Hackers bypass activation in Windows 7, Server 2008 R2

A new method has been discovered and implemented by hackers to get around product activation in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The hack in question works by disabling access to Windows Activation Technologies (WAT; previously known as Windows Genuine Advantage) and subsequently turning off any nags asking users to activate their copy of Windows 7 after the 30-day evaluation period is over.

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Brilliant, it didnt take them long did it.....another failed thing by bill gates, when will he realise that if he just charged less for the software people wouldnt bother to hack it...

You couldn't make a more incorrect statement. First, the activation process these days is just a deterrent. Make things potentially difficult and/or give the thought that their OS might one day stop working all of a sudden and they get a few more percent of people buying the product instead of pirating it.

Price of software has never stopped anyone from working to crack it. OSX isn't a very good example here, since it doesn't actually require a serial for activation, but even though you can buy it for a mere $30--there are plenty of copies circulating around on the net. Price means nothing.

It doesn't matter what they do to try to eliminate people from creating work arounds for activation, there will always be some out there who will break whatever new security measures are implemented. I agree with the previous post, charge less would be a better place to start, considering the success of 7 in comparison to Vista. Although you can get the lowest basic edition OEM for a little over $100 which is not crazy expensive.

Pricing is a really weak argument for hacking in this case. I mean, you're talking about an OS that you're going to be using arguably for the next 5-8 years, just like Windows XP. And for a hundred bucks? A HUNDRED BUCKS?? That's like $15 per year for the app that makes your computer do all the things it's supposed to do. PS3 and XBox games cost damn near that much.

People crack and steal because they can do it with anonymity. Not because of pricing - that's just one of the many weak excuses thief's use to justify their stealing.

TomSEA .stealing? Who is stealing . Copyright infringhment is NOT stealing .. .never was, never will be.

You make a copy,....thats all .. .sure they loose money, but still is not stealing...beacuse then DCMA is pointless, (well it is)

why procecute people for copyrightinfringhement , if its theft?

Hehe , you gotta hand it to hackers , they are awesome ! But seriously why don't people hire hackers ? It would be better They see all the flaws .

There is a much better crack, that makes your Win7 completely legit with working legit OEM keys.

a hundred bucks yes- well justified considering all the sweat and talent it takes to program an OS..... if you can do better then do it!

In third world countries the price of windows is very expensive, considering that the average salary is very low compared with the average salary of the middle class in Europe or USA, so piracy in these countries is much more "justified". Microsoft sets high prices because they are a monopoly, there is real no competition in the desktop pc market.

Lol, the hack this article mentions is brilliant, it's called RemoveWAT.exe. People will always hack Windows, it's a given. They still need to drop their price though.

I agree for US citizens must be have more discount ,and lower the price it will help a lot .

If were to hire hackers, they would require some kind of open source policy that would allow anyone to admit they knew how to break a fix and not be charged with a crime.

Still, I've used open source and windows, they both have a lot of problems. But for open source, i don't have to pay for something that works only to some extent.

Many hackers are hired into companies these days, but since a lot start underage for those kinds of jobs, they really don't have other options but to crack crap for people.

What?

$150 bucks for a Family pack (3 licenses) is not that much at all... (ie: $50 bucks for Windows 7)

Hackers do this because they are scoundrels with no jobs. Why else would they go threw such hassles, for the cost of a dinner date? No money to begine with. Hackers = no moral, no money.

I met two hackers from the Czech, they were pickpockets too..

I don't need an hack since i got Win7 Pro for free cuz i'm a student ^_^

I have to admit that Seven is the first OS I have ever payed for. MS products have always been free for me since MS-Dos 5.0 and onwards.

Sure, I could have just pirated it like every other copy of Windows I've used - but this time around, I'm enjoying the knowledge I don't even have to bother about cracks or OEM copies that may 'one day' get flagged. For that reason alone, it's worth it.

Wow how narrow minded you are, I suppose you also think that all hackers look and dress like the child catcher in 'chitty chitty bang bang'

i completely agree with Ididmyc600.it wont take long for people out their to crack these softwares and thus spread piracy.these software companies really need to lower their prices to enable mass adoption of their genuine products.

I can't believe how ignorant many of these comments are. There are open source versions of nearly every type of software. If you don't want to pay for a product, use its open source equivalent. If you think Win7 is expensive then you are free to use Linux at no cost. The reason people pay for software is because it comes with less hassle and help support.

Anyways, to the first poster: Bill Gates stepped down from CEO in 2000, nearly a decade ago! Yes, he is a chairman currently, but that is a completely different game.