XP illegal software

On forums I have read about people using illegal copies of Windows XP software. Illegal in the sense that they borrow a copy from someone else and install it on their machine. I don't understand how this gets around the Windows XP activation process. I thought the same KEY could not be activated on two differnet machines.

Can someone please explain to me why the same KEY is allowed to be activated on two different machines? Is the activation process simply a scare tactic by Microsoft?

 

I am very very sure that these folks that would use a borrowed copy of XP Home do not know anything about hacks to fool the activation process. Why is their illegal copy allowed to activate with the same KEY as another machine???? I do not understand.

 

Only Microsoft can answer that. I doubt they ever will, though.

 

Has anyone ever seen an activation that was not completed because the software KEY was used on another machine?

 

Uhhmmm...well.... you know.... hehehehe I have heard tell that the Product key is to install and as far as the activation goes, well I have heard there are many methods varying from booting into safe mode and then crippling the WPA and winlogon, to extreme dll replacements and hacks, as stated before the Corprate edition needs no activation, so as long as those are around they will always be sought after by certian people. If you want some real fun reading google WPA and read whats posted in some of the groups, it is amazing the lengths that are gone through to try and beat the WPA. Really good reading!

 

and they have also the "CRACKED" thing


> infoseeker <

 

Hi
Intresting post i have wondered about this
I have xp home that i bought a couple of years ago i have it installed on laptop/ two pcs with no problems with the WGA or updating at all. Is this legal? how many pcs can i install it before microsoft cuts it off?
Thanks

 

Yes. I see it all the time. Someone brings in their PC for virus removal or whatever, and it's so completely hosed and jacked up that the most effecient (and cheapest) way to repair it is to wipe the hard drive and install a clean XP. However, many times there is no product key sticker on the PC, or they have an XP Home sticker, but XP Pro is installed on the PC. In the 2nd scenario, I would dump the Pro and install Home using the key. If they have no key sticker, I ask them how to proceed: either purchase a full legal license, provide me with a product key, extract the previous key from the OS, or just scrap the whole project. If I'm provided with a key (on the sticker or whatever), or I have to extract it, I'll try one time to activate it online. If it doesn't activate online, I notify the owner and tell them that activation is up to them. If I'm asked to 'hack' or otherwise avoid activation, I refuse the job unless they purchase a full legal OS with license. If I'm provided with home-burned OS discs with 3 or 4 different keys scrawled on the CD, I refuse the job unless they purchase a full legal OS with license. I have had MANY MANY people bring in pirated 'custom' Windows XP discs that have been pre-hacked to not require a key or activation, and they expect me to install this illegal software. These customers are immediately refused, and again they must purchase a legal OS if they want me to proceed.

:-o Sorry for the rant rolleyes I guess I needed to vent some frustration LOL

 

you're not ranting - its just good practice,

a small question though - if someone brought in a slipstreamed retail copy with the key written on the cd, and maybe said that they didn't have the time to install themselves - how would that be dealt with ?

(i was asked to do an install with a slipstreamed xp, luckily the owner had the original sticker stuck to the holographed xp to prove it was legit - so i installed)

 

oooopppsss - sorry, didn't realize till you pointed it out