Microsoft Advantage Problems

Are you sure it's really from MS, and not someone phishing? As long as your computer works ok, ignore them.

Unless someone has figured out how to capture www.microsoft.com, it is from Microsoft. It could be a phishing scam, and if so, I have probably sent out a whole lot of information to someone...Thanks for the comment.

It's likely the sender spoofed the originating email address. If you are using Outlook, do a right click on the mail preview pane and select 'View Source'. Somewhere in the resulting gibberish you may discover the sender's true identity. Sounds like it's a scam to me.

MS contact info:

I'd agree with what Bricktop has said. It looks likely as fishing. Microsoft Advantage? I've heard of update option, update Windows setup mode, but never of Advantage prog.

Just recalled old anecdote heard from one Linux forum: Advert in newspaper. Software company is looking for high-qualified programmers. Please place your CVs at www.microsoft.com home page.

It's not phising or malware, except for those who believe MS would do such a thing. I'm one of those who wouldn't put anything past MS.

It's 2.5 years old but start reading about 1/4 of the way down this page. It gives you a workaround (there is no real solution) at the end.

Windows Genuine Advantage

cwarner's been phished alright, by MS itself! Dam scary article. That's the last nail in the MS coffin, I'm buying an Apple.

It's not a phish it's a ploy. Windows defender is a phish

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Using Glary Utilities, I was able to identify and disable the small .exe that was creating the message. It was signed by Microsoft and dated April 2007- appears legitimate. One problem I have is that "local" (Panama) Microsoft support is in Spanish, and I am somewhat challenged when it comes to that language (the contact information provided in one of the posts sent me to the Panama support page, which accepts e-mails only certain hours of the day, which may be why they wouldn't accept my original response. Some time ago, over a hotmail issue, I inquired about how to get English in my hotmail account, and Microsoft suggested I lie about where I am, which I find ethically distasteful, to say the least.

I do not use Outlook. My wife uses IE on this computer, but I prefer Firefox. I am also in the painful process of converting everything to Ubuntu (some of my more critical tech apps are available only for older Windows versions, and the virtual solutions, Wine and VirtualBox, for example, are not as easy to get running as they would like you to believe, especially if you want to use Win 98 and com ports for instrumentation!).

Again, thanks all for the comments...

cwarner7 11,

Try it this way:

How to Install windows in ubuntu for free

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=39513

You can unistall windows then reinstall and re-register it if you have the original Windows disc or possibly just use repair and register. IF you don't have an original disc the shop you bought it from may have used an illegal copy or not paid their license. If shop registered it for you go back to the shop.

Talking to Microsoft if you are not a dealer is as difficult as talking to God.

I see that you are satisfied that you have identified if not resolved the problem or discovered it's origin.

In the past I have upgraded or used Microsoft support and was asked to agree to a validation check of my license. Do you think that the problem may have been initiated that way.

We all know the money hungry bully that MS has turned into. We need a different source that appreciates the business.

I do not generally upgrade, although Microsoft has a policy of upgrading my system without permission, so it is possible that is where the problem originated. I generally do not try to use Microsoft support, because the very few times in the past I have sought help, I have had very unsatisfactory results- one gets much better results in resolving problems by consulting the on line community. One thing that may have triggered this is that for this computer (which is the only one of my computers I permit to be used on line), I use XP starter edition, and Microsoft may be perturbed that I have never seen the need to upgrade to one of their more expensive editions. But this is speculation...