XP: Get Updates No Matter What or Change your Invalid Product Key

Contributor Icon Contributed by William_Wilson Date Icon March 23, 2006  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows

If your windows installation has issues, or for some other unmentionable reason is unable to get updates from the windows server, this is what you need to do.


If you have any problems, please check out some of the additional tips in the comments section of this post.

Ok, i’ve been sitting on this one for a while, but with Vista and all, i don’t see as much harm.

Move on over to the updates site Microsoft Updates

now when the page loads it will give you the options for custom or Express, if you were to make a choice now you would be given an error like Invalid CD Key or something to that effect… but if you want your updates any way then put this in the title bar:

javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck=’all’) and press enter

Then make your selection. The process will continue normally, just leaving out the little part about verifying your Key :)

*Hoping you are using this for legitimate reasons, if you perhaps entered your key wrong and would like to try changing it do this:

1) change the registry key at path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\wpaevents
key name: OOBETimer
-By double clicking, just replace a letter or number, this will de-activate your windows so you can change the key.

2) open the key changer:
start\run type %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
click the telephone customer support
click next
click change product key

3) Enter your product key carefully:
then click update
*you will be returned to the previous screen and click the remind me later option

4) Restart
this will re-activate your windows and fix your registry key, and if the key is an actual key, that is not already in use (as it’s supposed to be) you will now be able to get updates without the above.

Questions/Comments: william_a_wilson@hotmail.com
-William. §

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  • MickeyMouse
    Great recipe. I have always used this technique.

    Just find LegitCheckControl.dll and rename it to LegitCheckControl.bak
    Go to windows update
    When you get past the block and see the express or custom update screen, rename the file back to LegitCheckControl.dll
    You should be able to continue to update your system.
  • Hack_Vista
    It took me a minute to get the javascript to work. Here's the pattern:

    1. Go to Microsoft Update
    2. Paste in the javascript hack in the address bar of IE
    3. Hit ENTER
    4. Press the 'custom' or 'express' update buttons
  • gggg
    microsoft update is windows updates rite? cuz it leads me to msn.com
  • davak
    This recipe used to work as well. I don't know if this work-around has been patched or not:

    http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_installatio...
  • William_Wilson
    Incase anyone is interested, on the update page if you view the source this is the line, being overloaded:

    var g_sDisableWGACheck = "false";

    WGA: Windows Genuine Advantage.
    The value can be made True instead of all, but the odd time it does not overload the method when both types are boolean.

    -William. §
  • risherz
    <ul id="quote"><h6>davak wrote:</h6>This recipe used to work as well. I don't know if this work-around has been patched or not:

    http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_installatio...>
    Yeah this one has been patched up apparently, just recently. They've apparently updated the add-on. And now you can no longer disable it, though the manage-add ons section.
    So this is pretty much one of the the only ways right now.
  • Anonymous
    Windows Updates still requests to download and install that Genuine Advantage Validation Tool. is the java command line method meant to bypass that, or should it be allowed to install and run anyway?

    i'm not sure because i normally use auto-download autoupdates, and i conscientiously deselect 'tools' like the malicious software removal tool to prevent unnecessary crap programs being installed on my PC. :P
  • William_Wilson
    If you can use auto-updates, you probably don't require this fix. This only skips the step that actually does the check, even though the browser and software may not actually respond as it happened.
    The code of the wep page is not actually changed.. just overloaded so this value of all is substituted for the false which would check for a valid cd key

    -William. §
  • risherz
    If I am correct you only need to download the tool if you pick the manual method while getting the 'Genuine Windows Downloads stuff' (or something like that.. I don't know what it was called). So basically what you do is download the little utility, and install it and then a window pop's up telling you your OS's id and then you just past that code in your browsers window.
    If you are talking about this then you don't need it, you can just bypass it. No harm if you download it, but it's just unnecessary, and I also believe it doesn't have any outgoing connection or anything like that so that's not a problem either.

    Я
  • Anonymous
    I use this to get around it, and it works all the time. I think this is the latest one. I thought that i'd share it with all you guys. Good luck.


    javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')
  • William_Wilson
    lol, share it? it's been a recipe for a few weeks:
    http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips1319.html
    and it isn't really new, it's a method called javascript injection, anyone knowledgable about SQL or dare i say cracking/hacking probably knew about it or could have come up with it.
    I had used this over 2 yrs ago when MS fixed the last bug i was explouting.. :)
    But after installing my purchased copy i had no need for it, and filed it away in my list of things to remember...

    This is not the kind of thing i share... ever... it's the kind of thing you should really figure out for yourself, but everyone needs a start when learning about injection, so why not start at the top :)
  • Anonymous
    Maybe this one is old too but I have XP Professional and I used a patch.

    Windows Genuine Advantage Patcher (1.5.512.0).rar

    Found it on utorrent.

    I installed it and the autoupdate(r) is working. It doesn't work through the IE browser though. I use the setting "check for updates but notify user when to install"
  • William_Wilson
    I imagine it is similar to MickeyMouse's post, just done automatically with a patch and a go between file :)
    Still could be useful as it would save the time of manually renaming or doing javascript injection.
  • Anonymous
    well im installing service pack 2 i get error saying invalid cd key how can i get past this and get service pack 2?
  • Anonymous
    <ul id="quote"><h6>MaxDamage wrote:</h6>well im installing service pack 2 i get error saying invalid cd key how can i get past this and get service pack 2?</ul>

    You would hae to download the genuine advantage patcher and install it!!
    Butch said that he/she got it using a bittorent client.
    and then you download a redistrubutable version of service pack 2 which you can get from a non microsoft website!! mind you though its over 300 megs!!

    :D
    good luck
    Sagar
  • Anonymous
    I am making a computer for a friend. I have Windows XP Pro (corp edition), so that I don't have to actovate it. I tried using the javascript in the address bar, but it doesn't work.

    These are the steps I have taken with not success:
    1) update.micrsoft.com (enter)
    2) wait for the page to load (has a mini flash page)
    3) enter the javascript into the address bar (enter)
    4) The same page shos, and I continu like I normaly do, but then right b/f the updates, it ask about the genuine windows thing, and you have to do it.

    I don't know if this is just a problem with Windows XP Pro Cord edition, or if Microsoft has pacheted it.

    Hope you can get back to me soon

    6/11/2006

    Dave
  • Anonymous
    the java hack has stopped working nearly a month ago!

    try this one

    http://www.p2plife.com/forums/Official_muBlinde...
  • Anonymous
    I have typed in the javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all' and pressed enter. I then chose express option and it still asks me to validate my product. Any suggestion??? 8O
  • OtNePx
    Thank You, it works
  • bryan22
    Great this worked perfectly, thank you very much.

    Bryan
    http://www.googlesfrontpage.com
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