New Vista OEM Activation Hack - Vista Boot by gkend
Thanks to Steve Jobs for this article on his blog and to our forum members to clecha, Nighthief and fitterphil120 for most of the findings. One again the “Chinese” come up with a new method to trick out the Vista Activation. We have seen Softmode and VistaLoader, however “ Vista Boot by gkend” does promise even more.
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21.5.2007 Microsoft Decries Vista PatchGuard Hack
Microsoft officials say they are unhappy that security software maker Authentium has decided to bypass the controversial PatchGuard kernel protection feature in its next-generation Vista operating system, and said that the tactic could lead to eventual problems for users of the company's software.
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27.10.2006 More information on the Vista SP1 activation hack
My post on the Vista SP1 activation hack has generated a lot of feedback (especially in the form of questions) from both individuals and other media outlets.
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12.2.2008 Microsoft could be teaching police to hack Windows Vista
Microsoft may begin training the police in ways to break the encryption built into its forthcoming client PC operating system Vista.
The news was revealed in a parliamentary committee session, where Professor Ross Anderson of Cambridge University warned MPs that if such a move was being considered then the police should start learning sooner rather than later.
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19.2.2006 Hack claims Vista to ship on December 5th
Veteran Zdnet hack and exiled Evertonian Colin Barker reports that Microsoft has lined up a surprise 5 December "general release date" for the consumer version of Windows Vista.
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14.10.2006 Researcher Reveals 2-Step Vista UAC Hack
A Web application developer has uncovered a two-step process (PDF) for exploiting Windows Vista's User Account Control, essentially by having a Trojan piggyback on what could be a legitimate download.
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17.5.2007 Microsoft Exec Rages Against Vista Upgrade Hack
Sarcasm can be a powerful tool, and a Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) executive recently wielded it against industry sources who claim that a loophole exists in one of the software giant's licensing policies.
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15.4.2008 Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?
Microsoft might have $7.6 billion in spare cash in the bank, but when it comes to supporting users who purchase Vista on a new machine, the software giant is all too ready to cry poor.
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15.5.2007 Hack Available to Download the Official Vista SP1 Straight from Microsoft
That's right! There is a hack available that will permit you to access, download and install the official release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 straight from Microsoft.
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17.10.2007 One More Reason to Upgrade to Vista: 6-Minute XP Hack Is Frightening!
Six minutes... that is all it took to hack Windows XP, and to completely take over the operating system. Nick McGrath, Director of Platform Strategy at Microsoft U.K., witnessing the XP hack first hand, described the effortless attack and compromising of the platform as "enlightening and frightening.
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13.11.2007 Anti-Hack Update For Windows Vista Rev from Microsoft
The release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 not only heralded a long-awaited update of the operating system, it also meant the end of two common Windows Vista anti-activation exploits - the Grace Timer exploit and the Paradox OEM BIOS activation crack.
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12.5.2008 Microsoft Windows Vista OEM Preinstallation Kit available
The Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) OEM Presinstallation Kit is now available. Microsoft's Worldwide System Builder team would like system builders to experience the updated OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) tools which will be used to preinstall Windows Vista.
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16.10.2006 OEM versions of Vista Ultimate available for pre-order
hardgiant spotted over at overclockers.co.uk that Windows Vista Ultimate 32/64 OEM discs have been added at just £114.99, which when converted to USD comes to $262.750 plus tax. The full retail version costs £352.49 a whopping $685.235 after tax.
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4.1.2007 Vista OEM 'Express' upgrades stuck at the gate
Europeans who bought a new PC in time for Christmas and were persuaded that they would get a Vista upgrade soon after the rollout by redeeming a voucher, are learning that demand for the upgrades far outstrips "supply".
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18.2.2007 Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit 0.5 Beta
Thanks to Steve Jobs for this download. This is Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit 0.5 Beta by Steve Jobs @ Keznews forum
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22.3.2007 Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit v1.5
Steve Jobs update his Vista Oem Activation Tool Kit For Vista 32bit and 64bit to version 1.5. Vista will be 100% genuine, all downloads will work.
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3.4.2007 Vista Loader 2.2.0 OEM BIOS Crack Emulator
This is New version of Vista Loader 2.2.0 from Chinese hackers. With this you can force a bios emulation and let Vista think it's installed on a OEM machine.
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20.5.2007 Microsoft to Kill the Grace Timer and OEM BIOS Windows Vista Cracks with Vista SP1
With the advent of Windows Vista, cracks also became available being designed to bypass the activation process of the operating system.
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4.12.2007 OEM Logo and Information for Windows Vista - Auto Patch
Thanks to Steve Jobs for this post in forum. You have successfully activate Windows Vista instantly in OEM style by using hardware-level BIOS ACPI-SLIC mod, or one of the two software based OEM BIOS emulator such as softmod SLIC BIOS bootloader and Paradox OEM BIOS Emulation Toolkit.
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20.3.2007 Microsoft Confirms Windows Vista OEM BIOS Crack
Microsoft confirmed the fact that hackers have developed a valid Windows Vista crack designed to exploit the operating system's OEM BIOS activation.
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11.4.2007 Microsoft Serves the Official Version of the Hack Used to Access Windows Vista SP1
Do you remember a time when Windows Vista SP1 was not available as a public download? In the pre-Release Candidate Stages of Vista SP1, Microsoft restricted the access to the service pack only to selected testers.
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12.12.2007 Vista to Windows 7 Upgrades Kill Access to OEM Recovery Applications
Users that upgrade Windows Vista OEM computers to Windows 7 might find that the recovery applications set in place by the original equipment manufacturer are no longer accessible.
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9.10.2009 Dell, HP, and Sony OEM Certificates Used in Windows Vista Activation Crack
The latest trend in Windows Vista cracks is to utilize OEM certificates in order to bypass the activation process of the operating system. Via the OEM crack for Windows Vista, original equipment
manufacturer versions of the operating system are illegally activated through a process that involves patching the BIOS of the motherboard.
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26.2.2007 Vista SP1 Beta Build 6001.17036 v.652 Kills Hack to Download the Service Pack
Microsoft is making headway toward the final release of the first service pack for Windows Vista. A new beta build of the first refresh for the operating system is now live following the initial beta release.
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12.11.2007 How to Downgrade from Windows Vista Business or Ultimate OEM Edition and Install Windows XP Professional
A lot of users still don’t getting used to Windows Vista. A lot of reviews have been labeling Windows Vista as bloated, hard to use, tons of compatibility issues, inconvenient, not user friendly, not stable and etc.
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22.8.2008 Hack Windows Xp All in One
Include:
CIA Commander
WPa kill
Activate
Enable Updates
Windows genuine validation bypass
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31.1.2006 Short TimerStop.sys hack
Huskieguy731 report this very short TimerStop.sys hack in
our forum.
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3.2.2007 What about Windows 7 OEM pricing?
Microsoft still has yet to go public with its Windows 7 price list. But that hasn’t stopped customers and partners from publicly hoping for the best (cheaper than Vista) and fearing the worst (any kind of increase over the cost of Vista).
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16.6.2009 Microsoft WGA Update Anti-hack
Since the Windows Genuine Advantage debut as a pilot on 9/2004 Microsoft is slowly making the program more annoying and intrusive.
In the beginning the WGA was an opt-in feature, and then slowly it became mandatory. Users who choose not to validate their copy of Windows can not download updates from Windows update (they still can download critical security updates via automatic update feature in Windows).
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4.5.2006 Zune Hack: Trade Any File, Quick
Someone clever figured out a way to transfer any type of file onto the Microsoft Zune portable media player, after which the files can be wirelessly traded to other Zune users.
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25.11.2006Microsoft block Windows 7 OEM key hack
Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage team
have responded to this week's news that a Windows 7 Ultimate
licensing hack had been identified.
After a Lenovo OEM Windows 7 image leaked and was used to extract a license key, Microsoft have worked with the manufacturer to blacklist the rogue
key and replace it - on genuine Lenovo PCs bought with the new OS - with a working version.
winbeta.org -
31.07.2009MS: It's Okay to Buy Vista OEM Software
Microsoft has given the go
ahead for users to buy the
low-cost OEM copies of Windows
Vista now appearing on sites
like Newegg.com; however, they
would be expected to adhere to
the licensing terms just like
any other computer
manufacturer...
betanews.com -
30.01.2007Microsoft Silently Rolls Out Anti-Hack Update For Vista
The release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 not only heralded a long-awaited update of the operating system, it also meant the end of two common
Windows Vista anti-activation exploits - the Grace Timer exploit and the Paradox OEM BIOS activation crack. But those who think they can escape by not
updating to Service Pack 1 would be sadly mistaken.
That's because Microsoft has surreptitiously released an anti-hack detection update
via Windows Update. Those who chose to have Windows Vista install updates automatically would have this update installed and running by now. If you
chose to manually select updates to be installed, you should find this update listed.
neowin.net -
12.05.2008SP1 Unsuccessful in Preventing Vista Hacks
It seems that Microsoft has been unsuccessful with SP1 in preventing hackers from
turning a pirated, non-genuine copy of Vista into genuine copies that pass activation. The article initially looked at two of
the most popular hacks (OEM BIOS hack and the grace timer hack) but after a little digging ZDNet were able to transform a non-genuine install into a
genuine one. 'After a few minutes of searching the darker corners of the Internet and a few seconds in the Command Prompt I was able to fool Windows
into thinking that it was genuine.'
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11.02.2008Windows 7 Ultimate cracked and activated with OEM master key
Windows 7 has yet to even be released officially to the general public, and already the dodgy folk on the Internet have fully cracked and activated
the Ultimate version, with help from a leaked Lenovo OEM DVD .ISO file. The news comes from website My Digital Life who state that you can already
pass Windows Genuine Advantage validation offline, OEM style. The leaked .ISO was originally posted on a Chinese forum, which was then downloaded in
order for people to get hold of the boot.wim, and in turn retrieving the OEM-SLP key, plus the OEM activation certificate. Microsoft uses the same
digitally signed OEM certificate, which has an .xrm-ms extension, as that in Windows Vista.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
29.07.2009Microsoft Responds to Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
The WGA team have finally
provided a written response to
the reported OEM BIOS Hacks
regarding Vista:
I
know many of you are aware of
reports of hacks that attempt
to exploit our OEM BIOS based
activation. We're aware of
this type of hack and I wanted
to take a minute to describe
how these work and how we plan
to respond.
First, what is OEM BIOS
based activation?
Here's a little more
information on how OEM BIOS
based activation works. This
form of product activation is
also known as OEM Activation
or just OA, which is how
Microsoft refers to it and how
I will refer to it in this
post. Back at the launch of
Windows XP when Microsoft
introduced Windows Product
Activation, we recognized that
as easy as end-user activation
is, it still represented an
extra step.
neowin.net -
12.04.2007Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?
Microsoft might have
$7.6 billion in spare cash in
the bank, but when it comes to
supporting users who purchase
Vista on a new machine, the
software giant is all too
ready to cry poor.
Conventional wisdom
holds that if you feel the
urge to upgrade to Windows
Vista, buying it pre-installed
on a new machine is the best
way to go. The advantages are
allegedly twofold: there
should be fresh and functional
drivers for all the built-in
hardware, and you get OEM
pricing (much lower than the
retail $400-$700 price range)
for your new OS.
That
discount pricing comes with a
nasty twist, however. Because
you've purchased an OEM copy,
Microsoft won't extend to you
the courtesy of a 90-day
support period for Vista,
which it does offer to
customers who struggle through
the upgrade process on their
existing machines. Instead, it
will direct you straight back
to your hardware manufacturer...
winbeta.org -
15.05.2007Microsoft slams the door on Vista pirates
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: With the launch of SP1 Microsoft promised to put an end to two popular hacks used by pirates to allow a non-genuine install of
Windows Vista to function in the same way as a genuine install. Testing that Ive carried out in the lab today suggests that Microsoft has been true to
its word.
The two most common hacks used were the OEM BIOS hack and the grace timer hack (of which there were two flavors which
were widespread).
Testing both these methods of circumventing Windows activation and Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) has shown me
that SP1 effectively ignores both these hacks. Systems that previously were shown to be genuine prior to the installation of SP1 then require
activation - and if the system isnt activated it is marked at non-genuine and enters the nag state.
winbeta.org -
11.02.2008One year after Mac hack contest, Linux and Vista may be tested
One year after launching a controversial Macintosh hacking contest, the promoters of the
CanSecWest security research conference are thinking about giving hackers another shot at cracking the Mac. Only this time,
they're looking to broaden the field.
Last year, show organizers invited attendees to hack into a Macintosh laptop with the
successful hacker winning the computer and a cash prize. But this year, they're talking about giving attendees three targets to choose from. "We're
thinking of having a contest where we have Vista and OS X and Linux ... and see which one goes first," said Dragos Ruiu, the principal organizer of
CanSecWest.
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06.02.2008Consumer Versions of Windows Vista Available Early
The official launch of Windows
Vista is planned for January
30. Some online retailers
have, however, made the
operating system available
early. mwave.com states that
it has Vista 32-bit Home Basic
OEM for $89.90, Vista
32-bit Home Basic OEM 3-pack
for $268.90 and Vista
32-bit Business OEM for
$139.90, all in stock and
ready to ship. Vista Home
Premium and Vista Ultimate are
currently unavailable.
Customers are limited to two
copies of Vista Home Basic OEM
or Vista Business OEM and they
must be purchased with
hardware for licensing
reasons. You can probably get
away with ordering a really
cheap piece of hardware and
still saving a lot over the
retail price of Vista.
Overclockers UK has previously
also started listing OEM
versions of Vista.
neowin.net -
22.01.2007The Problem with Bundling
Joe Wilcox: On Friday I spoke with two product executives from a major OEM about some forthcoming new PCs and notebooks. During the conversation, I
asked about their Windows Media Center strategy. The OEM no longer has one, and Vista integration is the reason.
The response is
surprising, because Media Center integration into Vista was supposed to benefit Microsoft, its customers and partners. But that's not how this OEM
sees it. Reasoning: The discreet SKU's disappearance makes Media Center differentiation more difficult among OEMs, so there is no real competitive
advantage. The product executives expressed concern that Media Center promotion for the OEM's products might benefit competitors.
The conversation was a broad indictment of Microsoft's whole Vista SKU strategy. Rather than differentiate products around Vista SKUs, the OEM
has instead returned to emphasizing performance metrics and made product design a greater priority. That's opposite the intention of Microsoft's
Vista SKU strategy, which was supposed to encourage greater differentiation around operating system capabilities.
winbeta.org -
10.12.2007Windows Vista SP1 Update Available via Microsoft OEM site
It looks like Microsoft has posted the final Vista SP1 bits to their
OEM site which is accessible to anyone that registers. The file is a 1.13GB .img which combines the 32-bit and 64-bit update
executables into one image:
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available for download. Windows Vista SP1 will deliver
improvements and enhancements to existing features that significantly impact customers, but it does not deliver substantial new operating system
features.
Download Windows Vista SP1 here. The download contains Window Vista SP1 for five languages: English, French, German,
Japanese, and Spanish. Note Additional languages will be available soon.
Once you download the Windows Vista SP1 package, you
will need to extract the appropriate .exe file for the language you wish to install.
winbeta.org -
12.02.2008OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing
OEM Microsoft Office and OEM
Microsoft Windows licensing is
a topic that seems to again be
generating questions and there
are plenty of people out there
who are illegally taking
advantage of others to trying
to make a quick profit by
selling counterfeit or
unlicensed software.
Here are the facts
and answers to many of the
points of confusion around OEM
Microsoft Office and OEM
Microsoft Windows licensing so
you are informed and can
protect yourself from the
scammers out there...
winbeta.org -
02.08.2007Vista Home Premium: $86 Shipped
Good deal at Micro Center: The OEM version of
Windows Vista Home Premium for a mere $80, 1/2 or 1/3 of the retail price and $22 less than Neweggs normal price. With $6
shipping you can be enjoying Vista on the cheap. Just remember that, as an OEM version, it can only be installed on one computer and cannot be moved
to another PC later on.
winbeta.org -
02.10.2007Consumer Versions of Vista Available Early
mwave.com lists several
editions of Windows Vista as
in stock and ready to
ship
Although the official launch
of Windows Vista won't take
place until January 30, that
hasn't stopped some online
retailers from making the
operating system available
early. mwave.com is listing
three Vista SKUs on its
website that are in stock and
ready to ship.
The OEM versions
of Vista listed on
mwave.com's website are
significantly cheaper than the
retail pricing for Vista
listed below:
* Windows Vista Home Basic,
$199/$99.95
* Windows
Vista Home Premium,
$239/$159
* Windows
Vista Business,
$299/$199
* Windows
Vista Ultimate,
$399/$259
The editions available
include Vista 32-bit Home
Basic OEM (Microsoft Part
Number: 66G-00576) for $89.90,
Vista 32-bit Home Basic OEM
3-pack (Microsoft Part Number:
66G-00613) for $268.90 and
Vista 32-bit Business OEM
(Microsoft Part Number:
66J-02289) for $139.90. As of
today, there were no listings
for Vista Home Premium or
Vista Ultimate on the
site.
jcxp.net -
22.01.2007Microsoft recruits Altech for OEM distribution in Australia
Microsoft has struck an OEM distribution agreement with Altech Computers for its Windows Vista, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Server products lines.
The OEM partnership is the vendor's first in nearly 10 years.
Microsoft SME and partner director, Pip Marlow, said the two
companies had partnered closely over recent years.
The new relationship would expand its scope and enable Microsoft to deliver
more support to the local system builder market, she said.
"Altech is the destination for small system builders - they do a
phenomenal job supporting that part of the channel," Marlow said. Altech now shares OEM distribution rights with Ingram Micro and Synnex.
winbeta.org -
12.11.2007Microsoft sends harsh reality check to OEMs
Last week, Microsoft sent
certified letters to its OEM
partners regarding Vista's
anti-piracy technology -- or,
more accurately, what happens
if they dare ship a system
with a "non-genuine" copy of
Vista.
The answer:
The system is crippled for 30
days, then hosed entirely
until you pony up for a
license. This is apparently
what Microsoft means when it
http://oem.microsoft.com/downl
oads/public/US/wgavista/genuin
e.pdf>warns of a "diminished
user experience."
This would be fine if
Microsoft were a reasonably
competent organization and
Windows Genuine Advantage
worked flawlessly. True
pirates deserve to be
punished. But Microsoft isn't
and WGA doesn't “ at least,
judging by the many letters I
got from Cringesters who
bought legit OEM copies of XP
from major manufacturers, only
to have WGA label them as
pirates. ..
winbeta.org -
04.06.2007Those who can't hack (much), write
Since there have been computer intrusions, it seems, there have been crackers (that is, black-hat "hackers") wanting to write books detailing
What They Did. But often, the better the hack, the less the urge to write a book about it...
betanews.com -
14.10.2008TiVo Owners Uncover Storage Hack
Owners of Series3
high-definition TiVos will
soon be able to expand the
amount of programming they can
store on the digital video
recorder using an external
Serial ATA hard drive. While
the SATA ports have been on
the TiVo since the beginning,
a hack to activate them only
surfaced over the weekend...
betanews.com -
08.05.2007Numbers Behind Windows 95, Vista
Here is a rundown of some
quick statistics comparing
Windows 95 and Windows Vista.
All prices are in USD. All
figures for Windows 95 seem to
be verified and although there
are sources for the Windows
Vista figures, Microsoft has
not officially confirmed them.
Windows 95 contained 11.2
million lines of code while
Vista is believed to be at 50
million. Windows 95 had
approximately 200 programmers
while Vista supposedly had
2,000, according one Microsoft
developer's blog.
The common retail price of
Windows 95 was $89.95. The
lowest amount you can pay for
Vista (Home Basic Edition) is
$99, and that's an
upgrade - the full retail
version is more than double
Windows 95's price, $199.
At the other extremity there
is Windows Vista Ultimate
Edition, ranging from $259
for the upgrade and $399
for the full. This of course,
doesn't consider OEM prices,
but I decided to do a little
hunting. At mwave.com, Home
Basic is priced at $89.90
while an OEM copy of Windows
95 is currently going for
$19.95, but that isn't
exactly a fair comparison.
Anyone remember the OEM price
for Windows 95 when it was
released?
neowin.net -
24.01.2007
