lower their prices and not be an monoply then people would not pirate their software

Things change yet nothing changes.... any bets whether the crack for this will be out before it is fully implemented?

Someone once told me, if you have a crack OS and hint is cheaper to buy license. That's it.

Migrated to Linux just in time. Microsoft is getting more obnoxious every day.

I've had one run in with WGA. Used Dell that had obviously been block formatted by its old owner to clean down the disk. Bitch, bitch, bitch, and MSFT was useless -- they want $199 (about four times what the computer was sold for), they refuse to acknowledge the MSFT serial number (Dell, that well known pirate outfit). Its enough to make you reach for your "alternative operating system". Especially when you compare and contrast everyday tasks under "Vista Business" and "Ordinary Software". XP is OK, use it if you've got it, but Vista......ye Gods!!!!

based on the screenshots. Has anyone used it? The Inq, can you guys do an article on it and see if it works please? Would that be a good article? http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html