Over the last few months Microsoft have been rolling out their Genuine Advantage validation tools. In essence, (if you allow it) Windows will install an update which is a tool that validates whether your copy of MS Windows is “genuine” or “pirated”. If it is determined that your system is not running a genuine licensed copy of Windows you will be prevented from installing updates, security patches, and the like. Apparently recent versions of the WGA Notification tool call home to MS servers every time the computer is started (every time Windows XP is started). Like many other Windows users, this seems unnecessary to me. I have a genuine copy of Windows that came preinstalled on my Acer laptop. I have not, however, allowed the WGA Notification tool to be installed. If you have, you might wish to remove it.
Visit the following site to learn how: http://www.firewallleaktester.com/removewga.htm
I quote the following from that site…
RemoveWGA enables you to remove the Microsoft “Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications” tool, which is calling home and connect to Microsoft servers every time you boot. Futures updates of this notification tool will (officialy) setup the connection rate to once every two weeks.
Once the WGA Notification tool has checked your OS and has confirmed you had a legit copy, there is no decent point or reason to check it again and again every boot. Moreover, connecting to Microsoft brings security issue for corporate networks, and privacy issues for everyone. It is also unclear which information are transmitted (Microsoft published an official answer, but an individual study brought some questions). All of that, along the fact that Microsoft used deceptive ways to make you install this tool (it was told you it was an urgent security update, whereas it is a new installation giving you no extra security) makes me calling this tool a spyware.
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