Windows / MS office activation and workarounds
I saw the thread where a user is hosting copies of windows and @FrankZ asked if the windows are "per-activated". This reminded me of the methods people use to bypass windows activation or "reset" the trial period or even activate it with a cheap volume license key obtained from facebook market place or similar places.
I remember this one time where a friend of mine (who is not very tech savy) actually paid a guy $50 to come to his house and activate his copy of Microsoft office 2017. He did not realize that he was basically paying to get (maybe illegal) volume licensed copy of MS office.
Moreover, the area becomes more grey when you take into account that if you buy a laptop / computer from the chinese marketplaces, you will probably get a illegal copy of windows, but there is no way to properly verify it. Best practice says to wipe the disk and install a fresh copy of windows on it and in most cases, it will still get activated once you go online.
Finally, the shady world of KMS activation, which somehow activates your windows and "resets" the online activation clock to 180 days every time you log in. So as long as you log-in to your PC every 180 days, your windows will never be deactivated. Hell, the guy is even distributing the all in one power shell script on github of all places...
Looking through the code, you can clearly see that they are using powershell to dump dll files to your windows folder to activate it, but it doesn't seem like they are connecting to the internet. In fact, the only "phone home" packets are from windows itself. Still, if you want to play around with it, do use protection and do it on a VM outside your home network (if possible).
So, in the age where windows comes packed with all laptops and pre-build desktops do you buy windows license?
If so, would you buy it at full retail price (of $139.00 or $200.00) or would opt for the paid VL keys from reputable sellers?
Finally, would you use illegal copies of windows even at the risk of (non microsoft) backdoors?
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Comments
I'm not sure if I really understand the intention of this thread but for my part I prefer paying for a valid server license instead of using nulled/volume licensed. It's just not worth risking that either the nulled copy, the used script to crack the activation functionality or a function of ms itself leads me into trouble. It can either be a virus or anything similar malicious or a simple call home which sues me and/or have the datacenter to lock my server. If it's a personal device it can't be locked but then the chance of being tracked down is higher. If I spend $600 on cPanel licenses, I have $100 left over for a ms license, else if I want to be cheap I can just run a free distro of linux which looks like windows.
eh massgrave is good enough
and ive got plenty server keys from azure
youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU
I grew up on "warez" - my country was under international sanctions and there was no way to buy foreign stuff legally (even if you were a criminal and had a lot of money).
Today - I look for FOSS or pay the licences.
My current Win licence was from some magazine sale/promotion, so it cost very little, and I could download the install from MS website, enter my licence code and it was "activated."
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This post, yes this post right here gave me diabetus
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The post was directed to windows PC users as most server users uses legit windows licenses.
As for windows "looking" linux, I have tried it out for a while when windows came up with their windows 10 and automated updates before realizing that it is still linux under the hood and no matter where it is, gaming on linux still sucks. So after 2 years of trying various linux distros, I just got a Asus windows laptop instead...
And here I thought MAS was just another KMS like solution... The line between illegal and legal gets really blur with these new "solutions" and it comes down to whether you pay for it or not...
Same for me. Where I grew up, we did not have the concept of warez or illegal and thought that what we bought from the shops were legal softwares. It is only after the internet became more widespread that I learnt about legal/illegal copies of software and only when I came to Singapore, I finally started using legal copies of windows that came with the laptop I bought from here.
.
On a side note, I know many companies uses intranet (with no access to internet) and uses a hosted KMS server to activate windows for their machines from within their network without calling back to microsoft. How does that work?
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Well, I don't remember where I read this...
When setting up a KMS host server, it requires connecting to Microsoft servers for authentication initially, but afterwards, it works within the intranet.
Yes, you are right there. Initial connection to validate the authenticity of the KMS server. After that, all windows/office activation happens without the knowledge of microsoft. So it is somewhat similar to those "modified" KMS that bypass the requirement of initial microsoft callback?
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I am so confused in thisvthread I may end up sleeping with @bikegremlin
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Hey you got a she count me in I love group activities
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Just buy a OEM key? Much easier then installing some backdoor infected warez software?
Bought OEM license the other day.
Or take the 30 seconds needed to understand how the software you install works and do it yourself
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I don't know enough about that. If you need to dress wounds or need someone to draw blood, please call me. 😅
You won't be /kəʊld/.
Get it?
LOL
Off to laugh at my own joke...
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It is okay bro as long as you understand it. It is all good
@SwordfishBE can do that as well but that is a tale of misspent youth for another time
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OEM License != Retail License
Correct, but the pc works. No hacky 😅. And yes, when changing the mainboard,.. you have to get a new OEM. But its still cheaper then buying a retail license, isn't it?
If you don't use other services that are checking the license status (like M365 or AD) then it might be working.
Exactly. Buying and selling OEM keys are also considered illegal and using a OEM key to activate your windows is not legal either. You are basically paying for warez in this case. OEM keys that you buy online are usually obtained illegally through hacking/backdoors and that's what they usually sell for public. OEM keys are meant to be used by Original Equipment Manufacturer only, not by customers.
No, illegally bought OEM keys get's deactivated after a while of use as well. In one of my friend's case, the key got deactivated after 1 year when microsoft banned the key itself. So windows will show the popup that your key is invalid and will lock your windows from use after X days.
The only legal way to get Windows is to buy a retail copy of windows OR buy a laptop/pre-build desktop with OEM keys preinstalled by the manufacturer.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, but the OEM keys you buy online are usually volume licensed keys which is meant for a single organizations and not for personal use.
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Using an online KMS Tool Activator can be useful.
Not trying to promote any warez, but those sites seem legal.
It is a permanent trial.
https://microlxc.net/
there are many digital marketplaces that sell licenses for e.g. windows less than $5 or something.
legit volume license that can be activated online.
I bench YABS 24/7/365 unless it's a leap year.
irm https://massgrave.dev/get | iexin poweshellhttps://1337x.to/
I buy them, never had a problem activating the os , never suddenly not actived anymore etc.
Link: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/volume-licensing/f5aab8f8-4d61-492c-af42-4992a18a57c1
First, reselling volume license is not illegal, but many sites selling volume licenses are selling illegally obtained keys. So you might be paying for piracy, specially if you are buying it from ebay or cragslist type sites.
Second, even with volume license, your copy of windows can stop working or get deactivated. See my post above (quoted here):
So stick to paying full price. You only have to pay it once anyway.
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@somik i may be wrong but if it is volume license its legit.
the key that's banned may have been a cracked/generated key.
anyway its just <$5, so i dont mind paying twice for the life of that OS version.
I bench YABS 24/7/365 unless it's a leap year.
Daily driving Linux and work computer's windows is taken care of by... Work... so not an issue for me.
The all seeing eye sees everything...
No, you are right. If a seller buys volume licensing directly from microsoft and sells the "activation", it is considered legal.
The issue is we do not know if the key they are selling for $5 is a volume licensed copy they obtained from microsoft or if it is a VL key obtained illegally from someone else through hacking. Moreover, microsoft volume licencing is always per-user/per-year. It is never $XX forever like consumer use cases. The only ones who gets special volume licensing forever are OEMs and in their case, it is priced per-machine.
Finally, even though microsoft won't disclose the VL prices, only Windows Pro versions can have volume licenses (as far as i know) and for 300 users, it is usually above $30 for the Windows 11 Pro licenses.
Ofcourse you can get Windows 11 Home with OEM licenses if you are a equipment manufacturer and it is usually cheaper, but you are not allowed to sell OEM keys without the machine.
Tried that for a while before forking out the money for windows... Gaming on linux still has a LOOOONG way to go...
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I don't game... So...
The all seeing eye sees everything...
i only play love games...so....
I bench YABS 24/7/365 unless it's a leap year.