Microsoft's latest scheme to battle Windows piracy - Windows Genuine Advantage - has reached version 1.0 and is now in use worldwide. The scheme has been in the testing phase for the last 10 months, but Microsoft yesterday announced that it was ready to start making full use of it.
When you next visit the Microsoft Download Center, Windows Update or Microsoft Update from your Windows powered machine, you will be prompted to download an ActiveX control, which will then automatically validate the Windows installation. If your Windows installation is a counterfeit, you won't be allowed to download files or updates from Microsoft.
Microsoft is keen to point out that "the validation process does not collect any information that can be used by Microsoft to identify or contact the user", so users unsure of whether their copy is legal can install WGA without fear of being lynched by Gates' heavies.
One step ahead of those who would argue that all Windows installations, regardless of their legality, should be kept patched for the security of the masses, Microsoft will continue to allow automatic Windows updates to occur without WGA validation. However, this will mean that users with counterfeit Windows installs will only get the necessary updates, and none of the goodies MS might release for download on its website (something which they were doing during the pilot phase to entice users into trying WGA out.)
How good will WGA turn out to be? Well, we'll have wait to see. Ways around WGA have already been discovered during the testing phase, so whether or not WGA will actually do anything to reduce piracy of Microsoft Windows remains to be seen.
