Windows Genuine Disadvantage

Microsoft seemed to totter on the edge of the cliff throughout yesterday and until a little while ago, with users not being able to validate their Windows installations in order to download patches and updates to their operating systems. The problem appears to be a massive failure on Microsoft’s servers that handle validating installations in order to separate out the pirates who steal windows from the general public.

First off, have we truly reached the point where we must connect to the internet in order to validate the operating system that came installed on our computers? Microsoft’s bread and butter is from the large system makers that install the operating system at the factory. Why does Microsoft have to make typical computer purchasers and users suffer while they chase after the small percentage of the population that will never, ever purchase their software and prefers to steal copies or spend energy circumventing WGA systems? Is it a feasible ROI? How much does it cost Microsoft to maintain WGA from day to day and how much does it cost them in public relations to have such a critical system take a dirtnap?

I’d love to force whoever though of the WGA system to sit down with grandma and grandpa and explain to them why they have to have such draconian measures. Really, because I’m certainly not too excited about having to tell anyone about it. I don’t work for Microsoft, so why should I have to explain their policies, especially when they’ve screwed up.

Either way, the “workarounds” for using Windows while WGA was down were flat out embarrassing.

Ars Technica states that

do not reboot a Windows machine that has been marked as non-genuine

It would be one thing if Windows just sent you a nasty message once and a while to tell you that you didn’t pass WGA. Problem is that WGA was conceived with a bit of a mean streak.

Windows Reduced Functionality Mode

Oh, and looks like Office 2007 also seems to have a bit of nasty code in it too.

Office 2007 Secret Kill Switch

Nice to know that Microsoft automatically assumes that you’re a terrible person with no morality, until you prove otherwise. Meanwhile, they’ll beat you over the head with a large club.

Perhaps the fact that WGA has had a catastrophic failure will cause more people to question why such practices are allowed, let alone tolerated by users. Perhaps it will be a wake-up call