Disable and Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications Nag Screen
This page has been updated, visit the new article on how to bypass and disable the WGA or way to make your Windows genuine permanently.
Microsoft has released WGA Notifications application which effectively turned Microsoft Windows operating system into a ‘nagware’, with a “This copy of Windows is not genuine” warning. What the Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications application does what it will check your Microsoft Windows XP validity. If it found that the copy of Windows XP is not validated, not genuine, counterfeit, unlicensed, pirated, illegal, unauthorised or simply failed the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process, then the notification messages will appear at various places and time.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purpose only, as most information is found on various part of Internet. Readers should contacts Microsoft if their licensed or OEM software cannot be validated or purchase genuine software.
When you log on to a non-genuine copy of Windows XP, the following notification error message “This copy of Windows is not genuine” will pop-up on the logon process:
And the nicely said “You may be a victim of software counterfeiting” message on the bottom right corner of log-in screen:
Microsoft allows Windows faithfuls to have 2 options: Get Genuine or Resolve Later. Click on Resolve Later will temporarily bypass the notification and let you login into and use Windows nagged with notification icon and messages, which will randomly appear as balloon notification message with an icon in the notification area (system tray).
Clicking on the balloon notification or the notification area icon will lead you to the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Failure Web page that contains the specifics of the validation failure and the steps that you can take to make the operating system genuine.
To get rid of the WGA notifications that intends to remind you that your Windows is not validated, you can buy a validly licensed copy of genuine Microsoft Windows.
Update: Bypass WGA Validation with Crack or Hack and Disable WGA Notifications Warning Message Workarounds
Latest Version: 1.5.554.0 on October 2006 (distribute to some computers with no known roll-out pattern), 1.5.708.0 on September 2006 (distribute to whoever wants to download from Microsoft Download Center), 1.5.540.0 on 28th June 2006, 1.5.532.2 on 6th June 2006, 1.5.532.0 on 30th May 2006, 1.5.530.0 on 23rd May 2006, 1.5.526.0 on 26th April 2006.
More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe.
With new release of WGA, some methods no longer works, and some has been updated. Several methods that has certain success on certain people, you may try until you success.
Official Method by Microsoft – more information here.
First Method
- Lauch Windows Task Manager.
- End wgatray.exe process in Task Manager.
- Restart Windows XP in Safe Mode.
- Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32.
- Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32\dllcache.
- Lauch RegEdit.
- Browse to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify - Delete the folder ‘WgaLogon’ and all its contents
- Reboot Windows XP.
Note: With this method, you may be prompted to install WGA Notifications again which can still be unselected.
Second Method
Another alternative suggested by dman is by using System Restore to restore the PC to a previous restore point that WGA Notifications hasn’t kicked in, and then carefully stop KB905474 from been applied to the system. To use System Restore, go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore.
Note: Again, you may be prompted again to install WGA Notification, so it must be bypassed.
Third Method updated
This method involves using a cracked version of LegitCheckControl.dll to replace the original copy of LegitCheckControl.dll, and thus bypass the WGA validation and make Microsoft believes that your copy of Windows is genuine. To get rid of WGA Notifications warning messages, the patched version of WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe to replace the existing files.
To apply the patch by replacing the files manually, try to end the respective processes in the Task Manager before deleting the existing files. Most likely is you will have to restart your PC in Safe Mode in order to replacing the original copy of LegitCheckControl.dll and related files. However, there has been automatic updater and even cracked WGA installer that automatically apply the patched version of WGA files.
Latest Update for WGA version 1.5.708.0 latest
Download cracked and patched version of LegitCheckControl.dll with thanks to Danny.
Latest Update for WGA version 1.5.554.0 latest
Download cracked and patched version of LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe for v1.5.554.0 of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool and WGA Notifications.
John suggested that it may be rolled out to reduce the frequency of ‘phone home’ feature. BetaNews has confirmed this and says Microsoft has completed the pilot phase for WGA Notifications, officially rolling out the anti-piracy reminders to Windows XP users worldwide. Anyway if Notifications Tools is patched, it won’t callbacks at all. Swissboy found that now there are 15 languages supported for KB905474 and offers solution.
General release version of Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications also has updated EULA which says installing of this update is optional. However, once installed, the update will become a permanent part of your Windows XP software, means you can’t uninstall it. The EULA also confirms that information about your system will be sent to Microsoft. You can just skip installing the KB905474 by clicking “I Decline” when shown the EULA. If you don’t want the Automatic Updates or Windows Updates to try install WGA Notifications again, click Don’t ask me to install these updates again at Decline EULA window.
Latest Update for WGA version 1.5.532.2
Version 1.5.532.2 of WGA Validation Tool and WGA Notifications is NOT YET mass released to all Windows system, so your system may not have this version.
WindowsXP-KB905474-ENU-x86-1.5.532.2-noWGA.exe (as suggested by swissboy) is the original setup of KB905474, but with the 3 files as mentioned above replaced with patched version and re-packed. You can view the contents with WinRAR or 7-Zip. Download here or here. (Removed due to compliant from Microsoft)
LegitCheckControl.dll-v1.5.532.2-Jun-02-2006.zip (as suggested by swissboy) contains hacked version of LegitCheckControl.dll which you have to replace manually over the existing dll in \Windows\System32 folder. Download here or here. (Deleted due to complaint from Microsoft)
new More automated WGA removal tool: RemoveWGA
Latest Update for WGA version 1.5.532.0
LegitCheckControl1.5.532.0.muiz.fixed.rar (suggested by Picard) is the patched LegitCheckControl.dll and can be download here or here (removed due to complaint from Microsoft).
If LegitCheckControl.dll alone doesn’t work, try to patch the other two WGA files too, namely WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. Download the the patches for 3 files here or here (Removed due to complaint from Microsoft). Overwrite the original files with these hacked version in \Windows\System32 folder. The patch should remove notifications nag screen and allows Windows Update.
There are also several automated tools that save the dirty works of have to manually overwrites and replaces the WGA applications.
WGAPatch905474 (suggested by SilverBullet) contains 905474.exe that will patch Windows to allow access to full (custom) Windows Update and get rid of nag screen. Download 905474.exe here or here (removed due to complaint from Microsoft).
There are also several patched WGANotify KB905474 installation setup which will install KB905474 WGAnotify with the 3 patched WGA files namely LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. One of them is HotFix windowsxp-kb905474-enu-x86.exe suggested by DeaDMan Walking, which will after install, disable notifications nag screen and allows update. Download here, here or here (removed coz of Microsoft complaint).
WindowsXP-KB905474-ENU-x86-v1.5.532.0-noWGA.exe (suggested by Swissboy) is also the patched KB905474 setup file which is actually the original setup of KB905474, but with the 3 files replaced. Download it here or here (removed due to Microsoft compliant).
Old Updates
Version 1.5.530.0 of cracked LegitCheckControl.dll (suggested by chucko), can also be downloaded here or here (obsolete links, visit here for updates).
Use the latest cracked LegitCheckControl.dll by searching for “Windows.Genuine.Advantage.Validation.v1.5.526.0.CRACKED-ETH0″. Can also be downloaded here (obsolete link, update here). Cracked LegitCheckControl.dll also available here or here (obsolete links, updates available here). Once download the cracked dll, replace the LegitCheckControl.dll in \Windows\System32 folder with the cracked version. You may need to restart your PC in safe mode to replace the files.
Forth Method
Jules found that by disabling and renaming the files ‘WgaLogon.dll’ and ‘WgaTray.exe’ in C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder by using the program Unlocker seems to get rid of all the nags/popups.
Fifth Method
Clear the contents or create a new empty data.dat for WGA, and make data.dat Read-Only and Hidden as detailed here.
The following step basically is the same with the above data.dat method, only different is that you no need to create any file in the WGA data folder:
- Launch Windows Explorer and go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Windows Genuine Advantage\data
- Go to Tools -> Folder Option -> View.
- Select (click) Show Hidden Files and Folders option.
- Unselect (uncheck) Hide Protected Operating System Files option.
- Click OK.
- Delete everything in the data folder.
- Right click on data folder, and select Properties.
- Select (Check) Read-Only as the folder’s atributes.
- Click OK or Apply.
Update: After 30 May 2006 with the release of WGA 1.5.532.0, this method no longer works. If the data.dat is set to “Read-Only”, WGA may complains that the serial key from the file could not be read, making the WGA validation failed even with the cracked dll files. So just delete the file (and make sure the folder is not set to “Read-Only”), WGA will then automatically regenerate the file and create the key, so you will pass the validation if you have the correct patched dll installed.
Sixth Method
Another alternative suggest that three files are installed Windows XP System Folder for WGA:
\WINDOWS\system32\WgaLogon.dll
\WINDOWS\system32\WgaTray.exe
\WINDOWS\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll
The wgatray.exe process makes the check for genuine windows software. If WgaLogon.dll is denied execution right, that WinLogon is unable to call it to check on Windows validity and display notification package at boot, and since WgaLogon is also responsible for running and maintaining WgaTray.exe, no more tray popups either.
To change and disable the execute bit of WgaLogon.dll:
- Turn off Simple File Sharing in Tools -> Folder Options -> View tab.
- Right click WgaLogon.dll in Windows Explorer and open the Security Tab.
- Click Advanced button.
- Uncheck the Inherit box at the bottom.
- Click the Copy button.
- Click OK.
- Go through each listed user/group and remove the “Read & Execute” permission for WgaLogon.dll, leaving the “Read” permission as-is.
- Click OK to apply the permission changes.
- Close the file properties dialog.
- Restart the computer.
- Turn “Use simple file sharing” on (optional).
Optionally, steps suggested by PSNet which has the same effect – disabling WgaLogon.dll.
Note: Visit the a more tidy article on how to bypass and disable the WGA with various tricks and hacks or a host redirect method to make Windows genuine permanently.
More on…
Page 2: More methods and suggestions to bypass WGA
Page 3: How you can ‘upgrade’ the version of cracked DLLs by yourself
Related Articles
- Official Ways to Disable or Manually Uninstall the Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications from Microsoft
- Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Validation Notifications KB905474 1.8.31.9 Crack
- Crack for Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications (KB905474) 1.7.17.0
- Remove, Bypass, Patch and Disable Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage WGA Validation version 1.5.708.0 with LegitCheckControl.dll Crack
- Crack and Patch to Bypass and Disable WGA Genuine Windows Validation and Notifications version 1.5.554.0
- Windows Genuine Advantage Validation and Notifications 1.9.40.0 (WGA Patch Crack)
- Workaround to Disable and Remove OGA Office Not Genuine Notifications (Uninstall KB949810)
- Information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130), WGA Notifications (KB905474) and Office Genuine Advantage (OGA)
- Windows Genuine Advantage Validation 1.5.723.1 Crack
- Download Windows Genuine Advantage Validation v1.8.32.0 WGA Crack
Entries (RSS)
April 11th, 2009 18:49
I followed method 1 but had to change a few things so try this instead.
1-Launch Task manager
2-End process WGAtray.exe
3-Quickly restart in safe mode.
4-Click start, then Run. Type regedit and click ok.
5-Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
6-Click Software, microsoft, windowsNT, currentversion, winlogon, notify.
7-On the right hand side find folder WGAlogon and delete it and all of its components.
8-Restart in normal mode.
9-Go to c:\windows\system32 and delete WGAtray.exe file.
10-Next to it should be WGAlogon.dll, delete this too.
11-Delete from recycling bin and reboot.
This should have solved the problem but i advise switching your automatic updates to
“Notify me but dont automatically download or install them”. This should advise you if your computer tries to download WGA again.
Good luck.
April 11th, 2009 08:04
1st mothed worked for me but iw as not able to delete the WGATray.exe from system32 but i was able to do delete it from dllcache and also from ther registeries,
Thanks,
April 11th, 2009 06:37
where can i find the windows task manager?
April 11th, 2009 00:10
METHOD 1 Really WORKS! Thank you all SO much. No more annoying pop ups or that thing that appears when I try to log on my own computer!
April 10th, 2009 17:25
thank you man.. really, thank you.. nice info you got here
April 10th, 2009 16:55
Hi, I tried a couple of the links you posted here and I was really keen to use some of them, I just wanted to let you know that those files have been somehow infected with backdoor viruses and trojan horses. Please check the links as you have a great tutorial here.
Thank you!
April 10th, 2009 09:08
to be honest i found it was easiest to do this to get rid of it… it seems to have worked…
1. click start>search
2. click search all files and folders and type in wga
3. delete the files that are used in notepad.
4. bring up task manage and find the WgaTray thing and endprocess then asap end the one that looks like a star… [NOTE::: u must do fast or it will pop its self back up]
after that only the WgaLogon.dll is left and it has nothing to run for pop-ups
after all that its taken care of… the logon is still on your computer but no mroe popups! … u can probably remove it through safe mode with no networking. just search for it and delete it… should work… not forsure havent tried it
April 10th, 2009 01:39
Option 1 worked for me. I was not able to delete the wga files they are write protected. I didn’t have one of the kill process programs installed on my machine so I figured Id try just deleting the registry key and go back in and download a program to kill the process. Well when I rebooted to normal windows to my pleasant surprise I was back to a perfectly (as good as Windows can possibly be) good version of XP Pro SP3 So really all that I did was delete the following key
1 Lauch RegEdit.
2 Browse to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify
3 Delete the folder ‘WgaLogon’ and all its contents
4 Reboot Windows XP.
Thanks again
April 6th, 2009 16:30
in method 1 i cant Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32.
Delete WgaTray.exe from c:\Windows\System32\dllcache.
so try the other mehtod it’s not working..any other way to get rid of this WGE POPPING???
April 6th, 2009 00:21
Option 1 works fine with XP Professional SP3.
The darn warnings are gone thanks.
Cheers
April 5th, 2009 12:46
I tried this simple move and worked so far : cut the 2 files from system32 : wgatray and wgalogon and move them elsewhere. You can do it even though they are active processes.Restart the computer and…that’s it. After that you can delete the 2 files.
April 5th, 2009 04:20
The Sixth Method worked excelently for me
Thanks for help!
April 3rd, 2009 23:18
cool guide ! method 6 works for me.
tnx
March 30th, 2009 13:35
Method #1 did not work- kept popping up immediately after end process. Just completed Method 6. It had worked for me; no more popups or reminders. I dont know at this time if I can Window update from now on or not
March 28th, 2009 20:04
this is a very useful post… thank you very much…
March 27th, 2009 22:39
[...] http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/04/26/disable-and-remove-windows-genuine-advantage-notifications-... [...]
March 27th, 2009 08:07
wow!!! it is amazing… method no 1 is really worked.. thank you for the guide!!
March 25th, 2009 16:26
wow… tried method 6… it worked!
March 25th, 2009 04:54
the first method help me, if you can’t disable wgatray.exe in the task manager in safe mode, run regedit first delete the “wgalogon folder” and restart your pc with a cdlive of linux and delete the wgatray.exe in windows folders and….ENJOYS
March 25th, 2009 02:12
4th method Helped me
March 22nd, 2009 03:28
Thank you!!! First 1 worked best for me
March 20th, 2009 11:46
the forth step really helped thans ill keep unblocker just in case
March 14th, 2009 20:01
Sorry,i meant method 1 with the taskmanager that cannot stop wgtray…But i tried method 5 also and still got no results.
March 14th, 2009 19:51
I tried method 5 but everytime i end wgatray.exe from the task manager it appears again a few seconds later.And after entering in safe mode i cannot delete the files from system32 because the process is still running…Did anyone tried method 5 and worked?
March 12th, 2009 01:40
you super thanks çok iyi oldu