Hi All. Has M$ pulled a swift one here? I installed their Microsoft Genuine Advantage when it first came out and I had all sorts of problems with my PC, I was virtually accused of being naughty amongst other things also. Needless to say I finally managed to remove that update and set my PC to ignore it in future. To get future upgrade M$ advised me that I should set the machine up to automatically receive upgrades and that would by-pass the Genuine Advantage problem when downloading upgrades. This went well for almost a year, but now I find the when the monthly downloads are available I get notification in the Sys tray, but when I click on the icon to load, the icon goes away and nothing downloads. What is wrong, is there something rotten in Denmark again? Regards Thinking hurts my head that's why I live in West Australia

go to add/remove programs in control panel. Tick the box to show updates. look for the newest ones and then go to windows update and compare them. You might all ready have the downloads installed. If not try to update from the windows update site and see if it will allow you. If not there will/should be a screen showing the updates that failed to install. In The Matters Of Style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, Stand Like A Rock "People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."

Hi lurkswithin I have already been to the update site, but when I click to check out my PC for updates, all I get is the offer again to install their M$ Advantage update before anything else will happen. Unless I download that scourge again, I am cast out to the wilderness. Regards Thinking hurts my head that's why I live in West Australia

WGA is manditory to get Updates. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892... Description of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905... Description of the Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications application ------------------ NEWS STORY ABOUT MS Tues.7-26-05: If the program detects a counterfeit copy, it will offer two options: _Customers who fill out a piracy report, provide proof of purchase and send in the counterfeit CDs will get a free copy of Windows Home Edition, which retails for $199, or Windows Professional, which sells for $299. _Those who simply submit a piracy report — giving details of when, where and from whom the operating system was purchased — and send in the counterfeit copy will get either version of Windows at half price. The authentication process was optional until Monday. From now on, it will be required for all software updates except security patches.

Hi Chuck 2 I am aware of this matter, this is that was proposed to me originally. M$ at the time of the MGA upgrade was deaf to any explanation and would not accept that their wonderful program may be causing problems. They just kept on singing the same song. A search of forums will reveal that I was not the only one to have experienced problems with MGA. Eventually a notation appeared on the M$ update site to the effect that this problem can be overcome by setting the updates to auto. Eventually I removed the MGA and made the setting suggested. From that time on wards until recently I have had no problems with the essential updates as they are the only ones I am really interested in. But it looks like they may have made some more changes but without the fanfare this time. So it looks like no more updates for me as I have jumped thru enough hoops, and M$ will now have one less PC to spy on. Anyway, I'm off on my holidays now :-) Regards Thinking hurts my head that's why I live in West Australia

Look here. http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/...