Programm Category:
Utilities and Operating Systems Software
What is wgasetup.exe
The wgasetup.exe process is a module called by its internal or service name as Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications Setup, and a component of the Microsoft Genuine Advantage application, which is developed by Microsoft Corporation. Genuine Advantage or Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is a software product that prevents piracy, by validating the licensing of Microsoft Windows OS during access of services online, including Windows Update, and downloads of components for Windows computer from the official download center of Microsoft. In Windows XP, the name of the program is Windows Genuine Advantage, but in Windows 7 it is labeled as Windows Activation Technology, but still has the same functions to validate license on every download of updates and components for Windows computers. The Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications Setup application is one of the components that enable Genuine Advantage or Activation Technology, so the file wgasetup.exe is the launcher that provides a notification whenever a copy is made, or an invalidated process is installed on the system.
How can I stop wgasetup.exe and should I?
Most non-system processes that are running can be stopped because they are not involved in running your operating system. wgasetup.exe. is used by Microsoft Genuine Advantage, If you shut down wgasetup.exe, it will likely start again at a later time either after you restart your computer or after an application start. To stop wgasetup.exe, permanently you need to uninstall the application that runs this process which in this case is Microsoft Genuine Advantage, from your system.
After uninstalling applications it is a good idea to scan you Windows registry for any left over traces of applications. Registry Reviver by ReviverSoft is a great tool for doing this.
Is this a virus or other security concern?
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What is a process and how do they affect my computer?
A process usually a part of an installed application such as Microsoft Genuine Advantage, or your operating system that is responsible for running in functions of that application. Some application require that they have processes running all the time so they can do things such as check for updates or notify you when you get an instant message. Some poorly written applications have many processes that run that may not be required and take up valuable processing power within your computer.
Is wgasetup.exe known to be bad for my computer's performance?
We have not received any complaint about this process having higher than normal impact on PC performance. If you have had bad experiences with it please let us know in a comment below and we will investigate it further.
What can I do if wgasetup.exe is causing errors on my computer?
The first thing you should do if wgasetup.exe. is causing errors on your computer is to run a Windows registry scan with Registry Reviver If you are still seeing errors after this you should uninstall the program that wgasetup.exe, belongs to, in this case Microsoft Genuine Advantage