XP Windows Genuine Advantage

[Debbie]

I need some help turning this off.

From http://windowssecrets.com/comp/060615/ :

3. WGA downloads other software and morphs itself. WGA's daily contact with Microsoft's servers is specifically designed to allow the company to download new instructions. According to Microsoft's June 8 statement and Lazar's interview, this includes:

• Changing how often WGA contacts Microsoft's servers;
• Disabling features of WGA or disabling the WGA software entirely;
• Adding to the license keys that WGA treats as invalid; etc.

4. Cannot easily be uninstalled. No entry appears in the Add/Remove Software control panel for patches 892130 or 905474 — the Validation Tool and the Notification Tool. If you manually delete WGA's executable file, Windows regenerates it. (I'll discuss remedies for this below.)

...

If you insist on trying to uninstall WGA, the My Digital Life site has posted no fewer than 15 proposed hacks that attempt to circumvent Microsoft's anti-uninstall measures. Most of these methods no longer work, due to recent Microsoft code changes. Even if you did disable the app, it's pointless to have done so if you ever need to download any Microsoft widget some day that requires WGA. Again, I don't recommend that you bother trying to remove WGA if it's installed.

I'm scared to fiddle... but I want this crap to be gone.

Any up-to-date advice?

 

[HavocXphere]

If you have a legal copy, then I would rather not fiddle with it. It will probably also kill the ability to do a windows update if you do.

The best I can think of is blocking the servers it is trying to contact via your firewall.

/me anticipates "Linux is the answer" response