Keygen routine producing valid WinXP product keys?

A cracking system for Windows Product Activation publicised this week may present Microsoft's anti-piracy system with its most serious problem yet. It takes the form of a key generator which appears to produce valid activation keys for Microsoft products, and if this really is the case, it is difficult to see how Microsoft can differentiate between keys issued with legal product, and keys generated by the keymaker.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24065.html

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» AsendTechnologies.com «
[email protected]

Hi Asendin,

After reading your post, I looked again at the pertinent portion of this site's Acceptable Use Policy. Which says:

Quote:

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You will not use these Forums for the purposes of sharing or distributing viruses, licenses, registration information, software keys, "cracks," or other information designed to do harm to or allow unlawful access to any computer hardware, software, networks, or any other systems.

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I realize that you are not actively promoting any illegal activity, though I confess that I do feel a tad uncomfortable with this subject being posted here. Rather than closing the thread, perhaps others would like to share their own thoughts and perceptions...

Limerick

[This message has been edited by Limerick (edited 02-14-2002).]

as much as I'm up for legally buying things...its good to know MS got theirs...

It pains me to see MS is working so hard on the security of their sales, but not the sort of security that actually benefits the end-user.

Every day we read about a new vulnerabilities in Outlook Express, or IIS, or in Universal Plug and Play... and now, what MS has worked hardest on, a system to keep their revenue flowing in, may well have also been cracked.

Now we see that MS can't even provide for their own security, yet some people believe that they can provide for ours.

It's both funny and scary at the same time.
I see it as a wake up call for the consumer and MS...

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Am386DX-40 + Cx387DX-40
32MB, 128KB cache
(2)Seagate 540MB HD's
8x CD
2MB Trident
SB16 PnP
DR-DOS 7.04
Windows 3.11 (w/ Win32s)
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Just because you can't solve it doesn't make it a virus!

WE the LEGAL owners are NOT the bad guys!!!
I however do NOT like the WPA that MS has come out with! I have 3 LEGAL AND BOUGHT Windows XP C.D.s! I will be quite honest here...
I think that in MOST cases of people who get a bootleg copy of XP, I think once they use it, they WILL buy it! I bootlegged it for 6 weeks!!! ONCE I saw how superior it is and almost CRASH-PROOF!!! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ I went out and BOUGHT 3 LEGAL COPIES!!! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/
I would of NEVER PAID or TRIED it IF I did not bootleg it! BOOTLEGGING it allowed me to see it and use it! Then I BOUGHT 3 LEGAL COPIES!!!
I think a BETTER way of doing the WPA thingy, would of been something like this...
Sell the HOME and PRO versions for $19.95 EACH! Make it a standard 180 trial... then at the end of the 180 days... either uninstall it... or purchase on-line... the unlock keys to make it RETAIL version!
I think ALOT more people would buy it! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/
stan... ke4pkb

[This message has been edited by ke4pkb (edited 02-15-2002).]

AlaricD... I LOVE your computer! that is COOL! You show EVERYBODY that you do NOT need much of a system!!! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/

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Am386DX-40 + Cx387DX-40
32MB, 128KB cache
(2)Seagate 540MB HD's
8x CD
2MB Trident
SB16 PnP
DR-DOS 7.04
Windows 3.11 (w/ Win32s)
--
stan...

Quote:

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Originally posted by ke4pkb:
AlaricD... I LOVE your computer! that is COOL! You show EVERYBODY that you do NOT need much of a system!!! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/

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Well, I still have to break out the 1.2GHz to play Return to Castle Wolfenstein!

But, there's still quite a bit of stuff you can do w/ a 386, getting on the web is one of them. (www.arachne.cz for the DOS users out there)

(Remember when the Computer Shopper was 12" wide, 15" tall, and 2" thick-- and they'd have cover stories like "386 DX SCREAMERS!" and "8 Megabyte POWERHOUSES!"? Those were the days...)

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Am386DX-40 + Cx387DX-40
32MB, 128KB cache
(2)Seagate 540MB HD's
8x CD
2MB Trident
SB16 PnP
DR-DOS 7.04
Windows 3.11 (w/ Win32s)
--
Just because you can't solve it doesn't make it a virus!

This idea that crackers are really not hurting the manufacturer because they are really trying before they are buying is so much garbage! It's a rationalization and phony justification that crackers use. Call it what it is--stealing!

That being said, I have no problem with what Ascendin posted. He's not promoting cracking--just reporting the news.

BJWESQ...
I am NOT a hacker! And I agree that hacking is NOT right to do!
What I did was bootlegged a copy from a friend... saw that it worked GREAT on my machine... tested it for a couple weeks...
then went out and BOUGHT 3 LEGAL COPIES!!!
Is THAT wrong??? Had I NOT done it this way... and IF I installed a $200.00+! software item... and it did NOT work...
I would of been for a lack of better terms... SCREWED! As it turned out... My machine liked it fine... and I PAID for THREE LEGAL COPIES to Microsoft! Because of a botlegged install... Microsoft made ALOT of $$$$$$$'s from me! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/
Do you see my point?
I see this as a PLUS for Microsoft! I am running 3 LEGAL... not BOOTLEGGED copies now! https://discussions.virtualdr.com/
stan...



[This message has been edited by ke4pkb (edited 02-15-2002).]

Quote:

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Originally posted by Limerick:
Hi Asendin,

After reading your post, I looked again at the pertinent portion of this site's Acceptable Use Policy. Which says:

I realize that you are not actively promoting any illegal activity, though I confess that I do feel a tad uncomfortable with this subject being posted here. Rather than closing the thread, perhaps others would like to share their own thoughts and perceptions...

Limerick

[This message has been edited by Limerick (edited 02-14-2002).]

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sorry about that limerick, i noticed that also when i posted this on another site. I do work for microsoft and definately do not promote warez myself. guess i should of had another tea before posting.

My apologies.

Joe Gronlund

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» AsendTechnologies.com «
[email protected]

You can't make me believe XP is so great.

Win95 was supposed to be the ultimate.

Win98 was supposed to be the ultimate.

WinME was supposed to be the ultimate.

None of these solved the memory consumtion problems in win3.1

None of this stuff can compare to LINUX or UNIX on a Sun...

Gates must say to himself:

"They fell for it!"
"They fell for it again!"
"They fell for it again!"
"They fell for it again!"
...

To begin with, I purchased a valid copy of XP (though it be an OEM version). While I do not actively support hacking, a strong part of me agrees with what folks like ke4pkb feel. With all the particularities of software - especially an OS or software in the $200+ range - there should be something like a try before you buy agreement for us little guys.

MS gets most of their $$$'s from corporations, who have the money and resources to thoroughly evaluate and implement new software. But most of us personal users are left in the wake when it comes to "adequate" customer support. I have had to call MS several times to reactivate my copy of XP due to reformat/reinstalls due to shortcomings (i.e. crashes) in their software.

After jumping on the XP bandwagon, I have leaned back to 2000 and Linux due to the activation issue. Even with a valid XP license, at times I would rather grab a generated activation code to avoid calling (and waiting on hold for 20+ minutes) for one from MS. At least twice I have lost my temper with MS tech support as I tried to explain that a fault in their OS was the reason for me reformatting/reinstalling and requiring an activation code.

To sum it up, I agree that Asendin is just providing (common) knowledge to us here at Virtual Dr. Despite MS's attempts, hackers will most surely jump one step ahead of them. But along the lines as AlaricD said, I would prefer MS would focus on security for the general public instead of their bottom line. An illegal Key Generator may cost them 10,000 licenses or more - but a single corporation may purchase in excess of that figure.

MS makes up for their losses by releasing things such as Win ME (i.e Win 98 3rd edition) and still marketing Win 98SE full edition for $199 retail. How many Win ME users have since upgraded (in less than 1 or 2 years) due to the failures in that system? How many had to pay a professional to do do the upgrade since the user did not know how or experienced problems?

In closing, all shareware/retail software will eventually be cracked. What the general public needs to focus on is how the retailer reacts. Are they more worried about their bottom dollar, or do they accept this fact and instead focus on improving/securing their product?

:) Thanks Limerick for NOT closing this post, will save alot of unnecesary Threads on the subject.
:cool:

Let me give a example.

Napster remember how the Music industry was CRackinG down on the EVIL NAPSTER FILE SHARING PROGRAM! well I am here to tell you that the music industry has been hurt buy killing napster! sells has dropped and even a ban on the record companies! retaliation for what they did to napster, napster itself didn't make it good, the USERS is what made Napster a threat! Now there are other FSP out there(winMX) so if microsoft retaliates against its USERS, will it hurt Micro$oft?

Once again, Limerick Thanks for allowing us to comment.
:cool:
Unlike others that will post a quote:
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You will not use these Forums for the purposes of sharing or distributing viruses, licenses, registration information, software keys, "cracks," or other information designed to do harm to or allow unlawful access to any computer hardware, software, networks, or any other systems.

THEN locks the thread, PEVENTING further disscussion!
then you have to use the "Perrsonal messaging" to communicate.
Which does no good because only the person can read the message! Let alone if you start a new thread, it may get locked to!

This is very professional of you.

:D

G'day Limerick, you set yourself up for a sucker punch son.

enron, world.com, hih

when the house is burning you grab what you can on the wayout

Hi Folks,

Thanks to each of you who responded. This thread appeared to have pretty well "run its course" some months ago. It now appears that it is going in a direction that is not of help to our members in solving XP problems. Perhaps I should have closed it back then, but in any case, it is now closed.

Limerick