Vista, Office 2007 cracked. Kind of.


Recommended Posts

This is why there needs to be stiffer penalties in place for piracy.

If I can't afford a chocolate bar, I don't steal it. If I can't afford a piece of software, I don't steal that either.

It is just common sense.

People always bitch and moan about the cost of software, yet they don't realize the cost of _making_ said software. Software authors are real people with real daily lives. Just as you value your money, so do they.

When you pirate a program that even costs as little as $25, you could be stealing $25 from someone's family. I don't care how big or how small the company is. They work hard to create the software we use, and they deserve to be paid for it.

Just as you deserve to be paid for the work you do.

This is why there needs to be stiffer penalties in place for piracy.

If I can't afford a chocolate bar, I don't steal it. If I can't afford a piece of software, I don't steal that either.

It is just common sense.

People always bitch and moan about the cost of software, yet they don't realize the cost of _making_ said software. Software authors are real people with real daily lives. Just as you value your money, so do they.

When you pirate a program that even costs as little as $25, you could be stealing $25 from someone's family. I don't care how big or how small the company is. They work hard to create the software we use, and they deserve to be paid for it.

Just as you deserve to be paid for the work you do.

Post of the decade (Y) :yes:

because the can get it for free and the software cost to much but if they bought the software the price would go down

"but if they bought the software the price would go down"

that has to be the most moronic statement i've seen. you honestly think they will give you 'discount' if there was nobody pirating? :rolleyes:

The vista rc/beta key crack method is quite bad, as you will end up with a time-bombed vista that stops working on May 31, 2007.

there will most likely be hundreds of cracks for it by then

This is why there needs to be stiffer penalties in place for piracy.

If I can't afford a chocolate bar, I don't steal it. If I can't afford a piece of software, I don't steal that either.

It is just common sense.

People always bitch and moan about the cost of software, yet they don't realize the cost of _making_ said software. Software authors are real people with real daily lives. Just as you value your money, so do they.

When you pirate a program that even costs as little as $25, you could be stealing $25 from someone's family. I don't care how big or how small the company is. They work hard to create the software we use, and they deserve to be paid for it.

Just as you deserve to be paid for the work you do.

Software developers for mssofty get paid a yearly salary regardless of sales, like Anna. Look at Anna. Doesn't Anna look happy she's getting paid 5 figures to develop Vista?

Edited by TEMPNEGROQ

This is why there needs to be stiffer penalties in place for piracy.

If I can't afford a chocolate bar, I don't steal it. If I can't afford a piece of software, I don't steal that either.

It is just common sense.

People always bitch and moan about the cost of software, yet they don't realize the cost of _making_ said software. Software authors are real people with real daily lives. Just as you value your money, so do they.

When you pirate a program that even costs as little as $25, you could be stealing $25 from someone's family. I don't care how big or how small the company is. They work hard to create the software we use, and they deserve to be paid for it.

Just as you deserve to be paid for the work you do.

You've missed the point. I don't think many people have issues with PAYING their software but they're more displeased with OVER-paying.

It seems that the marketing people at MS still haven't found the equilibrium point on the price and demand chart seeing how many are complaining, basic economic question there for maximizing profit...

Anyone who thinks that the price of software is a good reason to pirate any piece of software is an i***t. Same goes to anyone who thinks that it is alright to pirate software. Microsoft owns the rights to the intellectual property; if you don't want to buy it, use a free alternative.

but look on the flip side...one reason why the price is out of reach for some..is because when MS spends millions to prevent some 'privacy' at a losing level..then try and recover the cost...but think about how many millions and millions MS made even with their practice...'pirates' are probably better at coding and hacking than any MS coder..until they hire the pirate...I don't think MS will lose any money..but probably gain a greater percentage of the market to just lower the price and not fight a losing battle..if you took the cost of what MS spent with OGA,WGA to how many illegal copies are actually being used...they lost money.

"edited to add"...I do agree that some measure has to be taken by MS to protect their software...but not at the expense of all the legit and honest Microsoft Customers...making it 'call home'...pain to update...activate...validate...patch this..update this OGA,WGA.

Edited by jwjw1

Why can't people just buy the damn software? :no:

Anyone who thinks that the price of software is a good reason to pirate any piece of software is an i***t. Same goes to anyone who thinks that it is alright to pirate software. Microsoft owns the rights to the intellectual property; if you don't want to buy it, use a free alternative.

Sorry, I had to register and say this, because comments like this keeps irritating me.

Not everyone lives in USA, Canada, or UK. For most people over the world Windows and Office just cost too much. For me Vista Home Basic will cost more than my month income, same as XP Home is now. And I need Premium at least, not to mention that I could take advantage of what Ultimate has to offer...

I can take 2 years loan for PC parts, that's how I'm making upgrades, but I won't do this for a piece of software. You see, every piece of hardware costs. Manufacturing, licenses, transport. Software on the other hand is a one time cost, you make it and than just duplicate it forever and sell it. No matter if MS will charge 25 or 200$ for Vista, they will make hundreds of billions on it. Hell, they would even make more money on it, if they would sell it for less. There are millions of people over the world who won't buy Windows no matter the protection that is put in it, simply because they can't afford it. And as long as they can get it for free, they won't switch to alternatives. Linux and OpenOffice aren't yet mature enough for this. Besides, there is also a matter of software people can run on Linux plus usability and eye-candy issues. Software just needs to look good and be intuitive in use.

This is why there needs to be stiffer penalties in place for piracy.

If I can't afford a chocolate bar, I don't steal it. If I can't afford a piece of software, I don't steal that either.

It is just common sense.

People always bitch and moan about the cost of software, yet they don't realize the cost of _making_ said software. Software authors are real people with real daily lives. Just as you value your money, so do they.

When you pirate a program that even costs as little as $25, you could be stealing $25 from someone's family. I don't care how big or how small the company is. They work hard to create the software we use, and they deserve to be paid for it.

Just as you deserve to be paid for the work you do.

Chocolate bar takes money and resources to make. It's a physical object. A piece of software can be replicated for free. That's how it's different. I do agree however that companies deserve to get paid for fine products they make but NOT if they charge so damn much. A lot of people simply can't afford to spend $230 on the new OS and piracy offers a good alternative. And since we can agree that any computer is useless without operating system, one is forced to either buy one of pirate one.

Software developers for mssofty get paid a yearly salary regardless of sales, like Anna. Look at Anna. Doesn't Anna look happy she's getting paid 5 figures to develop Vista?

So if no one pays for software that is being developed, how exactly do you think they'll be able to make all the hotfix's that arguably end up being needed for each product because some finds an exploit (and if it doesn't get fixed everybody bitches), when the money dries up? Are you going to write it? For free? Lets see how much you paid for your bachelor of sciences degree, and then we can talk about your idea of charity work.

Dave Penny,

Micosoft Software Advisor

*Great, here comes the flood of flames and questions*

PS, if your wallet is that tight, get Student XP, its free and legal

because the can get it for free and the software cost to much but if they bought the software the price would go down

People wouldn't buy Vista/Office 2k7 if it cost $1.50! remember the stink alot of people made over MS charging for the Office 2k7 public Beta downloads? many people want something for nothing.

To the "crack", that will easily be defeated by MS. Simply block all the BETA keys, so I doubt MS even care about it (since they technically don't need to do anything, the beta keys are most likely "time-bombed"). Sure people could distribute working RTM keys for people to use and/or crack the activation (as was done in XP) But Vista's activation is alot tougher then XP, but while it is definitely not unbreakable, is it really worth constantly cracking (possibly every month) just so you can have it for free? personally I'd rather pay and never have to worry about such things...

Software developers for mssofty get paid a yearly salary regardless of sales, like Anna. Look at Anna. Doesn't Anna look happy she's getting paid 5 figures to develop Vista?

I don't care what Anna makes.

I don't care quite frankly what Bill Gates makes.

MICROSOFT has invested more than you will ever realize into creating Windows Vista and Office 2007. The company _deserves_ to be paid for it's work.

That is like stating you won't pay $1.99 for a hot dog at 7/11 because the cashier makes $8/hr.... or the store owner made $600,000 last year.

Who cares who made what? The company sets the retail price and you either buy it you don't, but you don't steal it. That is a crime. That makes you a thief.

Whether you steal software or a piece of candy, you are a criminal. Fact is fact...

I don't care what Anna makes.

I don't care quite frankly what Bill Gates makes.

MICROSOFT has invested more than you will ever realize into creating Windows Vista and Office 2007. The company _deserves_ to be paid for it's work.

That is like stating you won't pay $1.99 for a hot dog at 7/11 because the cashier makes $8/hr.... or the store owner made $600,000 last year.

Who cares who made what? The company sets the retail price and you either buy it you don't, but you don't steal it. That is a crime. That makes you a thief.

Whether you steal software or a piece of candy, you are a criminal. Fact is fact...

Now you if you worked for MS you'ld sound like you are trying to get a raise

You've missed the point. I don't think many people have issues with PAYING their software but they're more displeased with OVER-paying.

It seems that the marketing people at MS still haven't found the equilibrium point on the price and demand chart seeing how many are complaining, basic economic question there for maximizing profit...

If you feel that you are over paying, then don't pay.

No one stating you _have_ to upgrade or even use Microsoft's software.

You make the choice to pirate it or pay for it. Don't blame the company.

If I want something bad enough, I _save_ my money until I have enough for it.

$400 in the grand scheme of things is not hard to come by. That is 80 hrs work at $5/hr. Surely you can find something to pay you that for two weeks to afford Vista? No?

So if no one pays for software that is being developed, how exactly do you think they'll be able to make all the hotfix's that arguably end up being needed for each product because some finds an exploit (and if it doesn't get fixed everybody bitches), when the money dries up? Are you going to write it? For free? Lets see how much you paid for your bachelor of sciences degree, and then we can talk about your idea of charity work.

You can lower the price to half of what it is now and still you will be able to pay-up all your employees. I will even say more! Lowering prices to half of current state will make 3 times more people buy your product, so you will make even more money on it that you're making now.

Lets get it straight, if someone can't afford buying Windows, he/she will not do so, no matter the copy protection or how irritating you'll make it to use pirated copy.

PS, if your wallet is that tight, get Student XP, its free and legal

You still don't get it, that there are countries, where you are not a student, you work 8 hours a day and earn 180-600$ per month, do you? And that's for majority of people, many of them with higher education. And no, it's not some third world. Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary... it would be easier to count countries that can afford it, than those who can't. And I would risk the statement, that there is over a billion of people over the world, who are using pirated Windows and would like to go genuine, but they can't afford it.

So if no one pays for software that is being developed, how exactly do you think they'll be able to make all the hotfix's that arguably end up being needed for each product because some finds an exploit (and if it doesn't get fixed everybody bitches), when the money dries up? Are you going to write it? For free? Lets see how much you paid for your bachelor of sciences degree, and then we can talk about your idea of charity work.

Dave Penny,

Micosoft Software Advisor

*Great, here comes the flood of flames and questions*

PS, if your wallet is that tight, get Student XP, its free and legal

Hi Dave,

I happen to agree with you.

Software requires funding. Everything that is free source eventually has money of some sort behind it, even if it is solely the author's own.

The cost that goes into creating, supporting, and then maintaining an operating system is massive. Retail cost of home user computer's simply doesn't cut it. OEM licensing, partner funding, and out-source management is required to maintain _any_ viable leading edge software solution.

While I wish I was still a student and could get Vista for free, I will shell out my money for Microsoft's products because the alternatives are still not up to speed, and software/hardware vendors will be supporting the newer versions more than the previous ones.

I run an anti-piracy website and co-operate with the SIIA. I know the struggles that software developers go through on a daily basis to protect their assets. I help a small group of authors protect their software, and while their products sell for less than $29 in some cases, I have estimated a loss of over $600,000 over 5 yrs to piracy.

These are hard working people who create their software a second job to support their families, and piracy even touches their lives.

Penalties need to be tougher for anything to be realized.

Edited by Somnus

$400 in the grand scheme of things is not hard to come by. That is 80 hrs work at $5/hr. Surely you can find something to pay you that for two weeks to afford Vista? No?

Again, depending where do you live. I get 8-9$ per 8h of work, so it would be about a dollar per hour. After paying all my bills I get left with about 50$ for food and clothes for whole month. Not too much to spend on software, eh? And there are about 20 million of people in my country that lives like this.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Samsung announces Galaxy A27 5G with 120Hz AMOLED display, expanded AI features, and more by Fiza Ali Samsung has announced the Galaxy A27 5G, its latest mid-range smartphone, bringing a handful of upgrades over last year's Galaxy A26 5G. While the changes aren't dramatic, they touch several areas that people tend to notice most in day-to-day use, including the display, performance, and software support. One of the more noticeable updates is the screen. The Galaxy A27 5G comes with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display that now supports a 120Hz refresh rate, making scrolling and animations appear smoother. Samsung has also switched to an Infinity-O punch-hole camera design, which leaves more room for the display and gives the phone a cleaner look from the front. Under the hood, the Galaxy A27 5G is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor. The company says the new chip brings improved responsiveness in multitasking, gaming, and media consumption. The company also highlights GPU performance improvements and faster memory technology, which should contribute to smoother graphics rendering, quicker data handling, and improved power efficiency. Furthermore, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy A27 5G with a 12-megapixel selfie camera that is capable of capturing a wider dynamic range and more accurate colours. Like many smartphones launched recently, the Galaxy A27 5G also places a strong focus on AI features. Circle to Search with Google now supports multi-object recognition, making it easier to search for different products or items at the same time. The tech giant says the feature can also support virtual outfit try-ons directly from compatible search results. Photo editing tools are getting some attention as well, with Object Eraser updated to deliver cleaner edits when removing unwanted objects or people from images. Meanwhile, the Voice Recorder app can now transcribe and translate speech simultaneously in one of the 22 supported languages, which could be useful for meetings, lectures, or interviews. Samsung is also expanding AI assistant options on the device, with support for Google Gemini and Perplexity alongside Bixby. The company says these assistants will work more closely with Galaxy apps, including Gallery, to simplify common tasks. Samsung continues to strengthen its long-term software support policy with the Galaxy A27 5G. The smartphone will receive up to six generations of Android OS and One UI updates, along with six years of security patches from its initial global launch. In terms of security, the device includes Samsung Knox and Knox Vault, which are designed to help protect sensitive information stored on the phone. On the flip side, while the company is positioning the Galaxy A27 5G as a step forward from its predecessor, not every change is necessarily an upgrade. One of the first things buyers may notice is the higher price tag. The device launches at $349, making it $50 more expensive than the Galaxy A26 5G's $299 starting price. The selfie camera has also been reduced from 13MP to 12MP, while the ultrawide camera drops from 8MP to 5MP. Samsung has further downgraded the phone's dust and water resistance rating from IP67 to IP64. The Galaxy A27 5G is also marginally thicker at 7.8mm. The Galaxy A27 5G will be available in select markets starting July 3 and will come in four colour options, including Black, Blue, Light Green, and Light Pink. The company will also offer Samsung Care+ coverage plans for customers seeking additional device protection.
    • Doogee and Ulefone regularly release phones with 10k-25k mAh batteries, but those are bricks. I don't understand how they could make it only weigh 220 grams with a battery that size.
    • Windows 10 quietly gets one more year of support and updates by Taras Buria Windows 10 reached its end of life at the end of 2025. Microsoft kicked off the Extended Security Updates program, aimed at giving regular consumers one more year of security-only updates. By doing so, Microsoft gave users more time and money to update their computers to a newer operating system or compatible hardware. Now, with the end of the Extended Security Updates program quickly approaching, Microsoft is making an important adjustment. Users discovered that the official support article for the program now lists a new end-of-support date: The Extended Security Updates program is not a new concept. It has been an official way for business consumers to continue receiving critical updates for unsupported Microsoft products for many years. However, all this time, it was a business-only, paid feature. With Windows 10, Microsoft brought ESU to regular consumers, allowing them to get security updates for Windows 10 past October 2025 essentially for free. When Windows 10 was approaching the end of support, many guessed that Microsoft might adjust its support timelines, and this is exactly what seems to be happening. Of course, Microsoft would love everyone to switch to new computers, such as its latest Surface devices, but in the days of ever-growing hardware prices, not everyone is lucky enough to have money for a new PC. Leaving hundreds of millions of customers with a Windows version that no longer receives security updates is a major risk that Microsoft is not willing to take. If you have a Windows 10 PC to enroll in the Extended Security Updates program, check out this guide to learn how to do so.
    • Sony announces Bungie layoffs that will affect "significant number of employees" by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Sony today announced that major layoffs are happening at its first-party studio Bungie, the developer that has spawned series like Halo, Destiny, and Marathon over the past decades. The news arrives just weeks after Bungie delivered the final update to Destiny 2, and it's that team being hit with the layoffs the most. CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Hermen Hulst revealed the staff reduction today, calling it "painful news." "Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy," said Hulst, explaining the decision. "We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals." The layoffs will be hitting "a significant number of employees" across most of the Destiny franchise development team. It doesn't look like Sony is planning to continue the series following Destiny 2's sunsetting update. The studio is said to be in early stages of looking at other projects to pivot to, but it's said that keeping the size of the team at current levels is no longer feasible. "We know this decision has a profound impact on the people affected, their families, friends, and teammates," said Bungie leadership in a separate message on social media. "While these changes are necessary to best position the studio now and for the future, that does not lessen the difficulty of this moment or the impact it has on those affected." At the same time, "some" of the Marathon development team are also affected by the layoffs. The recently released multiplayer-only extraction shooter title hasn't seen a big boom of players either, but the company is reportedly hoping that the live service experience will pick up players with future updates.
    • Microsoft adds reusable skills and finance data connectors to Copilot in Excel by Karthik Mudaliar Microsoft is giving Copilot in Excel a collection of new features aimed squarely at finance teams. The update introduces reusable instructions for common tasks, connections to services such as FactSet and Morningstar, and a better way to review what Copilot intends to do before it starts changing a workbook. The most interesting addition is 'Skills' finally coming to Copilot in Excel. Skills let companies teach Copilot how to handle a recurring process, so employees do not need to write the same detailed prompt every month. Users can create skills that can specify the steps Copilot should follow, along with the required layout, formulas, and formatting. Microsoft says users can create their own skills by saving a SKILL.md file in OneDrive. The file is written using Markdown and tells Copilot when and how to perform the task. Once it is available, a user can select the skill in the Copilot pane or mention it in a prompt using the @ symbol. There is also a library of prebuilt finance skills for customers who do not want to create their own. Microsoft plans to let developers distribute additional skills through the Microsoft Marketplace and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, with LSEG, Ramp, Rogo, samaya.ai, Velixo, and Vena among the first partners involved. The company says that it is also expanding the external data that Copilot can access from inside Excel. New connectors are being added for CB Insights, Daloopa, FactSet, Morningstar, PitchBook, and S&P Global data through technology developed by Kensho. There is a catch, however. Accessing these services may require a separate subscription from the relevant data provider, so a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence will not necessarily unlock all of them. FactSet is also only available in preview for now, with general availability planned for July. Microsoft is also trying to make Copilot’s workbook edits easier to inspect. Users can switch to a planning mode that shows which sheets, cell ranges, formulas, and assumptions Copilot intends to work with before it begins making changes. Once the work is complete, the Show Changes pane can distinguish edits made by Copilot from those made by human collaborators. The update continues Microsoft’s push to turn Excel Copilot from a chatbot into an agent that can carry out longer tasks. The company previously added an Agent Mode capable of planning and completing multi-step Excel work. Microsoft also recently acquired financial AI startup Fintool, another indication that finance is becoming a key target for its Excel AI strategy. Prebuilt skills, personalization, workbook rules, external connectors, planning mode, and Copilot attribution in Show Changes are generally available to Microsoft 365 Copilot customers using Excel on the web, Windows, and macOS. Custom skills are initially available to Microsoft 365 Insiders on Windows and Mac starting today. Microsoft plans to make them generally available across Windows, Mac, and the web over the next month. Partner-built skills are expected during the third quarter of the year. Availability may still differ depending on region and licensing.
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      kinowa earned a badge
      First Post
    • Rookie
      krychek57 went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Grand Master
      Jaybonaut went up a rank
      Grand Master
    • One Year In
      Philsl earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      438
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      169
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      134
    4. 4
      Xenon
      77
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!