Windows XP SP2 cracked already?

By secretforce
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

BananaMan

Posted
Posted
That keygen that generates the Corporate keys, how are they going to block that? How do they tell which is pirated and which isn't?? I mean I don't have to worry because I got a OEM key :), but I was just wondering anyways. :huh:

Microsoft have a database of all keys ever issued, where it be volume license keys, OEM keys or plain jane retail keys.

In answer to your question, how are they going to block volume license keys generated by the keygen, short answer, they're not going to, at least not with SP2.

Grand Master

Randolph

Posted
Posted
Microsoft have a database of all keys ever issued, where it be volume license keys, OEM keys or plain jane retail keys.

In answer to your question, how are they going to block volume license keys generated by the keygen, short answer, they're not going to, at least not with SP2.

So doesn't that mean we have an advantage?

Neowinian

red5torm

Posted
Posted
Maybe Microsoft needs to rethink their approach to fight piracy.

But as Microsoft said when they first started this activation crap, their aim is to deter the "common folk" who gets a copy of the CD from their friends. They know that geeks like us will find a way round it. And frankly activation is quite a pain in the ass since i format my computer and change my hardware quite often.

I completely agree that Microsoft needs to rethink their piracy policy.

As long as the software giant evolve its current operating system to an "advanced" form, there will be ways on how to find holes and exploit it.

Think of evolution.

:alien:

Grand Master

DsnBehind

Posted
Posted
Everything will be cracked one way or another, and there is really no way around it except for like....having each cd have a different serial number which in order to get the actual key you enter you need to call the software maker.

There are cracks for that, too. Norton AntiVirus 2004, for example.

Grand Master

Glowstick

Posted
Posted

You can always alter a set of instructions to perform differently. The time required to change it increases with the complexity. That's it. Hardware mechanisms would be required to make stuff uncrackable, and those mechanics need to be complex enough, that reverse engineering moves out of the available resources of the cracking community, means no silly designs that allow a crappy modchip to override the protection.

Enthusiast

aoeu

Posted
Posted
And in my opinion, and also of most of those in this thread, "crackers" are as bright as the TEAM that puts MS software together. Not one person writes a MS program.

I'm sure that fat lazy kid typing away all day in his mom's basement can compare with the Harvard CS graduate that works at Microsoft. Get real.

Enthusiast

Stigmata|Mess

Posted
Posted

you have been able to get the beta for ages :s:s:S

hmmmmm...ok proof....

.....here is part of the faq

What should I do before I install the beta version of SP2 for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional?

Before you install SP2 for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, carefully read Release Notes for the Release Candidate Release of Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Window Home Edition and Windows XP Professional . These notes provide the most up-to-date information about known issues that pertain to the beta release of SP2.

Veteran

hornett

Posted
Posted
300 bucks is waaay too much to pay for an OS... I can get a second-hand computer for that much. :rolleyes:

edit: Using 2000 legit, btw.

You don't like the price - don't use it! Or take a chance and pirate it... Personally I got my copy with my machine, I'd certainly be running Fedora or Slack if I had to pay for XP.

Grand Master

Mando

Posted
Posted
I'm sure that fat lazy kid typing away all day in his mom's basement can compare with the Harvard CS graduate that works at Microsoft. Get real.

that fat lazy kid has practical experience in reverse engineering mate, something your Grads wont have (that and real world experience)

i think maybe you should get real and think about this with a level and clear head. :p

Mentor

Rapier

Posted
Posted
that fat lazy kid has practical experience in reverse engineering mate, something your Grads wont have (that and real world experience)

Well Said

Crackers have to reverse engineer a program to crack And\Or Make a Keygen for it

And reverse engineering requires a person has to be alteast at the same mental level as the developer

So that Fat Lazy Kid is Probably at a higher level of intelligence then the devloper because he was able to overcome the developers protection mechanism !

  • 1 month later...
Rising Star

Bwizzel-B

Posted
Posted
right but... i said i'm being strong armed. and having the angst that i have and being the punk that i am.. and also (this is my newest excuse for being stupid) being the american i am, i don't like it.. not one bit

The angst that you have is your own ignorance. Nobody is forcing you to buy those PC games that require certain Windows OS's to run on. Just go to a computer show, plop down $100 (or less) and get XP Home Edition. You don't even need XP Pro. If you're willing to give up some games, you can pick up Windows 98 SE for less than $50.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Microsoft about to radically change how often your Edge browser updates

      By Snake Doc · Posted

      I recently tried edge. It seems a lot better. A lot of the junk in it is gone. It seems less bloated and snappy.
    • Lethal fake phone chargers are still being sold on Amazon and eBay, UK watchdog warns

      By zikalify · Posted

      Lethal fake phone chargers are still being sold on Amazon and eBay, UK watchdog warns by Paul Hill Credit: Pexels The UK consumer rights organization, Which?, is claiming that “potentially lethal knock-off chargers” are still being sold on online marketplaces seven years after it exposed the danger of these chargers. In its latest investigation, it bought 15 USB phone chargers from several online marketplaces and found they were missing key information, meaning they cannot be legally sold in the UK. Which? bought the 15 chargers from seven online marketplaces. These were Amazon (including Amazon Haul), AliExpress, B&Q Marketplace, Debenhams Marketplace, and eBay. It said that the chargers were so badly made that anyone using them was at risk of electric shock. Over half the chargers also posed fire and explosion risks. Of the chargers purchased, one was a fake Apple USB-C 35W power adaptor charger. To confuse buyers, the box was branded with an Apple logo, but testing found it to be a fake. Further testing picked up arcing sounds after 10 seconds of use, where a current jumps between two parts of the electrical circuit, which can cause fires, explosions, or electric shock. The manufacturers of this particular charger also put modeling clay inside it to make it feel more weighty, robust, and genuine. Not all of the chargers were technically faulty; however, some were missing key packaging, markings, and documentation, meaning they can’t be sold in the UK legally. Which? said that it is now campaigning alongside a coalition of safety groups and businesses for new laws that make online marketplaces responsible for ensuring the safety of products that they choose to list on their websites. It also said the government needs to start using powers under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act, which was adopted last July, to impose safety requirements on online marketplaces via secondary legislation, but so far, there have been delays. No matter what country you are in, be sure to properly research what you are buying and only buy authentic chargers to prevent fires. You can read more about Which?’s research here.
    • Visual Studio finally gets long-awaited feature that developers will love

      By Usama Jawad96 · Posted

      Visual Studio finally gets long-awaited feature that developers will love by Usama Jawad Visual Studio Code is Microsoft's popular, lightweight, open-source code editor, it is actually Visual Studio that is the company's flagship integrated development environment (IDE). Although the IDE already offers a boatload of useful features for developers, Microsoft has finally introduced a long-requested capability that will be loved by many. While developers have already been able to create Git pull requests (PRs) directly within Visual Studio for the past couple of years, it had not been possible to review a PR without switching to the browser, until now. Microsoft revealed in December 2025 that it is working on UX that enables developers to do just that, and fast-forward to June 2026, and Visual Studio finally has native capabilities to open and inspect a PR, discuss feedback, and wrap up the review, all without switching to the browser. This integration works for both GitHub and Azure DevOps (including on-prem). Developers have access to multiple surfaces to open a PR, including Git Repository, Git Changes, and the Git menu in Visual Studio. Once you open a PR, all the important details will be immediately visible to you, from where you can navigate to various levels of granularity and branch states, depending on the reviews that you are engaged in. As you would expect, you also get a diff view that enables you to see code changes inline or side-by-side in a separate panel. You can also review commit-by-commit. Additionally, this UX fosters collaboration as you can leave comments, reply to threads, and resolve conversations easily. Naturally, you can also leverage Copilot to apply a code suggestion to fix a potential issue. When you are done, you have the ability to approve, complete, and merge the PR. This is a pretty major feature as it has been requested heavily for the past few years. You can try it out in Visual Studio 2026 version 18.7, made available here recently. Microsoft plans to enhance this experience further in future releases with comment filtering, a timeline of PR activity, and more.
    • This AdGuard Family lifetime deal is still only $15.97

      By News Staff · Posted

      This AdGuard Family lifetime deal is still only $15.97 by Steven Parker Today's highlighted Neowin Deal comes via our Apps + Software section, where you can get a lifetime subscription and save 90% on a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan. AdGuard is a unique program that has all the necessary features for what they claim to be "the best web experience." The software combines the an advanced ad blocker, a privacy protection module, and a parental control tool—all working in one app. This software deals with annoying ads, hides your data from a multitude of trackers, protects you from malware attacks, and even lets you restrict your kids from accessing inappropriate content. Install AdGuard and see the internet as it was supposed to be: clean and safe. Get rid of annoying banners, pop-ups & video ads once and for all Hide your data from the multitude of trackers & activity analyzers that swarm the web Avoid fraudulent and phishing website and malware attacks Protect your kids online by restricting them from accessing inappropriate & adult content Good to know Family Plan Length of access: lifetime This plan is only available to new users Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Max number of devices: 9 Access options: desktop & mobile Software version: AdGuard Family Updates included A lifetime subscription of AdGuard Family Plan normally costs $169.99, but this deal can be yours for just $15.97, that's a saving of $157.02. For full terms, specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get this AdGuard Family lifetime deal for just $15.97 (was $169.99) Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support! Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • Microsoft releases new Windows 11 Media Creation Tool with the latest updates

      By AndyMutz · Posted

      the MCT currently downloads 26200.8653, so not completely up to date.

  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Timaximus earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Timaximus earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Rookie
      FBSPL went up a rank
      Rookie
    • First Post
      davidbazooked earned a badge
      First Post
    • Week One Done
      davidbazooked earned a badge
      Week One Done

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      499
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      174
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      160
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      84
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      75
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!