Submitted by “Windows 7 Ultimate has been cracked. The pirate milestone, reached almost three months before Windows 7 is set to hit General Availability on October 22, 2009, was achieved via OEM instant offline activation that passes Windows Genuine Advantage validation and keeps the operating system permanently activated. Previous cracks weren’t as solid: while they may be working now, they can easily be disabled by Microsoft. This one won’t be so easy.”
“[…] downloading Windows 7 from peer-to-peer Web sites […] exposes users to increased risks – such as viruses, Trojans and other malware and malicious code—that usually accompany counterfeit software.”
Well no, because Mirosoft has released SHA checksums of the official Windows 7 images. Now everyone can confirm whether he/she has a manipulated Windows ISO. I still don’t get why MS has released these checksums.
Edited 2009-07-29 23:49 UTC
Microsoft realizes that it’s best for them if even the pirated versions of their software is without malware. Virus begets virus, after all, and the press tends to not distinguish where it comes from pirated versions or legit ones.
Edit: typo
Edited 2009-07-30 02:01 UTC
People using pirated Windows are people not using other operating systems. Overall, this is a “win” as far as MS is concerned.
– chrish
I’d argue that many people pirating windows are using other operating systems. Think of the Linux and Mac folk running it in a vm either to play with it or to run their one or two need-to-have windows apps.
I don’t know who wins in that case, maybe the app vendor (unless the app is pirated as well. ;> ).
It’s still Microsoft; Mac and Linux developers don’t fill the niche occupied by the “must have” software because there’s “no demand”…
– chrish
I may disagree, at least from my individual observations, located in Germany. Here, people generally don’t seem to have problems to use any illegal stuff on their PCs. But allow me to go into detail.
Because Linux and Mac don’t exist, they can’t be used. 🙂
I’ve usually found the case that those who use Linux and Mac OS X do not want to use pirated copies of anything. On Linux, there’s mostly no need to do so because of the free applications (FOSS), and since there’s WINE, you don’t need an actual MICROS~1 “Windows”. But finally, that’s arguable.
Another point is… how do I express it… the feeling that it’s simply not okay to use pirated copies – software you aren’t legally permitted to use – is mostly found among those who use FOSS, while the feeling that there’s no problem with such illegal stuff is more and more present in the “I don’t care” fraction (long term “Windows” users). “Mens rea” was the term I was searching for.
The applications – often the most recent and expensive “Office” and “Photoshop” applications – are usually pirated copies, too. Why pay for software when you’ve got a friend who can get you the install DVDs for free… 🙂
But who wins… of course MICROS~1, because even a pirated copy of “Windows” increases their usage share (that’s the “opposite” of oh joy oh market share).
The checksums are available as a convenience so that customers who download the ISOs legitamately (Technical Beta, TAP, MSDN, TechNet, digital locker etc.) can verify that the downloaded image was not corrupted.
In the past there have been cases where people would have various problems (mostly setup related, sometimes system/app stability) that was often due to a bad burn, or sometimes a corrupted download.
Today, most of the above customers would use the File Transfer Manager (or similar app) which automatically verifies the download, but it’s not as if the checksum would not be posted by someone on the Internet if MS did not provide it. It can be generated using a number of tools including one made made by MS.
Is anyone honestly surprised by this?
honestly? we are amused
Seems that to use the leaked keys, one would need to use a bootloader to patch the bios SLIC area to fool Windows 7 into thinking it is running on a signed OEM pc. This is the same method used to bypass Vista activation, eg by the vstaldr crack. The news, then, is that a key has been leaked, not that a new crack or bypass method has been found. But it was inevitable that such a key would surface eventually.
Here’s the original article from mydigitallife: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/07/29/windows-7-ultimate-cracked…
Edit: One other point of interest is that the single leaked product key works for *all* OEMs, compared to leaked keys for Vista where a different key was needed depending on which OEM’s SLIC certificate was being faked.
Edited 2009-07-30 09:57 UTC
Why couldn’t you just patch a SLIC table into your actual BIOS? That’s what people have been doing with Vista.
Edited 2009-07-30 14:56 UTC
There is a loader hack by Orbit 33 making the rounds atm
I wonder why Microsoft still keeps using OEM keys, clearly there is no other reason than laziness of OEMs and customers. Seriously they could solve this whole problem by forcing OEMs use individual keys for each product, I mean how hard would it have small piece of paper and ask customer to type it before using? I mean it could solve Internet idiocy for ever.
Or even better, do away with product activation and keys altogether, that would certainly eliminate a lot of idiocy
They got do something to make sure they are dominant in the OS market, and what’s better than have it get leaked onto the net so people can pirate it!
… and also every other lawful Microsoft Windows copy out there.
What a shame. The lawful users will have to cope with WGA (or whatever it’s called now) and the outlaws will have a fully functional Ultimate 7. How lovely!
Good thing I don’t use Windows on my computers anymore.
I’m glad for the return to Windows being easily copied and used.
“Microsoft is committed to protecting our customers and partners from counterfeit and pirated software”
Haha. I understand that they dont want windows to be pirated and that they are going to do what they need to do to prevent it. But I really wish they would stop trying to play it off like they are somehow protecting their customers and just admit that they are protecting their wallets and nothing else. Its like a purse snatcher insisting that they were just trying to protect their victim from a back injury because her purse looked heavy. No one is buying the story and no-one ever will.
Edited 2009-07-31 00:43 UTC