Windows Genuine Advantage Notification
Windows Update and Automatic Updates would install an update called Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notification in Windows XP based systems.
After this WGA update, the next time you try to login to Windows, and if you happen to be running a non-genuine version of Windows you'd be greeted with this screen:
WGA Notification at logon
A notification Area balloon will remind you every so often to get a Genuine Copy of Windows, like this:
WGA notification balloon
It doesn't stop there. You'll also see a banner locked onto the desktop until you decide to get a genuine copy.
WGA desktop banner
This sure is a good way to irritate and even embarrass users who have installed pirated Windows XP on their computers.
From the first time users get this notification, they have 14 days to comply. After 14 days they will not be able to download software upgrades such as IE7 and Windows Defender. Critical security updates will still be available like it is now.
Microsoft hopes that by notifying users that they are not eligible for all Windows upgrades, it will drive more users to purchase a legal copy of Windows, and also report the counterfeit dealers that sold them their copy. In some cases Microsoft will give a free license to users who are victims of a high quality counterfeiting.
More on this on Microsoft Website.
After this WGA update, the next time you try to login to Windows, and if you happen to be running a non-genuine version of Windows you'd be greeted with this screen:
WGA Notification at logon
A notification Area balloon will remind you every so often to get a Genuine Copy of Windows, like this:
WGA notification balloon
It doesn't stop there. You'll also see a banner locked onto the desktop until you decide to get a genuine copy.
WGA desktop banner
This sure is a good way to irritate and even embarrass users who have installed pirated Windows XP on their computers.
From the first time users get this notification, they have 14 days to comply. After 14 days they will not be able to download software upgrades such as IE7 and Windows Defender. Critical security updates will still be available like it is now.
Microsoft hopes that by notifying users that they are not eligible for all Windows upgrades, it will drive more users to purchase a legal copy of Windows, and also report the counterfeit dealers that sold them their copy. In some cases Microsoft will give a free license to users who are victims of a high quality counterfeiting.
More on this on Microsoft Website.
