HAHA.. WGA server outage labels copies of Vista as pirated

[MidnightPrism]

computerworld.com/

An unknown problem in a controversial Microsoft Corp. anti-counterfeit process has been fingering genuine versions of Windows Vista and Windows XP as fakes since Friday night, disabling features on potentially millions of machines....

Vista users were especially incandescent because Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti-piracy scheme disables several features of that OS when it thinks the copy is bogus. Among them: the Aero graphical user interface and ReadyBoost, which are turned off once a PC identified as non-genuine is rebooted.

Several Microsoft customers posted what they said was the text of e-mail they had received from Microsoft support that suggested users wait until Tuesday, Aug. 28. "I'm sorry to inform you that the Windows Genuine server might be down for few days," the e-mail, attributed to Microsoft Technical Support, said. "I have escalate the issue to our Genuine team, kindly try to validate again on Tuesday 28 Aug 2007."

 

[MidnightPrism]

Others called on Microsoft to ditch WGA. "Once again the legitimate person gets screwed while the people who pirate software probably aren't even affected,"

LOL noelie, Didnt affect my pirated XP

 

[_AJ_]

and didn't affect my legitimate copy of vista either

damn pirates

 

[looseliam]

Tehee

my xp and vista boxes are working fine.

Come to think about it, I don't think I've ever paid for one single microsoft product.

Well, I did by NT3.51, but someone else paid for it.

 

[provenlogic]

Tehee

my xp and vista boxes are working fine.

Come to think about it, I don't think I've ever paid for one single microsoft product.

Well, I did by NT3.51, but someone else paid for it.

Ummm... Ummm... I pay for EVERYTHING! Yep! All genuine. Yup... Even pay for all my porn...

 

[Centurion]

So, I guess the lesson is, if you like Windows, you're better off stealing it. Microsoft treats their legitimate customers like pirates, and their pirates like kings. No wonder everyone seems to hate that company.

"Once again the legitimate person gets screwed while the people who pirate software probably aren't even affected," said Mark on the support forum. "This whole validation process should be dropped. This is just another nail in the Microsoft coffin."

 

[LaloGS]

Didn't effect my two Macs either, because after 38 windows machines with more problems than Africa, I saw the light, and have never looked back.

 

[Jannus]

Oh and BTW - if you do surf over to the Microsoft website looking for a hotfix of some sort (including for Office) and they do say that...ahem...there seems to be a problem...there's always this website:

http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.php?automodule=downloads

They also have 'paid-for' hotfixes available there.

No "hotfix" could possibly have done anything. It was a server issue, and a really big one, if it affected all of Microsoft's servers worldwide, simultaneously! You'd have been SOL by the time you could have gone "looking for a hotfix."

Kind of puts the lie to the name Windows Genuine Advantage, doesn't it? As the article points out, pirate copies work better than the real thing! Maybe they ought to change the name to WGD - Windows Genuine Disadvantage!

 

[looseliam]

Didn't effect my two Macs either, because after 38 windows machines with more problems than Africa, I saw the light, and have never looked back.

OK, great for you.

But what about this thread said: "Come talk about your mac."

You're done; g'bye.

 

[provenlogic]

Didn't effect my two Macs either, because after 38 windows machines with more problems than Africa, I saw the light, and have never looked back.

[SARCASM]OH lordy miss jordy! He's seeeeeeen da light!!! Oh yess brutha! Preach it![/SARCASM]

Seriously, like liam said... what was it exactly about this thread that screamed it needed to be injected with fruit-vs.-pc?

 

[trawler69]