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Hackers Fool Vista into Activating!

Techtree News Staff, Dec 11, 2006 1324 hrs IST

One of the ways to activate Windows Vista available to Microsoft volume licensing customers is Key Management Service or KMS...

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One of the ways to activate Windows Vista available to Microsoft volume licensing customers is Key Management Service or KMS that requires a centralized server that clients can activate against every 180 days. As such, it's the server that hosts the product keys; and not the client machines.

Thus, with KMS, a company can run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network, and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy.

Although KMS is meant to benefit system administrators with many on-site clients, reports are already doing the rounds that some hackers have used a VMWare image and a VBS script to simulate a local KMS that can generate valid Vista product keys.

This workaround, dubbed "Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates," can activate both Enterprise and Business editions of Vista. However, the Home and Ultimate editions of Vista cannot work with a KMS, so they cannot be easily activated with the MelindaGates Hack.

Reportedly, the hacked download is available online on sites such as 'The Pirate Bay' and other file sharing sites.

The MelindaGates Hack or download is a VMWare image. The idea is to download and install VMWare Player (a legal free download); boot the image; and use some VBS script (supplied with the activation server download) to have the client Vista machine get its activation from the local server. And, there is no communication back to Microsoft.

Microsoft has refused to comment on the hack.

Actually, Microsoft designed Vista as its first Windows OS requiring volume users to activate each product, and this was integrated mainly as an anti piracy measure.

Of the latest reports, several security experts are not at all surprised that hackers have come up with a workaround for Vista's product activation; however, there are others who feel that Microsoft should be happy that it took none less than the acquisition of a KMS server to fool Vista into activating...

USER COMMENTS

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by johannes, groningen, on Nov 19, 2007 01:35 AM, Report abuse Reply

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by zeki, turkey, on Nov 07, 2007 03:01 AM, Report abuse Reply

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by srikanth, vizag, on Oct 08, 2007 04:13 PM, Report abuse Reply

i want windows vista ultimate full version as soon as possible.....

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by samer, cairo, on Mar 13, 2007 09:37 PM, Report abuse Reply

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by krishna, mumbai, on Jan 05, 2007 05:45 PM, Report abuse Reply

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by uhl, uhuhjjhu, on Jan 06, 2007 09:30 PM, Report abuse

I want to product key of windows vista ultimate

by Nguyen Trong Kh, HN, on Dec 13, 2006 09:06 PM, Report abuse Reply

chulanjan

by lakmal tennakoo, kurunegala, on Dec 13, 2006 09:38 AM, Report abuse Reply

Super cool news I like very much this topic. I thought of installing a full version Vista OS .U solved it..

by Karthik, Chennai, on Dec 12, 2006 01:47 PM, Report abuse Reply

I think the new version of ms is the best we never have in IT

by Steffe Riccardo, florida, on Dec 11, 2006 07:24 PM, Report abuse Reply

i don't vista can do it

by Pillai, Mumbai, on Dec 12, 2006 01:27 PM, Report abuse

i don't think vista can do it

by Pillai, Mumbai, on Dec 12, 2006 01:28 PM, Report abuse

i don't think vista can do it

by Pillai, Mumbai, on Dec 12, 2006 01:28 PM, Report abuse

did somebody from MS say that Vista is fulproof =))

by utsav, tokyo, on Dec 12, 2006 08:21 AM, Report abuse Reply

the "others who feel that MS should be happy...it took none less than.a KMS server" shouldn't be called experts, since they are obviously clueless. IMHO, most ppl are installing Ultimate under MS's generous 30 (plus 2 rearm for 90) day unactivated full versions.

by arteekay, Manitoba, on Dec 12, 2006 06:39 AM, Report abuse Reply

Good for M$, thats what they get for swindeling people out of their money for years.

by Shadow, Philly, on Dec 11, 2006 11:48 PM, Report abuse Reply

There is a way we can use vista without activating for life.

by srini1973, chennai, on Dec 11, 2006 05:10 PM, Report abuse Reply