The Innocuous Genuine Advantage Notification

In case you might be wondering how MS will roll out its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) nag program, here's the windows update or patch to look out for:


However, to be given a choice on whether to download and install the WGA nagger, you will have to change the default setting for Windows Automatic Updates service. The default setting and recommended setting is "Automatic" which means you have no control over what MS updates/patches/installs on your machine. Change this to either "Download updates..., but let me choose when to install them." or "Nofify me but don't automatically download or install them." so that you may have a say in what is downloaded or installed by MS. Or if total obscurity is preferred, then go for the last option of turning off Automatic Updates, but do heed the wise warning of doing so.

As above, I prefer the latter option as if I am not going to install something, then it would make good spatial sense not to download it in the first place.

If and only if you have done one of the above, then you have a choice!

You may now choose to not download and/or install particular updates when notified of them (or even not to receive any notifications if you want total privacy through total obscurity). Also, you may choose that the Automatic Update service do not nag you about the same updates again in the near or far future:

I only hope that for those who prefer not to subscribe to the WGA notification, this post did not come too late.