Microsoft Uses Third Party Assistance To Detect Non-Genuine Copies of Windows 7

[Ambrocious]

Chances are, Microsoft has already made deals (or secret negotiations unknown to the public) with many other companies that service the internet with rich media content but let us focus briefly on how Adobe (formally Macromedia) in combination with Microsoft is being used to find out more about your computer, namely to see if your version is valid or not. Many people who bought and paid for their Windows 7 are even having this problem too...the ominous message that informs you that your version of Microsoft Windows is NOT Genuine. If you happen to be one of the numerous people who have been trying to get this really annoying message to just go away, there may be a very good reason why it just keeps coming back and why it may be harder than ever to get rid of.

After following up on a tutorial I read on how to get rid of that nagging "Windows Not Genuine" message on a computer that a client had dropped off at my house to be worked on, I was compelled to see just how many different ways Microsoft can validate to see if your version is valid or not. Boy was I surprised! Right now, open up a command prompt and type this in and press Enter: dir *wga*.* /s

Most people will have to sit back and wait for about 15 to 20 seconds before all of the WGA files are found on your computer, the more you visit Adobe Flash Based websites (porn sites have a MUCH higher ratio of causing this), the greater chance you have of collecting A LOT more "third party" tattle tail assisted programs that Microsoft has seemingly teemed up with in order to be able to validate your version of Windows. Of course, there are many other WGA files on your computer that are not associated with Adobe Flash but it is still amazing at how many files there are and WHAT triggers the authentication check! I haven't contacted Microsoft nor Adobe to ask either of them if they had made some sort of agreement to spy on us but there is a very big chance that they know full well that this is what is going on.

So, Adobe Flash (and who knows WHAT else) is being used to check in on us (spy on us) to see if we are being good little boys and girls. If you have a pirated version with Windows 7 and you already tried alternatives to defeat this nag, you probably will not be able to get rid of it THAT easy simply because of this little fact that Flash can now be used to see if you're copy of Windows is legit.

[Ambrocious]

After investigating further into my clients computer, I can see that the saved info is on a .sol file. Here is the contents of the file, maybe someone here can confirm what exactly this means. It looks like it's a tracking cookie (according to what I read about .sol files). So Adobe creates the sol file which is saved onto your computer which Microsoft uses to check to see if your version is invalid. Great spy job. Any chances that we can get a .sol removal program that will scan our computers and remove them?

[toyo]

Macromedia does not exist any more. Where do you got this info from? Adobe bought them way back in 2005, nobody can contact Macromedia.

[Ambrocious]

Macromedia does not exist any more. Where do you got this info from? Adobe bought them way back in 2005, nobody can contact Macromedia.

NOTE: I edited the original post to be more politically correct regarding the current owner of Flash.

The original parent company of Macromedia is still technically (name only) attached to Flash, and this is how I got to the conclusion about Macromedia:

Go here: C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME HERE\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\ (gonna need to show hidden folders)

Macromedia may not be around anymore, but it IS present under my computer, is it in yours too? Adobe obviously owns Flash but it is STILL in that location under Macromedia, that is simply a technicality of course, what matters is that it's there. This is my own personal investigation, I am not fabricating any of this info. Any help would be much appreciated.

[Ambrocious]

When using the command prompt and searching for WGA files as specified by THIS TUTORIAL using this command: dir *wga*.* /s , under these two spots are where the .sol files were found:

C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME HERE\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects

C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME HERE\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com

.sol files are a sort of tracking cookie according to what I found out. In the command prompt, the file that was said to be PART of the WGA was a zero byte folder to the porn site my client obviously went to. After deleting that folder, I restarted the computer and low and behold, the message of "Your windows is not Genuine" was gone and REMAINED gone. This tells me that Microsoft can use .sol files that are generated from visiting websites to verify if your version of Windows is legit.

Just to make sure I wasn't jumping to conclusions, I went to the SAME porn site he went to an clicked a video. I then closed out of the browser after 2 seconds and re-tested in the command prompt by using dir *wga*.* /s and there it was again, the same WGA file that I had MADE SURE was gone before I went to the porn site. About 10 minutes later, I got the same message in the corner informing me that my version of Windows was not genuine. I deleted those entries where the WGA was found AGAIN and then restarted the computer. The message has been gone now this whole time. This tells me that what I explained before must be really happening. Can anyone else please verify this? I want to be sure I'm really on to something here.

Point being, Microsoft uses the information stored on your computer from visiting key websites to be able to identify if your version is legit or not. This is one of many ways it can do this. This means that Microsoft IS INDEED using third party methods to gather information on your Windows validity, in this case, Adobe Flash and the .sol trackers.

In case you guys were wondering, yes I am still looking into this and I'm asking all of you to please look into this too. I want this to be a team effort so to speak. Some of you have FAR greater understanding than I do so please, look into this and post what you find out.

[Ehsan]

Interesting Info...

If the problem is LSOes(Local Shared Objects), using "Flash Coockie Cleaner" is recommended;

You can find it + "Easy Exif Delete"(another useful software in privacy subject)_for free_here:

http://www.consumersoft.com/freeware.asp

[Brrownie]

WTF!! :o Really...... Ohh well they can kiss my sexy ASS :P

[Ambrocious]

Thanks Ehsan. I'll see if those work out.

EDIT: Sorry but that flash cookie cleaner didn't find the specific .sol file that I was looking for but I did manually anyways.

[Ambrocious]

Here's a screen shot of the cmd window for proof that it's Flash:

[toyo]

Detailed info about LSOs (local shared objects): http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/articles/thirdpartylso/

I don't think Microsoft needs to collaborate to 3rd party developers to spy on people that already have their OS installed, hence lots of spying opportunities for Microsoft with their own stuff. Mod the BIOS, install certificate etc. and there's no nagging after that, ever, update all you want, genuinely genuine.

[Ambrocious]

OK so they don't NEED to use third party assistance but in this case, it looks like they are. What do you make of that screen shot above?

[shajt]

Why would they use third party when they can easily do that anyway via numerous methods even if you don't use Windows update....

They might be spying but they don't care if Windows is genuine or not, simply because they will never win that battle.

[Ambrocious]

OK...so the big question is then...WHY is 2 of the WGA files under the Flash??? I know Microsoft probably doesn't need Adobe's permission to do this but I'm just saying that when visiting that website that I edited out, trust me ya don't wanna know, it triggered the CREATION of those files on my clients computer. This means that it happens upon visiting that website (Flash based) which I suppose means it's unknowingly in cahoots with Microsoft?

[toyo]

I have no wga stuff in Users. What sites should we visit to create these files? Put them in a pastebin if they're some morally dangerous material... it's just for educative purposes :P

[shought]

Those 'WGA files' you're referring to are not 'WGA files', they are found because the combination of letters 'wga' is in the URL of the site that was visited and Flash stores the LSO files inside a directory which is named after the domain.

This has nothing at all to do with 'WGA' as in 'Windows Genuine Activation'. ;)

I'll move this topic out of the News and into the chat.

[Ambrocious]

Those 'WGA files' you're referring to are not 'WGA files', they are found because the combination of letters 'wga' is in the URL of the site that was visited and Flash stores the LSO files inside a directory which is named after the domain.

This has nothing at all to do with 'WGA' as in 'Windows Genuine Activation'. ;)

I'll move this topic out of the News and into the chat.

The domain does not have a WGA anywhere in the address. I'll post the url if you like so you can see for yourself...but you would have to click on a video to get the same results that I did. There is a dot in between the w, I wonder if that is considered too. Oh well...maybe this wild goose chase is over. Fascinating learning experience. I'm still looking into this...

[SoftChip]

Here is a plugin for Firefox:

http://netticat.ath.cx/BetterPrivacy/BetterPrivacy.htm

Also, look at the Flash settings manager from Adobe there:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html

[shought]

I just checked; the . for the file extension is regarded (so .exe or something) but the dots before that are not (a file w.ga.txt would be found by searching for dir *wga*.* /s) ;)

That's all there is to it :)

[Ambrocious]

I just checked; the . for the file extension is regarded (so .exe or something) but the dots before that are not (a file w.ga.txt would be found by searching for dir *wga*.* /s) ;)

That's all there is to it :)

OK, thanks for that info. I was worried for a moment.

[shought]

No problem :D