DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Microsoft to lock pirates out of Vista PCs.

40 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/microsoft-to-lock-pirates-out-of-vista-pcs.38005/

anandk
anandk Original post #1
Oct 5, 2006 at 8:47 PM
Windows Vista will have new antipiracy technology that locks people out their PCs if the operating system isn't activated within 30 days after installation.

The new technology is part of Microsoft's new "Software Protection Platform," which the company plans to announce on Wednesday. It will be part of future versions of all Microsoft products...

*news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6122462.html?tag=nl.e550

do u think it will succeed !?!? :)
Ankur Gupta
Oct 5, 2006 at 8:49 PM
I dont think even this will survive the hackers!
M
Oct 5, 2006 at 8:50 PM
Yes it will succeed.


For 2 days at the most.
JGuru
JGuru #4
Oct 5, 2006 at 8:52 PM
I don't think so!! There are hacks available to bypass activation & other restrictions.
I saw some info on the Net on how to do that also!!! Hackers are more smarter
than M$$$!!!!
Tech Geek
Oct 5, 2006 at 9:05 PM
It has no chance of surviving against the Hackers. :(
V
vinyas #6
Oct 5, 2006 at 9:14 PM
he eh ,,,, might be cracked few hours after official Vista Release .... who knows !!!
champ_rock
Oct 5, 2006 at 9:55 PM
hey man it will be cracked in the beta version only.. no need for the official version :)
iMav
iMav #8
Oct 5, 2006 at 10:05 PM
well the problem now that i forsee is that with the increasing use of internet and the ability to know the details of ur comp once u go online ... it will be very easy for MS to come to know which1s are the cracked versions .... and said by Billy G .... their focus has now shifted from most pcs using windows to pcs using only genuine copies of windows .... and along with drm and all the **** .... we normal users will find it difficult coz none of us are as capable as the crackers who will crack vista .... and hence we wont b able to protect r pcs from MS
~Phenom~
Oct 5, 2006 at 11:05 PM
one more reason that people will not shift to vista.
Tux will rule the future.
nishant_nms
Oct 5, 2006 at 11:21 PM
I am sure that I will be using it without buying it
R
rounit #11
Oct 5, 2006 at 11:24 PM
this will never happen
in case it happens then vista will b restricted to few people only and this is great loss 2 microsoft
n2casey
n2casey #12
Oct 5, 2006 at 11:36 PM
Enerything can b cracked.
Hackers/Crackers will find a way to bypass internet checking & all other restrictions.
Hackers/Crackers are also Engineers (Reverse Engineers) like Engineers working for M$.
hemant_mathur
Oct 6, 2006 at 12:20 AM
Would be just another failed attempt by ms to check piracy
xenkatesh
xenkatesh #14
Oct 6, 2006 at 1:07 AM
anandk said:
Windows Vista will have new antipiracy technology that locks people out their PCs if the operating system isn't activated within 30 days after installation.

The new technology is part of Microsoft's new "Software Protection Platform," which the company plans to announce on Wednesday. It will be part of future versions of all Microsoft products...

Hahahahahah.... another joke form Microsoft....
even their the Genuine Windows Validation was not succeded... rofl..
anandk
anandk #15
Oct 9, 2006 at 9:37 PM
btw, at this year's Black Hat, security researcher Joanna Rutkowska was able to hack the kernel of a 64-bit version of Vista running on an AMD processor. Rutkowska explained how it is possible to use virtualization technology to make malicious code undetectable, in the same way a rootkit does. She code-named this malicious software Blue Pill.

*news.com.com/Vista+hacked+at+Black+Hat/2100-7349_3-6102458.html

this can-n-mouse game will continue....but things may not be SO easy now...
dIgItaL_BrAt
Oct 9, 2006 at 9:52 PM
sooner or later,the pirates will have their way.
Kiran.dks
Kiran.dks #17
Oct 9, 2006 at 10:02 PM
Vista is made by humans and so crack will also be made. No doubt it. Suppose we assume that it is uncrackable, then Vista will loose its market and make a freeway for Linux. There is no way that people will pay such a hefty amount and install it. They would rather go for Linux.

I am sure that Microsoft knows it...so they will make it crackable!!
kirtan
kirtan #18
Oct 9, 2006 at 10:48 PM
No way stopping the hackers.They are always a step ahead in their pursuits.If MS is successful in it's objective then it is very good.ALL THE BEST MICROSOFT
K
KMKM #19
Oct 9, 2006 at 11:21 PM
Hmm... thats nice. many such things also came up when XP was being released I guess. Ok! I agree this will stop the pirates but for how long? I dont mind a Vista after 1 month for free :p
Cracking is inevitable! but good to see Microsoft taking some steps to stop it especially in the Indian Sub-Continent where the pirated versions just flood the area!
Pathik
Pathik #20
Oct 9, 2006 at 11:44 PM
another excuse to go linux
shashank4u
Oct 9, 2006 at 11:57 PM
one thing microsoft can do is to provide hardware lock..thru parallel port..
i think that will do for microsoft .
i think no bypass/hacking is possible for hardwae lock.
hemant_mathur
Oct 10, 2006 at 12:54 AM
^^Unless and until the hardware lock is cracked and cheap copies are sold eveywhere ... but then hardware locks are hard to crack aren't they ?
goobimama
goobimama #23
Oct 10, 2006 at 12:58 AM
It could take days to craft a beautiful vase. But not more than a second to break it...
nikhilrao
nikhilrao #24
Oct 10, 2006 at 10:55 PM
Piracy will never dye. That is life.
Choto Cheeta
Oct 10, 2006 at 11:31 PM
me to feel that Crack will be available for Vista few hours of its release... may be few hours before...
ruthless
ruthless #26
Oct 11, 2006 at 4:15 PM
There are only Two types of programmers- THE MAKERS and the Crackers
anandk
anandk #27
Oct 19, 2006 at 7:55 PM
Earlier this month it was learned that the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program in Vista would actually :arrow: LOCK computers that failed a WGA authentication check.

Now comes word that Microsoft (Quote) has changed the licensing terms for the retail version of Vista. Customers will only be :arrow: able to re-install Vista on a new machine once. After that, they will have to buy a new copy of Vista....

*www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3638581

Apart from the pirated version users, the primary group that will be affected by this change in licensing is people who build their own PCs and update it incrementally. Some hobbyists like to upgrade their own PCs, replacing the CPU, memory or video card somewhere along the line.

heck this means u install vista on a third machine and ur pc could get :eek: LOCKED...things have been made more tough now ... it seems ...
Rollercoaster
Oct 19, 2006 at 8:29 PM
The whole article seems to me to be based on hearsay..

I dont think microsoft can 'lock computers' as it would be illigal but only the user can be locked out of the OS just like the activation in XP and vista beta. btw how are they supposed to know upon a clean install that it is infact a 'reinstall'. i guess the only way windows can reduce piracy is by making activation mandatory for every one. but even then people will find ways to bypass that.

It is like this.. 'every thing that is made can be broken'

I think that until and unless there is a global handshake between all majour software and hardware companies to hardcode an authentication system into everything there cannot be any peace for software developers. Just like a hacker cannot copy a processor or a graphic card but can easily copy software....

Think of it in this way.. what if intel, amd other processor manufacturers make a deal with OS/Software developers that a mandatory authentication is required for the CPU to be 'unlocked' before it can function at full potential and in turn the OS requires a authenticated hardwired CPU to function. then how will a hacker crack the system :)

Here i my concept:
-Say each processor has a hardwired ID,
-each mobo has a primary authintication BIOS OS that allows only connection with cpu manufacturer,
-and when the cpu is authenticated it is registered to a particular party and a small encrypted cyher is hard-written into the CPU
-Now when OS and other software need to authinticate they get binded to that cyper and that partcular party and recieve their own cypher.
-Now, we know that when ever any instruction needs to be passed to the processor then it needs to pass thru the bios
-The bios inturn passes it thru an encryption process that can only be decrypted(and then processed) by using the CPU cypher and the OS/software cypher

Now how do u break that..

Btw the only flaw with this concept is that the encryption/decryption hardwired processor would be 'added cost' and power hungry. but i think in the age of dual core processors it beats the hell out of the multi billion dollar losses the companies claim thay are loosing. kinda like collateral damage. After long thought and some personal enlightnment i think that the companies thenselves dont want this to happer because then people wil switch over to open source completely(which isnt bad at all).

I would also like to say that in light of this idea i strongly think Linus Torvalds played a much more important role then he or the world realises :)

-Peace Out-
gary4gar
gary4gar #29
Oct 20, 2006 at 2:06 AM
anandk said:
Earlier this month it was learned that the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program in Vista would actually :arrow: LOCK computers that failed a WGA authentication check.

Now comes word that Microsoft (Quote) has changed the licensing terms for the retail version of Vista. Customers will only be :arrow: able to re-install Vista on a new machine once. After that, they will have to buy a new copy of Vista....

*www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3638581

Apart from the pirated version users, the primary group that will be affected by this change in licensing is people who build their own PCs and update it incrementally. Some hobbyists like to upgrade their own PCs, replacing the CPU, memory or video card somewhere along the line.

heck this means u install vista on a third machine and ur pc could get :eek: LOCKED...things have been made more tough now ... it seems ...
in this the most affect are the Genuine users
H
hermit #30
Oct 20, 2006 at 3:09 AM
can any 1 effort $500 for os .

and few more $$ to upgrade ???

so pirated versions will b avaliable , no matter how hard M$ tries .
J
jeetu #31
Oct 20, 2006 at 3:56 AM
Well actually WGA has flopped at least temperorily with pirated Win XP Sp2 Student Edition. Anyway many microsft s/w like wmp11 etc are already available with cracked versions. WGA is a spyware IMHO. Till now all copy protection for games have failed misrably. Most of these were affecting genunine customer. Starforce (another Spyware) is now abandoned by most gaming companies. For other wierd copy protected games like XIII , a no-cd patch was provided by company itself as it was too much pain for customers. Some like used in games like Half-Life 2 was a better experience for pirated users than real customers (requiring an internet connection to activate a non-online game) Duh.
Anyway returning back to Microsoft , its better to wait atleast a year while switching to their new O.S until a second patch is released. (As they will be full of bugs like) always. Example , Win 95 OSR2, win 98S SE, WinXP Sp2.
So I WILL NOT be shifting to Vista anytime soon.
Even if Microsoft is able by some miracle made a full pirated proof O.S. People will continue using XP for more years and later will switch to LINUX etc. Or Even MAC O.S.
If all I have seen thus far pirated user is not affected by these silly protections only a genuine user does.
P
Oct 21, 2006 at 7:10 AM
pirates ke liye 1 aur naya chalenging task
BOL
Rollercoaster
Oct 21, 2006 at 7:51 AM
the efforts at present are so not enought to stop piracy.. it is a joke..
Com Warrior
Oct 22, 2006 at 3:18 PM
Maddy sayz: "If Windows is the solution, can we please have the problem back ?"

---YeT another reason for GeNuine users to migrate to LiNuX---
kumarmohit
Oct 22, 2006 at 5:09 PM
The effect will be not as much as M$ expects but its not going to be a complete failure either, See...

*www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8041.cfm
wizrulz
wizrulz #36
Oct 22, 2006 at 5:51 PM
say 1000 programmers make the OS for Microsoft....... say abt more than 10 lac r there to crack it......so who has more brain power????
__________
kumarmohit said:
The effect will be not as much as M$ expects but its not going to be a complete failure either, See...

*www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8041.cfm

READ IT CAREFULLY......it is regarding problem in UK...this is INDIA my friend ;)....there piracy is abt 17% odd...and in india its more than 70%....i guess ;)....may be less ...but not les than 50% :) 8) :)
kumarmohit
Oct 22, 2006 at 10:24 PM
I totally agree that 10 Lac crackers have more brain power but (tho it does not make their action legal) I am considering the overall effectiveness of WGA and not its effectiveness specific to India
D
Oct 22, 2006 at 10:44 PM
i bet it will first release on irc and thats also b4 the launch of vista.
how many of u know that cracked version of winxp was released 25 days b4 the official launch of win xp.
T
tehnogeek #39
Oct 22, 2006 at 10:55 PM
i agree its tough to crack....... but peolple will find ways to crack it.... earlier tally used to ship with hardware lock ......but so many of them found a way to bypass it.....
__________
idon'tthink microsoft will go for it...bcause they r really concencerend abt user friendliness and inclusion of hardware will make life bit tough for users....
shaunak
shaunak #40
Oct 23, 2006 at 2:30 PM
Lets put it this way.
Consider a PC with a T3 internet connection, and a 700GB Hard Drive with all major file sharing tools loaded. MS has the same chance of keeping pirates out that the chance that the PC will never be used to download anything illeagal.