Run Vista for a year!
p2pnet.net news:- A single change to Vista’s registry means it’ll run for 12 months or more without being activated, says Windows expert Brian Livingston (right).
The publisher of Windows Secrets, “Surprisingly, Microsoft has embedded into its new Vista operating system a feature that makes things easier than ever for true, mass software pirates,” he says.
“These tricksters will be able to produce thousands of Windows PCs machines that won’t demand activation indefinitely – at least for a year or more.”
This begs the question: Why would anyone want Vista in the first place?
But the activation process “will complete successfully only if the software has not been previously activated, such as on a different machine,” he stresses.
“If activation isn’t completed within the trial period, Microsoft products temporarily shut down some of their features. MS Office loses the ability to edit and save files. After Vista’s activation deadline runs out, the user can do little other than use Internet Explorer to activate the operating system or buy a new license.”
On the subject of piracy, “Microsoft describes its product activation scheme as a way to foil software pirates,” says Livingston, going on:
However, as I previously described in an InfoWorld Magazine article on Oct. 22, 2001, activation does nothing to stop mass piracy. The Redmond company actually included in Windows XP a small file, Wpa.dbl, that makes it easy for pirates to create thousands of machines that validate perfectly.
Far from stopping software piracy, product activation has primarily been designed to prevent home users from installing one copy of Windows on a home machine and a personal-use copy on a laptop. As I explained in an article on Mar. 8, buying a copyrighted work and making another copy strictly for personal use is specifically permitted to consumers by the U.S. Copyright Act and the copyright laws of many other countries.
For example, courts have repeatedly ruled that consumers can make copies of copyrighted songs or television programs for personal use (not for distribution or resale). This principle is legally known as “fair use.” The home edition of Microsoft Office 2007 reflects this principle, allowing consumers to activate three copies of a single purchased product. Microsoft Windows XP and Vista, however, allow only one activation.
SkipRearm is the heading on Microsoft TechNet.
It says:
SkipRearm specifies whether to run the Windows Software Licensing Rearm program.
Rearming a computer restores the Windows system to the original licensing state. All licensing and registry data related to activation is either removed or reset. Any grace period timers are reset as well.
This element is available in the following editions and architectures.
The Windows Vista family
All
Stay tuned.
Also See:
Computerworld – How to run Vista legally without activation … for at least a year, March 15, 2007
Windows Secrets – Microsoft allows bypass of Vista activation, March 15, 2007
If your Net access is blocked by government restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at thIs the end (of the Net) nigh?zze University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
March 16th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Why would anyone want Vista in the first place?
Or, to put it another way.
Why would anyone want Vista in the first place?
March 16th, 2007 at 11:56 am
That’s pretty wild — I wonder how long this can last. Is there any way for Microsoft to close this hole?
I guess Shelly Palmer was right — windows is “cracked”:
http://advancedmediacommittee.typepad.com/emmyadvancedmedia/2007/02/cracked_windows.html
- Joslyn
March 16th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Personally, I’m researching Linux and am going to migrate there… I’m sick to death of microshafts nazi tactics. Between them, the **AAs and ‘gov’ the future looks quite bleak for our children and all generations to come.
March 16th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Why do you think ms is whining about piracy so much? There countless copies of pirated ms software out there going all the way back to the beginning of hackers themselves. So, “Is there any way for Microsoft to close this hole?” NO! Especially since ms is purposefully putting files in their OSes just so they CAN be cracked! Takes no rocket scientist to figure out that one.
March 16th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Microsoft is ON RECORD stating that “IF YOU PIRATE AN OPERATING SYSTEM, PLEEEEEASE PIRATE OURS.” Thus, those (including myself, I admit and regret) who run a theoretically illegitimate copy of a Microsoft OS are actually SUPPORTING Microsoft’s monopoly. Running Firefox and OO.o doesn’t make you support Microsoft much less–you’re STILL dependent on Windows.
In other words, if you want to break free of Microsoft’s anti-user tactics, you have to first stop using their SHIT.
March 18th, 2007 at 7:57 am
why should i use vi$ta when there is UBUNTU!
enough said.