Undetectable Humanizer: Lifetime Subscription
Transform AI-Generated Text into Human-Like, High-Ranking Content & Bypass Even the Most Sophisticated AI Detectors
Get 95% Deal

Microsoft admits to a 1% false positive WGA check ratio

Martin Brinkmann
Jan 25, 2007
Updated • May 26, 2013
Windows, Windows XP
|
3

Microsoft recently published updated figures about the Windows Genuine Advantage protection that it implemented into the Microsoft Windows operating system. WGA has been designed to block unauthenticated versions of Windows from performing some operations, for instance the download of some software programs from the Microsoft homepage.

Software like the new Internet Explorer 7 or Windows Media Player can only be downloaded after a successful WGA check. The download and installation will be denied if a check fails, and while there are ways around that, for instance by downloading the programs from third party sites, it is seen as a nuisance by users, especially those whose systems are wrongfully identified as not genuine.

It was always known that there would be false positives and the new figures that Microsoft released give us a clearer picture on the scale of the false positive rate. About 114 million systems failed the WGA check since the introduction of those checks and Microsoft admits that this means that about 1% of all checks made are false positives meaning that legit versions of Windows were wrongfully identified as non genuine.

While under 1% does not seem that much it it does look like a lot in absolute figures: 1% of 114 million checks means that 1.14 million legit systems failed the check although this should not have happened. I can't figure out how the source comes to the conclusion that the absolute number would be 5 million false positives because you clearly have to use the failed checks for the figure and not the total amount of checks which is 500 million.

It is nevertheless a huge number and Microsoft should do anything it can to reduce it by optimizing the script that performs the checks.

Update: Microsoft changed the way WGA works in newer versions of Windows. The system is less restrictive now and while there is certainly still the chance that false positives occur, it is not really something that the majority of Windows users seem to be concerned with these days.

Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. stiff said on December 9, 2009 at 6:47 pm
    Reply

    2 liv a life I need a heart, 2 hav a heart I need hapiness, 2 hav hapiness I need friendship and 4 that I need u…… !

  2. PC Computer Support Engineers said on May 4, 2009 at 2:06 pm
    Reply

    I’d say more than 1%.. if microsoft scan ur ip address everytime ur pc boots up then what happens if your moving around a lot or if you move home and then re-install windows on your pc??? does that mean your not legitimate in microsofts eyes?

  3. Me said on January 25, 2007 at 10:47 pm
    Reply

    I have to take some rest before I come back to read the whole article from the second sentence.

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.