Vista - OEM Bios Hacks Reported

WGA Blog

Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ios-hacks.aspx

CH

"Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in news:#y2OdjEfHHA.2376
@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:

> WGA Blog
>
> Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
> http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ios-hacks.aspx

I'm sure the pirates will give up when Microsoft releases a patch to fix
this...I mean, they would not respond with a patch of their own, right?
Never!

<BFG>

Adam

I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of piracy,
and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they aren't
trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack and makes two
important points:

1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or pirates
2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not harming
well intentioned legit buyers.

Also, if you think of all the leading products in the world, it's true that
their are significantly more attempts to pirate MSFT software than most
other products on the market.

CH


"Adam Leinss" <aleinss@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns990F6BD68110Caleinsshotmailcom@207.46.248.16...
> "Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in news:#y2OdjEfHHA.2376
> @TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:
>
>> WGA Blog
>>
>> Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
>> http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ios-hacks.aspx
>
> I'm sure the pirates will give up when Microsoft releases a patch to fix
> this...I mean, they would not respond with a patch of their own, right?
> Never!
>
> <BFG>
>
> Adam

Chad Harris wrote:
> I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of
> piracy, and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they
> aren't trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack
> and makes two important points:
>
> 1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or
> pirates
> 2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not
> harming well intentioned legit buyers.
>
> Also, if you think of all the leading products in the world, it's true
> that their are significantly more attempts to pirate MSFT software than
> most other products on the market.
>
> CH

Photoshop?

Alias
>
>
> "Adam Leinss" <aleinss@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns990F6BD68110Caleinsshotmailcom@207.46.248.16...
>> "Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in news:#y2OdjEfHHA.2376
>> @TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:
>>
>>> WGA Blog
>>>
>>> Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
>>> http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ios-hacks.aspx
>>>
>>
>> I'm sure the pirates will give up when Microsoft releases a patch to fix
>> this...I mean, they would not respond with a patch of their own, right?
>> Never!
>>
>> <BFG>
>>
>> Adam
>

Chad:
OEM Bios hacks will surely be patched by MS and this will generate and
endless loop of anti-patch (by hackers), anti-anti-patch (my MS) and so on.
This is what is happening with WGA in Win XP.
MS releases a new version of legitcheckcontrol.dll and a few days after
there is a hacked version hanging around on the net.

Also the year 2099 rearm trick is a very intelligent way of keeping your
Vista in a "legal" state of "30 days for activation" without hacking/cracking
anything.

My humble opinion is that this could be easily stopped if MS would just
charge a fair price for their products.

Carlos
"Chad Harris" wrote:

> I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of piracy,
> and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they aren't
> trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack and makes two
> important points:
>
> 1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or pirates
> 2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not harming
> well intentioned legit buyers.
>
> Also, if you think of all the leading products in the world, it's true that
> their are significantly more attempts to pirate MSFT software than most
> other products on the market.
>
> CH
>
>
> "Adam Leinss" <aleinss@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns990F6BD68110Caleinsshotmailcom@207.46.248.16...
> > "Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in news:#y2OdjEfHHA.2376
> > @TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:
> >
> >> WGA Blog
> >>
> >> Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
> >> http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ios-hacks.aspx
> >
> > I'm sure the pirates will give up when Microsoft releases a patch to fix
> > this...I mean, they would not respond with a patch of their own, right?
> > Never!
> >
> > <BFG>
> >
> > Adam
>
>

"Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> Chad:
> OEM Bios hacks will surely be patched by MS and this will generate and
> endless loop of anti-patch (by hackers), anti-anti-patch (my MS) and so
> on.
> This is what is happening with WGA in Win XP.
> MS releases a new version of legitcheckcontrol.dll and a few days after
> there is a hacked version hanging around on the net.
>
> Also the year 2099 rearm trick is a very intelligent way of keeping your
> Vista in a "legal" state of "30 days for activation" without
> hacking/cracking
> anything.
>
> My humble opinion is that this could be easily stopped if MS would just
> charge a fair price for their products.

I disagree. People steal because they want to, because of a lack of
integrity. Cost is just a rationalization, not a cause.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

> "Chad Harris" wrote:
>
>> I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of
>> piracy,
>> and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they aren't
>> trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack and makes
>> two
>> important points:
>>
>> 1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or
>> pirates
>> 2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not harming
>> well intentioned legit buyers.
>>
>> Also, if you think of all the leading products in the world, it's true
>> that
>> their are significantly more attempts to pirate MSFT software than most
>> other products on the market.

>> "Adam Leinss" <aleinss@hotmail.com> wrote
>> > "Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote
>> >
>> >> WGA Blog
>> >>
>> >> Reported OEM BIOS Hacks
>> >> http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ios-hacks.aspx
>> >
>> > I'm sure the pirates will give up when Microsoft releases a patch to
>> > fix
>> > this...I mean, they would not respond with a patch of their own, right?
>> > Never!

"Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in message
news:eUqSLmIfHHA.4596@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of piracy,
>and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they aren't
>trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack and makes
>two important points:
>
> 1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or
> pirates
> 2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not harming
> well intentioned legit buyers.
>

Unfortunately, they're failing on both counts.

1) They will NEVER defeat the counterfeiters or pirates, large OR small, as
long as there is computer code involved

2) They continue to PUNISH legitimate buyers with their dumbass activation &
WGA issues.
geezus, people have been posting here that they have to reactivate just
because they ran Windows Update and downloaded a new device driver - and the
fanboys continue to defend this crap, saying "It's just a phone call"
yea. like anybody wants to reactivate every freakin' month.

--
=======================================
“I'm not sure how the company lost sight of what matters to our customers,
both business and home, the most, but in my view we lost our way. I think
our teams lost sight of what bug-free means, what resilience means, what
full scenarios mean, what security means, what performance means, how
important current applications are, and really understanding what the most
important problems our customers face are”
— Jim Allchin, former Platform Products and Services Group, Microsoft.
=======================================

"john" <john@msn.com> wrote
> "Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in message
> news:eUqSLmIfHHA.4596@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of piracy,
>>and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they aren't
>>trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack and makes
>>two important points:
>>
>> 1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or
>> pirates
>> 2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not harming
>> well intentioned legit buyers.
>>
>
> Unfortunately, they're failing on both counts.
>
> 1) They will NEVER defeat the counterfeiters or pirates, large OR small,
> as long as there is computer code involved
>
> 2) They continue to PUNISH legitimate buyers with their dumbass activation
> & WGA issues.
> geezus, people have been posting here that they have to reactivate just
> because they ran Windows Update and downloaded a new device driver - and
> the fanboys continue to defend this crap, saying "It's just a phone call"
> yea. like anybody wants to reactivate every freakin' month.

Had this system running since November with Ultimate RTM. Have had to
activate twice, once on the initial install and once when the system drive
was replace with a larger drive and the OS restored by an image. That did
require a phone call. Yes I would prefer not to have to call , but it went
fine.

I have never had to reactivate after an update from MS, nor have I known
anyone who as. I've also not had any problems with WGA. I don't see where
it punishes, as you describe it, the legitimate user.
--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

Rock wrote:
> "Carlos" <Carlos@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
>> Chad:
>> OEM Bios hacks will surely be patched by MS and this will generate and
>> endless loop of anti-patch (by hackers), anti-anti-patch (my MS) and
>> so on.
>> This is what is happening with WGA in Win XP.
>> MS releases a new version of legitcheckcontrol.dll and a few days after
>> there is a hacked version hanging around on the net.
>>
>> Also the year 2099 rearm trick is a very intelligent way of keeping your
>> Vista in a "legal" state of "30 days for activation" without
>> hacking/cracking
>> anything.
>>
>> My humble opinion is that this could be easily stopped if MS would just
>> charge a fair price for their products.
>
> I disagree. People steal because they want to, because of a lack of
> integrity. Cost is just a rationalization, not a cause.
>

Um, 95, 98, Me, NT, W2K were not protected. Office 95, 97, 2K weren't
either. With your "logic", MS didn't sell a one and had to institute
activation, wga, wga/n, etc. to stay out of the poorhouse.

Alias

Unfortunately Rock, an update can cause a WGA failure.

It happened to me just 4 days ago. I installed the optional update for my
Silicon Image SATA drivers. After a reboot the system failed validation,
even though the activation was valid.

The new drivers must make it seem like I installed a new hard drive (worth
10 points toward a time out).

There are a small percentage of people who have legal systems but experience
pain. If WGA con not be made absolutely fool proof it should be abandoned.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Rock" <Rock@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:e7qJeOKfHHA.4916@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> "john" <john@msn.com> wrote
>> "Chad Harris" <vistaneedsmuchowork.net> wrote in message
>> news:eUqSLmIfHHA.4596@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>>I think realistically, there may not be a way to stop all forms of
>>>piracy, and as the blogger on the WGA blog says, (very reasonably) they
>>>aren't trying to go after every "mad scientist" that can craft a hack and
>>>makes two important points:
>>>
>>> 1) They have to prioritize and go after the larger counterfeiters or
>>> pirates
>>> 2) They also want to balance protection for their products by not
>>> harming well intentioned legit buyers.
>>>
>>
>> Unfortunately, they're failing on both counts.
>>
>> 1) They will NEVER defeat the counterfeiters or pirates, large OR small,
>> as long as there is computer code involved
>>
>> 2) They continue to PUNISH legitimate buyers with their dumbass
>> activation & WGA issues.
>> geezus, people have been posting here that they have to reactivate just
>> because they ran Windows Update and downloaded a new device driver - and
>> the fanboys continue to defend this crap, saying "It's just a phone call"
>> yea. like anybody wants to reactivate every freakin' month.
>
> Had this system running since November with Ultimate RTM. Have had to
> activate twice, once on the initial install and once when the system drive
> was replace with a larger drive and the OS restored by an image. That did
> require a phone call. Yes I would prefer not to have to call , but it
> went fine.
>
> I have never had to reactivate after an update from MS, nor have I known
> anyone who as. I've also not had any problems with WGA. I don't see
> where it punishes, as you describe it, the legitimate user.
> --
> Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]