WGA Notifications Haunt InValid OS'

[RCarmichael]

Hello all,
Microsoft today (26 April) released a new WGA Update, bundled with a new application called “Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications”. What this new App does is it checks if your computer is WGA Valid at start-up (sending up a nag screen during the “loading your settings” screen, which stays on for about 10 seconds before giving you the option to “remind me later” – but if you do a message appears on your desktop), another message every hour, and has an annoying little Taskbar Icon if your computer is “illegal” (including a balloon pop up).
You can view more specific information on the update here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=905474
Unlike what they say on the website, this Update cannot be removed, and you cannot hide the *Downloading and Installing of the App.
I have found that everything is run by a single program called “WgaTray”

Here is how I (kind-of) managed to get rid of it…: (Of course, both JCXP.NET and myself do not support the use of Illegal Activities…)
1) Backup your current working version of LegitCheckControl.dll (ver. 1.5.512.0).
2) Download and Install the App. From Microsoft Update.
3) Reboot (See the nag screen…). Click Remind me later.
4) Right Click the System Tray Icon, go to Configure Options, and disable Notifications.
5) Go to “C:\” WINDOWS\System32 and delete or rename WgaTray.
6) Replace the now Updated ver. of LegitCheckControl.dll back to the earlier, backed up one.
7) End the WgaTray Process (CTRL + ALT + DEL)
Reboot (no nasty surprises now…)
9) Go to Microsoft Update, Click Custom, and then Expand the Info Window and Hide the Update… You’re done!|
The reason this last step works is it doesn't let you hide the Downloading of the Update, but it lets you hide the Installing of the Update! Also, the Update really does nothing –so you can use the older one…

If you know of a way to have the App fully installed on your Computer, but make your computer look completely (or at least partially) genuine so Updates can still go on, please post it here…

Thankyou for taking the time to read my request and I hope this Information helps you.

Ryan

[haroldf]

The update appears like this in Windows Update:



When you install this windows update and reboot, it shows the following screens:





This update modifies two files:
windows\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll
windows\system32\spmsg.dll

And adds two new files:
windows\system32\WgaLogon.dll
windows\system32\WgaTray.exe

This update can NOT be removed through add/remove programs after you install it!
To manually remove it you would need to boot off a Windows 98 boot disk (if your hard drive is fat32), or put your hard drive into another computer. Delete the two added files, and overwrite the two modified files with these two clean files below:

spmsg.dll
LegitCheckControl.dll

*Note: These files are from Windows XP Professional/Corp SP2, they may or may not work on SP1.

Just for your reference, here is the settings file it uses when installing:

Balloon interval = 2 hours
Show notification for every 1 logins
DaysBeforeBuyNow Unactivated = 31
DaysBeforeBuyNow Nongenuine = 14
Disabled = false
Reduced reminders = false

It would appear that after 14 or 31 days it would make you "buynow", and NOT let you login, but this is untested.

For educational purposes only.

Quality post? Only by you know who.

-Jamie M.