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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. "
In order to get to the point where you can request the Media Center license, you first have to activate using a command line and kms server (internal or external)
When the foot seeks the place of the head, the line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.
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.
Apple sells hardware. Microsoft sells software.
Telling MS to sell Windows cheaper is like saying that Apple should be giving away iPhones.
As far as I know Microsoft *does* have a strong interested in being pirated in those jurisdictions in which they are not going to sell much anything. It's a question of market share and staying the monopolist.
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
Yes, in fact, this is exactly what I surmised after seeing the word "accidentally". That usually implies lack of intention.
Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
£15 - £40 for an upgrade is too expensive for a piece of software you probably use day in day out every single day?
If that's too expensive then what the fuck do you call every other peice of software on the planet that you probably get far less usage out of such as computer games that last for about 6 hrs play time and cost the same price?
Of all the criticisms of Windows 8, price isn't one of them. It's the first Windows OS that actually has sane pricing options.
On the upside, you can have a fully activated copy of Win 8 with relatively little effort.
On the downside, it'll still be Windows 8.
I think I'll pass, thanks.
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
Apple sells hardware. Microsoft sells software.
[fanboy]Apple sells dreams, Microsoft sells nightmares[/fanboy]
This is not a valid license. It is just a key that happens to work arround the current version of their anti-piracy control. But if you use this, and get an audit, you will have to shell out the full amount of a retail key ( 4 to six times the the price of a basic oem version). It might stop working at any time if you apply updates supplied by MS. They know what keys are published, and can block them if they want.
This is very disappointing coming from a site that is very rigorous when it comes to the free GPL license. The MS license has at least to be paid.
You don't even need a key or a (code-based) hack to run Win7 forever without activation - You can run it in fully-functional pre-activation mode forever.
Google "slmgr -rearm" and "IR5". Note that IR5 doesn't install any sort of actual cracks, it just scripts a few simple tasks you can do manually if you don't trust it.
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.
It has been known for years, and publicly admitted by Bill Gatess 14 years ago that piracy is Microsoft's key to building and keeping market share. While Ballmer has threatened in the past to turn up the anti-piracy knob to 11, that was all bluster. The goal is not to eliminate piracy, but make it just inconvenient enough for most people.
If you are willing to jump through the hoops to pirate Windows and Office, Microsoft would rather you do that than try any alternative at all. Because they know that those who try alternatives and get by with "good enough" are gone for good.
Bill Gates' original "Open Letter to Hobbyists" can be completely disregarded as the writing of a naive young man soon to figure out that piracy builds market share.
My "diagnosis" of the situation is that this was not by accident. My prediction for the future is that Microsoft will not fix this, or at least make a half-hearted attempt to make it look like it's harder. They will not close this hole.
--
BMO
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?