Media Center Key Accidentally Gives Pirates Free Windows 8 Pro License 255
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. "
Meanwhile at Canonical (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, we're giving our OS away for free, no license or hack needed!
Anyone?
Hello?
huh? (Score:5, Funny)
What's this license key and activation nonsense?
Sincerely,
Confused Linux User.
Freebie (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Meanwhile at Canonical (Score:4, Funny)
Q: What do Ubuntu and Windows 8 have in common?
A: You can get both for free using bittorrent.
Q: Which of the two features unusable applications with a convoluted, misprioritized UI designed by a retarded aspie?
A: That's a trick question - both do!
-- Ethanol-fueled
Windows 8 (Score:0, Funny)
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?
Re:Too expensive. (Score:5, Funny)
Apple sells hardware. Microsoft sells software.
[fanboy]Apple sells dreams, Microsoft sells nightmares[/fanboy]
Re:the 'activation' component (Score:5, Funny)
Only works for "large scale" pirating?
That proves this was deliberate - to try to get more people to install Windows 8.
Re:the 'activation' component (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re:the 'activation' component (Score:5, Funny)
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.
In related news (Score:5, Funny)
Dirty needles accidentally give users free AIDS.
Re:one way to increase windows 8 adoption (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re:Too expensive. (Score:5, Funny)
Correction, Apple sells dreams only to crush them a year later.
Re:Too expensive. (Score:5, Funny)
To get a legitimate license for Mac OS, you need to pay for an expensive hardware dongle.
Re:the 'activation' component (Score:3, Funny)
Sounds like a self-punishing crime.
Re:the 'activation' component (Score:5, Funny)
Hell. There goes the argument about piracy being victimless...