Pirated Vista May be Useless

[monky91]

Microsoft says supposedly pirated copies of its new Vista computer operating system "will be of limited value" to those who use them.

Microsoft responded to reports that some Web sites have been circulating pirated copies of Vista and the Microsoft Office 2007 applications suite.

The pirated Vista comes with a product key that users can enter to activate a version of the products on their computers without paying for them, according to a report on the Web site of The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald newspaper. A product key is a unique serial number tied to each package of a software product.

A second download, called an "activation crack," can then be applied that bypasses the activation process intended to guarantee that the Vista version being downloaded is legitimate, the Herald reported. Pirated copies of Office 2007 can be downloaded just with the product key with no second activation code required.
Apps Will Expire

But Microsoft said in a prepared statement that those pirated copies of the OS won't work for long.

"The copies available for download are not final code and users should avoid unauthorized copies which could be incomplete or tampered. This unauthorized download relies on the use of pre-RTM [release-to-manufacturing] activation keys that will be blocked using Microsofta??s Software Protection Platform. Consequently, these downloads will be of limited value," the statement said.

Microsoft is still looking into reports of pirated versions of Office 2007 and declined further comment.

"Microsoft is happy that customers are eager to begin using Windows Vista," the company said.
Vista's Launch Schedule

Microsoft has been criticized for multiple delays in bringing Vista to market, but has said it wants to take care that the product is designed correctly to avoid security flaws, piracy problems, and other software glitches.

The company released Vista to computer manufacturers November 8 for them to build into new laptops and desktops available for retail sale in January 2007. Consumers can start buying individual copies of Vista January 30.

Microsoft also plans to have Vista in the hands of business customers by the end of November. It has scheduled a Vista launch event in New York City on November 30 when the new Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 will also be introduced.

Source : http://pcworld.com/article/id,127890-page,1/article.html

Hmm, this is just for now, but how about when a real- DVD - copy of Vista was released?

 

[IIN Operator]

It's ridiculous to say that Vista won't be pirated. The truth is that every software program can eventually be cracked and will be if it is of significant popularity. These anti-piracy features are a cheap gimmick to get Wall Street to raise the price of Microsoft stock. Nobody ever said that the people who decide stock prices are very smart, because they aren't (otherwise, they wouldn't feel the need to throw CEOs of bankrupt companies in jail because they wouldn't have over-rated their stock prices to begin with). The secret about Wall Street is that you should invest in a stock right before the launch of a big product and sell the stock before that big product flops, shocking Wall Street. Wall Street actually increased Coca-Cola's stock price when they introduced New Coke and they are going to or already have increased Sony's stock price for today's release of the Playstation 3, which is doomed to fail miserably because they've doubled the price from what the first 2 Playstations launched at and nobody in their right mind will pay $600 for a game system.

 

[Zenax]

I will have to agree with IIN Operator on this one, because who in their right mind would buy a console for $600?

Moving onto monkey91's point, again IIN Operator is right, because every piece of software that is released, eventually has a crack available, and security broken down.

Now matter how hard you make it to destroy the security, it can still be done, as nothing is invincible.

Regards,
Zenax

 

[monky91]

SO that's mean, using a pirate software is more worth?

 

[Zenax]

Using pirated software does more damage then its worth. Shouldn't be used!

 

[monky91]

What do you mean by damages, I used to use Winrar 3.4 which was patched so that it don't have the time limitation. ( That is call pirate I think ), but it don't show any damages on my computer anyway.

 

[Starshine]

What do you mean by damages, I used to use Winrar 3.4 which was patched so that it don't have the time limitation. ( That is call pirate I think ), but it don't show any damages on my computer anyway.

Not damage to you ... but to the company. They lose money. If you didn't pay for the software or product you are using and found a way around the security ( like demos, activation code cracks, etc ) ... the company is losing money.

Its like going into a store and stealing candy bars ( varied in price - use to be a quarter for the good stuff ) ... it doesn't hurt you ( unless you are caught ) and how does it hurt anyone else?

The store you stole from loses money because those things weren't sold ... etc. It goes up the chain ... in the end, it may not seem like a lot, but when it happens a lot - its a major thing.

 

[Zenax]

StarShine be correct!

 

[DecemberGuild]

Not damage to you ... but to the company. They lose money. If you didn't pay for the software or product you are using and found a way around the security ( like demos, activation code cracks, etc ) ... the company is losing money.

Its like going into a store and stealing candy bars ( varied in price - use to be a quarter for the good stuff ) ... it doesn't hurt you ( unless you are caught ) and how does it hurt anyone else?

The store you stole from loses money because those things weren't sold ... etc. It goes up the chain ... in the end, it may not seem like a lot, but when it happens a lot - its a major thing.

Addition: You're pirating because you like the software and refuse to pay, right? Well, if you steal from them, they make no profit (and in fact lost money) and may not be able to afford to make more software in the future. Same deal with DVDs, music, and everything else that's pirated.

 

[Aquilus]

Well, they said excactly the same thing about Windows XP, didnt they?

 

[Cubeform]

Well, they said excactly the same thing about Windows XP, didnt they?

The problem with Windows XP was that legitimate XP was made useless

 

[Lucky75]

I have complete faith in the hacking community that it will be hacked, and hacked well.

 

[Lucky75]

Not damage to you ... but to the company. They lose money. If you didn't pay for the software or product you are using and found a way around the security ( like demos, activation code cracks, etc ) ... the company is losing money.

Its like going into a store and stealing candy bars ( varied in price - use to be a quarter for the good stuff ) ... it doesn't hurt you ( unless you are caught ) and how does it hurt anyone else?

The store you stole from loses money because those things weren't sold ... etc. It goes up the chain ... in the end, it may not seem like a lot, but when it happens a lot - its a major thing.

I agree in principle, but there are still a few software packages I would not buy. For example, If I am doing small amounts of web design and need to use Macromedia Studio once every month and a half, why should I pay the 800 dollars or whatever it is to use it that infrequently? These prices are geared towards people who use the Macromedia products for profit, and should therefore pay higher prices than those of us who use it for convenience purposes.

I am 100% against company piracy, but I have nothing against cracking software for individual, occasional use. Nor do the software companies themselves.

 

[Micro]

Well my view is, if you do crack something (like Photoshop, 3dsmax, etc), and then you later go on to use it in your career, the company you work for will buy a license, so the company that made it will get their money in the end.

 

[Lucky75]

Well my view is, if you do crack something (like Photoshop, 3dsmax, etc), and then you later go on to use it in your career, the company you work for will buy a license, so the company that made it will get their money in the end.

yep. This is true. And not only that, but because you are used to using that software or tool, you may then go on to convince your company to buy multiple liscences. In a way, it is better for the company to hook you on it while you dont really need to pay for it.

 

[clareto]

Well my view is, if you do crack something (like Photoshop, 3dsmax, etc), and then you later go on to use it in your career, the company you work for will buy a license, so the company that made it will get their money in the end.

That's why Microsoft launched its "express" versions of visual studio, and is giving free academic licenses all around the world (Google "MSDNAA"). And that's why Microsoft is supporting all those government programs to give "free technology" to some poor (and many not so poor) countries. If you raise a child using Windows, he will hate any other OS. If you learn programming using VisualBasic or C# you will hate C++, php etc.

I've noticed that windows connects to the ms site to verify if the copy is legal. If not, it restricts some services and warns you. Does a pirated Vista will be unable to use ms services? I mean, all other sites dont care if you have a win licence, but some ms services (like live messenger) will check the legitimacy. Which is the way to crack it correctly??

 

[evansmaster]

Does it mean that pirated Vista will not work?

 

[GamingX]

Does it mean that pirated Vista will not work?

It doesn't mean anything, Microsoft has been saying this all along. Even Apple said that cracked IPhones won't work when they upgrade the firmware. But the crackers are always one step ahead of them.

 

[Slothie]

Meh, vista was cracked by Paradox a long time ago and the crack is still valid. It works by tricking vista to think it was installed on an OEM manufacturer's PC.

 

[Swiblet]

Slothie's right =] I'd know. On top of that, Vista's CD CAN be copied perfectly. Serials never work the moment the OS connect to the internet...but the OEM trick from Paradox is successful. There is also a crack that has to be used every 3 months that resets the activation timer.

I hope that one wasn't mentioned already. Sorry, Microsoft, the hacking community has defeated you again =P

~~B3N