How To Remove Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage (Latest Version)

By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News Network
Monday, July 31, 2006

This version removes cleanly both WGA Notification ‘Pilot’ version and ‘Final’ version, it should theoretically not be needed anymore to directly unload the WGA notification in live from memory and to risk a blue screen (BSOD). In short this is a version which can be used easily by everyone.

RemoveWGA 1.2 has been successfully tested against the pilot and final version of WGA notification on both Windows XP SP2 Professional & Home Edition (clean removal).

RemoveWGA now uses 3 different WGA removal methods, depending of the WGA version installed on your computer. The last one (BSOD) should not be used, except may be for future WGA versions if the clean removal methods fail. If it happens, RemoveWGA will popup a warning and will ask you before trying anything.

In the words of the author:

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 (pilot version), or every two weeks (current release).

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.

Also, Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications is different than Windows Genuine Advantage Validation. RemoveWGA only remove the notification part, phoning home, and does not touch the Validation part. As the time I’m writting this, the Validation part is mandatory for some not critical downloads from Microsoft, but the Notification part is not mandatory at all, and you are able to install all of the security updates without installing this one. This may change in the future thought, I don’t know what are the Microsoft plans.

Note : once the WGA notification is removed, the Automatic Update will bug you about installing the update again. This is normal, and out of the scope of RemoveWGA (since at this point, the WGA notification is uninstalled from your system). If you are concerned about tweaking Automatic Update to prevent Microsoft trying to push the update on your computer.

You can download it here.

Anyway, if you are interested in reading the latest from Windows, the all important Windows 7 features and hacks, you must read our 10 Top Windows 7 articles. Hey we also have a great Windows 7 up-to-date coverage for you. I am sure you will not want to miss them.