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. 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, Windows Vista and current test versions of Windows 7. It does not cover other versions of the Windows NT family, such as Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, or the Windows 9x family. The ActiveX control however checks Windows 2000 Professional licenses as well.
Main Topics
Browse All Topics
by: Admin3kPosted on 2009-09-24 at 11:26:49ID: 25416236
Have you recently installed an update from Windows update website (or through automatic updates) titled Windows Genuine Advantage notification ?
this little program is supposed to detect if you are running a legit copy of windows or not, I do remember when installing tis update it will try to install itself on startup.
if you are still in doubt, go to the file path C:\WINDOWS\system32\KB9054
Check the properties of wgasetup.exe
if te file is Digitally signed by Microsoft , and contains proper version information then you have nothing to worry about.
if the file was patched or has no icon or any of the above, you may wish to upload it to www.virustotal.com
Hope this helps.