The trouble with Windows Activation

Computer Help and Discussions The Lounge
1

While Microsoft believes Product Activation is good for the masses, how long will it be before virus creators start distributing some fun game (fill in the blank program here) that users love, & (like Firefox) embed a service. Only, instead of using it for updates, doing the following:

At random times, run the embedded MS license key changer to import a key that is invalid & blacklisted (so user machine will generate "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting" error message).

Then, user desktop wallpaper gets disabled, screen is black, & users are denied most things on the computer.

Worse, by disabling Windows Activation Technologies Service, users will be stuck in a permanently disabled pc.

This will cause havoc for billions of legit users, who have long forgotten what their license key is, & headaches for MS as they try to figure out which users are real & which are pirate users who have not purchased their OS.

Then, watch for lawsuits against (everybody, literally!) as MS comes swinging with the strong arm of the law, complete with high paid lawyers & billions of $$$ behind them as they scream bloody murder! EVERYBODY is a pirate!

It could cripple the economy, & cause Microsoft to kick the proverbial bucket. The trust people have in WAT (Windows Activation Technologies) will die :)

* Don't services get full control of the OS in 7? I forget... Anyway, so this is what happens when corporations are in control of the things you buy from them.

Thank you, MS, for embedding such an easy way to cripple an OS for malware writers.

2

Once Windows is activated once; a unique Windows install ID is stored MS's servers. This ID cannot be changed on the client side, therefore Windows will be able to re-validate itself again without issue.

Your FUD is unnecessary.

3

+1 WebAtom

Product Activation was introduced with XP.

If these ********** (sorry, mis-guided geniuses) were able to do that, i would have thought it would have happened by now.

When Windows gets installed(or re-installed) and the Product Key is valid, as long as the hardware hasn't changed too much, MS will activate it no worries. You can even do the OOBE command with the /a switch to manually initiate an activation.

Who does not know what their license key is?

It's on the Windows CD sleeve/case or on your PC in the form of that little green CoA sticker.

Retail outlets and System Builders have to by law include that sticker.

Of course if you lose it, you're buggered. But the onus is always on the consumer to safe-gaurd such info.

4

Plus if you've a copy of your Windows key, it's easy enough to re-activate your system. I have been using the same two Windows XP keys (one for home and one for pro) for years now. Once I hit the "limit," I had only to call in and tell them I was reinstalling a system and they okay'd it via the phone.

I actually think given the complexity of Windows Activation, the act of activating it is extremely painless, especially if you need to go through extra steps (such as delimit your key)

5

Once Windows is activated once; a unique Windows install ID is stored MS's servers. This ID cannot be changed on the client side, therefore Windows will be able to re-validate itself again without issue.

Your FUD is unnecessary.

I am well aware of that.

Your quite missing what I am saying here.

I am NOT saying (or even implying) that users may not be able to re-activate in ordinary situations.

I'm saying, if they come out with a malware that runs embedded MS key changer in the background to swap MS legit key for a non legit, THEN they disable:

Windows Activation Technologies Service, it may make it impossible for the average user who does not understand what is going on to re-activate.

My understanding is, if your in a non-licensed state & that service is turned off, you will NOT be able to activate.

_____

And of course, isn't activation limited to a certain number of times you can re-activate? Or have they changed that?

What happens if someone gets reactivated more than 4 times (due to the malware) & they are denied?

I am sure they can call MS, & 30 min later, everything may be fine, but this could be a lot of trouble (both for MS tech support & the people going through it) if they had an outbreak of such a thing.

For advanced users like u or I, this may not be much of a problem. But for the casual users, it sure could be a headache!

1) Casual users may not know to backup their activation/etc., & may get locked out by malware such as this causing them to go over their activation limit.

2) Or, someone may take down MS activation servers, leaving users with no way to activate (And possibly even delete user databases, or abuse them).

3) Or, MS may pull activation for Windows 7 for example, to force everyone to update to 8, 9, 10, etc.

I would say that 3 is the most likely, & that is the reason I do not support product activation.

I have never thought it is or can be a good thing when you buy something to own, but someone else still own (and controls) what you do with it.

Not only does this defeat the purpose of buying, but they are breaking the truth in labeling act by selling it to you as a purchase instead of a rental.

The trouble with MS being in control of your "purchase", which is really a rental since they still own & control what you do with what you bought,

is if they ever decide to yank support for activating Windows XP/Vista/7, YOU will have no choice or say so in the matter.

YOU will be FORCED to update to the newest OS, else no computer use for you!!!

Let's hope they don't do that, but this is my main concern/fear that they would do so to users in the future.

* If this does happen, it would be the equivalent of Car makers selling you a car with a built in kill switch. Once your car is deemed "Obsolete" because it does not have this or that "safety" feature, or is X number of years old, they could switch your car off & force you to upgrade from your perfectly fine working car to the newest. Because they have your best interest at heart, & they want you to be safe.

Really, what's $22,000 to pay, in exchange for safety?

:P

6

You didn't read what was said. After the initial actication, Windows doesn't ever use the key again. It uses a unique ID that's associated with your hardware.

No malware can change this.

Also; your argument that "someone could take out the server" is silly. Microsoft would have every bit of data backed up more heavily than you could imagine. They could just re-deploy a new WAT server and the problem would fix itself in a few days once all the machines have re-validated themselves.

Oh, and some cars do have a built in kill switch. It's used to prevent theft...

7

I am fully aware of that. And of cars with kill switches. The idea that MS stores a unique ID on their servers is irrelevant.

_____

You still need to activate. If you activate with a blacklisted key, your pc goes down with the error message "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting."

I'm not saying MS doesn't store the machine ID, I'm saying that if you use a blacklisted key, your machine will be killed. Which is all a malware would need to use.

MS generates a hardware hash (so they say, but I've no proof of this, as I cannot see their server stored data), but they also check your license key.

_____

I bought an XP machine that I activated online with MS, & it was fully licensed & genuine.

When Windows XP crashed later & I had to re-activate my XP, I mistyped one of the characters.

I believe I put a 2 where the t was supposed to be, or something. I forget.

Anyway, when I hit activate, it said the product key was not valid.

_____

So, if MS doesn't check the key after you set it up the first time, how did what I told you above happen?

Once I re-typed it & inspected it to be sure it was right the next time, it went through.

If you think MS doesn't check the key, you obviously haven't done this much.

My experience was, even though I had already activated my XP machine without a problem earlier, MS declined a second activation till I got my key right.

You can't just use a hardware hash to reactivate, even if they have it stored on their server.

You have to also have the key right.

Or, at least I did with my machine.

8

@ Shane and mta.

Apologies guys, I'm calling time on yet another thread by Super Fast.

@ Super Fast

You seem to have become an expert on scaremongering.

You are filling the heads of less experienced users with stuff which will more than likely never happen to them, but which will probably scare the life out of some of them.

We are here to help people, and I believe other members are becoming tired of this type of thing on the forum.

After closing another of your threads not 15 minutes ago, your ice is getting thinner.