M$ drops WGA for IE7 XP

[Dr Mordrid]

http://www.theregister.com/2007/10/05/ms_ie7_sans_wga/

MS drops nagware validation for IE7 installs

Free for all

By John Leyden → More by this author
Published Friday 5th October 2007 12:25 GMT

Microsoft has dropped the requirement for Windows XP users to go through Windows Genuine Advantage validation in order to get Internet Explorer 7.

The move, delivered via a software update on Thursday, means even users of pirated copies of Windows can take advantage of Microsoft's latest browser software. For the rest of us it means avoiding the chore of WGA validation, a test that has been known to go wrong from time to time and is a chore even at the best of times.

IE7 comes bundled with Vista and as an optional update to XP. Dropping WGA checks for IE7 only affects Windows XP users.

In a posting to its IE development blog, Microsoft suggested creating a safer internet through the improved security features bundled with IE7 was more important than fighting piracy.

[paulw]

I notice that it appeared in the last lot of updates. I declined the offer. Use Firefox and Opera..

[DJ]

Even if you don't use it you should still get it. Check this Article.

[paulw]

It says
"Researcher Petko D. Petkov said in a Sept. 18 blog posting that he's found that a fully patched Windows XP Service Pack 2 system running Internet Explorer 6 or 7 along with Windows Media Player 9—the default, although the media player is now up to Version 11—will open any page of an attacker's choice even if the default browser is not Internet Explorer.."

Our Pcs ahve the latest IE6 and media player patches so I don't see any need to down grade to IE7 which most likely has the same security issues..

[DJ]

IE 7 is reported to be more secure than 6 so there is advantage in installing it.

[xortam]

Is IE 7 stable? I use IE but I've avoided upgrading to 7 so far. I thought that people were having problems with many sites when it first came out.

[DJ]

I use Opera, Firefox and IE 7 in that order. Only use IE if I have to but it has never crashed that I can remember.

[UtwigMU]

Problem is a lot of stuff doesn't work with IE7. Some banks don't (here they do).

Also I had to go through some e-learning for work and the site didn't work in IE7 nor in Firefox. Since I already updated my work laptop to IE7, Opera saved the day.

If you use IE for legacy stuff, then it's better to keep 6 arround. If you use it for primary browser, update.

[xortam]

I think I'll stick with IE6 then until IE7 gets updated. It is still the only browser I use. I do have WMP updated.

[wkulecz]

I only use IE for Windows Update, The WGA check is no issue for me, IE7 don't work on W2K and I don't want it on my XP notebook (which I regret not having paid the $200 extra to get the legacy W2K installed when I bought it )

Firefox with NoScript add-on is the safest way to web surf I know of so far -- especially if done on Linux!

--wally.