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August 25th, 2007

Microsoft WGA servers are fixed, but no word on what went wrong

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 3:10 pm

Categories: Activation, Anti-piracy, Vista, WGA, Windows XP, Windows client

Tags: Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage, Server, Microsoft Corp., Mary Jo Foley

In Focus » See more posts on: WGA

Microsoft has fixed whatever caused a massive worldwide outage of its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) system that seemed to last just under 24 hours. So far, however, company officials aren’t commenting publicly on what happened.

At 6 p.m. EST on August 25, I received the following statement from a Microsoft spokeswoman:

“All (WGA) servers are working properly now. Only those who experienced a validation issue between yesterday afternoon and about 11 a.m. Pacific today need to go back to the validation page.”

Starting Friday evening, a number of XP and Windows Vista users reported problems when attempting to download fixes, updates and other software when they were required to validate using WGA. Lack of official information from Microsoft regarding when a fix would be coming frustrated a number of users, who complained publicly via the Microsoft Genuine Forum.

If and when Microsoft shares more on what happened, I’ll update this post.

 

Mary Jo FoleyMary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 20 years. Don't miss a single post. Subscribe via Email or RSS. You can also follow Mary Jo on Twitter.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 136 Talkback(s)
Monopoly? What monopoly?
Very good point. If Microsoft were the only choice for an OS (like the Postal Service is for non-express letter mail) it would be a monopoly.

The fact that it supplies the only choice that m... (Read the rest)
Posted by: David Cowell Posted on: 09/02/07 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
Perhaps the servers failed their own WGA tests and ran...  BanjoPaterson | 08/25/07
ROTFL  devlin_X | 08/25/07
Very adolescent post  cnfrisch | 08/25/07
A typical Microsoft response  Ole Man | 08/25/07
Shut up, OleFool.  M.R. Kennedy | 08/26/07
Always the same!  Ole Man | 08/26/07
Actually, thought it was hilarious . . .  Basic Logic | 08/26/07
Here's what you do...  Dr. John | 08/27/07
ROTFLMAO!!! laugh  TechExec2 | 08/27/07
MSFT WGA Servers are fixed  cnfrisch | 08/25/07
"a "reset"  devlin_X | 08/25/07
Or third party applications  John Zern | 08/25/07
Hey, that's a good excuse!  Ole Man | 08/25/07
At the very least  xuniL_z | 08/26/07
Well, the correct answer would be.....  Ole Man | 08/26/07
Non biased question Xunil .  Intellihence | 08/26/07
universal repair procedure for windows  jaybyrd | 08/28/07
No tech is 100% reliable, but have you heard of fault tolerance?  Basic Logic | 08/26/07
How about.........  middle of nowhere | 08/26/07
Meanwhile, George Ou and Ed Bott  johnf76@... | 08/25/07
More likely they say  Bozzer | 08/26/07
Maybe...  Jeremy W | 08/25/07
Go with the known quantities  Jack-Booted EULA | 08/25/07
Also...Windows Live ID at MSN Entertainment...  Alber1690 | 08/25/07
Painless system, yessireee!  BitTwiddler | 08/26/07
secret automatic update seems to be cause...  bksgs1 | 08/26/07
No Big Deal  XweAponX | 08/27/07
This is why monopoly is bad . . .  Basic Logic | 08/26/07
Biggest counterfeit software bust... ever.  cnfrisch | 08/26/07
You won't get much with that one.  xuniL_z | 08/26/07
Ever heard this one?  firehound | 08/26/07
My State Requires Personal Validation  cnfrisch | 08/26/07
huh?  firehound | 08/26/07
Yes, I knew  cnfrisch | 08/26/07
Yes, I knew  Ole Man | 08/26/07
Talk about strange spin  TripleII | 08/26/07
You completely missed the boat  Ole Man | 08/26/07
Microsoft WGA Servers Are Fixed,but no word on what wrong  windozefreak | 08/27/07
Microsoft WGA Servers Are Fixed,but no word on what wrong  Ole Man | 08/27/07
It's the best thing since Pepsi Cola  Ole Man | 08/26/07
That's great, I am sure these people were pleased  TripleII | 08/26/07
Does not affect essential use of Vista  cnfrisch | 08/26/07
ROFL  TripleII | 08/26/07
where are you getting this FUD TripleII (NT)  SO.CAL Guy | 08/27/07
Read CN's post one up from mine.  TripleII | 08/27/07
FUD?  path6677 | 08/28/07
What a coincidence  Ole Man | 08/26/07
Ok, fine.  BitTwiddler | 08/27/07
Why do I care about Microsoft's fantasies?  Resuna | 08/27/07
Aside from label placement...  zach.winchester | 08/27/07
How to tell if your MS software media is genuine  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
If it says "Microsoft", you can be sure it's "Genuine"  Ole Man | 08/30/07
i see no monopoly you need to read the definition of monopoly  SO.CAL Guy | 08/27/07
If it walks like a duck...  TechExec2 | 08/28/07
My System Worked Fine!  jabailo1 | 08/26/07
Ditto!  Futurdreamz@... | 08/26/07
OSX didn't work for me during the outage  NonZealot | 08/26/07
Message has been deleted.  Intellihence | 08/26/07
what a weak lie...  jjarman | 08/27/07
Amazing how that works, ain't it?  cheesyone | 08/27/07
Why anyone puts up with Microsoft's silly games baffles me. (nt)  Henrik Moller | 08/26/07
And there are plenty of them  DarthRidiculous | 08/27/07
Stockholm syndrome  frgough | 08/27/07
...and that would explain a lot.  fr0thy2. | 08/27/07
Ditto!  softdrat@... | 08/26/07
Maybe it was a Skype update happy  mrlinux | 08/26/07
and a funny joke at that!  jjarman | 08/27/07
S.k.y.p.e=  zach.winchester | 08/27/07
Weird, no problem here at all...  victor@... | 08/27/07
Mayber they  zclayton2 | 08/27/07
Carey you should not defend the undefendable  RickyF | 08/27/07
RE: Defend the undefendable  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
They can't...most children can't either.  fr0thy2. | 08/27/07
Mu comments haven't been removed.  Resuna | 08/27/07
"a way for children to vent"  Ole Man | 08/27/07
They went back to DOS??  hanamc@... | 08/27/07
Xenix  Resuna | 08/27/07
Before you hand out too many commendations...  cheesyone | 08/27/07
Until the next time.  Resuna | 08/27/07
Re: Re: Defend the undefendable  path6677 | 08/28/07
I'd pay $50 more...  kbaily05@... | 08/27/07
Glad Visa Cost Too Much  ggstart | 08/27/07
I think very few noticed the problem...  fr0thy2. | 08/27/07
Very few noticed the problem???  path6677 | 08/28/07
Good luck with that...  fr0thy2. | 08/27/07
THE SECRET IS OUT!!!!  hanamc@... | 08/27/07
Message has been deleted.  chessmen | 08/27/07
No problem here  tahale1 | 08/27/07
Rely on someone else's server?  cquirke | 08/27/07
A Shot across the BOW..  Old Timer 8080 | 08/27/07
Glad to here you haven't any issues  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
Sarcasm?  path6677 | 08/28/07
Message has been deleted.  TripleII | 08/27/07
WGA Cracks have a very short lifecycle  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
What are you talking about?  TripleII | 08/27/07
Reported OEM BIOS Hacks  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
Yes, so not all user's are created equal.  TripleII | 08/27/07
Confusing WGA with PA  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
"Confusing WGA with PA"  Ole Man | 08/27/07
Can someone tell me why deleted?  TripleII | 08/27/07
Vista WGA capricious de-activations are COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE  TechExec2 | 08/27/07
Re: Vista WGA capricious de-activations....  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
Here is some reading for YOU  TechExec2 | 08/27/07
Sorry, your "facts" are wrong again  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
That is not a response!  TechExec2 | 08/27/07
A theif that only steals half a computer  Ole Man | 08/27/07
No, not true  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
It is also true  Ole Man | 08/27/07
TechExec2 how about some proof and not just your conspiracy  SO.CAL Guy | 08/27/07
Keep on denying the truth, loyal Microsoft Partner  TechExec2 | 08/27/07
No Problems Here  30bob1 | 08/27/07
So sue them...  kokuryu | 08/27/07
You can't sue  TripleII | 08/27/07
Excellent Point  Polytopal | 08/27/07
Ripe for terrorist attack  Knorthern Knight | 08/27/07
The blind leading the blind  Ole Man | 08/27/07
Or would that be sheep?  Ole Man | 08/27/07
?  cnfrisch | 08/27/07
Or Shill?  Ole Man | 08/28/07
WGA...again!  path6677 | 08/28/07
Update on Validation Issues  cnfrisch | 08/28/07
GENUINE Update on Validation Issues  TechExec2 | 08/28/07
This is discouraging news, indeed!  Ole Man | 08/28/07
122 and counting  tangentjohn@... | 08/28/07
What Really Happened -  cnfrisch | 08/29/07
The Microsoft shill returns  TechExec2 | 08/29/07
No "deactivation"  cnfrisch | 08/29/07
You are not speaking the whole truth...  TechExec2 | 08/29/07
Tell your stories to the victims of WGA  TechExec2 | 08/29/07
Old info  cnfrisch | 08/30/07
"focused on current events"  Ole Man | 08/30/07
This sounds a lot like "The Wizard of Oz"  TechExec2 | 09/01/07
Genuine People and Genuine Stories  cnfrisch | 08/30/07
Genuine People. Genuine HORROR Stories. shocked  TechExec2 | 09/01/07
Just one small error  Ole Man | 09/02/07
Monopoly? What monopoly?  David Cowell | 09/02/07

What do you think?

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