Microsoft said supposedly pirated copies of its new Vista computer operating system "will be of limited value" to those who use them. Microsoft responded Tuesday to reports that some Web sites have been circulating pirated copies of Vista and the Office 2007 applications suite.
The pirated Vista comes with a product key that users can enter to activate a version of the products on their computers without paying for them, according to a report on the Web site of The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald newspaper. A product key is a unique serial number tied to each package of a software product.
A second download, called an "activation crack," can then be applied that bypasses the activation process intended to guarantee that the Vista OS being downloaded is legitimate, the Herald reported. Pirated copies of Office 2007 can be downloaded just with the product key with no second activation code required. But Microsoft said in a prepared statement that those pirated copies of the OS won't work for long.
View: Full Article @ InfoWorld
The pirated Vista comes with a product key that users can enter to activate a version of the products on their computers without paying for them, according to a report on the Web site of The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald newspaper. A product key is a unique serial number tied to each package of a software product.
A second download, called an "activation crack," can then be applied that bypasses the activation process intended to guarantee that the Vista OS being downloaded is legitimate, the Herald reported. Pirated copies of Office 2007 can be downloaded just with the product key with no second activation code required. But Microsoft said in a prepared statement that those pirated copies of the OS won't work for long.
View: Full Article @ InfoWorld
again they will find disapointment
On another note, Office 2007 bypasses online activation, and is reportedly to work with office update.
I agree too.
Couldn't believe they would allow you to install a OS without a cdkey tbh....
Meh. If Microsoft succeeds in locking out pirates (which is extremely unlikely) then they'll migrate to an alternative OS and office suite. Who loses then? The pirates still get their product for free and Microsoft loses market share and the thus leverage which it uses to bend and break antitrust laws. Why do people use Microsoft Office over OpenOffice, but for the compatibility with existing and new documents?
I wouldn't mind being forced to switch to a Linux variant and OpenOffice. It might force game developers to release more titles for Linux.
Couldn't believe they would allow you to install a OS without a cdkey tbh....
It believe it is a trial period for 30days.
Couldn't believe they would allow you to install a OS without a cdkey tbh....
It believe it is a trial period for 30days.
No. There is no "trial" of Vista. (in this sense)
Meh. If Microsoft succeeds in locking out pirates (which is extremely unlikely) then they'll migrate to an alternative OS and office suite. Who loses then? The pirates still get their product for free and Microsoft loses market share and the thus leverage which it uses to bend and break antitrust laws. Why do people use Microsoft Office over OpenOffice, but for the compatibility with existing and new documents?
I wouldn't mind being forced to switch to a Linux variant and OpenOffice. It might force game developers to release more titles for Linux.
titles for Linux.[/quote][/quote]
So youre saying Microsoft values pirates because it increases their market share?
Meh. If Microsoft succeeds in locking out pirates (which is extremely unlikely) then they'll migrate to an alternative OS and office suite. Who loses then? The pirates still get their product for free and Microsoft loses market share and the thus leverage which it uses to bend and break antitrust laws. Why do people use Microsoft Office over OpenOffice, but for the compatibility with existing and new documents?
I wouldn't mind being forced to switch to a Linux variant and OpenOffice. It might force game developers to release more titles for Linux.
But they didn't have the pirates as customers originally, so they lose out on nothing.
Actually, up until XP this was their strategy.
Microsoft said ... copies of its new Vista computer operating system "will be of limited value" to those who use them. Microsoft responded to ... some ... [that] have ... copies of Vista and the Office 2007 applications suite [that they are poo-poo heads].
Bill Gates could not be reached for comment.
Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Final-BillGates
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Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Final-BillGates
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Glad M$ is finally admitting it.
Glad M$ is finally admitting it.
LOL. Best comment ever.
Maybe a limited amount of suicide acts but it wouldn't last long
This is an excuse. There's software out there for less than $25 and people still get it illegaly. It's really how criminals work.
This is an excuse. There's software out there for less than $25 and people still get it illegaly. It's really how criminals work.
sure plenty would, but there's a TON of people that wouldn't/couldn't dream of paying Ģ400, or even Ģ100 for such things that would definitely think about less.
This is an excuse. There's software out there for less than $25 and people still get it illegaly. It's really how criminals work.
then they obviously dont think that software is worth $25.
Yes everyone who has ever copied software without paying for it is a CRIMINAL, they should be branded for life as thieves and their hands lopped off!! How dare they steal from the poor put upon billionaires who can barely afford to buy another $97 million dollar house.
http://www.goehner.com/gates.htm
LOOK at where he lives, just LOOK, and call some Pakistani who makes $500 a year a CRIMINAL.
Yes, pretty much.
K, where did hands getting lopped off come into this?
Well...yeah. It's not like you need the latest version of Vista to keep on living. Step off the crazy horse and back into reality.
Ok. They're a criminal. You don't need Vista to live. It's neither shelter nor food nor safety. Because you can't afford something doesn't make its creator evil or racist or whatever your pakistani reference was trying to infer, nor does it make it acceptable to obtain it illegally. People need to learn to differentiate needs and wants. If you make a living on your computer and can't afford it then you need to either a) budget better, b) find a new career, or c) Use linux.
besides im sure vista will for sure suck atleast until SP1 comes out for it.
* Set the price to something people can afford!
* Don't make directx 10 a windows vista only thing.
I think a lot of people will be pirating vista just because they want to play the next directx 10 game.
Activation confirmation activation does it matter because at the end of the day some smart 15 year old will crack this and bypass the activation of the product.
Quite a difference. I hope its the same with Vista.
So stop having a go at Microsoft for trying to make money. Vista is expensive on the selves, but who actually buys it from the selves? It often will come bundled for many with their new computer. Plus for such a big software, it is not that much money. How many times do you see a simple program charging around $15 for you do download? Vista is huge, 20 years ago it would be selling for $10,000's with the technology it has.
As for being online and having on-line checks? I've worked in graphic design shops for many years and I must underscore the point that most machines are never put on-line for anything ever. Critical flaws don't mean anything without an internet connection. You could easily dual or triple boot vista and only go online under the other operating systems.
so Microsoft I want $50.00 US for every copy of Vista you sell since I helped out in the beta testing and reported bugs.. If i did not report bugs you guys would still have a evan more buggy OS.. and this should go with EVERY BETA TESTER, HACKER, Pirate who gave there input on vista and reported bugs to Microsoft.. if it was not for all of us doing so then Vista would not be here. and Microsoft would not be making the money they will be makeing once Vista ships....
Mostly the beta testers, hackers and pirates that made Vista what it is today..? Sure.. so what about the years of development that went into creating Vista?
You aren't owed anything.
----------
Oh, and they'll never stop pirating.
They run other businesses out of business. Bully other companies into doing whatever Microsoft wants them to do or sell. They have been convicted MANY times now by many different judges in different states of STEALING from customers.
Now please stop being a hypocrite.
And like others have said, Vista is WORSE than XP.
I own a legal copy of XP, but am using a pirated version just for the hassles I went through of the activation crap. And Vista will be even far worse than XP for allowing you to upgrade your computer. This is nothing but pure greed from Microsoft/Bill Gates.
They run other businesses out of business. Bully other companies into doing whatever Microsoft wants them to do or sell. They have been convicted MANY times now by many different judges in different states of STEALING from customers.
Now please stop being a hypocrite.
And like others have said, Vista is WORSE than XP.
I own a legal copy of XP, but am using a pirated version just for the hassles I went through of the activation crap. And Vista will be even far worse than XP for allowing you to upgrade your computer. This is nothing but pure greed from Microsoft/Bill Gates.
Agreed, who is microsoft to talk about piracy???!?!?!?!?!
$50? I think thats a little to low, if it were $100 for ultimate I'd buy it.
Gotenks98:your correct on the legacy os thing....and vista is good but it will be better in 1 or 2 years after it matures a bit.all these ppl who are bad ppl get a hammer and whack urselves on ur hole and think...how lame and stupid i am and i dont want to feel that way no more and keep whacking away...lol
Solved!
waa
do you guys get a commission on every piece of software they sell?
i'm not advocating stealing but neither am i advocating record multi-billion dollar profits
ms has enough money, they arent gonna go broke ok
everyone on the vista team even the janitor im willing to bet all make six figures with stock options
unless employees of microsoft are gonna starve, who really cares if people pirate windows or not???
the company has like 50+ billion in the bank, its ceo is the richest man in the world, really, stfu already with your moral BS, you have a problem with stealing but not with greed? what is that???
On a machine that has not been wiped clean check the registry under these keys.
HKLOCAL_MACHINE->SOFTWARE->Microsoft->Windows NT->CurrentVersion. On all version of XP you will see these 2 values listed on the right hand side. ProductId & DigitalProductId. On normal retail copies both of these will be the same. On OEM copies they will be different. The value in DigitalProductId is what you need.
You'll need OEMBIOS.BIN, OEMBIOS.SIG, OEMBIOS.DAT and OEMBIOS.CAT from the original OEM system (these files are what ties XP to the system).
Open a command prompt and type makecab OEMBIOS.BIN and press enter.
makecab OEMBIOS.DAT and press enter.
makecab OEMBIOS.SIG and press enter.
makecab OEMBIOS.CAT and press enter.
Use a program like UltraISO to read a XP disc and save it to an ISO. Open that ISO and add the .CA_, BI_, DA_ and SI_ files to the i386 folder and save the modified image as a new name. Burn it to disc. Use the JellyBean keyfinder to tell you what the key in the DigitalProductId is and use that key when installing. You now have a perfectly legal preactivated OEM copy.
Last edited by MrCobra on 19 Nov 2006 - 06:07
I'm gonna call shennanigans...
I found it funny that you wrote "every single version of vista burned to one DVD" - you are aware, right, that EVERY single Vista DVD that will ever be pressed will contain every version of Vista. That's the only kind of Vista DVD you can have. It's the key that tells Vista what version it is. But, you knew this right? I mean you didn't just try to make it sound like you know more than us ...
Office 2007 on CD is pretty simple and since it just uses old style, version 1.0 VLKs no big deal there. That's not a crack. That's called stealing someone's VLK and using it.
no, I wasn't aware that every version comes on one dvd. however, the disc I have has every single 32 bit and 64 bit of vista.
I'm already a thief anyway.
Last edited by Slayer on 17 Nov 2006 - 11:50
Microsoft is shifting to a distribution fee-less model (re: shipping crippleware versions of Vista with new machines so people have to upgrade to Vista Ultimate over the internet). It's a shame their prices don't reflect this modern market reality.
Being a Windows users for all of my computing life I have always found Microsoft to be a greedy, deceptive company only out to make they pockets fatter while leaving us with exploitable and bloated products. Since recently moving over to a Mac as my primary computing weapon of choice I find Mac OSX top be alot more stable and a helluva lot cheaper in price. Leopard is coming out soon and even it will only be no more than $199 for a full-blown copy of the OS. Vista is just a cheap and losing attempt at making the a user's computing experience 'Mac-like'.
Let's face it - we don't have to fall for M$ BS and buy Vista or Office 2007 - Windows XP and Office 2003 work just fine.
Microsoft has already wrecked enough havoc on the world with their lame examples of what a 'secure OS' should be. Just wait, we will see the same havoc be unleashed when Vista hits the shelves. DON'T BUY INTO THE HYPE!!!
Ya know, Vista costs as much for the same edition as XP did and 2000 did before it. No price increase. And vista will be discounted just like 2000/xp was/is. New PCs will come with it loaded and preactivated. Nothing to see here, move along.
2000 was effortless to "crack" because once you have a VLK you were gold and it was never checked via WGA.
XP prior to SP2 was easy due to a genuine 'crack" and some keys. After SP2 and currently; a valid VLK key (even one only licensed for a single copy) would get you what you wanted for a zillion copies.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong; has anyone actually cracked (that is, bypassed activation and detection of an invalid or user generated key) for XP Home? I do not believe so. I also do not believe there is a real crack for XP Pro out there. I think all that is out there are VLKs for so called Corp versions of XP Pro. I may be wrong as I haven't gone looking as I've got my own legit VLK and therefore need nothing else to run as many copies of XP Pro as I might choose.
Now, Vista changes all of this. I'm not going to be naive and suggest that no one can beat it, we haven't even seen it in action yet, but it looks like they've done their homework and come up with a pretty clever scheme this time.
This article is misleading because ALL that has happened here is that someone took the very most recent build of Vista then replaced a few critical files with RC activation files that recognize RC keys and bundled it. That's it. Those keys WILL time out and those replaced files can and will be detected and therefore that copy can be deactivated upon contact with MS.
So, until I see a genuine RTM copy of Vista running on user generated (non-MS) keys I will not listen to any of this "Vista Cracked" non-sense. As it stands today, Vista has not been cracked, not even close to it.
Note I'm not defending MS in any of this, just stating what I would have thought would be obvious facts. XP blocks a few known bootleg keys and, seperately, prevents you from downloading some things you don't really need to keep XP running. So, even a truely bootleg copy of XP will keep on running.
Vista, when it knows it's illegal, shuts down to a "insert correct key or sucks to be u" mode. AND if you are using volume license keys it will do this without asking you and without you being able to prevent it. It will not continue to run after X months without getting the OK from an activation server. So, even if you get a 100% legit VLK key you stole from yer work place and run home (this is an MAK key type) and manage to get activated before work uses up it's activations on that particular MAK key. After 3 months when it's time to reactivate, the gig will be up. Not to mention once you or MS determines your keys are bootlegged, unlike with XP, it's now trivial to say; "OK, change all the keys company wide and we'll block your old ones starting..3.2.1 now!"
So, kiddies, please. Vista isn't cracked and I think the challenge is on. Crackers vs MS - lets see how this shakes out.
I think you're absolutely right. For the largest part, the party is up for the illegal users. Sure there will still be cracks available, but they're going to be nowhere near as useful or reliable.
anyways xp its good enough
File Name: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007
Version: 2007
Part Number: Office Professional Plus 2007 Win32 English Disk Kit MVL CD
Language: English
Download Format: .EXE
Total Download Size: 468.23 MB
Estimated Download Time: @ T1 (1.5M) : 5 min
Operating System Type: 32 Bit Windows
VA 1.0 - Volume Activation 1.0 is the first generation of VLKs. This key bypasses product activation.
(this is what XP uses - the two below are the only two possible for Vista)
VA 2.0/MAK - Volume Activation 2.0/Multiple Activation Key: this key will activate Microsoft Windows Vista through the internet or telephone, and have a limited number of activations associated with them. Computers can be activated on an individual basis or by a central computer which can activate multiple computers at a time.
VA 2.0/KMS - Volume Activation 2.0/Key Management Service: this key will be used to enable a new service in your environment that will automatically activate Windows Vista computers. You must have a minimum of 25 Windows Vista computers connected together to use the KMS, and all computers will be required to check back to the central service twice per year to stay activated.
FYI: MS is generous. I had a single copy of XP Pro with Software Assurance. That got me a Vista upgrade for no extra cost. I requested a MAK and it gives me one good for 5 activations. Now, how nice is that. Of course, it's on my honor to respect that; but that is nice in case my hardware changes during a build/rebuild of a new box (I'm notorious for swapping motherboard/video combinations).
"This product has not been authorized for supply, import or export to or from France. If you are located in France, Microsoft does not authorize the download of this product, until further notice."
I don't think Vista is even worth pirating. In fact, I do think fewer people are pirating the "new windows" this time. People don't care about it as much as they did about XP.
And despite the fact that MS spend a fortune developing this...TWICE...Vista looks on par with a Mac OS X point release to the general consumer. And that's worth $100 to upgrade and maybe $50 additional for the Ultimate upgrade.
Sigh.
and to answer some q's above, yes MS used to tolerate piracy to get a bigger share, to "kill" the superior Wordperfect or the Novell OS.
and now the marketshare is good, the call piracy a bad thing.
poor c*ckdripping hypocrates
If I would buy Vista for all my PC's I have to buy it 5 times. Why does Microsoft not offer something like "volume licensing" for private users ?(Or do they actually?) Many people own a notebook AND a desktop, so they will have to buy Vista twice. And who's gonna pay that much? Some other software developers (e.g. Bitdefender) are already offering a bundle with two licenses for an affordable price.
And yes, you're right. A home license pricing would be a very good idea for MS these days. As would some way to share a directory to more than 10 machines without having to buy an othewise useless seat of Server 2003.
Some of us have enough family members with desktops, laptops, tablets, handhelds, and media center PCs that the arbitrary 10 shares limit is a HUGE problem now.
I shouldn't have to buy NAS (network attached storage) devices, or pirate 2003 server just to share music files on an NTFS drive (so no linux box here) across my own private home network. Sigh.
Because, it will take a while until vista is stable enough to be used as a primary environment (1 service pack or 2), and by the time it is, it will be hacked.
"What? No gold? Vista? TO THE PLANK WITH YE LADDY!"
Meanwhile, the new Office 2007 seems to be generating universally rave reviews.
As far as I am concerned Vista is still built on the same old same shabby DOS as all the other Windows out there. Only thing is that it is an expensive piece of junk. Yes your heard me right. No drivers for M$ hardware perphials for Vista at all. I guess they should get out the hardware buisness totally. No mice, keyboards and any other garbage out there.
That hackers and virus writers are just waitng to tear this garbage up.
Does Microsoft mean that these editions will not exist in Vista?
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