Windows Genuine Advantage

[Socrates]

I got this auto-update today : WGA. I haven't installed it yet, because I read that it spawns popups all the time, asking you to get an OK version of WinXP. It seems that, of the nationalities at CDZ, only the Germans know what I'm talking about. What have you done ? I'm thinking more and more about converting to 100% open source. Any idea for a noob ?

[Tubby Rower]

I go that update yesterday. I told Bill Gates to stuff it. I have legal software and I don't need his stupid program to help me. It's just to pervent morons from ripping off his software and then turning on auto-download and auto-install new updates.

[Tubby Rower]

I talked to a guy here at work and he said that he has installed it and his brother was blocked from Microsoft's updates until he installed it. So it looks like you can stay with the crappy Microsoft OS that Uncle Bill has given you up to this point or install this crap to compensate for his inadequacies and continue to receive updates for the software that's not finished. [crazyeye]

[Socrates]

To make things clearer : I'm a moron who has a fake Windows XP version. In other words, I stole it. So what is best for me ?

There is no way I'm gonna put money into this crappy software sooner or later. I'd like my PC to be 100% M$-free, but a certain category of programs badly needs Windows to run (yeah you got it : games). The thing is, I haven't played a video game for 4 months now, so maybe I should get a Linux thingie ? Advice ? :)

[Tubby Rower]

You're not a moron if you stole it (just a thief ;) ) The morons have auto-install option on their updates. Being a moron isn't all that bad. You just have to be more careful with what you do:)

I haven't used Linux much mainly because most of my computer use is at work and for some reason all IT departments use Unix style systems but relegate the masses to Windows. So when I got my home PC I just went with Windows. Do not install the Windows Genuine Advantage crap. I'll prolly install it on mine since mine is legal from when I purchased my computer, but I'm not happy about it. I might delete windows and start looking for DOS games [lol]

[grahamiam]

If you go with Linux, check out WINE to get Windoze games to work with it. Not sure if it can do all the games, but I think it might get you close.

[Beam]

There are excellent Linux distributions running from a bootable CD including all kinds of stuff for daily use excluding Civ. Iirc WINE is one of them but don't shoot if it isn't. Advantage is you can try it out before switching.

If I wasn't playing Civ and other games I'd probably would have gone Linux all the way.

[akots]

You don't have to install WGA and it should not block you from other updates. I'm unable to use Windows Update neither at home (something wrong with ActiveX since I had to delete a few of them because of some Trojan) nor at work (Web Filtering installed prevents certain types of ActiveX controlling the system running unless it is pushed through by system administrator). So, the way around it to use AutoUpdate but to verify what is installed before actually starting the installation.

I'm not sure about this latest WGA but all previous iirc have been hacked months before they actually appeared and these hacks are not so difficult to find on the Internet.