What is WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage)?

Windows Genuine Advantage or WGA as it is more commonly known as is an anti-piracy feature devised by Microsoft to combat illegal versions or pirated versions of Windows from being used. WGA can prevent your machine from being able to download the latest updates from Microsoft if it deems your software as not being genuine.

These updates are used to protect your PC from security threats. Running an illegal or pirated version of Windows is a security risk. To check the Validity of your Windows just go here and follow the instructions. You can validate your OS (Operating System) XP, Vista, Windows 7 or even your MS Office suite.

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate/ValidateNow.aspx?displaylang=en

If your machine passes then you have nothing to worry about with regards to the legitimacy of Windows. If your machine fails, do not panic. There are lots of reasons as to why your PC may fail. People that purchase their PC's through second hand or from their company are sometimes inadvertent victims of no longer having a legitimate version of Windows. These are sometimes known as VLK's Volume License Keys. These keys are used by companies when buying a large number of licenses to use for their business. Usually when the companies upgrade their PC's, they will sometimes sell some of them to employees at a large discount. What they neglect to tell you is that over time your License will expire from Microsoft. While you the USER has done nothing illegal or wrong, you are nonetheless stuck with an illegitimate version of Windows.

The solution is very simple to solve this problem. Unfortunately it costs money. The solution to this problem to make your Windows a legitimate version is to pay Microsoft $149.99 to make your copy legitimate which enables you to get updates. If you are using an illegitimate version of Windows, Microsoft will not hunt you down or prosecute you. You will not be able to get support from them if you need it in the form of updates or Tech Support. The process is quick and easy and you can be legit in a matter of minutes usually.

There a few viruses that can cause WGA to misinform you that your Software is not legitimate. Though very rare they are out there so if you are 100% sure your PC was bought from the store and you are getting this message, then it could be a sign your PC is infected. You should scan your PC with your Security Software to make sure. If everything comes up clean and you still are having an issue with WGA, you may want to contact Microsoft especially if you purchased the PC at a Bestbuy etc.

Most issues with WGA are usually related to Windows XP. Vista also has WGA but it is a bit different than XP. There are plenty copies of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 that are available for downloading for free. These are pirated copies of the software that many people use. These product keys are posted on the Internet for people to use. Over time as Microsoft discovers these they deactivate the bad license keys so while it may be working fine for you at one time, in the future it could stop working. By using these bad keys you are taking a risk for the price of not having to pay for Windows.

There are even some Semi-Scammers out there who will claim to fix your PC, and install an illegal version of Windows while charging you for a legitimate version. They may have acquired the license keys through various means. Many times they will disable Automatic Updates and WGA itself so that you will never know your copy is bad unless you try to download some updates or Validate your Windows. Most problems with your PC should not require a reinstall of Windows so watch out for those.

Using a illegitimate version of Windows can result in odd quirks and other oddities on your PC. Some things may or may not work. Without being able to guarantee the integrity of your Windows, errors or problems can be much harder to track down. Illegal versions of Windows can have different files, etc so these may cause other problems as well. At ZolexPC we do not guarantee work on a PC with an illegitimate version of Windows. By having some system files compromised in one regard or another it takes away the true integrity of the file system.

Having a legitimate version of Windows is an important component to your PC's health. If you can not get the latest updates and protections from Microsoft, your PC is vulnerable to attack. You may not get a virus or an infection but there could be holes in your security net. Remember that viruses and infections are designed to exploit holes and vulnerabilities in Windows. Windows Updates is your defense against some of these. True Protection comes from an Updated Windows (Priority updates) , good Security Software(including AV, Antispyware) and vigilance on the User as well. Having a weakness in any one of these items can increase the change for your PC to contract an infection.

For many people who do have an illegitimate version out there, until you have a problem I would not worry about it too much. If you are running Windows XP, you are only going to have the PC for another year or two before you upgrade. I do not see the need to spend the money unless your PC was compromised or if you were working with sensitive data.

Remember that most of these issues related to WGA are usually from buying a PC second hand. Whether it is from a garage sale, Flea market, Black Market, place of employment, or other means, you are saving money but could be getting an illegitimate version of Windows either now or down the road.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week.

Steve

www.zolexpc.com

What are Toolbars and are They Good or Bad?

Toolbars are usually attached atop your browser (IE, Firefox etc). You see them when you open your browser. They come with a search box for easy searching and other links. There are legitimate toolbars and malicious toolbars.

The legitimate ones are designed to make your surfing experience easier and more pleasant. They have search boxes for searches, links to email or other shortcuts that you may want to use. Some include built in Pop-up Blockers. Many antivirus software makers all have them, McAfee, Norton, AVG.

As far as Security goes, the Toolbars will not overly enhance your security. Your Antivirus software and Antispyware programs do the job of protecting your system. Most browsers already come with Pop-up Blockers. If you use Verizon or Comcast and enjoy their toolbar, those are safe as well but don't install other toolbars then. There is no need to clutter up your browser with meaningless toolbars and there are plenty of them out there to do it. From Facebook apps toolbars to Weather toolbars, there is no shortage of them on the Internet.


There are also Virus/Infections that disguise themselves as helpful toolbars. Shopping Deal Toolbars are a common one. Remember once a virus gets into your system it can open up all sorts of other doors for more infections to come creeping into your PC wreaking havoc along he way. Hotbar is another common infection. Virus and Infection designers have taken advantage of legitimate toolbars just as they have done with legitimate Security software and made these infections appear as helpful or legitimate. If you don't' recognize the name don't install it. If it looks suspicious don't install it. If you are still not sure you can always Google it and see what other people think or have discovered about it.

If you need to remove or uninstall toolbars the process can be easy, provided it is not malicious software. Most toolbars can be uninstalled via Add/remove Programs (XP) Programs and Features (Vista & 7). Locate the toolbar in the program list and uninstall. They can also usually be disabled via Internet Explorer. Simply click on Tools, then Toolbars and you can un-check the ones you don't want to show on your page.

The only Toolbars you should be using are either Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, or other popular industry leaders. Again most of these toolbars are of a personal preference if you want to use them. I prefer the Internet to be lean and mean. If you do use Toolbars just be very careful about the ones you choose to install. Personally I don't find them overly helpful with the exception of the Google toolbar.

If you do use toolbars, just be sure that it is a legitimate toolbar. I do not recommend installing Toolbars other than the main ones I described above. (Google, Yahoo) Use others at your own risk. Having one toolbar or two is fine but anything over that is excessive and will only slow down your internet surfing.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week

Steve
www.zolexpc.com

Do I need to upgrade my current PC to Windows 7 when it is released in October?

The answer to this question is usually no. Windows 7 is the successor to Windows Vista, which was the successor to Windows X, which was the successor to Windows 2000P and so on down the line. Windows 7 is scheduled to be released Oct 22, 2009. There are multiple reasons why you should not upgrade your current PC to Windows 7.

First off if you are currently running Windows XP, you do not have an option of a direct upgrade as just inserting a CD in your PC and clicking next. For the average home user this disqualifies most from still going forward from XP to Windows 7. If you still decide to do it the procedure is this:

You'll need to back up your current files and settings to another PC, device, (flash drive CD, DVD etc). Next perform a clean installation of Windows 7. Then reinstall your backed up files, settings, and programs to Windows 7. Even with that users still running Windows XP may find that the age of their PC and the hardware that is on it cannot run Windows 7.

Microsoft even recommends that those customers running Windows XP purchase a new PC with Windows 7 as opposed to trying to upgrade from the process described above. Bottom line is if you have XP, save your data and buy a new PC if you want want Windows 7. The good news for XP that choose not to upgrade is that Microsoft is supporting Windows XP until April 8 2014 so you can keep it if you would like too for the next 4 years.

For those of you who are running Windows Vista, the decision isn't as clear cut. Vista can be easily upgraded to Windows 7 via CD and lots of clicking on Next with all data saved and programs transferred over. That is certainly a plus to upgrading your Vista PC to Windows 7.

However as with any new Operating System or product there are usually bugs to fix and discover. There will be patches, fixes and updates. This is just as true with New designs of cars/models. If a new model/design of a car comes out. By the second or third year, improvements have been made as they have had some time/data/feedback to address issues that were reported to them. Maybe a bit more horsepower, or a slight product defect in 1 st year models that was corrected for later models. Windows operating systems should be viewed in the same regard. Give Microsoft time to put out Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 before considering before upgrading to it from Vista. Let them fix the as yet to be discovered faults and exploits.

The Average Home User doesn't need to have the latest technological advancements. They want their computer to work with as minimal problems as possible. To be easy to use and comfortable while using it. Jumping up to Windows 7 if you are happy with Vista is not worth it.
Unless you are one of those people that must have the newest toy on the market, I would advise against upgrading your Vista machine to Windows 7 at this time. Six months from now once Windows 7 has been through plenty of testing from consumers etc, we may reach a different conclusion.

If you want to upgrade to Windows 7 and you have Windows XP, time to buy a new PC. If you want to upgrade to Windows 7 and you have Windows Vista, you may do so but it is not advised at this time. Sit back and let others experience the issues/problems that will happen with a new operating system. Why experience the Growing Pains if you don't have too? Save your money for now.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week.

Steve
www.zolexpc.com