Microsoft Genuine Advantage Cracked in 24 Hours 522
jrobie writes "It looks like mandatory validation of your Windows XP license is now voluntary again. A simple hack has been found that disables the check.
BoingBoing has the story. "
It works... for now (Score:5, Interesting)
Sadly, Microsoft will issue a new version of Genuine Advantage that disables the hack and make you use the new version before you can use Microsoft update, so I believe this is only a temporary reprieve. I guess it will be a back and forth between MS and and hackers until MS has secured Genuine Advantage.
I've got a licensed, genuine version of Windows, but F them for making me jump through hoops to receive continued support. I paid for this and I shouldn't have to keep wasting my time to soothe their paranoid brows.
Just another reason to keep trying new Linux distros and updates on my testbed system until I find one I like enough to switch (tried so far: Ubuntu, SuSE, CentOS 3.3, Linspire, Knoppix, Mandrake 10). Already using OpenOffice, Firefox, and Thunderbird and have a WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP) set-up for development work. Going to Linux is a small step, but there are a few apps (like video editing, graphics editing) where I just don't have the patience to spend a whole bunch of time learning Linux apps that are 'almost' there in terms of their UI. Maybe I'll hit the Crossover Office site to see if they've gone to gold level support on some of my must-have Windows apps yet.
- Greg
Unbelievable. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:5, Interesting)
In a cost comparison, they probably figured a cheap, easy means to get people who otherwise did not know they had a pirated version to purchase outweighed trying to lock out people who knowingly run a pirated copy (i.e., people who will use this hack).
Re:Shocking stas gathered by program (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Shocking stas gathered by program (Score:3, Interesting)
MS Released this for legt users (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:It works... for now (Score:3, Interesting)
I would recommend trying WINE (Crossover Office is a spinoff of WINE) first since it is free. What I'd like to see is for WINE to start providing a "Windows Alternative Update" where they provide all the DLLs they've been reverse engineering as an alternative update for the Windows 2000 users that are about to get screwed.
Re:only for the geeks (Score:5, Interesting)
But for some inexplicable reason, Microsoft is unable to authenticate my info. Which leaves me with no alternative but to use the crack if I want to continue to use XP on that system.
From the "rejected key" page (Score:3, Interesting)
To quote from Microsoft's own rejected key page:
Did you know that Windows XP can keep your computer up-to-date automatically with the latest updates and enhancements? You can set Windows to recognize when you are online, search for downloads from the Windows Update Web site, and deliver them directly to your desktop. Genuine Windows validation is not required to use the Automatic Updates feature.
So... whats the point?
Re:It works... for now (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:5, Interesting)
Anybody know differently?
If you bought a computer with... (Score:4, Interesting)
Windows XP from a legitimet source (say Toshiba, as I've seen that mentioned in a couple of posts) and you fail to authenticate, call their support. If they don't solve the problem double quick, write your eterny general. They lied when they sold you the laptop. THEY need to fix it (not you).
If this is a common problem, a class action suit will be created and the manufacurer will have to answer for it. If the manufacturer feels it was actually MS that caused the problem, then they will file suit against them.
All this is academic. I use linux...
Re:Great! (Score:3, Interesting)
I consider *anything* identifying me or where I bought something to a major corporation to be a security risk. Corporations cannot be trusted to act benignly towards consumers; the profit motive is against it.
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:5, Interesting)
"In a cost comparison, they probably figured a cheap, easy means to get people who otherwise did not know they had a pirated version to purchase outweighed trying to lock out people who knowingly run a pirated copy (i.e., people who will use this hack)."
Thank you for pointing that out -- it's a concept that's lost on many people. It's a bit like the locks that come on your car: they probably won't hinder that professional thief who wants your car, but they'll stop the amateurs.
Re:It works... for now (Score:5, Interesting)
If I buy a Television (OR motherboard, hard drive, child's car seat, shingles for the roof, combine for the wheat harvest, CNC press brake for the machine shop, etc.) that doesn't work I can get my money back.
If it works when I get it, I use it correctly, and it breaks in a short period of time (because of a hidden weakness in the product) I get it fixed for free.
In most industries, anyone who doesn't follow that rule goes out of business very quickly.
I think that we are just used to software being an exception.
Which is, of course, silly. When's the last time you turned in a stolen car for a recall/repair? When you do, they'll look up the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and make sure that you're legally entitled to the free repair.
Microsoft is doing the same thing, here. Bitch all you want to, but your license number is effectively the "VIN" for your software. Why shouldn't they have some reasonable means to check it?
Re:It works... for now (Score:2, Interesting)
Paranoid: Exhibiting or characterized by extreme and irrational fear or distrust of others. (Source [reference.com])
"In 2002, piracy cost the worldwide software industry $13billion in lost revenue." - (Source [bsa.org])
Dispute the BSA's data if you want (I'm sure it's suspect), but I would hardly call Microsoft paranoid for thinking that a large number of people pirate Windows and that they are likely losing a lot of money to it.
Is a 5 second automated check of your OS really a high price to pay for software updates?
The only people who should be pissed at this are those who stole Windows, and we should all be pissed at them for being thieves.
Re:Product Activation wouldn't be bad if... (Score:2, Interesting)
Start a small side business that "Works to develop solutions on microsoft products." Buy the action pack for that business. It's $300 per year and comes with 10 copies of XP *PRO*, 10 copies of Office *PRO* Visio. 2k3 Server, Exchange Server, SQL server, Virtual PC, Microsoft's Mapping software and all updates. More software than you will use. (I'm leaving a bunch of stuff out) The only way it could be better was if it came With Visual Studio so you could actually "Develop solutions on microsoft products".
The only draw back is that it's a yearly license. *By copies, I mean serial numbers. They give you 5 numbers that can be activated twice w/o talking to anybody.
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:5, Interesting)
1) Let OEMs shift fraudulent copies
2) Get the customers to seek relief from said fraud
3) Collect evidence against OEM
4) Go after said OEM's pockets
5) Profit (fraud + copyright infringement + etc. = most likely more than enough to cover legal costs)
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:4, Interesting)
Not necessarily. Client-side Javascript code can write to a cookie, and the server can read that cookie on subsequent submits. The client side Javascript can even communicate the cookie to the server using the XMLHTTPRequest object, or with an iframe, eliminating the need for a subsequent user-initiated request.
Not that I expect them to go to all this trouble, and I'm definitely not saying that they are doing that now. I'm just saying it is theoretically possible.
Re:Who wouldn't know ? (Score:4, Interesting)
It was not a valid copy of Windows.
I turned them in to Microsoft after they were completely unresponsive to email and a phone call. What do you know - a few days later I got a package from UPS that they shipped out the day I called Microsoft.
Windows is not so cheap to the OEM that they aren't above sneaking one past Microsoft every chance they get. Illegal and immoral? Sure, but it is Microsoft they are ripping off, so most people aren't going to care.
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:2, Interesting)
Switching to translation mode: "Be a Microsoft informer. Betray your family & friends. Fabulous prizes to be won."
Updates without WGA? (Score:1, Interesting)
I want no part of WGA, for the same reasons I wanted no part of XP. I have offline access to SP4 and SP4 Update Rollup 1, but that doesn't help me get other security updates (which are still available to everyone for the time being), desired gratis software (DirectX, Windows Media Player,
Re:It works... for now (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Who wouldn't know ? (Score:2, Interesting)
Perhaps, but in other places in the world, such as China, large, sophisticated pirate manufacturing operations are common, and Microsoft is looking for ways to stop them from redirecting its profits.
But Microsoft should lighten up about this policy. They are already the richest software company. Their chairman is the richest man in the world and possibly the richest man that every lived. They don't really do anything with the money that they already have.
You are forgetting a basic premise of Capitalism: A public company is owned by its shareholders -- shareholders who demand growth of their investments so they can retire in Florida and purchase gas guzzling luxobarges that barely fit into parking spaces -- but I digress. Microsoft shareholders (which probably includes you, if you own any index or mutual funds) would pull their money out if M$ were to decide that it's ok to just sit on their piles of cash and stop trying to make any more. Enough is never enough.
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I can't believe I was actually worried about th (Score:3, Interesting)
They aren't targeting the tech savvy people you happen to know, that's all.