What is Windows Genuine Advantage Notification?

WGA_LogoWindows Genuine Advantage is a software anti-piracy program started by Microsoft in 2005. It enforces the online validation of some of the Microsoft products. It is automatically installed if Windows Automatic Updates are enabled. If goes to the Windows Update site, it will ask you for installing this validation tool before you can select the updates from the Microsoft update website. By accepting to install this validation tool, anActiveX component in Internet Explorer is installed.

What does it do?

If, for some reason, this tool fails to validate your Windows, then it’ll always show you a warning that you may be a victim of software counterfeiting and that your Windows is not genuine. It will show up on your logon screen and make you wait for some seconds. And when you logon, it will just site in your status bar and will keep annoying you.

Here is the description of Windows Genuine Advantage Tool from Microsoft.

When this tool is installed, it shows up before logging on to the system

How To Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (WGA)

And keeps on displaying the balloons in the status bar.

Windows Vista

How To Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (WGA)

Windows XP

How To Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (WGA)

What data does WGA collect?

This tool, if installed, collects the following data from the system.

  • Computer make and model
  • BIOS checksum.
  • MAC address.
  • GUID
  • Hard drive serial number.
  • Region and language settings of the operating system.
  • Operating system version.
  • PC BIOS information (make, version, date).
  • PC manufacturer.
  • User locale setting.
  • Validation and installation results.
  • Windows or Office product key.
  • Windows XP product ID.

How to remove WGA notification:

There are several ways to disable WGA notification. Some of them are given below:

1- Through Firewall

WGA notification can easily be disable through your firewall. You can disable the automatic startup of wgatray.exe and wgalogon.dll through your firewall. This will disable WGA notifications and this will do no harm to the system.

2- Through third party softwares

There are many softwares available which can disable WGA notifications. Notable softwares include WGARemover and MUBlinder.

3- Through System Restore

If you have installed WGA by mistake, you can always use your system restore to get rid of it. Restore your system to the point where WGA was not installed.

Restart your system once you’re finished. If you are having problems with following these steps, please write in comments.