Windows Genuine Advantage... updated!

[Gurm]

Microsoft today decided to try to sneak one past us, and updated the Windows Genuine Advantage tool!

As you all know, WGA is that thing which prevents us from updating Windows unless we have a valid license key.

And as you all also know, it's defeated quite easily by simply doing "manage add-ons" in Internet Explorer, and turning it off. *snicker*

UNTIL NOW.

Today Windows Update asked me to install an update to the updating system. So I did... and lo and behold WGA was back with a new version, and when I tried to disable it, it said "This add-on is managed by your administrator."

Well huh, I said. I logged in as administrator... STILL couldn't fiddle.

So I did some prodding...

And determined that the update installed a per-user deny access restriction for that add-on... for every user.

Easily beaten by going in RegEdit to:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Pol icies\Ext

and

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Pol icies\Ext

And making sure the CLSID for WGA is deleted from all the subkeys.

You'd think MS would learn!

[Gurm]

Ok, my bad. After a reboot there's yet ANOTHER install, which doublechecks that you didn't **** with it. *sigh*

Back to the drawing board!

[Gurm]

Well the javascript workarounds still work.

[lecter]

For some reason it just will not install for me, keeps saying that the update failed, even after restarting the computer. Do the modified .dlls not work either? Because the javascript thing doesn't work on IE7.

[Gurm]

Well unless you know how to make a new updated DLL, no. Because this new update replaces the DLL's, or else just verifies them or something. Probably why you're getting "update failed".

[Victorian]

Ok, my bad. After a reboot there's yet ANOTHER install, which doublechecks that you didn't **** with it. *sigh*

Back to the drawing board!

The 'hacked' dll was out and circulating the net by the next day.

[The PIT]

Well y copy is legit so I don't see a prob and it helps stop me wasting time on student machines that have pirate software.

[High_Jumbllama]

The problem is treating "everyone" like a criminal.
Gurm, here the site still showed the ActiveX still showed as disabled. Is that what happened to you? If not, could be that it cares whether or not you are in a domain.

[Gurm]

The 'hacked' dll was out and circulating the net by the next day.

Link?

[Gurm]

The problem is treating "everyone" like a criminal.
Gurm, here the site still showed the ActiveX still showed as disabled. Is that what happened to you? If not, could be that it cares whether or not you are in a domain.

I would imagine that being in a domain, and actually having a domain controller, makes the control behave differently. If you really have a domain admin, they kind of have to let the domain admin set the rights instead of just going "haha your admin gets to control this neener!" to keep you from fiddling.

[Marshmallowman]

why yes neener, this would not happen in linux

[uberlad]

Of course if you know someone with a legit volume licensing key that isn't on the windows ban list and update windows to use that instead once it's installed.....

I was just so bored with having to update the hacked version of WGA every few weeks.

As far as I can tell MS are not yet checking if the key has alraedy downloaded updates from a different IP. It's only a matter of time, no doubt.

Uberlad

[Gurm]

Of course if you know someone with a legit volume licensing key that isn't on the windows ban list and update windows to use that instead once it's installed.....

I was just so bored with having to update the hacked version of WGA every few weeks.

As far as I can tell MS are not yet checking if the key has alraedy downloaded updates from a different IP. It's only a matter of time, no doubt.

Uberlad

Actually VLK machines are allowed to download updates from different IP's, even different domains. You think IBM keeps all their PC's in the same place? *snicker*

[uberlad]

Good point. I shall feel little guilt in the possibility that some huge megacorporation will have trouble with Ms at some point in the future.

It has to be said that WGA has almost performed its task - I am seriously considering actually buying a copy of Vista once it's worth owning. Of course that may be never....

Uberlad

[Victorian]

Link?

Are we allowed to post a link for something like this?

I'm at work right now and won't be home til around 10 or 10:30 pm (paciific). If it's not allowed to post the link I can send it to you as an attachment?