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Windows 7 Activation Already Cracked

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I’m not really sure why but I get this feeling Lenovo won’t bet getting anything early from Microsoft again for a long, long time.

Sort of funny that Microsoft made a big show of handing over the Windows 7 RTM code to Lenovo and other manufacturers last week -- the first activation crack for the OS has just appeared, and it's based on Lenovo's OEM license key. Oops.
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Isn't China (All of Asia actually) the king of pirating software. Good move giving them the code early.
 
I also get the feeling of a pending lawsuit or under the table settlement.........
 
Well guys, it's not as easy as it looks to use the Lenovo code. Your average Mr.Li in China can't even get that to pass the CD authentication.

Like Vista, Windows 7 for OEM does have the SLIC certificate authentication that is used for OEM machines. OEM machines would have the certs written into the BIOS that is checked against the vendor SLP and only then will that OEM code work. The version that is supposedly used with Windows 7 is SLIC 2.1, as opposed to 2.0 in Vista.


This OEM key released is not likely to get banned I think due to that the know-how to compromise is well practiced, but fortunately Microsoft will not see average Joe doing this.
 
I don't know how people deal with a cracked OS. I would never want something that my entire computer is dependent upon to have any problems.
 
I should add the reasons for that. Most people will not update their own operating system on a regular basis, letting along updating BIOS. This would be something that a subset of system integrators or builders would do/
 
Want to run an OS with no security patches that's broken: fine by me. Have fun with that.

Too cheap to spend $50 on an OS yet drop $200 on a graphics card.
 
Reimu said:
Well guys, it's not as easy as it looks to use the Lenovo code. Your average Mr.Li in China can't even get that to pass the CD authentication.

Like Vista, Windows 7 for OEM does have the SLIC certificate authentication that is used for OEM machines. OEM machines would have the certs written into the BIOS that is checked against the vendor SLP and only then will that OEM code work. The version that is supposedly used with Windows 7 is SLIC 2.1, as opposed to 2.0 in Vista.


This OEM key released is not likely to get banned I think due to that the know-how to compromise is well practiced, but fortunately Microsoft will not see average Joe doing this.
Click to expand...

So, you're the one that did it, huh!? :) I mean that in a good way, that you know your shit, not in a mean way! ;)

I think that a LOT, if not all, of the companies that employ software copy protection are aiming the CP schemes at the average Joe, not the skilled hackers. It is almost a given that a piece of software will be cracked within a week of release (or leak, or pre-release) by the skilled crackers out there. The more difficult it is, the more they want to beat the CP scheme.
 
The more we spend on an OS, the less we have to spend on hardware.

Then again, I spend nearly $300 bones to get Windows 7 next week.
 
Ur_Mom said:
I think that a LOT, if not all, of the companies that employ software copy protection are aiming the CP schemes at the average Joe, not the skilled hackers. It is almost a given that a piece of software will be cracked within a week of release (or leak, or pre-release) by the skilled crackers out there. The more difficult it is, the more they want to beat the CP scheme.
Click to expand...

Well, knowing how things are done is the [H] way.

Whatever it is, I believe that this knowledge will be exploited by system builders exploiting the various vendor certificates, by either BIOS modding or emulation to get the OS installed. This will be very, very hard to curtail I think.
 
anthrex said:
I don't know how people deal with a cracked OS. I would never want something that my entire computer is dependent upon to have any problems.
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that is why you have to have a quality crack for your OS :p
 
Win7 has been public beta for a long time now. It's not exactly quick that a crack came about. Crackers had awhile to dig into the operating system to see how it ticks.
 
Wait a minute, this isn't the first crack for the RTM. There was one based on the RC key/activation and from what I've seen it works pretty well.
 
niconx pretty much has summed it up. OEM motherboards would have the certificate on ROM, and that's how OEM can quickly get windows onto their machines for volume shipment.

BIOS editing however require most people to:

1. have windows installed already
2, done reading on bios editing
3. can get themselves out of failed flashing.
4. have everything needed on-hand

only a subset of leeching pirates would dare to do that I think.
 
I know people who are still using the ASUS Vista OEM crack from when Vista first came out and they are still 100% able to run and update the OS.
 
RangerXML said:
The more we spend on an OS, the less we have to spend on hardware.

Then again, I spend nearly $300 bones to get Windows 7 next week.
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Why in the world would you spend $300??? I'm assuming this is on your home rig that you use for tinkering around, in which case you can get a TechNet subscription for under $300 and get Windows 7 that way, plus Office 2010 when it comes out, etc.
 
Reimu said:
Well guys, it's not as easy as it looks to use the Lenovo code....
Like Vista, Windows 7 for OEM does have the SLIC certificate authentication that is used for OEM machines. OEM machines would have the certs written into the BIOS that is checked against the vendor SLP and only then will that OEM code work. The version that is supposedly used with Windows 7 is SLIC 2.1, as opposed to 2.0 in Vista.
Click to expand...
Eh? For years, people have been grabbing the certs from the BIOS and using a driver to redirect the BIOS requests to the downloaded certs. This is essentially the same hack used for Vista. I'd honestly be surprised if they hadn't figured it out quickly. I don't see why you would think it's not any more difficult.

The bad thing (for Microsoft) is that this method is easy to duplicate on a mass scale so that a shop can pump out systems with Windows 7 (or Vista) preinstalled that pass validation checks, but never pay for a license.
 
TechieSooner said:
Why in the world would you spend $300??? I'm assuming this is on your home rig that you use for tinkering around, in which case you can get a TechNet subscription for under $300 and get Windows 7 that way, plus Office 2010 when it comes out, etc.
Click to expand...

I'm betting he meant TechNet. Nobody's dumb enough to spend $300 on a single Microsoft software when you can get just about all of them for a $300 TechNet subscription fee.
 
TechieSooner said:
I think a better question is why do you need the Professional version? Unless you have a domain at home, there's really no use.
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Domain and XP Mode, real question is WhyTF do you need the Ultimate version this time around?
 
RangerXML said:
Domain and XP Mode, real question is WhyTF do you need the Ultimate version this time around?
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Both features are really only applicable to businesses (Domain for domain, and XP for old business legacy apps)... Most home users, including enthusiasts, won't need either.


Seriously, Microsoft's naming conventions are really spot-on nowadays. Home for home. Professional for Business.
 
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