How to Geek

An excellent resource for novice and expect alike.

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How to disable Windows Genuine Advantage Notification

"The “Windows Genuine Advantage Notification” (KB905474) cannot be uninstalled by Add/Remove Program in Control Panel by default, contrary to the claim in the knowledge base article. To enable the removal of KB905474 WGA Notification tool, follow the below steps:

Note: It seems like it’s not possible to uninstall WGA Notifications from Add/Remove Program. Cobolhacker has details on why KB905474 cannot be uninstalled. Suggested steps to “uninstall” are search and delete all WgaTray.exe and WgaLogon.dll files in your boot drive (if you using search, check the “Search system folders”, “Search hidden files and folders” and “Search subfolders” checkboxes), delete all the register keys in the following tree: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WgaLogon, and to remove the entry from Add/Remove Programs list, delete the registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Uninstall\WgaNotify. With uninstallation, WGA Notifications will try to install again next time.

1. Click on Start.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type in regedit in the Run text box.
4. Click OK or press Enter.
5. In Registry Editor, browse the the following registry key branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\WgaNotify
6. On the right panel, modify the value of NoRemove (by right clicking on the key and choose Modify) to 0.
7. Exit the Registry Editor.
8. Re-launch the Add/Remove Program, and Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications (KB905474) is now removable.

Prevention is always better than cure. So the best to avoid the the KB905474 Windows Genuine Advantage Notification application to be automatically downloaded and applied by Automatic Updates is to disable Automatic Updates. Go to Automatic Updates in Control Panel and disable it by selecting Turn off Automatic Updates, or if you still want to receive the critical patches from Microsoft, select Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them or Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them. Remember to uncheck (deselect) Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474) when prompted to install any updates.

If you have already install the WGA update, you can use the hacked/cracked version of LegitCheckControl.dll (newer version suggestion by tyler) to remove the annoying nagging message. (For old version) But Windows Update will still ask you to install it since it’s a newer version which is 1.5.526, unless there is newer version of cracked LegitCheckControl.dll available. You may however try to “up” the version of hacked LegitCheckControl.dll yourself by using the following method:

1. Get the patched/hacked “LegitCheckControl.dll” from the internet (e.g from link above or any file sharing service)
2. Install Resource Hacker if you still don’t.
3. Open both (original in Windows/System32 and hacked version) “LegitCheckControl.dll” files with Resource Hacker.
Go to “Version Info”, replace the version info of the patched File with the version information from new original LegitCheckControl.dll.

1 VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION 1,5,526,0
PRODUCTVERSION 1,5,526,0
FILEOS 0×4
FILETYPE 0×1
{
BLOCK “StringFileInfo”
{
BLOCK “040904B0″
{
VALUE “CompanyName”, “Microsoft Corp.”
VALUE “FileDescription”, “Windows Genuine Advantage Validation”
VALUE “InternalName”, “LegitCheckControl”
VALUE “LegalCopyright”, “Copyright © 1995-2004 Microsoft Corp.”
VALUE “LegalTrademarks”, “Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.”
VALUE “OriginalFilename”, “LegitCheckControl.dll”
VALUE “ProductName”, “Microsoft® CoReXT”
VALUE “FileVersion”, “1.5.0526.0?
VALUE “ProductVersion”, “1.5.0526.0″
VALUE “PrivateBuild”, “Built by gacald on WGA-FILE-SVR.”
}
}

BLOCK “VarFileInfo”
{
VALUE “Translation”, 0×0409 0×04B0
}
}
4. Save File.
5. Put the modified version of hacked LegitCheckControl.dll in Windows/System32 folder, replacing the original from Microsoft.

Beside, WGA Notifications tool is also reported to be able to be bypassed by emptying (deleting the contents of) the data.dat in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Windows Genuine Advantage\data as detailed here.

If you disable Automatic Updates, you can always download any updates from Windows Update or Microsoft Update using the hacks and tips from here and here. If you are prompted to mandatory must install KB905474, the above tricks should disable the checking of existence of KB905474 notification application. Again, remember to deselect the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474) which will listed in High Priority section and selected for you by default.

Note: Visit the a more tidy article on how to bypass and disable the WGA with various tricks and hacks or a host redirect method to make Windows genuine permanently."

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition Released

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition Released

Integrates the Latest Stable Applications with Long Term Support

LONDON, April 21, 2008 – Canonical Ltd. announced the upcoming availability of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition for free download on Thursday 24 April. In related news, Canonical also announced the simultaneous release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Server Edition.

Ubuntu 8.04 Long Term Support (LTS) provides a stable platform for software and hardware vendors, developers and users. With three years of support and maintenance on the desktop, 8.04 LTS is a great choice for large-scale deployment. A substantial and growing ecosystem of free and commercial software built for Ubuntu provides a rich set of choices for desktop users. This is the eighth desktop release of Ubuntu. Ubuntu's track record in delivering - on a precise schedule every six months - a commercial operating system that is free, stable, secure and fully supported, remains unique.

“Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition is a very significant release as it will take Ubuntu squarely into the business environment," said Jane Silber, COO of Canonical Ltd. "Our business and home users have told us that they want a longer support cycle to make Ubuntu a better deployment option. We have responded to that and added a commitment to much broader software and hardware support that we and our partners are excited to deliver. With enhanced commercial support through Landscape, combined with our always excellent community support, expect to see 8.04 LTS drive Ubuntu into new arenas."

"Ubuntu's polished, user focused version of the Linux desktop has built itself a wide enough following to compel significant ISV interest and support,” said Stephen O'Grady, principal analyst at Redmonk. "By coupling a very capable desktop offering with long term support options, Ubuntu is becoming an increasingly viable option for enterprises as well as consumers."

"Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino bring highly scalable messaging and industry-leading collaboration to the Ubuntu desktop,” said Kevin Cavanaugh, vice president of IBM Lotus Software. "We believe the extended multi-year support for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS makes it an excellent desktop solution for corporate users who wish to deploy Lotus Notes on an open platform."
Latest and Greatest Applications

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS raises the bar on the Linux desktop experience. It includes the latest, stable version of many core products, and in that spirit is the first distribution to bring Mozilla Firefox 3 (Beta 5) to millions of users. The combination of Linux and Firefox make Ubuntu 8.04 LTS a superb web desktop, with fast browsing and greatly reduced exposure to viruses, web forgery and spyware.

Enhanced photo experience: The enhanced default photo manager, F-Spot, together with improved camera and phone recognition means users can upload, tag, manage, display, delete, print and share photos with friends and family more easily.

Music sharing and download: Users can plug in a PSP, share playlists with friends, buy from the Magnatune online music store, stream live radio and plug in more devices than ever (with UpnP).

Better video: The new default movie player now allows users to browse YouTube and other video sources across the web and to share their videos with others. It integrates with Myth TV, the open source TVR, so users can watch their favourite TV shows straight on the desktop. Brasero allows them to easily burn all content to CD or DVD.

Productivity enhancements: Clock and calendar integration is available to manage time across the globe with a single click to set, attend and receive alerts about appointments.

Slick desktop: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS combines the latest GNOME applications with desktop visual effects, giving users a smoother, better-looking and more intuitive experience.
Breadth and Depth of Services

Longer support: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is supported with security updates and maintenance for three years so corporate and individual users have a longer upgrade planning cycle. Those who want the newest applications will be able to upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10, due in October 2008, those who prefer longer deployment cycles can stay with Ubuntu 8.04 for three years before moving to the next LTS release.

More applications: More than 30 commercial ISVs plan to support and distribute their applications on the 8.04 LTS desktop platform, including Adobe, Google, Real Networks, Nero, Skype, Corel, Parallels and Fluendo.

More accessibility: Gesture support allows users to navigate Ubuntu in a more natural fashion. Also available are increased language support for voice command, support for keyboard accessibility, slow keys, zoom and more.
Pricing and Availability

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition is free of charge and available on Thursday from http://www.ubuntu.com/download.
About Canonical Ltd

Canonical Ltd, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, is a global organisation headquartered in Europe committed to the development, distribution and support of open source software products and communities. World-class 24x7 commercial support for Ubuntu is available through Canonical's global support team and partners. Since its launch in October 2004 Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions with millions of users around the world.

Ubuntu will always be free to download, free to use and free to distribute to others. With these goals in mind, Ubuntu aims to be the most widely used Linux system, and is the centre of a global open source software ecosystem. For more information visit www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com.

Safari 3.1 for Windows ROCKS!

"PC Magazine says Safari 3.1 for Windows gets “the job done elegantly and swiftly”
In awarding Safari 3.1 for Windows a four (out of five) star rating, Michael Muchmore (pcmag.com) indicates that in addition to being able to resize its window from any edge, “a slew of new improvements, some unique features, impressive speed, and future-looking standards support makes it a worthy browsing partner.” It gets flying colors for complience with HTML and CSS standards, kudos for color accuracy, raves for speed and memory tests, and a thumbs up for stability: “in a couple of days’ use of the new browser, I wasn’t able to crash it once” in Windows XP SP2, Vista, or Mac OS X Leopard.

March 21, 2008"



DOWNLOAD NEW VERSION HERE:

http://www.apple.com/safari/download

Wal-Mart’s $200 PC - sold out

Wal-Mart’s $200 PC - sold out by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- About two weeks ago, Wal-Mart began selling $200 Linux-based PC. The initial run was around 10,000 units. Now Wal-Mart is sold out. Has Linux now found a niche?

Most popular operating systems on Amazon

Most popular operating systems on Amazon



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(1) Most popular operating systems on Amazon
.
Great work! You have found a good indicator that shows the demand of the people.

Revelation: Ubuntu is now #5 in operating systems! This means Ubuntu is #1 in operating systems for the industry-standard IBM PC on Amazon.

#1 & #2: Mac OS X Leopard. Isn't the Mac supposed to be an "insignificant" computer?

#3 & #4 Windows XP Full Versions. Windows XP is more popular than Windows Vista WHEN CUSTOMERS HAVE A CHOICE X-( Note: Since these are full versions, it is likely that these are being bought by Macintosh users to run on Parallels on the new X86 Macs.

#5: Ubuntu. Because I attribute the XP full version sales to Mac users, Ubuntu is the #1 operating system for industry-standard commodity IBM PCs on Amazon! :0 I like the vision of this keeping Steve Ballmer awake at night. :^0 Maybe he will be less excitable during daytime hours (2).



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(1) Most popular operating systems on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/software/229653/ref=pd_ts_sw_nav/103-5765134-8896641

(2) I...LOVE...THIS...COMPANY!!! (Warning: Has sound!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMU0tzLwhbE