WGA is stupid, annoying, and pointless. Same for windows update. It is also easy to get around, although I am not going to say how. Micro$oft knows their software is gonna get pirated, stolen, cracked, etc., so why don't they just let windows be free, while upgrades and other software like office would cost money. That way, Micro$oft would make money, but not have to worry about alot piracy. But this is my opinion, so don't get me wrong. Micro$oft should get money for all of their work, but they should't be able to essentially monopolize over the end-user computer industry. I mean, 98% of my high school (which has about 2000 students) have only heard about windows. Something is obviously wrong here.

I was annoyed when, after buying my laptop last August, I had to sit through this "validation" check b.s. when I started this thing up for the first time.

The point of the thing isn't to make customers happier; it's to help Microsoft catch people who rip them off by counterfeiting/illegally copying their software. That's fair enough, sure. I would probably do the same thing if I owned a software company, as nobody really wants to be ripped off.

But at least don't try to pass this thing off as being "good for customers." The only way this thing can help we buyers is if Microsoft can keep prices low (hahaha - well, low for Microsoft anyway) by not losing as much business to pirated copies.

yes, doing it Walmart style, it would be great!

xboxrulz

Yeah, it IS to microsofts advantage. They just want people to buy their software and not use illegal/cracked versions. This is really a pain for me because my computer had to be sent away to a computer store for some deep maintenance. It came back with windows xp, (yes it was on the bill) but... this genuine advantage crap is really annoying. There are downloads that i need from microsofts site and i simply cannot get to it anymore. I had gotten an upgrade and now it keeps saying my windows is not genuine.
This is not fair. I payed for it, it was working until a minor upgrade.

I hope you have already raised a complaint against the store that has done the maintenence, repair or upgrade work and recovered from that situation, because that's certainly not a problem you should encounter when you have paid for a genuine copy.

inconnu is right, go back and file a complaint.

Good thing Linux doesn't have something like WGA, if there was, then it's gonna be hell.

*knock on wood*

xboxrulz

To be honest, I don't care whether they have the WGA or not. I get all my patches from The Software Patch.com, then at least I know there isn't going to be any stupid CRC errors

well, it seems now they've unblocked after like a negotiation or something.

xboxrulz

How can you have genuine Linux? It's free (well for the most part).

I suggest everyone gets there updates from thesoftwarepatch.com because they take it directly from the dedicated servers at Microsoft (as far as I am aware).

Yeah i have, not much of a reply yet. I might have another go at contacting them.


This post has been edited by HellFire121: Feb 15 2006, 10:42 AM