"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:07:20 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message

Joe, there are millions of people using XP and Vista with WGA.
Very few are experts.
They are somehow getting by.
Do you think MS is spying on people?
AFAICT the main reason to avoid WGA is that the OS is pirated.
I have heard that VISTA is already hacked, and can get MS updates.
Some might argue that beyond service packs, the updates are
unnecessary.
What's your point?

--Vic


Vic, I would be happy to discuss this further with you. First, read the
article and tell me what you think about it. We really can't proceed until
you do that.

And by the way, I'm no expert either.

I did read it, and these same scattered validation issues were there
years ago, when MS started installing WGA. But it remains that the
vast majority of users have no problems with it.
If you are concerned about WGA, there are hacks to get around it.
These are illegal, as is spitting on the sidewalk.
Otherwise there is Linux, MacOS, etc.
But I want to hear your views on this.
BTW, I don't like my computer communicating with Redmond either,
but some thing must be put in personal perspective, and some people
have no problem with it.


Beginning with "I did read it", you mentioned several issues (plural), and
then asked for "views on this" (singular). Pick one issue to start with.
It's busy here.

"BAR" wrote in message
. ..
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
news JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Well, I am taking the plunge.
I am updating my old IBM T23 laptop from Win2k to WINXP Pro.
It's a great little laptop, though technology long passed it by, and
at the moment it only has 384KB of memory. If the update "takes,"
I'll update the RAM to 512KB.

This is the machine I let household guests use.

Gosh, if it works out, I'll be as up to date OS-wise as the great
computer gurus here.
Before you run Windows Update, you may want to read this slowly,
three times:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071129/#story1

And don't give me any crap about how your situation is an exception
to what the writer is talking about, or how your copy of XP is legit
so none of this matters.
Since my copy of XP Pro was sent to me as a gift from MS, I am not
concerned about its legitimacy.

Wrong. That's like saying warrantless surveillance is cool because you
haven't broken the law.

Read the article. WGA can still cause nightmares, and there's nothing
you can to once it begins. You'll wish you'd paid attention.
I'll call MS if I have those sorts of problems.


Harry, I expected this. It's pathetic, really. The article is about a
piece of the windows update software which is essentially spyware.
Microsoft **WANTS** you to have it, and if you call them, they will run
you around in circles trying to get you to keep it on your system.

Stop pretending to know more than non-MS experts, and read the article.

Did you accept the license agreement?



Yes. The original license agreement for Windows XP Pro never mentioned
something that would come along later: "Windows Genuine Advantage".

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"BAR" wrote in message
. ..
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
news JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Well, I am taking the plunge.
I am updating my old IBM T23 laptop from Win2k to WINXP Pro.
It's a great little laptop, though technology long passed it by, and
at the moment it only has 384KB of memory. If the update "takes,"
I'll update the RAM to 512KB.

This is the machine I let household guests use.

Gosh, if it works out, I'll be as up to date OS-wise as the great
computer gurus here.
Before you run Windows Update, you may want to read this slowly,
three times:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071129/#story1

And don't give me any crap about how your situation is an exception
to what the writer is talking about, or how your copy of XP is legit
so none of this matters.
Since my copy of XP Pro was sent to me as a gift from MS, I am not
concerned about its legitimacy.
Wrong. That's like saying warrantless surveillance is cool because you
haven't broken the law.

Read the article. WGA can still cause nightmares, and there's nothing
you can to once it begins. You'll wish you'd paid attention.
I'll call MS if I have those sorts of problems.

Harry, I expected this. It's pathetic, really. The article is about a
piece of the windows update software which is essentially spyware.
Microsoft **WANTS** you to have it, and if you call them, they will run
you around in circles trying to get you to keep it on your system.

Stop pretending to know more than non-MS experts, and read the article.
Did you accept the license agreement?



Yes. The original license agreement for Windows XP Pro never mentioned
something that would come along later: "Windows Genuine Advantage".




Well, the Thinkpad upgrade to XP Pro seems to be going well. We're up
and running, and we just automatically downloaded and installed 103
"upgrades" from Microsoft. Now we'll go over to the Lenovo site and see
what else we need.

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:23:52 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:



Beginning with "I did read it", you mentioned several issues (plural), and
then asked for "views on this" (singular). Pick one issue to start with.
It's busy here.


Do you feel that WGA will report a "false positive" when attempting to
validate your OS, deactivate or cripple you OS, thus requiring you to
call MS to resolve it?

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:23:52 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:



Beginning with "I did read it", you mentioned several issues (plural), and
then asked for "views on this" (singular). Pick one issue to start with.
It's busy here.


Do you feel that WGA will report a "false positive" when attempting to
validate your OS, deactivate or cripple you OS, thus requiring you to
call MS to resolve it?

--Vic


Since there are reports of this, then it is possible, and not always for
reasons that are any of MS' business. Hardware changes, for instance.
Therefore, WGA is broken.

"HK" wrote in message
news
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"BAR" wrote in message
. ..
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
news JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Well, I am taking the plunge.
I am updating my old IBM T23 laptop from Win2k to WINXP Pro.
It's a great little laptop, though technology long passed it by,
and at the moment it only has 384KB of memory. If the update
"takes," I'll update the RAM to 512KB.

This is the machine I let household guests use.

Gosh, if it works out, I'll be as up to date OS-wise as the great
computer gurus here.
Before you run Windows Update, you may want to read this slowly,
three times:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071129/#story1

And don't give me any crap about how your situation is an exception
to what the writer is talking about, or how your copy of XP is
legit so none of this matters.
Since my copy of XP Pro was sent to me as a gift from MS, I am not
concerned about its legitimacy.
Wrong. That's like saying warrantless surveillance is cool because
you haven't broken the law.

Read the article. WGA can still cause nightmares, and there's nothing
you can to once it begins. You'll wish you'd paid attention.
I'll call MS if I have those sorts of problems.

Harry, I expected this. It's pathetic, really. The article is about a
piece of the windows update software which is essentially spyware.
Microsoft **WANTS** you to have it, and if you call them, they will run
you around in circles trying to get you to keep it on your system.

Stop pretending to know more than non-MS experts, and read the article.
Did you accept the license agreement?



Yes. The original license agreement for Windows XP Pro never mentioned
something that would come along later: "Windows Genuine Advantage".


Well, the Thinkpad upgrade to XP Pro seems to be going well. We're up and
running, and we just automatically downloaded and installed 103 "upgrades"
from Microsoft. Now we'll go over to the Lenovo site and see what else we
need.



Nobody ever claimed you WOULD have problems. Rather, various sources point
out that WGA is neither necessary nor useful (to you), and that there are
other ways to obtain the updates you DO want.

On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:29:59 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message

Do you feel that WGA will report a "false positive" when attempting to
validate your OS, deactivate or cripple you OS, thus requiring you to
call MS to resolve it?

Since there are reports of this, then it is possible, and not always for
reasons that are any of MS' business. Hardware changes, for instance.
Therefore, WGA is broken.

Yes, I've heard of that. Not sure this is isolated to MB/CPU changes,
but it has raised complaints from some.

Can you address this bit you wrote?

If you allow windows update to freely do its thing, you WILL have issues
eventually. It's not a matter of "if". It's "when".

Do you really believe this, or was it hyperbole?

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:29:59 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message

Do you feel that WGA will report a "false positive" when attempting to
validate your OS, deactivate or cripple you OS, thus requiring you to
call MS to resolve it?

Since there are reports of this, then it is possible, and not always for
reasons that are any of MS' business. Hardware changes, for instance.
Therefore, WGA is broken.

Yes, I've heard of that. Not sure this is isolated to MB/CPU changes,
but it has raised complaints from some.

Can you address this bit you wrote?

If you allow windows update to freely do its thing, you WILL have issues
eventually. It's not a matter of "if". It's "when".

Do you really believe this, or was it hyperbole?

--Vic


I've seen it. Not on all computers, but on some. How about you?

Even before WGA, the auto update process was seriously flawed. Do you
remember the update that completely changed the way OE allowed access to
attachments. Of course, this was not made clear to users until they hit a
brick wall when trying to access attachments. When this happened at my home
office, I was enjoying myself in Puerto Rico, out of cell phone range. Our
local computer consultant was home sick with the flu. Our "rainmaker", a guy
whose enormous sales depend on attachments, was dead in the water for a day.

The MS newsgroups are periodically loaded with identical questions from
users whose machines have been somehow sabotaged by a "helpful" update. Even
the MS MVPs who answer users' question often recommend turning off auto
updates, opting instead for users to just be notified of an available
update, and waiting to see the effects they have on hapless people who
didn't follow their advice.

On Thu, 29 Nov 07, HK wrote:
If the update "takes," I'll update the RAM to 512KB.

Let us know how you come out.
I have a desktop with twice that much RAM but somehow I thought XP
required more. If yours works, I might give XP Home a shot on my spare
desktop.
Can anybody suggest a reliable online source that supplies legitimate
XP Home OS at a reasonable price?

Rick

lid wrote:
On Thu, 29 Nov 07, HK wrote:
If the update "takes," I'll update the RAM to 512KB.

Let us know how you come out.
I have a desktop with twice that much RAM but somehow I thought XP
required more. If yours works, I might give XP Home a shot on my spare
desktop.
Can anybody suggest a reliable online source that supplies legitimate
XP Home OS at a reasonable price?

Rick


XP Pro runs on 384KB. I haven't installed any software yet, but the OS
certainly runs properly.