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Microsoft defended its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool this week against charges that it acts like spyware because it constantly checks in with Microsoft when a user boots a PC with the tool installed.
A Microsoft representative said that when the WGA Notifications checks in with Microsoft when a PC is booted, it is not providing any information to the vendor if a PC's copy of Windows has already been validated. Instead, it is checking with a "server-side configuration setting to determine if WGA should run or not." The check-in also gives Microsoft the ability to disable the WGA program, if necessary.
Are you suggesting we even have them? Whats the harm in it checking every time it boots if the copy of windows is legitimate, then again, whats the point; I guess it's just the fact it runs, and could potentially send information without knowing that gives it the potential definition of spyware.
The definition of Spyware is:
Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else.
So it does fit in to that
Well i dont really care if it is spyware - i dont have anything that would interest Microsoft on my PC. What I do care about, however, is the fact that it is running (and using up MY system resources). I have a mild form of OCD, and any unnecessary programs make me feel extremely, and irrationally, uncomfortable. I constantly open up the Task Manager to close down unused processes (like I have one called WISPTIS.EXE, which i will close down now).
Well i dont really care if it is spyware - i dont have anything that would interest Microsoft on my PC. What I do care about, however, is the fact that it is running (and using up MY system resources). I have a mild form of OCD, and any unnecessary programs make me feel extremely, and irrationally, uncomfortable. I constantly open up the Task Manager to close down unused processes (like I have one called WISPTIS.EXE, which i will close down now).
Press start, then go to the "Execute" panel.
Enter "Msconfig", a new window will open.
Click the button to the right, says "startup" or something.
There you see all the processes that your PC runs when booted, deselect any you don't like...
U use msconfic, also www.sysinternals.com offer autoruns program, and I use their Process Explorer, alternative to Task Maganer, allowing you to find what window is what process, and allocate resources. If you use msconfig, or even better, Autoruns, from Sysinternals, you don't need to do anything again unless you install something like Skype that you don;t want to start up by itself.
Yeah, I've done that before - my computer is ok now. Occasionally I will get programs that start after Start-up, however, usually when I download crap - which is why I just use the Task Manager.
Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. ...
I suppose it does gather information without the users knowledge! Are there any other elements from Microsoft that can be considered spyware?
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Are there any other elements from Microsoft that can be considered spyware? 