How To Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notification Tool
By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News NetworkMonday, June 26, 2006
Windows Genuine Advantage includes two main tools - Windows Genuine Advantage Validation and Windows Genuine Advantage Notification. The WGA Validation tool checks that an instance of Windows XP is properly licensed, and is required for some Windows updates. If the copy doesn’t check out, WGA Notification repeatedly reminds the user to upgrade to a properly licensed version of Windows. Unfortunately WGA Notification also checks back with Microsoft once a day even if the licensing check is successful, something the company hadn’t previously made public. Neither of the programs is designed to be removable. Now you can remove the pesky WGA Notification tool, thanks to Guillaume Kaddouch, a French developer.
RemoveWGA enables you to remove the Microsoft “Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications” tool, which is calling home and connecting to Microsoft servers every time you boot, even after you passed their validation checks.
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.
You can download the WGA Notifications removal tool here (site).
Update: The tool has been removed. You can use the manual procedure of this post instead:
How To Disable Windows Genuine Advantage Notification in 3 Simple Steps
 raghu |
 teenadevi |
June 5, 2010: 12:21 am
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me to remove genuine microsoft software . my computer says ‘you may be a victim of software counterfeiting’ plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz i don’t know how to remove |
 kanhaiya |
 prashant |
 shifan |
 prynx |
 binud gogoi |
 geckerdt |
February 8, 2010: 11:06 am
An added step to remove Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage is to search all “hidden and system” files so you get all of them that start with wga* |
 RAM BINAY PD. YADAV |
 ferdi |
 noorullah |
 abhishek |
October 5, 2009: 7:34 am
here is a simple sol go to system32 drag &drop wgatray to adrive and format it 7now in task manager end the process wga.exe you are done restart &enjoy |
 sid |
August 31, 2009: 6:32 am
i just removed the extension of WgaTray.exe to Wgatray. this made the tool to be disappear. |
 Subhajit |
May 29, 2009: 12:54 pm
Please help me to remove from my computer the “genuine microsoft” Thanks, for your response |
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May 20, 2009: 5:52 pm
PLEASE HELP ME TO REMOVE FROM MY COMPUTER THE NOTATION “YOU MAY THE VICTIM OF COUNTERFEIT COPY OF MICROSOFT SOFTWARE”. I AM BEING ASKED TO INSTALL GENUINE ADVANTAGE WHICH I DO NOT BELIEVE I NEED. IS MICROSOFT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE |
 nadia |
 abhi |
 ashfaq |
 Dee |
April 15, 2009: 1:17 am
I tried your instructions for removing wga. Just a warning for others who may not be able to fix any problems that occur. Could not connect to internet after following the instructions, firewall would not operate, and antivirus would not work. Had to restore to a previous point ( before wga was installed), but wga was there when restore took affect. Had to re-install antivirus and firewall. Too scary for some, and I still have wga. |
 leonida |
April 12, 2009: 4:10 pm
Obviously the removal tool has been removed, but…. Google “wayback machine” (internet archive) and type in the old url for the link: https://www.firewallleaktester.com/tools/RemoveWGA.exe You have to go back to around 2006, but it’s still there and downloadable! **There are ways around the MS fascism** |
 ritu |
March 25, 2009: 2:28 pm
my pc is showing one option that you may be a victim of software counterfeiting…how to come out of this problem. |
 afghanfighter |
March 19, 2009: 2:39 am
hii |
 kim |
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August 23, 2008: 11:07 am
oups:S:S i downloaded it .. and i removed wga .. BUT i still cannot install windows media player 11 Someone help |
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August 23, 2008: 11:02 am
Thanksssssssss a lottttt It rocks:D:D finally GET OUT OF MY LIFE ANNOYING GENUINE !! (6) hahaha thanks again and againnnnnnnnnnnnn ♥♥♥ |
 satinder singh rawat |
June 17, 2008: 1:07 am
press -alt+ctrl+del now go on to the processes and find the “wgatrey” AND THEN END PRROCESS.CLOSS THE TASK MANAGER AND GO ON TO THE START- RUN- REGEDIT |
 flavio |
simon peter