View Full Version : I Hate WGA
So I get a call from a local ham yesterday. He'd just returned from vacation, fired up his laptop... and his password doesn't work. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't take a trip to see him.
Mentioned it to my boss today, who figured that it was simply a forgotten password, to which he said "John the Ripper is your friend."
He came over tonight. It wasn't.
Immediate problem was that his NumLock setting is on. Got past that. And then that damn window pops up... "Your Software MIGHT Be Pirated!" Yes, WGA had decided that after almost 3 years, his license key was invalid.
Turns out... it might be right. Seems he bought the machine from a local shop, with (as specified) Windows XP Pro on it. Only problem? Well, two... one, he didn't know that the machine was used (neither did I until I flipped it over and went searching for the license key). Two? The machine was licensed all right... for Windows Vista Home.
Oops.
He's going back to the store in the morning. As far as I'm concerned, they sold him a legit key, so they owe him a legit key, one way or another.
And Microsoft owes me for 2 wasted hours. Damn WGA.
WGA? We do not have this in my country. ;)
WGA is my bitch. :yes:
WGA? We do not have this in my country. ;)
WGA is my bitch. :yes:
Assuming you run Linux or have an MSDN subscription, correct.
W2NAP
04-23-2012, 08:29 PM
i will not install windoze on anyones machine period. you come here wanting something your getting linux
n2ize
04-23-2012, 11:24 PM
i will not install windoze on anyones machine period. you come here wanting something your getting linux
I am not that harsh. I will install-reinstall winders if someone wants it but linux gets preferential treatment around here.
My friend took his laptop back to the seller (small mom & pop computer store) this morning. The owner didn't seem shocked at all. (Red flag)
He's since been told that, surprise surprise, none of the store's XP keys are working at bringing the machine back to "legal" status. (Red flag)
And the owner is having difficulty getting a new XP key out of Microsoft. (Red flag)
The copy of MS Office 2003? Showing the same problems when you run it, coming up invalid license key. (Red flag) Want to guess who installed it?
And... get this... ANOTHER ham (another mutual friend), who bought HIS computer from the same store... has the exact same problems! (Big red flag)
Advice from my attorney... they need to tell the store owner to get legal keys & install them NOW, or the store will be reported to MS's anti-piracy lawyers.
Advice from my boss: Small Claims Court.
My friend just called.
The shop owner claims that "something" is corrupted (the registry perchance?), and that the only "cure" is to "unload" the laptop, reformat, reinstall Windows, and then "reload" the data.
Right.
:lies::lame: But what do I know, anyway?
Oh, and get this... he's ONLY going to charge $140 for 2 hours time. Hmmm. Where'd that BS icon go?
Meanwhile, my boss and my co-worker (KB3ERQ) both agree with me that something doesn't smell right. I suspect that the shop owner doesn't know any other way to "fix" a bootleg Windows key, or he'd do it. Now if it were me...
never mind, if it were me, this wouldn't have happened in the first place. My friend already agreed to this before talking to me, so it's now out of my hands.
I wonder if this store owner formerly sold used cars?
W2NAP
04-24-2012, 02:32 PM
i do know a windows xp activation.... hack..
For that price I would just buy a copy of Windows 7.
I suspect that the shop owner doesn't know any other way to "fix" a bootleg Windows key, or he'd do it.
Then he's incompetent as well. :whistle:
For that price I would just buy a copy of Windows 7.So would I.
My boss shook his head and said that that was 25 - 33% of the cost of a decent new laptop, which would have been a better investment.
Then he's incompetent as well. :whistle:Wouldn't surprise me. That or lazy.
Time to get a mac. New OS versions are $30, install on every computer you own (legally) with the same disc, flash drive or download from the mac app store, no worries.
n2ize
04-26-2012, 06:58 PM
For that price I would just buy a copy of Windows 7.
Unfortunately a lot of computer owners are not technically saavy and, are not interested in knowing anything about any of the technical gobbledegook. The way they see it is, its tech stuff, it's over my head, it's boring , and it;s for weird nerds. Those are the people that will fall for almost anything some "technician" tells them
* sigh *
Bill got his laptop back. This is definitely a case of the "cure" is worse than the "disease"
The shop claimed that his machine was infested with all sorts of unspecified Malware, and it took them "14 hours" (which they did gratis, how nice) to "backup" his data.
Then they reinstalled XP. Blew away his Norton... never mind how I feel about Norton & Symantec... and installed AVG. And didn't tell hiim they'd done it. Created a brand new user. All of the "backed up" data is in a directory called Backup, basically dumped. No organization.
And they forgot to reinstall his printer driver. Even though they promised they would. Well, at least they put Office back on it.
So they gave him a working machine, but not configured in any way.
Did I mention that the invoice didn't identify the problem? Big blanks where you're supposed to fill in what the problem was & what the diagnosis was. Just a notation that they charged him for 2 hours to install (not reinstall) the OS.
He just left. I spent the last 2 hours fighting with Outlook to get it to connect to Comcast... could not send a test message. We finally got ahold of someone in Tech Support (yes, her accent was from the sub continent)... and finally she tells me that the problem is on their end. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Unfortunately, he needs the machine and won't leave it with me for a few days. I'd dump the "backed up" data to another machine, figure out what's where, and put it back... and figure out what didn't get reinstalled.
I told him he ought to call up the bank and cancel the credit card payment. We'll see.
Bill was back over last night. He was confident that we'd get all his "stuff" back, since he backs up on a regular basis with Carbonite.
I found out what the "catch" is with Carbonite.
Unless you know something about how to configure it -- Bill didn't, he went with the defaults -- it appears that it only backup up the Documents & Settings folders. Which is fine for most users, especially those who shove everything in My Documents.
Problem is... some settings aren't stored there. Like his Outlook Express configuration file; gone. (He uses OE for business purposes, Outlook for his own use). Fortunately, we knew his email, and the names of the mail servers. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember his business email password, but we can get that reset today.
Worse... he uses ACLog 3.0. Want to guess where it stores his log files? Not in any place that Carbonite touched. He's pretty sure he's got the station log backed up onto a thumb drive; I sure hope so.
* sigh *
Bill was back over last night. He was confident that we'd get all his "stuff" back, since he backs up on a regular basis with Carbonite.
I found out what the "catch" is with Carbonite.
Unless you know something about how to configure it -- Bill didn't, he went with the defaults -- it appears that it only backup up the Documents & Settings folders. Which is fine for most users, especially those who shove everything in My Documents.
Problem is... some settings aren't stored there. Like his Outlook Express configuration file; gone. (He uses OE for business purposes, Outlook for his own use). Fortunately, we knew his email, and the names of the mail servers. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember his business email password, but we can get that reset today.
Worse... he uses ACLog 3.0. Want to guess where it stores his log files? Not in any place that Carbonite touched. He's pretty sure he's got the station log backed up onto a thumb drive; I sure hope so.
* sigh *
I have a file server with mirrored drives for important shit I can't afford to lose. Just saying...
I have a file server with mirrored drives for important shit I can't afford to lose. Just saying...
I hear you. I have an old Compaq rack mounted 2U server sitting at work, that KB3ERQ & I were planning to put Ubuntu on. If I ever get a round tuit & the thing finished, that's exactly what I'm going to use it for.
N1LAF
05-05-2012, 07:33 AM
The two biggest carriers of malware into your system are web browsers and Email clients.
For Email, use a web based Email system, they run from your browser. Most have malware/junk mail filters. Download only the Email you trust and want, delete on server for the others. I use web Email through XO, and my junk mail is auto-cleanout after two weeks of receipt. And you don't waste time/space downloading unwanted Email.
For web browsers, you can try a product called Sandboxie.
Sandboxie has originally been designed to increase the security of browsing with Internet Explorer, however it is just as effective with any other browser, and in fact, any other program. Sandboxie wraps a protection layer around the programs it supervises. It is this layer that intercepts and isolates any changes the programs make to the computer. And this layer is impartial to the specific program it wraps.
Sandboxie is a software that allows you isolates and quarantines website.
When you browse the web, changes occur to your computer system. Most of the time these changes are harmless, like recording the addresses of web sites you have visited (and when), so the browser can help you complete a web address that you type in. Whether these changes are harmless or harmful, they do in fact happen to your computer system.
You may use Sandboxie free of charge for any length of time that you desire. However, if you use Sandboxie for more than 30 days, the software will occasionally remind you to consider paying the registration fee. By doing that, you would show your support for further development and improvement of Sandboxie.
By paying the registration fee of $20 US-dollars you get a life-time registration key to this and and all upcoming versions of the Sandboxie product.
http://majorgeeks.com/Sandboxie_d4993.html
Sandboxie website:
http://www.sandboxie.com/
KC2UGV
05-05-2012, 10:03 AM
Chrome runs in a sandbox already. No need for Sandboxie.
W4GPL
05-05-2012, 11:54 AM
God, this thread is painful.
kf0rt
05-05-2012, 11:58 AM
God, this thread is painful.
Ryan's right. Buy a damn Mac and be done with it. :geek: :stickpoke:
KC9ECI
05-05-2012, 12:00 PM
Worse... he uses ACLog 3.0. Want to guess where it stores his log files? Not in any place that Carbonite touched. He's pretty sure he's got the station log backed up onto a thumb drive; I sure hope so.
* sigh *
Does he happen to be a user of the LoTW or eQSL? I trashed a AClog file a few years ago and had to d/l all my QSO records from eQSL.
W4GPL
05-05-2012, 12:16 PM
Ryan's right. Buy a damn Mac and be done with it. :geek: :stickpoke:I'd be hard pressed to argue with that. That's finally what I told my Dad to do.. and he hasn't called me since (about a computer problem). He has a beautiful all in one iMac with a huge screen and it 'just works'. I have different needs & concerns, but your Average Joe? Buy a Mac.
kf0rt
05-05-2012, 12:31 PM
I'd be hard pressed to argue with that. That's finally what I told my Dad to do.. and he hasn't called me since (about a computer problem). He has a beautiful all in one iMac with a huge screen and it 'just works'. I have different needs & concerns, but your Average Joe? Buy a Mac.
I might have to do the same with my Dad. He shares a computer with my sister and they have nothing but problems (and all they do is email and web). Hell, maybe I'll donate my Mac Mini to his cause.
Ryan's right. Buy a damn Mac and be done with it. :geek: :stickpoke:
I first did that over twenty years ago and haven't looked back. I have a Linux box for playing and an XP machine out in the shack for HRD but when it's time to get work done, I always come back to the Mac. I've got four of those.
KC2UGV
05-05-2012, 12:54 PM
I'd be hard pressed to argue with that. That's finally what I told my Dad to do.. and he hasn't called me since (about a computer problem). He has a beautiful all in one iMac with a huge screen and it 'just works'. I have different needs & concerns, but your Average Joe? Buy a Mac.
Hell, I don't even say "Buy a Mac", I say,"Buy an iPad."
W4GPL
05-05-2012, 01:23 PM
Hell, I don't even say "Buy a Mac", I say,"Buy an iPad."That's really not unwise advice.. my Mom has an Android Samsung Tablet, I think she uses it 90% of the time. She's only interested in playing Scrabble, e-mailing the family, and browsing Facebook. A portable device makes the most sense..
God, this thread is painful.
Not to me. I find it somewhat amusing..... and I use Windoze every day. I just don't have these issues. :dunno:
kf0rt
05-05-2012, 03:21 PM
Not to me. I find it somewhat amusing..... and I use Windoze every day. I just don't have these issues. :dunno:
Same here. Never have figured out what these folks are doing that messes things up so bad. Just. Works.
Maybe it's a habit thing -- I've been deleting spam unread for eons and never was interested in a "pecker enlarger." Whatever that is.
[I] never was interested in a "pecker enlarger." Whatever that is.
It's how you get one of these:
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/ae207/dustycarter/Chicken%20coops/BigChicken.jpg
kf0rt
05-05-2012, 07:11 PM
It's how you get one of these:
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/ae207/dustycarter/Chicken%20coops/BigChicken.jpg
That explains a lot. :yes:
It's how you get one of these:
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/ae207/dustycarter/Chicken%20coops/BigChicken.jpg
That's not Free Range chicken...
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