Information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130), WGA Notifications (KB905474) and Office Genuine Advantage (OGA)
Microsoft has launched Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) and Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) to help reducing the piracy issues. What they does is by lauching an ActiveX control to check if the running genuine and non-pirated version of Windows and Office. For genuine Microsoft software users, they can access Genuine Advantage offers and latest updates and features for the software.
Windows Genuine Advantage currently consists of two main components:
Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool which deployed by KB892130 and install an ActiveX control LegitCheckControl.dll, LegitcheckControl.inf and GWFSPIDGen.dll to \Windows\System32 directory. WGA Validation Tool performs a validation check to verify that your copy of Windows is genuine when you try to download a program or software that is marked with the WGA icon 
from Microsoft Download Center or when you try to access updates on the Microsoft Windows Update Web site. You will be asked to install and complete the validation process if you still do not have KB892130 installed. The client side Windows Validation Assistant component for Windows Server 2003 is 20 KB and for Windows XP is 344 KB.
Microsoft says Windows Validation Assistant does not collect any personal data from the computer, and the following information that is gathered from Windows machine to determine if your Microsoft software is genuine during the validation process:
* Windows product key or product ID
* Windows service pack version
* PC manufacturer and model
* Operating System version
* SKU and Suite Mask
* Security ID
* PID/SID
* BIOS information (manufacturer, model, make, version, date)
* BIOS MD5 Checksum
* User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
* System locale (language version of the operating system)
* Office product key (if validating Office)
* Hard drive serial number
According to Microsoft, the information collected will be used for three purposes:
- Provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your responses.
- Conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand regional differences in Windows or Office usage.
- Confirms user input and compared user input against data collected from the PC in order to determine whether to grant a user’s request for additional access.
Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications or WGANotify is deployed by KB905474 which will display notification messages at the frequency that is determined at installation stage, if your computer failed the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process and running a copy of Windows XP that is not genuine. According to Microsoft, the WGA warning messages will appear at the following locations:
1. Logon notification
When you log on to a non-genuine copy of Windows XP, you receive the following logon notification error message:
You may be a victim of software counterfeiting. This copy of Windows is not genuine and is not eligible to receive all updates and product support from Microsoft.
Click Get Genuine now to get more information and resolve this issue.
When receive this message, you’re offered two options:
Get Genuine to start the Get genuine Windows process or,
Resolve Later which will make an icon appears in the notification area that when you double-click on it, will launch the Get genuine Windows process.
2. Balloon notification
After you log on to a non-genuine copy of Windows XP, a balloon notification message is displayed in the notification area reminding you about the validation failure. Click on the balloon notification or the notification area icon will open the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Failure Web page that tells you the specifics of the validation failure and the steps that you can take to make the operating system genuine.
3. Desktop banner text
If you use the Resolve Later option, and manage to logon to a non-genuine Windows OS, the following banner text appears on the locked desktop:
This copy of Windows is not genuine.
You may be the victim of software counterfeiting
KB905474 contains 2 files that’s WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe (it may update LegitCheckControl.dll too) which will be installed automatically by Automatic Updates, although KB905474 itself is (still) an optional update. Which means that you can unselect KB905474 from the list of updates and skip installing it.
WGA Notifications has found to be contact with Microsoft server everytime you boot up and start the Windows PC. According to Microsft, the process is to check whether a newer settings file is available and download the file if one is found. The settings file gives Microsoft the ability to update how often reminders are displayed and to disable the program if necessary, although this scenario not likely. The operation is limited to the download of new settings file and no other system information is sent other than standard server log informatio, unlike validation which sends system information to Microsoft.
Microsoft has completed the pilot phase for WGA Notifications, and officially rolling out the anti-piracy reminders to Windows XP users worldwide as of 28th June 2006 in version 1.5.540.0, with minor changes to the program in response to customer concern regarding its “phone home” functionality. WGA Notifications KB905474 no longer checks a configuration file located on Microsoft’s servers, but the program will still communicate with the company periodically, with the frequency varies depending upon license type, which may typically takes place every 90 days. According to Microsoft, the information sent to Microsoft allows it to update the list of bad product keys, and ensure that newly discovered counterfeits are not proliferating.
Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) meanwhile is an attempt by Microsoft to validate genuine copy of Microsoft Office XP, Office 2003 or newer. By validating the Office, you can access to the latest features, updates, and support, including Office Genuine Advantage offers that contains add-ins, templates, learning tools, Smart Tags and stationery.
OGA Office validation involves downloading of an ActiveX control called Office Validation Assistant (OVA) which will scan your computer to verify and determine whether your copy of Microsoft Office XP or Microsoft Office 2003 is genuine. You need to access the Genuine Microsoft Software: How To Tell webpage to access it.
Currently, OGA validation is recommended but not mandatory. Although still optional, Microsoft may make Office Validation to be required in future. According to Microsoft, should Office Validation become required in the future, only users of Office suites will likely be required to validate.
As of October 2006, Microsoft has made OGA mandatory required check.
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Entries (RSS)
June 9th, 2006 23:56
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
June 22nd, 2006 09:17
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
June 22nd, 2006 09:49
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
June 24th, 2006 12:00
[...] Firewall Leak Tester developer has released RemoveWGA that able to remove Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications tool (KB905474). The Notifications tool is revealed to be frequently calling home to Microsoft to contact and connect to Microsoft servers every time you boot your Windows PC, although Microsoft plans to reduce the checking connection to Microsoft server to once every two weeks. More information on Microsoft Genuine Advantage initiative here. The logic of Firewall Leak Tester is that “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.” [...]
July 17th, 2006 04:36
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
October 28th, 2006 17:56
[...] Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) is a similar tool as Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) from Microsoft that checks and validates via an online validation process to verify that the copy of Microsoft Office System productivity suite or their individual applications installed on your system is genuine, licensed and legal. Previously, genuine Office validation process is voluntary, but as of October 2006, the Office Genuine Advantage validation test is mandatory. Microsoft will require Office XP, Office 2002, Office 2003, Office 2007 System or later version of Office suites or individual applications of Office such as Word or Excel to be validated when users want to download Office Online templates and other add-ons or updates from within Microsoft Office System 2007 applications, or when want to access downloads from the Microsoft Download Center that are reserved for genuine users and other special offers. [...]
January 4th, 2007 18:22
I can not get it to delete from my add and remove
windows genuine advantage tool, and I have a valid office97 and even sent them my product key then the upgrade product key, now I can not bring up my task manager and other wierd things. This wrong of micropooh need help but I am not a techie, if you have a program to innialate it send it please
January 4th, 2007 18:23
send tool to remove kb892132006 wga tool
January 21st, 2007 14:10
[...] If you having problem in getting Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool to validate your copy of Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Office 2000 Professional or Office 2003, Windows Updates Downloader (WUD) is a small utility that can helps you to download all Windows critical updates, service packs, some applications and other downloads from Microsoft download sites without WGA validation. It’s also useful if you want to automate the download and install of updates for your Exchange, Office or Windows software without going to Windows Updates or Microsoft Updates websites. Windows Update Downloader allows you to download all of the current Windows critical updates. All updates are downloaded directly from official and legitimate microsoft.com website to your computer with a single mouse click. WUD requires Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework. It supports updates for Exchange 2003, Office 2003, Office 2000 Professional, Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP. [...]
January 27th, 2007 18:00
[...] satisfy with Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) and Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) program that requires Windows XP, Windows Vista and Office system to validate to certify that [...]
February 26th, 2007 12:18
Not at this time
March 3rd, 2007 01:44
[...] has released an update to the notorious and controversial Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifications to version 1.7.17.0 (or 1.7.0017.0) on 16th February 2007 (been further updated to version [...]
April 20th, 2007 12:09
[...] system. Although you may have the paper license for the OS, however due to introduction of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti piracy feature (see ways to bypass), if Windows XP is installed with invalid or wrong product [...]
May 6th, 2007 12:35
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
October 9th, 2007 22:42
[...] remove these two files from your system if they exist. Microsoft has for while no longer required WGA Notifications to be install for mandatory, and has even reveal guide to uninstall WGA Notifications. Apparently [...]
March 13th, 2008 02:20
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
May 10th, 2008 19:19
[...] More information on WGA Validation Tool (KB892130) and WGA Notifications (KB905474) which install LegitCheckControl.dll, WgaLogon.dll and WgaTray.exe. [...]
August 28th, 2008 01:54
[...] that provides that warning messages and other on-screen prompts when WGA Validations (see information about WGA), detects a non-activated, failed-validation or pirated operating system. The update v1.8.0031.0, [...]
September 6th, 2008 09:48
[...] rolling out the newest version of Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool and Notifications (see explanation for WGA Validation Tool and Notifications, but both is hardly differentiate now as both executable is distributed together) version 1.8.31.0 [...]