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WinXP Keygen Foils Product Activation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the next-generation-will-require-dongles dept.

Bill Gates' Friend's Brother's Roommate writes: "The Register has a story on a working key generator that produces 25 valid Windows XP Product Activation Keys in a few hours. As author John Lettice summarizes, 'So the question as regards keymaking software is whether or not Microsoft has any way to differentiate between generated keys and the ones it has issued itself. If not, this generation of WPA is now surely toast.'"

4 of 461 comments (clear)

  1. Weird by glh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Don't they have some kind of database with all the keys in it.. (after all, a lot of games out there such as anything newer by blizzard works that way)!

  2. 25 keys in one night with one PC by J.D.+Hogg · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That means you probably could get 25000 keys in one hour if distributed.net was setup to do that. Even DES is harder to crack. That should tell you something about the extent of Microsoft's understanding of security issues if they can't even protect their own bread and butter correctly.

  3. Well they won't accept their license agreement... by Nailer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    By allowing me to decline their license and give me the refund they promise if I do so, I don't see why I should accept it and activate periodically.

    ncftp -u xpkey -p xpkey -P 6473 24.22.15.128

  4. So what? by The_Shadows · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It was cracked. Big deal. Everyone is saying "Now we can use this and won't have to register it with MS!" or "They probably have an archive of keys and can see the fakes, who will then be arrested!"

    No. Here's what I say: So what?
    Great, it's cracked. You know what? The number of people who will wind up using the crack is probably insignificant to MS.

    Newsflash! There have been anti-activaition cracks from day one with more efficiency than this. How about the cracks that allow you to never register? How about buying a version of XP Pro that doesn't require activation (Corporate(expensive) or Academic)? How about pirating one? I looked on hotline the day of XP's release and there were already several servers claiming to have the Corporate Version of XP Pro.

    To top this all off, how many people will really use this? I'll give you a hint: proportionately few. The vast majority of people who will upgrade to XP either don't know or care that there is a hack, or are businesses that have to have legitimate software (activation and all). Well, I suppose they don't have to, but most businesses consider it a good idea.

    So that's my thoughts. It's cracked. It's a great feat and all, but the number of illegal copies of XP isn't going to suddenly, dramatically surge.