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Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is an anti-piracy system created by Microsoft that enforces online validation of the licensing of several recent Microsoft Windows operating systems when accessing several services, such as Windows Update, and downloading Windows components from the Microsoft Download Center. In Windows 7, WGA is renamed Windows Activation Technologies.〔(WGA dubbed Windows Activation Technologies with Windows 7 )〕 WGA consists of two components: an installable component called ''WGA Notifications'' that hooks into Winlogon and validates the Windows license upon each logon and an ActiveX control that checks the validity of the Windows license when downloading certain updates from the Microsoft Download Center or Windows Update. WGA Notifications covers Windows XP and later, with the exception of Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. The ActiveX control checks Windows 2000 Professional licenses as well.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation check process does not complete when you try to validate your copy of Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000 Professional )〕 WGA also advertises the latest service pack, Service Pack 3, for Windows XP, which requires manual intervention to disable. Previously voluntary, it became mandatory for use of these services by July 2005. Despite its name it does not actually evaluate the integrity or security of any computer.〔(Slashdot | Ubuntu Linux Validates As Genuine Windows ), retrieved June 18, 2007〕 == Features == The WGA validation process validates the present installation of Windows and its license key against the detected computer hardware and determines if the software was licensed from Microsoft. It is accessible by either a stand-alone program, a Netscape-compatible web browser plug-in, or as an ActiveX control within Internet Explorer, the latter of which is relevant to any attempt to access Microsoft updates via its browser. It includes the following steps: * Upon their first visit to Windows Update or certain updates on the Microsoft Download Center, users receive a message requiring them to validate their copy of Windows by downloading an ActiveX control which checks the authenticity of their Windows software. If successful in validating Windows, it stores a license file on the PC for future verification. * After successful validation, the regular update download can continue. * If the software decides the instance of Windows does not have a valid license, WGA displays a specific notice to the user and prevents non-critical updates from being downloaded from Microsoft. This includes changing the wallpaper to black, and displays a watermark in the bottom-right of the screen. The ActiveX control is downloaded on the first validation and when a new version is available, but the validation itself can be performed any time the user connects to a Microsoft Website to update. On Windows Vista without service packs, WGA validation failure has a greater impact. In addition to persistent notification and the disabling of non-critical updates, WGA also disables Windows Aero, Windows Defender, and Windows ReadyBoost. The user is given a grace period in which to then pass validation, after which most of the operating system is disabled and Windows reverts to ''reduced functionality mode''. This behavior however has been removed in Service Pack 1 of Windows Vista in favor of prominent notices on systems believed unlicensed. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Windows Genuine Advantage」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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