Vista Crack Means Big Trouble

This "so called" crack that you are going on about Joe is not a crack at all... it's a worm !
If you keep yourself up to date you would have known that Joe.

lol. its 37 degrees celcius here in Melbourne today & the air is very smokey from the bushfires in the country.

Neil:

Why do you persist in visiting this site if you hate it so much. Really dude you need to get a life. You also need to get your facts right.

There is/was a public activation server in China that you could connect your Vista Business/Enterprise and validate your copy if Vista. Then the image of this server became available as a VMS image as a torrent. The image is an already activated KMS server with >25 computers attached to it. Whilst I don't doubt that some of the so-called "cracks" are in fact worms you need to be aware this method is not a crack!!! Its genuine validation using a virtual server. If you knew what you were talking about Neil you would have known this.

This is but one of many that are sure to come down the road. MS Activation frustrates me because I am a paying customer for MSDN and Technet. The additional cost for Activation 2.0 are hidden somewhere deep in those fee's and passed on to the paying customer. If it worked and would be full proof to prevent copying I might not be upset about it but it doesn't and MS will just continue to pass the cost and additional frustration on the customer. It is really starting to make me consider if MS software is the right way to go.

After the numerous and beligerant false positives for invalid copies of Win XP I have personally seen, I am actually kind of happy to see a good Vista crack making the rounds. Why should us techs have to spend hours on the phone trying to convince some MS phone support guy in India that we are looking at the original install disc? Then come the "suspected pirate" accusations followed by a request for a cred number to purchase a new XP, then finally grudging acceptance and they give you your new reg key. What a hassle!

So Vista likes to call home to validate through KMS servers every 6 months. So what? So if the only server it ever gets to talk to is your VM ware image, it will NEVER invalidate, as long as you spot the correct update that MS trys to throw out to fix the hole. This is only the first attempt to crack Vista before public release, and it works very well. Given a bit more time, a more user friendly and reliable crack is sure to surface. So the only people facing this looming hassle will once again be legitimate owners of Vista. MS is also STILL planning to openly harass OEM Vista users for too many hardware changes while retail Vista customers will be free to do as they please hardware wise. (See first newegg review of Xppro sp2b for details) Is it really any surprise that this happened? When a pirated copy is actually "better" than purchasing the real thing you are bound to get customers who chose to go that route. Ask the guys who put Starforce (malware) on their companys CDs how well it affected their sales. (Hint: it wasn't good)

P.S. the faky crack was like 3 days ago, while the Melinda Gates edition crack was just a day or two ago. According to widespread reports, it works flawlessly on Enterprise Edition.

Actually the VMWare image route isn't totally perfect... KMS activation is only for companies with (i believe the number is) 25 volume license keys (called the n-count). Basically, there have to be 25 PCs activated with the VMWare image at any given time, or none of the computers will activate. Since you're only activating your one computer with the VMWare image, once the n-count decreases, you won't be able to activate again. For now. I'm sure someone will patch that up in one way or another.

Zach:

You are spot on. The KMS service requires 25+ computers to activate windows. Unless you commit the changes made whilst running the server in VMWare you will still have 25 machines connected every time you boot the VMWare image. The only way MS can beat this is by patching Vista through an automatic update. In saying that though anyone who is using this VMWare image probably wouldn't be connecting to automatic updates anyway.

I have heard comments on other forums that one possible method of cracking all other copies of vista is to divert the validation using hosts to resolve to 127.0.0.0 and to a local client side authentication server.

If MSFT would price the software for individual users at a more reasonable price, there would be less desire to crack the product. With Vista, they have almost priced it out of the range of the average home user, then you add in office standard and you have blown your annual software budget for two years.

It's called the law of reverse effect.
A more MSFT. try to make Vista save as more hackers try to find the ultimate crack.
It doen't really matter if one needs 25 computers to run it or you need to conect to a server in China.
And as "Art" said"If MSFT would price the software for individual users at a more reasonable price, there would be less desire to crack the product."
But the price is just one of many reasons. You can find cracks for 10 dollars softwareas well as for 500 dollars software.
Or may it's like that old saying: "Why does a dog lick his balls? Because he can!"
The fact remains that sooner or later it will be done. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a hacker and i don't suport it but the reality is such.

jonny800

Mary Jo was as ignorant and as biased against Microsoft as this guy is. I can't forget her article (still laughing), about how suppposedly Microsoft backed up from programming Vista enterily in .NET.

Yeah I agree with Art. Bring the cost down.

I guess it's a tribute to the good work the MS evangelists are doing. To be honest, given that no one will sell a home user a copy at the moment it's difficult to work out who the losers are. At least at this stage.

Anyone got any idea of Microsoft's home licensing plans? I've got ~5 machines so some kind of home site license would be nice. We've got MSDN at work which I can use at home a bit (having avoided reading the legal bits). An MSDN licence for home is tempting but it's a hell of a lot of money. I guess I want an "MSDN Home Edition" or something.

In response to Pankaj:
Well cracks will be made even for cheap software. But people are a lot more likely to buy the cheap software than go through the trouble of using a crack. MS products are so overpriced that most find it worth the trouble.

Personally, I don't understand why MS doesn't just make Vista free for personal use with no activation requirements. MS makes most of it's money from Windows selling it to businesses and computer makers anyway. The average user doesn't upgrade their OS, they buy a new computer when they feel their current one is too old. I've got family members and friends that are still perfectly happy with Win98.

So I can't believe that MS would lose that much money, especially since they wouldn't have to waste any more money fighting a losing battle against the pirates.

edi:

There is a MSDN Home Edition. Well, sorta. Do a search on the Microsoft site for an Action Pack subscription. It comes with XP (and soon Vista) as well as Office and tons of other software. It is intended for small consulting companies to help them sell MSFT products. But you can get one easily enough for the few hundred dollars (I think) it costs. Just use your name as the company name, they don't check. Plus you get 10 licenses of office and lots of other goodies.

Boy, I am so glad that Apple trusts its users and doesn't follow Microsoft's scheme of everyone is a crook until proven otherwise.

Free yourself from The Borg Collective. Join the penguins and enjoy the freedom and the many free choices.

thatguy23 asks why MS doesn't make Vista free for personal use.

The simple reason is that "personal" use is probably 50% of their market, -plus- it's a highly profitable one.

Although most home users will eventually be getting Vista in its OEM guise pre-installed, every one of us who buys a "Retail Box", be it Upgrade or Clean Install, will be paying a price nearly double that of OEM or 4x that of enterprise bulk-licenses. Personal is *profitable*.

If "personal" were free, then many people would stop buying it "pre-installed", and beg a free copy for later installation. Thus the OEM license market would be severely impacted (I was going to write "collapse", but 80% of consumers would rather pay to have it already on-board at first power-up).

I, for one, consider the $89 "available as OEM package" (used to be "-with-hardware-purchase") price for Windows XP Home to be reasonable.
Even the $129 for XP Pro isn't too bad, if you require the extra features.

Compare it to Apple's $90 every-year-or-so for
point upgrades (yes, they have fancy names, but it makes a 4-year-old Macintosh owner spend -far- more than us free Windows XP/SP1/SP2 updaters).

At home I run Windows and OS X. At work I do too, and also support a dozen or so Linux boxes. Windows is well worth its price.

Vista is not a rip off. You are not being forced at gun point to purchase and install it as soon as it comes out. MS are still going to support XP for a number of years to come. At this point your copy of XP is going to be 7-8 years old. So a couple of hundred dollars is well spent, considering I paid that the other day for a graphics card alone. And I have replaced my graphics card 4 times since XP came out. So stop whining about the price. Your not being forced into anything. Its called market forces. If the price is too high then dont buy.

Hmm, I don't think MS cares a "Rat's" about your security at all. IMHO, this is about getting us used to renting our software. I do see leased licenses as the last possible business model for software to jump to. At least for the forseable future. I would rather employ an out of work, US citizen, coder, and write a proprietary networking system once that model hit. (Remember Banyan Vines, and the like?)

If I read the details right, then I sure hope no one thinks to use a VMserver to deliberately invalidate the software, publish the keys to the net, and then use another VMWARE device to sit on the net or in a local host and act as a redirection point for validation, for about 30 days. Oh my heavens, such maliciousness, what would MS do?!

I noticed SUSE 10.2 got a lot of perky press recently too... Hmmmmmmmmm

Follow the money boys, just follow the money.....

There was a Chinese KMS server that everyone was connecting to for validation of Vista. Someone took a snapshot image of that server. The server had more than 25 PCs hooked up. Hacks have managed to freeze that image in time, so it thinks that it always has 25 or more. It works again six months down the line. Business Edition Vista and Enterprise Edition have both been pwned. That is all.

Dear William,

A discussion about price is fruitless. It will never end. Everyone has to make up there own mind about how much money he/she wants to spend on a computer.
Gun point or not.
How importend is it to you and what do you do wish to do with it.
Do you have a life or sitting in front of the screen day and night?

Mike said: "Boy, I am so glad that Apple trusts its users and doesn't follow Microsoft's scheme of everyone is a crook until proven otherwise."

That probably has a lot to do with the fact that there's relatively few Apple users compared to Microsoft users and thus so little software to pirate that it isn't worth the effort.

There will always be those willing to subvert the "evil empire" of any kind. Hackers will hack for just the challenge or fun of it. Lets be real and think about how mentally unchallenged some people are with their lives/school/jobs. Its just an outlet for them, the path of light or dark is up to them as to how they use this outlet.
Is Vista worth buying? I have no conclusive evidence that it will be worth the plastic its stamped on. XP Pro runs fine for me. I don't believe Linux is the answer for everyone either (unless you are a programmer). Let's face it: Windows works. Getting updates, adding/removing programs, and installing drivers is far less cryptic and annoying in Windows than ANY Linux distro TO DATE. If Linux could get past those hurdles, I'd be like "windows? micro-what?", but until then I'll stick to a platform that I can get things done with. Apart from work, games also suffer on Linux due to incompatibilities and need for 3rd party emulators.
Its senseless to even bother with Vista at this point. Just stick with XP, at least until Vista comes down in price (which should take a few years). Hardware requirements for the new Vista Aero interface are ridiculous. You also know, for as many times it gets said, its not available for Vista Basic, people will still think their 2year old machines will be able to run it.
I just wish OS's would stick with what they have that works and make improvements on what doesn't. This doesn't mean I'm begging for fluffy useless features, I'm demanding tighter/safer code!
MSOffice is awesome, you will have a hard time finding a more intuitive office suite. I will admit I use Open Office at home, due to the pricing of MSOffice.

It's actually a big scam. Microsoft has figured out a way to make all corporations everywhere buy yet another server with yet another set of client access licenses. So not only are you paying for your Vista licenses, you are also paying for the server, server OS, and cals to activate your vista machines in perpetuity.

It's a shame that microsoft software works so well, otherwise it'd be very tempting to dump it all for linux.

Action Pack Subscriptions are licensed for consultants and resellers ONLY. If you favour yourself an IT Pro, get a TechNet subscription instead. TechNet Plus Direct is a download-only subscription and you get stuff a lot faster than the quarterly update to Action Pack.

I'm an Action Pack subscriber and I thought about switching just because of the fact that TechNet Plus & MSDN Online Subscribers get access to downloadable RTM & Beta ISO's less than a week after they're actually released. I have to wait until the next calendar quarter, which is January, for my CD/DVD's before I get Office 2007 and Windows Vista with the Action Pack.

The only downside is that Technet Plus only allows 1 license per product per subscription. Action Pack allows 10 licenses per client software (XP/Vista, Office, etc) and 1 per each server product. The Action Pack is designed to be a cost-effective way for a reseller or consultant to legitimize software in their office while recommending or reselling more of it at full pop for Microsoft. TechNet is designed for IT people that make evaluation and/or purchase decisions based on a company's needs. If the company is NOT a reseller or consultant for Microsoft products, then the Action Pack is not appropriate.

The prices are actually a little less for TechNet Plus Direct as compared to Action Pack, but then that's likely due to the number of licenses you get (only 1 per product). The Action Pack license is NOT perpetual though - you must continue to renew and pay year after year or else your subscription will end at the end of your last paid year. TechNet Plus subs allow for perpetual licenses after you let your subscription lapse.

Renewals year-after-year on both are usually $100 less than the first year subscribing. If I remember correctly, Action Pack is $299US and TechNet Plus Direct (download) is $349US. The Action Pack is only available for Microsoft Registered-level Partners, but registering is free. Certifed and Gold-Certified Partners automatically get MSDN access as part of their Partner subscription fees (they have to pay to be at that partner level).

One more thing I should point out: Microsoft has recently changed licensing for Windows client OS's in the Action Pack. When I started a year ago, they were giving FULL license versions of Windows XP Pro, but since the summer, anyone that is a new subscriber will only get XP Pro UPGRADES! That means that your computers must have a valid OS license already attached to them (it could be 98 or up though). I suspect that is NOT going to change with Windows Vista either! TechNet doesn't have that restriction, but then, it's more designed for testing and evaluation purposes - not for actual production-use.

Oh and both, naturally, require a .NET Passport/Windows Live ID to sign up.

Hope that helps!

[quote]
Raiden :

After the numerous and beligerant false positives for invalid copies of Win XP I have personally seen, I am actually kind of happy to see a good Vista crack making the rounds. Why should us techs have to spend hours on the phone trying to convince some MS phone support guy in India that we are looking at the original install disc? Then come the "suspected pirate" accusations followed by a request for a cred number to purchase a new XP, then finally grudging acceptance and they give you your new reg key. What a hassle!
[/quote]

I agree and this is just one of the reasons I will not be buying Vista and have switched to Linux.
Mel

There are many software producers that protect their software in a very light way (a serial number) and many that don't protect at all (Lotus Notes and Domino for instance). So I wouldn't blame pirates for what Microsoft does to protect their products. It's only M$ who is to blame, IMHO.

You say 'thats the price we pay for people who steal'. Yes and no. Its also the price we pay for closed source software. None of this nonsense will ever happen to anyone running Linux, will it?

The worse this gets, the better FOSS looks.

The “hack” is nothing more than a cynical attempt by Microsoft to prevent loss of market share to Linux and OS X by making Windows as cheap as possible, thus maintaining Windows prevalence among historical Windows users. Of course, the hack could also be an example of the pathetic ability of programmers at Redmond to design attribution software invulnerable to clever deception. Take your pick.

To me, this not about price (although I do think that Vista is overpriced). I personally don't care for the idea that I have to periodically go begging to Microsoft to continue running the legal software that I paid for. I have seen too many glitches with the XP version of WGA, and the Vista version will be more complex and obtrusive. I am pushing very hard to start moving the majority of our PCs to an alternative solution (Linux and/or MACs) and only keep a few Windows/Office PCs to work with customers when we absolutely need to.

People like me who have bought new systems to find NO windows cd included... (you can PAY EXTRA for a restore disk), are ticked off enough to say the hell with it and just use a cracked version with some risk of spyware. God knows how many root kits and KNOWN spyware ones like HP / Compaq stick in the 8 gb partion of restore data you are forced to use if you ever need to do a reinstall. Yea software hackers stick it to MS and its lame excuse oh thats OEM we can't help you.

I agree with thatguy23...

Most manufacturers already preload XP with spyware and such. Best Buy preloads a backdoor now on all PCs. Why not offer an ad-loaded version of XP to offer for free and have the ad companies pay for the license.

>> That's the price we pay for people who steal. <<

No, that is the price Microsoft's customers have to pay because of the ridiculously high monopoly-supported price that Microsoft puts on versions of Windows. Why is Windows more expensive now that it was with Windows 95? Intel has added very significant features and perfromance improvements to their CPUs, yet they are less expensive now than they ever were. Why does Windows remain so expensive?

If Microsoft places a more realistic price on Vista, there would be fewer people who steal their copies, and more who buy it.

If Microsoft had less onerous licensing provisions (i.e., the ability to move it from one PC to another), there would be more people willing to buy it than steal it.

If Microsoft had a reasonably priced 5-copy version for home use....

If Microsoft had allowed less expensive versions of Visa to work with virtual machines...

If Microsoft had not abandoned the interests of its end users (instead of selling out to the media content providers)....

If... if... if...

While I realize there will always be some people who steal rather than buy, I believe it is the predatory (and illegal) business practices of Microsoft that drive more people to steal Windows.

"MS and its lame excuse oh thats OEM we can't help you."

That's right. They can't help you because OEM's can customize Windows, and Microsoft doesn't test Windows on their particular system/driver/app configuration. Driver-signing is an automated process as well, and OEM's do that themselves. There are just too many possible system configurations for Microsoft to support them all, so they leave support to the OEM that bundled it with the computer. When you buy retail off-the-shell software, you pay more, but you get transfer rights and direct support from Microsoft.

"People like me who have bought new systems to find NO windows cd included"

It annoying, but only major OEM'S (major name brands ie. Dell, HP, etc) are allowed to do that. They have a special contract and buy their software licenses directly from Microsoft. They are known as "Direct OEMs". They have a large recurring purchase contract with Microsoft. They also don't get install media from Microsoft and must pay extra for it, and of course they usually then charge the end-user for it. They can also customize the way that Windows gets reinstalled - by recovery partition, recovery disc, or install disc. Smaller computer makers (like me) don't have any choice in the matter. We have to buy OEM System Builder software from a Microsoft-Authorized Distributor. These include a hologram disc, booklet (the same that major OEM'S include too), and a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).

IMPORTANT: One of the biggest problems with WPA and WGA is that major OEM'S use a different type of Product Keys for their software installs. What a lot of users try to do is borrow someone elses generic OEM System Builder install CD and then use the Direct OEM Product Key to activate. This RARELY works. If you want re-install media for your namebrand computer, you have to order it from them, or else don't buy namebrands.

ALSO IMPORTANT: If you buy a computer from a neighbourhood store, and there is no hologram media included, its likely pirated and you got scammed. Direct OEM's have to order in large quantities (1000's at a time) and are the ONLY ones allowed NOT to include a hologram disc. There are a lot of small untrustworthy computer builders out there. For more info: www.microsoft.com/howtotell

"Why not offer an ad-loaded version of XP to offer for free and have the ad companies pay for the license."

Dell does this already. They include MyWay as their homepage provider. They're the same company that makes the infamous MyWay Search Assistant spyware and adware searchbar. Who knows what else is bundled with their systems. Sickening!

"Boy, I am so glad that Apple trusts its users and doesn't follow Microsoft's scheme of everyone is a crook until proven otherwise."

This is also for all the users that say that Windows is too expensive: Lets not forget that not quite every year, Mac users have to front $139US for the next "Service Pack" for OSX. That equates to the same price as a fresh OEM copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition. BTW: Anyone can buy an OEM copy of Windows now. You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT have to buy hardware with copies now (its in the new EULA). The only downside is that you become the OEM System Builder and have to get support from yourself. You can purchase these from another OEM System Builder such as your neighbourhood computer builder. If you're a proficient DIY'er, save money and buy OEM software instead.

IMPORTANT: Ask for it to be sold to you in an "OEM 1-pack" (they should know what you're talking about). The manual, disc, and COA will be cellophane wrapped as usual, but the entire package will be in a bubble-pack envelope with an OEM System Builder EULA on the outside. This is the ONLY legal way to buy OEM software separate from a computer. It also prooves that the software is not pirated or (more importantly) a fraudulant knockoff. Of course, if you need to build more than one computer there are also 3 and 10 packs, and they come in sealed boxes. Don't buy just the disc, manual, and COA in the cellophane - there are lots of counterfeit makers that are really good at duplicating authentic packaging, but there are none so far that package them in the single-pack bubble envelopes or multi-pack boxes.

I hope that's been educational. Hopefully now you can understand Microsoft's point of view (and mine - a legitimate OEM System Builder looking to make an honest living).

thats the price we pay for a company that want to charge rediculous prices for tehre os!!

"thats the price we pay for a company that want to charge rediculous prices for tehre os!!" (sp)

Other than free OS's that leave MUCH to be desired for end-user functionality, ease-of-use, and compatibility, name ANY OS's that are sold and I'll quickly shoot down that comment with real stats. Go ahead.

Your argument is moot, because all OS's are roughly the same amount of money. Your argument only states that any amount of money at all for an OS is "too much", which is complete and utter nonsense!

>> That's the price we pay for people who steal.

Software piracy is not stealing, never has been.

How can duplicating something constitute stealing?

If I own something and you have a copy of it, I am still furnished with my copy - it didn't miraculously go missing because you made a copy.
So is it stealing from the vendor? Only if the copy used REPLACES a purchase. Which often it doesn't.

That is why the wording and commentary we so often here about PIRACY = STEALING is a lie purpetrated by BIG BUSINESS to screw the AVERAGE JOE.

anyone who charges for anything that can be copied, be it writing, software, music, whatever should just sit down and shut the f*** up when they get their stuff copied. if something CAN be copied, it WILL. Copyright laws are absurd, its like putting a breathing tax on oxygen. The whole concept stinks of control. if you don't like your creative content being duplicated, don't create it in the first place. the whole philosophical sham about intellectual property is the biggest facade that permeates modern living in a capitalist society. f*** them all, copy what you like, if you go to jail, come out and copy twice as much to show that you won't tollerate copyright and its inherent evil.

"Software piracy is not stealing....So is it stealing from the vendor? Only if the copy used REPLACES a purchase. Which often it doesn't."

You sir, are an idiot!

Spen : Well said.

Spen : Couldn't agree more. Got a full copy of 3DS max with a mag - paid for it. Got a keygen for nothing. What did I steal? Paid for the CD, don't talk about the EULA - I don't accept it, therefore it is not binding.

Wouldn't pay for Max - not good for my uses.

So, who lost what? Not Autodesk that's for sure.

If a software manufacturer considers that laws have been broken, inform the authorities. The police will handle it. Don't bug me with your whining about intellectual property rights!

Just a thought - usually Copyright protection laws allow 10 percent copying as "fair use". Does this mean that copying ten percent of CD quality music track is "fair use"? What if that ten percent is an MPEG encoded version one tenth the size of the original?

Should companies selling "music" downloads in highly compressed format be pursued for fraud and misrepresentation? Do people realise they are being charged good money for a pale imitation of the real thing?

A pox on them all! I pay for what I consider is useful and good value - I "borrow" anything else.

Yet another asshole!

"I don't accept it [EULA], therefore it is not binding."

Then you can't use the software, plain and simple.

"Got a full copy of 3DS max with a mag - paid for it. Got a keygen for nothing."

Ya right! $3500 software for the price of magazine. Sure pal, and did you roll the magazine into a big fatty and smoke it? Get real, nobody's that stupid!

Using that keygen also means you're breaking DMCA law!

Welcome to the Socialist West, where nobody makes money on creativity, so nobody does it! Nice dark-gray look on the future. Read 1984 lately? Worship Hitler much?

Software will always be cracked the bigger the challenge the more people want to "achieve" it. Although I have personally bought two copies of xp for my computer I find myself using a pirate version because when things blow up I don't have to hassle with Microsoft. All this "protection" does is make life hard on the honest folks.

Most folks will just buy the os when they buy their machines and microsoft will by using these protective measure make a "hobby" for the rest of us. I have been messing with this stuff since the first 8080 home built machines and it really never changes... Thank God Apple doesn't get stupid with their system... mabe that is why it works.

God bless all and Merry Xmas (or whatever)

To whatanasshole (your name gives you away.)

I can't use the software? Eh? I did!

I don't believe Autodesk are stupid at all. Maybe the US computer mags don't give away full versions (minus activation).

Maybe it only occurs in civilised countries. (I know that was uncalled for, but I couldn't help it.)

I am not really sure how the DMCA law applies in other countries. If you think the law has been broken, you are obliged in the Socialist West to report it to the authorities.

I wish you all the best for Christmas, and have a happy and prosperous New Year.

Unbelieveable that there are still people who don't know that you can steal something without physically removing it. With a Windows Vista copy you buy the right to use it on one (and only one) computer. It's not copying or downloading the physical data that constitutes stealing, it's using the data without permission. So if you use software without paying for the rights to do so you may call that stealing. If software piracy isn't stealing would I be allowed to access your bankaccount and "download" the money to my account? It wouldn't be stealing because I'm not removing actual money, just changing some data in de banks computer. Thanks!

Erik - very bad example. When you transfer money from one bank account to another, you deprive the original account holder of that money. Copying a piece of software doesn't affect the original owner in any way. So it's a victimless crime, unless of course you consider M$FT as a victim in this situation.

There is a really simple solution to all this crazy piracy. you will never get rid of all of it.. but you can deplete a large majority of it.. DROP THE PRICE TO SOMETHING AFFORDABLE!!! like $50.. duh!!

well... i think you will find very interesting what i have tosay. I installed windows vista a few days after it's release as RC2 ultimate. Of course, after 30 days i got a message that sayed that i have to activate my product, but i closed it. My computer was running a little over 2 days when that happened. 18 days later i unfortunateley had to restart it, and guess what! windows was not working anymore and required activation... in the hope that i could work my way arround that, i clicked other ways to activated and choose the phone call. The software gave me a Romanian phone number where i called and i was transfered to the US activation service. A microsoft employee answered... i think her name was Christie, and asked me for the first 6 digits of the activation number and in a few minutes she gave me the activation key. Now i'm proud to say that my windows vista displays a Microsoft genuine product logo in stead of the 30 days trial period :D

So Acidripp enjoys wasting valuable time making asinine phone calls to call centers. Throw this guy a parade. Guess he better get used to the inevitable slowness which comes with prolonged windows use, or get back to them later after a reinstall.

So has anyone tried the crack for windows using the VMware?

When I get back from class I'm going to download it and try it.

However I do not want spyware and all that supposedly comes with it on my system.

Anyone know?

All the money they put into developing different versions and anti-pirate measures, could have been used to lower the price.
If the only sold one version (premium), and lowered the price so everyone could afford it, no one would use a pirated version.
That would also mean that they could sell more copies, and in the end make the same profit...

Think they made a big mistake with WGA.....now if someone breaks it theyre also in a lot of trouble with theyre legit copies

Hi.
Now,lets see here we can comment the all things for Ms.
F U C K I N G Microsoft programers and Bil Gates.
Hey Bastard put your Windows Vista in your ass,becouse i\'dont want to install it.Then i will not buy super computer like your,you need to be in jail when you steal the first program that you make.
I see how you play on Xbox 360 i you can\'t play.
Godbless the hackers becouse without the world is lost.Becouse you make illegal software that broke the computer and all Microsoft make virus.
Every time i see Vista i LIKE UBUNTU or Fedora but i don\'t like language support on it.I hate this romanian becouse they are animals.I love Russia

ok first of all, your name should be withoutbrain, second of all, this is an english forum if u cant speak it, find somewhere else to b*tch. i do not support microsoft's decisions, but i do not support hackers, and their stupid little fan club members.

One note... Most of us homeusers are game players. XP does great for that, but when the games start going over to DirectX 10 only and you HAVE to have Vista, that is where the line will be drawn. Vista already eats 8 GB of hard drive just for install... and as I have recently discovered, 40% of that dreaded code is dedicated solely for the purpose of anti hack and/or protection schemes.

IMHO, if game manufacturers would start coding for Linux ports, I guarantee M$ would start dropping prices for their OS. Linux is cheaper, faster, and... OMG dare I say it? ... Virus and Crash resistant. I have yet to see a Linux system crash under normal use.
Game manufacturers port their games to several different platforms (Nintendo, Playstation, XBox, etc.) So really how hard is it to make a port for Linux? Linux can already run some MS apps so the coding shouldnt be too far off.

Just a suggestion to all game manufacturers...MORE LINUX PORTS.. :)

Rob:
you should support hackers my friend, without hackers you would not have the technology that your precious operating system uses. What you really mean to say is that you do not support anyone who comes against the brainwashing trash that the corporate world tries to incorporate into everyone's everyday life, not for your benefit, but for the benefit that hopefully one day they will have controlling power over whatever agenda that they may muster, No you sir do not support the individuals who come against this dictatorship in order to restore the balance, And in light of your previous comment you do not have any consideration for other individual opinions on the matter O GOSH, just like big business, To the russian, I am sorry for the inconsiderate response "western" people make. Forgive them, they have not lived in the conditions or the type of government you have endured which may be the reason why western products have half ass language support for countries (a.k.a. the people) that they consider a "risk" or "non-performing".

Yeah I used the kms server crack on enterprise edition, it works perfect, you edit the virtual vista image script a slight bit so it always thinks that 25 pcs are activated on it, totally perfect!!!! I dont see any differences from the ultimate edition and enterprise besides enterprise came with ms office preinstalled along with a few other good apps!!

I have 2 copies of VISTA - on 2 macs.
One is the KMS server method, works perfectly!
The other is the "rearm" crack, my 'evaluation' copy of vista ultimate has een running well past 30 days. and the timer hasn't gone down a single second!

FUCK Microsoft, i'll never pay for windows, it's just not worth any money. If it was ever made uncrackable, 'so what'- i'll just stick to OSX and LINUX...

In fact this message is coming via a [k] VISTA!!

cheers,
TR_606

I presentley have to [K] VISTA's. One is the KMS server VMWARE method. The other is the "rearm" trick - my leaked retail copy of ultimate edition has not lost a single second of it's 30day trial in over 4 weeks!

Fuck M$hit, i'll never pay for windows, it's just not worth any money. If it ever was made truely uncrackable - "so what?", i'll just stick to OSX and LINUX.

VISTA = XP but shiney.

cheers,
TR_606

I presentley have to [K] VISTA's. One is the KMS server VMWARE method. The other is the "rearm" trick - my leaked retail copy of ultimate edition has not lost a single second of it's 30day trial in over 4 weeks!

Fuck M$hit, i'll never pay for windows, it's just not worth any money. If it ever was made truely uncrackable - "so what?", i'll just stick to OSX and LINUX.

VISTA = XP but shiney.

cheers,
TR_606

Hello All,
Please STOP this offensive conduct. If you do NOT like Microsoft or Microsoft products do NOT use them. Why do you feel the need to STEAL. Many programmers, like myself, work very hard to provide the consumer with a high quality product. Now you all cry and weep becuse Microsft asks for you to enter ONE TIME an activation code and check to see if it is legal code. Come-On stop the theft. Pay for what you use or STOP using it and please stop crying.

Mike

You know the root of all these argues (or topic), is the market... More known as pricing of softwares.. If the price is quite affordable for standard consumers, they will prefer to have those licensed product than to have pirated copies for a cheaper price... AT least you'll got all the support that you need when using Genuine copy..

I wouldn't buy vista just yet. A lot of you speak about the *ugh* high quality of this products, fact is that all previous Ms Os's had many leaks, flaws and holes in them. I started to use XPpro only after SP2. There is no reason to believe that vista will be bug/hole/whatever free. I think that vista is way overpriced, certainly for this first release. If people like us just don't buy and use it, MS will drop it's price and will be forced to listen and deal with our complaints.
For the average joe (and jane) windows is the only real solution yet. Ms knows and exploits this. If vista was like 50-60 dollars many just would go buy it instead of obtaining it otherwise.
This way Ms gets money instead of nothing...

A whole new crack just got released which will copy the patched stoptimer.sys to system folder and install a new service named timerstop to stop kernel-mode timers in spsys.sys system file. In other words it just tricks the timers to stay on 30days and never expire. Also if you have an evaluation copy it removes the watermark.

i like windows vista, i have cracked my copy myself, it is fully activated and as long as i dont download the windows validation update then im fine. if it ever goes wrong then i have the virtual server method. and if that ever goes wrong then i have the evaluation timer crack. basically im covered from all angles and my system is fully clean of trojans. im not going to be without vista just coz i cant afford it! you should pay for software if you can afford it, but software should be available for everyone (and i dont mean freeware alternatives).

Hello all :)
i wanna ask u about vista ultimate..i´ve installed it but now i don´t know how to cracked it... So SOME RANDOM GUY cau u help me? Or anybody? PLZ
Please contact me on my mail:
s5mail4you@gmail.com

Thank u all!
Katya

You speak of "people" stealing software. In euroland where I live, Vista pro is selled 445 euros (300 for one update). This is a incredible THEFT, dot.

1) 3 games over 4 do NOT work any more
2) few or no Directx 9 support : try to run F.E.A.R. for example !
3) no OpenGL support
4) 2 programs over 5 do NOT work any more or are not compatible (Nero 6, WinDVD 5, most antivirus and firewalls, etc etc)
5) this OS is a system hog, a bloatware. Tens of unusefull services or processes running for what ???
6) Aero glass style is a total piracy from Linux, yes, a 445 euros copy, what I call this a THEFT

So, why do I have to pay for that piece of crapware ? Just because Microsoft has exclusive monopoly on OSes and especially future DirectX 10 ?
Please, give me ONE good reason... Even if it was for free, no Thanks !

You speak of "people" stealing software. In euroland where I live, Vista pro is selled 445 euros (300 for one update). This is a incredible THEFT, dot.

1) 3 games over 4 do NOT work any more
2) few or no Directx 9 support : try to run F.E.A.R. for example !
3) no OpenGL support
4) 2 programs over 5 do NOT work any more or are not compatible (Nero 6, WinDVD 5, most antivirus and firewalls, etc etc)
5) this OS is a system hog, a bloatware. Tens of unusefull services or processes running for what ???
6) Aero glass style is a total piracy from Linux, yes, a 445 euros copy, what I call this a THEFT

So, why do I have to pay for that piece of crapware ? Just because Microsoft has exclusive monopoly on OSes and especially future DirectX 10 ?
Please, give me ONE good reason... Even if it was for free, no Thanks !

Wouldn't it be great if Microsoft went bust because of [k] copies of their shoddy OS.

They deserve nothing less..
I openly encourage & distribute copies of the Vista retail DVD, with KMS server images. I really wouldn't want my worst enemy paying for this dross.

Sir,
The BASTARD Microsoft people sell VISTA for a very huge price.
Cts

At a cost of $800 Aussie dollars for Vista premium & another 800 for office. Is it any wonder its cracked. How many kids people on low incomes including Asia can afford this It is exploitation & eliteism. To Bill the 60 billion dollar man, the Indians whom most would not be able to afford call it Karma.

I remember reading somewhere that windows vista's digital rights management system specification is quite possibly the longest suicide note in history.

I do not support piracy, however it is not theft, rather deprivation of *potential* profit. There is a fucking difference, they are not losing money, just losing the potential to make more. I do however strongly object to overpriced software which is of poor quality and who's licencing system serves only to restrict the end user from utilising software for which they have paid for.

i'd gladly contribute to the vista cracking effort - as the sooner its cracked the better. but it would only be for fun as the days of microsoft being commonplace are numbered. linux has progressed enormously over the past 10 years and will continue to do so. ubuntu for the win :)

FYI quake4 can, with a little mucking around, work natively under linux. as with a few other major titles - the revolution is just around the corner.

I have a legitimate retail copy of home XP but I like to experiment with my computer which means overclocking,tweaking and upgrading hardware. I also game occasionally, but not as much as life is far busyer with more exciting things to do. Anyway my point is I have lost my data many times and corrupted my windows login (even a few times with viruses, damn these idiots that make them) and as a result have had to format. I did have a key and used that a few times until it wouldnt activate anymore. I phoned up msn and explained that I have had a comp issue and they re arm it, install again and all is dandy. Accept 1 day i lost the cd-key that came with my product. That was it case closed I could no longer re-arm that copy of windows.., even though it was paid for, legit and the actual disk was siting in my hand. This made me mad, because I had moved house a few times and obviously the key had gone walk about (not stuck on my computer). That was my money down the drain. I mean if xp worked most well most og the time (accept when i overclocked and corrupted my instal of windows) I wouldnt have really mind, but in reality XP jus isnt that amazing for the avg gamer/video watcher etc. Add/remove programms is great but once you install av, and a few apps your boot time slows down along with your browing. Explorer starts crashing, the errors add up etc etc. The only app i really think was worth every penny is office, because its never crashed and I use it for work so much.

Now that my xp disk was obsolete i was not gonna buy another copy, so i just downloaded xp home edition and install/cracked it. Now does that make me a theif. Without those hackers i would have had to pay for 2 copies of windows. Software piracy is impossible to stop, and I dont believe in stealing.., but sometimes you are forced into that situation where without those who steal windows i would have been stuck.

Now we come to vista, and the argument of hackers, how they ruin those who pay for the product. Everyone has their own morals, if you want to pay for it fine, but that doesnt mean everyone else is like you. There is no way in hell i could afford a retail copy of vista home premium, its jus taht darn expensive. I even think home basic, which doesnt even have aero at retail over £100 is crazy. I know its something that may be used for many years, but i play some of my games for years and they werent even 1/3 of the price of vista. Also the way i use my computer OEM is out of the question. I cannot believe anyone would think £179 for vista home premium retail is worth that amount of money. And ultimate, being almost double the price is just insane.

What it comes down to is if you are poor, or dont have lots of money you cannot legally use this product unless it is oem, so many will lose out unless their is piracy. I dont think it is fair for microsoft to prevent these ppl from usinga product..., that for most ppl is the only software they are familiar with. If i let some of my freind use linux, or macOS they wouldnt even know where to start. All university computers use windows, so without it they cannot process docs at home and take it into uni etc. Now thats jus an example of how windows dominates in some respects everyway we use our computers. Wihtout windows i couldnt send emails, play the games i want to or do the things i do on my comp. I am truly interested in vista, and will save up hard earned cash to get a retail copy. I will buy it because it's new and i will be playing dx10 games.

This rant may seem a lil unnecessary to some, but how can you blame ppl for using pirated vista. Not everyone wants to spend a bucket load of cash on an os.., but a lot of ppl would want to use this os. DX10 being my reason. In the end it is just the way things are. I am glad that ppl pirate windows...., because without them i wouldnt have an emergency backup if my liscense atkes a turn for the worst.

This is such an informative article. If one had not previously known the current method of cracking Vista then this article puts a loaded "gun" in there hand and points them at a crowd of people.

As far as comments about macs not charging as much...well thats a trade off. Cost of hardware is higher but it doesnt break as often. And the way macs handle software coupled with there built in virtual drive make them a snap to pirate software for.

Vista doest cost too much money. If you dont agree go to hell. It would be like charging 300 dollars a month for public transportation. I need an OS to run my PC. With all the new hardware out i need an OS designed to optimized my fancy new PC. Sure i could get linux and istead of having unlimited software options for my fancy new pc i could ram my thumb in my ass.

I agree with the statement made about the price of vista being so high is for one reason only. To get us poor stupid consumers used to renting software. The day that idea comes to fruition is the day i lead the revelution to MR. Gates doorstep.

forgot one comment> I am currently using a pirated copy of xp as well. For on simple reason. The original i bought was XP SP1. I slipstreamed it with SP2 and tried to do a fresh install and the key no longer worked.

Why if i slipstream a disk with all Windows updates, no other fancy updates or slipstream packs from various websites, does MS no longer want to recognize my KEY?

And what do those of us who do periodic formats and fresh installs of Windows supposed to do when they say we've abused our KEY by activating to many times supposed to do?

your mom:

If you have a legitimate key then you can activate by calling in. I too went through that hassle when I slipstreamed my backup to sp2. It wouldnt activate even though it was a legitimate key. Use the windows activation, and call in. It takes u to someone in India. They'll have you activated in about 5 minutes.

In my opinion, Vista is really a waste of time.. especially right now. Stick with XP, go Linux or MAC OSX.. Who's afraid of the big bad Vista...

Davo: The idea that MS is only losing potential profit and not actually losing money isn't really valid. They already spent the money (and believe me, it was a lot of money) to develop Vista, including the salaries of many hard working programmers (who greatly outnumber the few not so hard working execs) whose biggest concern still is making money to feed their families and send their kids to school. They won't even BEGIN to make a return on this investment for some time, and yes they will make a great profit, but this is the nature of business. This profit goes to fund the next version, which will involve the continued careers of these same hard working programmers.

The idea of losing potential profit honestly makes pirating software sound even more like stealing shoes than it actually is. Already all the money that has gone into those shoes has gone into them.. They are already finished. Just as those intitial 5+ development years leading to Vista's release are already finished. The retailer, just like microsoft, is now just looking to make a return on their investment. Whether they actually lost something physically tangible is irrelevant.. they are all looking for the same thing. They invested money into their product, and now they're seeking a return to first break even, then make profit. Profit that will perhaps prevent the laying off of the previously mentioned hard working programmers.

I won't be buying Vista. I'm on gentoo at this very momeny. But as a programmer (and especially one who's largely self employed, unable to hire entire teams to defend against software piracy), I feel the need to explain to people just how wrong they are when they say stealing software isn't wrong because they didn't have to stuff it in their jacket.

Hell, I only just 'upgraded' to XP from W98 about 2 months ago. I did this purely to get apps working. If it were not for this, I'd still be using DR-DOS 6.0..

The thing is, Microsoft spent $6 billion developing Vista. In two years they expect to have sold 200 million copies. Assuming it was fair to double their money, they could double their money in just these two years alone if they sold it for $60.

Now we all know that Vista will continue to sell for more than two years, as do we know that you can't buy a copy as cheaply as that.

I would actually be prepared to buy the full version if it came in at under $100. But it doesn't, nor will it. So, I'll just continue to reinstall my copied disk of XP with SP2 every 28 days.

It's not opening me up to extra virii to do it this way, nor is about an hour a month a big price to pay.

In closing, thank-you Microsoft for teaching me that if you can fuck the little guy to do it. Guess what? I'm fucking you.

Regards.

There is one thing that people on here are not asking themselves and Microsoft does not want you to ever ask.

WHY DOES MICROSOFT SELL YOU THE SAME PIECE OF CRAP OS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN???

I purchased Win95. Problems. Problems. Problems. Short lived OS.
I purchased Win98. Problems. MORE Problems. MORE Problems. Short lived OS.
I purchased WinME. LESS Problems. LESS Problems. Problems. Short lived OS.

How long did it take for XP to finally work right? Try NEVER.

Spent $189.00 damned dollars on XP Pro. SP1 then SP2. Spent months learning how to tweak and set up properly. Most programs work just fine but anything with advanced graphics or advanced sound editing. HANGUP after HANGUP.

Now Microsoft is actually trying to pander INCOMPLETE AND BUGGY SOFTWARE.

Why would I care to upgrade? I don't. NOT ONE FREAKING BIT.

But this is how Microsoft will force you.

Direct X 10 for better graphics support in newer cards. No such support for those cards in XP.
Less support for XP Pro in both software and hardware.
Speculation and talk of charging for future XP updates.

Microsoft is a dirty company with a filthy track record of selling customers that same garbage over and over again simply because harware changes and they do not ever want to design an OS that is fully capable of adapting to those changes.

This is something I write not because I hate Microsoft, but rather because I have spent so much money in time on a product that is required to run the software that I really want to use and have had nothing but trouble doing it.

The job of an OS is not to link me to the internet or give me a paint program. The job of an OS is to run my hardware and allow the programs I WANT TO USE to run without error.

Microsoft has failed at the primary and only job that any OS is created for.

Worse than that. They charge customers for the same mistake they make over and over again on purpose. Even worse. THEY CHARGE MORE AND MORE MONEY.

what about users who don't go online with there computer. If they don't phone home in 180 days will there computer shut down?

Does this mean people can't keep a computer from the internet if they so choose?

"Paying up for a legit copy of Vista would be better way to go, if for no other reason than it's the right thing to do."

You present yourself as one of small mindedness. Could it be that your perception of the world is a mere black and white? It is not only the right, but the obligation of humanity to exercise civil disobedience when conscience guides them thusly. To feign ignorance regarding even the notion that a fair portion of Microsofts business ethos has earned dissension is inane at best.

It's nice the price M$ charge us here in Brazil. If I want a Windows Vista I have to pay from R$500,00 to R$1000,00 (from USD 250,00 to USD500,00)!!!! Do you know how much is the base salary of the population? Near R$360,00 (USD 180,00). And the absurd is that I do not have the "right" to choose. Most applications run on Windows. M$ do everything to kill the competition. If I could play the games and applications I want on linux, then I think M$ could charge whatever price they want.
I don't know how consumer representatives do not fight back.
Let's buy Windows Vista instead of food.

Another great vista 'trick' - go down your local PC chain store, and write down/photo the key on the side of the tower.!!

Or use magical jelly bean finder (installed on USB mem stick) to pull out the product key!
I managed to get 14 working product keys in 20 minutes. I don't even use windows, but i know plenty who do..

last i hear Mr bill had a shit load of cash ....even if i COULD buy a legid vista...i would hate my self if my money went into is already overflowing pockets....a flawless crack is just a matter of time...anything can be cracked it a
fact..

I HAVE TO USE A CRACKED VERSION... ALONG WITH THE REST OF THOSE HERE IN USA WHO CANNOT USE ENGLISH ONLY VERSION AND CAN'T AFFORD ULTIMATE VISTA (and certainly not on more than one computer)

I buy an computer and it's full of spyware and NO I DON"T WANT FUCKN AOL!!! And a 30-Day Office trial "certificate of authenticity"...WTF? Taking up my hard drive space. Imagine an average joe making a full backup of all the junk!

All my computers Legit XP and Vista Licenses, but I can't even install the SAME SOFTWARE from scratch, or of a different language. WHERE IS THE MONEY LOST!?!?!? GIVE ME A BREAK!

MS CAN GO TO HELL!! AND SO WITH ALL THE COMPUTER MAKERS WHO PUT SO MUCH USELESS SHIT IN A BRAND NEW COMPUTER!

people,

like, he's in the bathroom right now. making all sorts of weird noises and s@%t - sweet mother of pearl. oh god donny no!

Some people get their thrills off of using/obtaining pirated software, not because they are to cheap to pay just because its more exciting to download software/pc-games ect for free. The thrill of getting cool things for free and brag about it. I cant remember ever paying for any software regardless of price for the past 8!! apply patch her or crack there its so frekin exciting and addictive, Torrents rule + High speed broadband!!

While people are waiting for a new pc game to hit store shelves, you get a new pc game 1 or 3 months earlier playing the hell out of it, then pay for it later if you want to play online multilayer. cheers!

The price is too high for home users, the DRM and activation turns a lot of people off from buying it (memories of XP start to surface once again).

People are so right that those many many Billionaires and the hundreds and hundreds of multi millionaires at Microsoft are struggling to survive and feed their kids and put them through school.

Microsoft needs to charge a fair and reasonable cost for their software if they truly want to reduce Piracy, until they do they will spend hundreds of millions (maybe Billions) of dollars on piracy measures and restricting people's use of their legitimately owned software and only piss their customers off even more as time goes on and create more and more people who would prefer to download the cracked more perfect version of their software (IE: NO DRM restrictions and no Activation hassles) to make life easier and how it should be.

But as they say the more money people make the more money they want, A US institution of the Greed is Good Principle, and one which will eventually be their own undoing I think, maybe then they will realize the price they were charging was way to much.

The next few years will be interesting.

?

Vista is kind of expencive but the price will go down. For me Vista is usless because it does not run MAME emulator properly, some other games dont work well either. What is the point of Vista anyway? <<<answer that!

I will never buy another Microsoft product after going through the attempt to reactivate a Windows XP machine while deployed. (after paying $200 for the Retail box OS) After 2 weeks of trying to reactivate without easy access to phone or internet I found someone with a cracked copy and used it without having to deal with the Anti-Piracy reactivation. Microsoft, people use your OS in areas that phones and internet are not readily available. And to those that say that what I did was wrong, and I should have just gone without, screw that, hell, microsoft should have to pay me for the 3 weeks I was unable to use my computer, but of course, all liabilities like that are covered in the EULA which does everything but steal your soul these days.

Linux for the people Windoze for the sheeple

Mehh-h-hr

That's Right! There's no need to buy anything from MS. Why should we pay that smelly giant, who is trying to enslave us? First it made itself a standart, and now it makes us follow. Use free OS & software for work in offices, if u wanna play a game, find a cracked version of windows and use it at yer home. Why should we pay 300 bucks MS tax for OS, if we just wanna play the game(which costs 30$)? I think, Bill is rich enough to last the rest of his life. In fact, who needs him to last another day, anyway?

*NEW CRACK METHOD*

Easy One-Click activation of windows Vista (ANY version)

Just Google search for PARADOX OEM VISTA Crack (or similar)
Easily available from demonoid, Keznews, Pirate bay etc.

No TIMESTOP - PROPER ACTIVATION!!!

Together we can bring microsoft to it's knees!

If you like to spend money then buy microsoft products. If you want productivity in the home or office, then use open source. Nuf said.

Dear Mr. Gates,

We can’t afford to buy your software’s every now and then. Don’t forget that if you make these products cheaper you will have 90% Genuine Microsoft Users around the WORLD!!!!!. China and many Asia countries won’t duplicate your products if they are cheap (Cheap in terms of Money). I guess they are earning more than you Mr. Gates(Microsoft) by selling duplicate products. lol

By making cheaper ...$$.. products the only problem Microsoft will face is you will need to make your products in mass quantity. Mr. Gates, there is a world beyond USA. Think Big, Think Microsoft!!!
I appreciate whatever Microsoft develops but find it too expensive to buy a genuine copy for my kids…

As I mention before, I love Microsoft products. Keep up the good work.

Fond regards

Zubin Wadia

Vista 64bit is as buggy as shite anyway, I honestly feel like I'm back in the days of Win 95. I'm even getting blue screens, thought they'd died a death with XP RTM. If I'd paid for this heap of junk I'd be livid.

To,all

It's been a long time everyone trying to crack
The Microsoft software. But the main reason why..
Is the high price value of one software.
If all of Microsoft Software affordable and reasonable price and atlease 2 to 3 computer that you can install the software.

Then I think Nobody will spend a lot of time doing crazy thing.
To crack the keygen activation.Pirating software.

I hope someday "Microsoft" or Bill Gates realiaze.
He need to change all microsoft price to a affordable and reasonable price..atlease as the same price or a littebit higher than SUSE linux or Xandros software.

This the main reason why consumers
Buy A pirated copy or software..

Fyi,
RC