Malicious Software Removal Tool gone WGA?

[gorgelink]

The Malicious Software Removal Tool that comes bundled with the Windows July updates seems to check for a genuine Windows copy (WGA technology???).

Additionally, I was asked to accept (or decline) a license.

Anyone else experienced this?

G.

[Zeena]

Hi gorgelink :)


{QUOTE-> Anyone else experienced this? <-QUOTE}

Yep! .... Me!

It was really odd wasn't it?

I don't remember having to accept license agreements for Malicious Software Removal Tool updates in the past :(

I know one person has had problems with Opera and FireFox since having that update.
See : http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=138881&tstart=0

[JasSolo]

I guess everybody is getting the question. I got it as well, both on a Vista rig and a XP rig.

[lodore]

i can confirm on xp,vista and server 2003.

[PiCo]

Me too, I accepted the license, was that a bad thing to do? ::)

[Baz_kasp]

msmsrt?

Never used that thing in my life. Why do I need microsoft to confirm what I already know (my machine is clean)

[ThunderZ]

{QUOTE-> Me too, I accepted the license, was that a bad thing to do? ::) <-QUOTE}


No, as long as your copy of windows is legit. Then again there have been instances of it red flagging supposedly legal copies of windows.

[Zeena]

Hi Everyone :)


Re : Windows Update - Malicious Software Removal Tool

For Some People... Apparently this update has caused a lot of problems :(

Problems With...
1/ Zone Alarm
2/ FireFox
3/ Opera
4/ Other Stuff : http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=138888&tstart=0 ::)

[AKAJohnDoe]

Thanks for the heads-up. I usually have just let Windows Update download and install MRT, but since I do do run ZA and FF I unchecked the July update to prevent it from possibly causing me grief.

[PiCo]

{QUOTE-> No, as long as your copy of windows is legit. Then again there have been instances of it red flagging supposedly legal copies of windows. <-QUOTE}
It is a legal copy :)

As for the problems reported, I'm running on Vista Business SP1 and everything is fine with ff3!

[AKAJohnDoe]

There's a lot of chatter out there about one of the MS updates and it's interaction with ZoneAlarm, probably only on XP, as I installed all the updates (except the July MRT update - read something about WGA, which always worries me given MS track record on that!) onto my Vista Home Premium (SP1) system running ZoneAlarm AntiVirus. Obviously I am still able to connect and browse via Firefox. Do not know about IE as I never use it ;)

[AKAJohnDoe]

After taking the time to do a little more research myself, I went ahead and applied the July MRT update as well and all is still OK.

[Tarq57]

I don't let this tool download and run, but I do download it for later manual running if need be.
No prompts for WGA.
(I did have to renew my WGA software a month or so ago to download SP3 installer.)

[JRViejo]

I also thought it was weird to see an EULA for the MSRT this month, yet I read it and although I should have copied it, the main focus was the reporting of information back to Microsoft.

KB890830, under Reporting infection information to Microsoft, provides skimpy details of what's being reported.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830

[AKAJohnDoe]

I routinely block Microsoft products (e.g.: Windows Media Player; Windows Media Center; Spoolsv.exe; MRT.exe; +++) from having internet access via ZoneAlarm.

[ThunderZ]

{QUOTE-> I routinely block Microsoft products (e.g.: Windows Media Player; Windows Media Center; Spoolsv.exe; MRT.exe; +++) from having internet access via ZoneAlarm. <-QUOTE}


Never could figure why spool server needed Internet access. I block it as well.

[Zeena]

Hi Everyone :)

Apparently ZoneAlarm have fixed this problem :thumb:

See Here : http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=138922&tstart=0


Hope This helps! :thumb:

[AKAJohnDoe]

Ah, that explains it!

Windows Vista users were not affected! :)

[Stijnson]

I have AU set to option 3 (notify me of updates, but I decide if I download/install them). Btw, my XP Home copy is legit -:)

Last weekend AU notified me of 2 updates for my rig: KB951748 and the July update for MSRT.
The first one couldn't be downloaded at the time ('per update regulated' according to my WindowsUpdate.log, this is normally caused by heavy traffic on the update servers).

The July update WAS downloaded, but never installed. It didn't get to see a EULA or something about WGA (which was mentioned in some posts above).

The setting of AU to option 3 makes it necessary for an Administrator to be logged in (according to the Event Log, which states that an Admin has to be logged in in order to install the update). I've had this option set for months and every time all updates went fine, but not this time.

Can I also download and install KB890830 manually or is this not a wise thing to do? MRT is already present on my rig (can be found in system32 folder), but the July update hasn't been installed yet. Would a manual update screw things up?

In another post I was supported/assisted by another forum member, who offered me some advice about clearing the SoftwareDistribution folder. Should I do this first, or is there another reason why this update won't install?

I also read something about a WGA update. As far as I can remember I haven't seen an update for this in quite a while. How can I check if I have the latest WGA update?

[ronjor]

{QUOTE-> How can I check if I have the latest WGA update? <-QUOTE}See this (http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/Default.aspx?displaylang=en) site and this link. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f8b8bc77-cfa1-47bd-b325-7a6d3893add8&displaylang=en)

[Stijnson]

{QUOTE-> See this (http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/Default.aspx?displaylang=en) site and this link. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f8b8bc77-cfa1-47bd-b325-7a6d3893add8&displaylang=en) <-QUOTE}

Thanks Ron. I guess I have the latest version on my rig already, because I never have been bothered by it's notifications (as stated on the site: notifications will popup if WGA detects an invalid copy on your machine).