42% of legit users have WGA problems

[polonus]

Hi malware fighters,

42% of  legit users have problems with the MS WGA. Read:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=142

polonus

[DavidR]

I know that many with legit copies have had problems but the percentage is very surprising if accurate.

However, 42% of a sample of 137, that sample size as far as statistical analysis is concerned would be considered insufficient to give any accurate result.

With the help of a researcher, I went through a sample of 137 recent problem reports from actual Windows users, posted publicly on the WGA Validation Problems forum. Our research was the online equivalent of listening in to two weeks worth of calls to Microsoft's support lines. The results we found directly contradict Microsoft's insistence that "only a handful of actual false positives have been seen."

Also this sample only comes from those experiencing a problem, which is obviously going to skew and results and there is effectively no control group. 42% of 137 is significant but, this represents an minute percentage of the millions validated overall.

[FreewheelinFrank]

42% of  legit users have problems with the MS WGA

That should be the other way round, Polonus! 

42% of people having problems are legit users!

[Smith]

42% of  legit users have problems with the MS WGA

That should be the other way round, Polonus! 

  polonus, you might only need to understand Amerian humo(u)r.  "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."- Mark Twain

However, actually, I admit that I am one of those who are still wondering if MS is a kind of practical joke or not.

[polonus]

Hi Smith.

That means that polonus has a fair command of communicating with Americans. or he is presenting things in a true American perspective. One learns all the time.

Well the statistics can be turned around to of those that experienced problems with WGA 42% could be classified as legit users. MacAfee did help to boost these figures.
There is a tool out there that can render your original key readable, if MS sees only question marks in stead of digits you have a problem.
In the old days you could safe the day running a win 2xxx install cd on the Win XP system.

polonus

[bob3160]

There is a bypass for WGA that's strictly made for those that
have a legitimate copy. I posted the info some time ago:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=22105.msg192150#msg192150

[DavidR]

That doesn't bypass or remove thw WGA validation it just removes the notification nag screen, validation is still required.

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).

It also only calls/ed home if you failed WGA Validation.