The Windows Genuine Advantage Disadvantage

Windows Genuine Advantage Disadvantage

Could Windows Genuine Advantage cause problems after I upgrade my hard drive?

It’s possible. Naming this legal spyware an “Advantage” is a bit like calling the official Soviet newspaper Pravda (“Truth”) — putting a word in the title doesn’t make it so. Windows Genuine Advantage checks your Windows installation to confirm that its license key matches your hardware. If the key turns out to be registered for a different computer, WGA objects and generally makes your life miserable.

In theory, WGA can distinguish between a new hard drive and a new PC. In reality, though, it sometimes gets confused and asks you to reactivate Windows— usually a painless chore. If reactivation fails, call Microsoft’s Activation hotline at 888-571-2048. To speak with a human being, say “agent” when asked which option you want, and don’t waver when the automated phone system attempts to convince you that you would be better off talking to a machine.

The hotline is open around the clock. Matters grow complicated if your copy of Windows came with your PC and if WGA thinks your new hard drive is a new computer. An “OEM” copy of Windows isn’t supposed to be transferred to a new PC. If you had multiple partitions on your old drive, create the same partitions, in the same order, on the new one. If that doesn’t work, call the vendor’s technical support. And don’t blame WGA if your computer won’t boot after a hard-drive up grade; your BIOS probably can’t recognize the new drive. See Techlog on page 15 for more on WGA.

CONNECTION MENACE

I recently tried to connect to the Internet by using Smart Link 56K Voice modem. The connection attempt failed and is showing errors. I’ve even tried to replace the modem but was unsuccessful. What should I do?

First, check to make sure that you are using the correct dial-up number. This error can also occur if you have installed your modem with an incorrect driver. Identify your modem chipset, PCI ID, manufacturer, and make sure you are using the correct driver. To do this, you can take out the modem and look at it. Somewhere on the largest chip, you’ll Do you hear the modem dial, connect and try to handshake? This is a pretty common issue with the onboard modems that come with most computers. Double check to make sure you have the correct drivers installed. Try using an external modem, if you can find one.

VIDEO WOES

I recently installed a new graphics card and I am able to play all high graphics game but not able to play any of my video files. My system hangs whenever I try to open any of the video files?

Try using the VLC Player. This is included in this month’s DVD, as part of the PC World SuperSuite. If your computer still hangs, you may need to uninstall all video codecs and video players, and try installing VLC after a restart.

SPEED IT UP!

How many times can Vista and XP be re installed and how can I speed up Vista which is slower in comparison with XP?

As long as your keep the hardware constant, Vista and XP can be installed any number of times. In case you have an OEM copy of the OS, you may run into an error with activation after 10 times, but all you need to do is call up Microsoft and explain the situation. They do not, in most cases, have a problem. Of course, all this assumes that you are using licensed copies of the OS. In case you are using a pirated version, this advice may not be valid.

On a powerful system, and as long as you have all the latest drivers and updates installed, Vista should run quite well. It is a fact that many people feel that Vista is slower than XP on the same hardware, so if it really bothers you, you can try turning off the Aero effects. But do remember that Vista is a much larger, and more complex OS than XP, and some amount of slowdown will be inevitable. The situation ought to improve as hardware manufacturers release updated drivers, and Microsoft releases updates, but as of now, there’s really nothing much you can do.

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