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Media Center Key Accidentally Gives Pirates Free Windows 8 Pro License
MrSeb writes "In an amusing twist that undoubtedly spells the end of some hapless manager's career, Microsoft has accidentally gifted pirates with a free, fully-functioning Windows 8 license key. As you have probably surmised, this isn't intentional — Microsoft hasn't suddenly decided to give pirates an early Christmas present (though the $40 upgrade deal from Windows 8 Release Preview is something of a pirate amnesty). ... The bug involves the Key Management Service, which is part of Microsoft's Volume Licensing system. Pirates have already hacked the KMS to activate Windows 8 for 180 days — but this is just a partial activation. Now it turns out that the free Media Center Pack license keys that Microsoft is giving out until January 31 2013 can be used on a KMS-activated copy of Windows 8 to turn it into a fully licensed copy of Windows 8 Pro. "
Hey, we're giving our OS away for free, no license or hack needed!
Anyone?
Hello?
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
What's this license key and activation nonsense?
Sincerely,
Confused Linux User.
Just admit that you can't even *give* it away.
What "pirate" in his right mind wants a copy of Windows 8?
And since you can only have one giant maximized window at a time now, shouldn't they rename it to Window 8?
Apple sells hardware. Microsoft sells software.
[fanboy]Apple sells dreams, Microsoft sells nightmares[/fanboy]
Only works for "large scale" pirating?
That proves this was deliberate - to try to get more people to install Windows 8.
No sig today...
Like in China? The "large scale pirating" is generally where they lose most of their money. When a high schooler pirates his windows pro it's not like he was going to pay full retail price if he didn't manage to pirate it, that piracy didn't cost them a sale, despite whatever the BSA will try to convince you of otherwise.
But an entire building full of windows machines in a medium size business somewhere, that's another story entirely. That's where they really, legitimately, DO lose sales. And that's exactly where this little "bug" will be useful. This is a huge problem that kicks them where it hurts.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Not true, there are many 'cracked' KMS servers out there, which are a VM with the most minimal services, running Windows Server in Core mode, and all ports but the KMS ones closed and blocked. Those same servers are patched to keep 25 fake activations renewed at all times, so any and all requests to the "cracked" KMS server result in activations. As far as MS can tell, they are legitimate, since KMS activations are not verified online, except with the original server.
I don't see this getting patched or fixed easily. It will be a lot of work. or it'll require doing things that annoy large volume customers.
The preceding comment is my own, and in no way construes an opinon of the Emperor of Mankind.
Dirty needles accidentally give users free AIDS.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
What was Microsoft thinking? Thinking had nothing to do with it; they had no choice.
See, Windows 98 SE was followed by Windows Me, which sucked more.
Windows Me was followed by Windows XP, which sucked less.
Windows XP was followed by Windows Vista, which sucked more.
Windows Vista was followed by Windows 7, which sucked less.
Windows 7 accordingly had to be followed by a "sucked more" release.
Correction, Apple sells dreams only to crush them a year later.
To get a legitimate license for Mac OS, you need to pay for an expensive hardware dongle.
Finally! A year of moderation! Ready for 2019?
Sounds like a self-punishing crime.
Redundancy is good And also good.
Hell. There goes the argument about piracy being victimless...
Rethinking email