windows critical fixes

does anyone know which of the windows hot fixes surreptitiously added wga to windows/xp

 

It wasn't surreptitious, it was called the WGA, however, if you didn't install it, it would appear on your bootdown window an if you didn't think to say no to the updates, it would be loaded automatically at shutdown. There's a removal tool here.
abri

 

While you are waiting for a precise answer, you might try downloading RemoveWGA.

 

I've been wondering where the notification tool has gone! It's no longer clearly labelled on Windows Updates, and its KB number is no longer listed... it makes me wonder if they've given up on this in favour of the SPP built right into windows.

The validation tool is another animal altogether. That's installed before you can get any updates other than BITS and Windows Installer. It is clearly labelled.

 

It might be this one:

KB905474
???

abri

 

Yes, that's the one!
The validation tool is KB892130

 

MA - if you see this you might want to move it to the lounge; from my end its going to turn into a rant.

A little info on why I posted this.

Saw an article on the net at a site and by an author I thought was reputable.

UnfortunatelyI I havent been able to find it again. I arrived at it thru a number of links starting from Cnet. Based on a in an earlier post in this thread, it sounds like M$ is trying to cover up something.

The fact - is it a fact? - that M$ added MGA by way of a "critical fix" without really telling anyone, makes me wonder if they are to be trusted. I dont blame them for wanting to know who is running unlicensed and pirated(I know, I can't spell) software, but I do blame them for trying to get information off of our pc without telling us.

=========================================================

If they will do it once, how do we know that they wont do it again if some government agency pays 'em enough to do it.


I just do not like Microsoft, unfortunately, they are the only viable game in town unless you can afford IBM MVS.

I wish Al Capp were still around; It tickles my funney bone wondering if he could do the same thing with Redmond Bill that he did with "generous motors"

 

Yes, the notification tool, which contains - contained? - the killswitch for non-genuine copies of XP was originally labelled as a "critical fix", but Microsoft was sued over it, and had to relabel it. It was on Windows update for ahwile as a regular patch, and has now disappeared for any computer that I've updated. (Just did one this afternoon)

The notification tool is only part of WGA. There's also the validation tool, which is needed to get Windows updates, or to install any of their free software.

However, it was the notification tool that was the problem.
1. It was mislabelled
2. It was difficult to remove (in fact, had no built-in means of uninstallation)
3. It "phoned home" on EVERY boot, regardless if you had validated in the past

However, I sincerely believe that it has been removed alltogether. You can check any list of updates that you're about to install for "notification tool" or "KB892130", and make sure it hasn't made the list.