Windows 7 hopped up on crack

The almighty operating system is already cracked for the masses.

Cracking programs is something that has gone on in the computing world for almost as long as developers started demanding registration keys and other methods of software control, and while it's fair enough for them to want each user to purchase the software the users themselves sometimes have alternate ideas.

One of the main alternate choices to buying the software is to download a copy (illegally, of course) and install a crack to convince the software it is in fact activated. This has been done with every copy of Windows operating system that has been released to date - and the as yet unreleased Windows 7 now fits in that category.

A leaked OEM volume-licence key from Lenovo made its way onto the interwebs recently, extracted from a preinstalled copy of Windows 7 Ultimate and rejigged to be applied to any version of W7 Ultimate - be it the x86 or the x64 versions.

What this means is that even before the OS is launched there will be the capacity for those in the know to grab a copy of the OS (we're not linkinG tO it, but Online is your Greatest and most LikEly avenue) without sending the requisite monies to the developer.

It's all a little amusing, so head over to Softpedia to read more about the crack's capabilities, via Downloadsquad.

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21 Comments

AIMBOT Jul 30, 2009 12:21 PM	For some reason I feel the urge to visit Google.
Bytemarks Jul 30, 2009 12:32 PM	Me too, Don't know why though... Weird :P
fredzfrog Jul 30, 2009 12:34 PM	(we're not linkinG tO it, but Online is your Greatest and most LikEly avenue) Bua ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
TheFrunj Jul 30, 2009 12:43 PM	I haven't any idea what you lot are on about >.> <.< -JR
orcone Jul 30, 2009 1:17 PM	I have an urge to buy goggles! Lots of them!
Trekker Jul 30, 2009 2:08 PM	i dream google..hmm
SquallStrife Jul 30, 2009 3:29 PM	I knew a dude who was using that BIOS ACPI_SLIC trick for Windows Vista. It was the cause of most of his random bluescreens, no matter how many reinstalls he did. These problems were most commonly associated with the nForce4 drivers, but this was on an AMD chipset board. He shelled for a real copy of Vista and poof, problems gone. It's karmic retribution for being a tight ass, you see. :P
Hoonbernator Jul 30, 2009 3:50 PM	Oh I see... taking the all the capital letters from the article, starting at the heading, we get a secret code relating to conspiracies! WTCOTWWAOEMLWUWUWOSOSGOOGLEISD but what does it mean? WTC = World Trade Centre OT = Occupational Therapy WW = Weight Watchers AOE = Area of Effect ... gah it's too complex for me!
ArcaneMagik Jul 30, 2009 4:43 PM	ML stands for Merrill Lynch, Wuwuwo (most likely mean to be wuwuwu or spook noise) is use to describe weird things, SOS is an obvious sign for help, and Google ISD showed me the listing of every non government school in Australia.
Pari Jul 30, 2009 5:51 PM	Fucking thieves the lot of you.
Tezlin Jul 30, 2009 6:29 PM	Is Google giving free copies?:o
MagnumXY Jul 30, 2009 7:59 PM	bwhaha Im not paying for win7 unless i can pay less than $100 for it. Good to know if that isnt the case there are always different options.
juggtron Jul 30, 2009 10:42 PM	pari, Nazi's - they wanted you to pay for everything they controlled too. It just took them 50 years to get back into power. FIGHT THE POWER
smakme7757 Jul 31, 2009 12:44 AM	I will be getting a legal copy from my workplace so i dont have to worry about it, but in all honesty i would have payed for this OS. In the past i almost ALWAYS ran a cracked version of the OS first then after a few months i went and got a retail 'upgrade' version and just "Worked" it onto the computer :). Now im in full time employment and i feel Windows 7 is something unique i would have most certainly payed for the Full retail copy.
Psyco08 Jul 31, 2009 10:54 AM	heh i have never bought a copy of windows n my life all the way back to my copied 3.5 inch copy of windows 3.1 however i am going to break this personal rule for windows 7, i have been using the beta for several months now and have decided that buying a legal copy of windows might be a nice change, and with the fixes and upgrades windows seven incorporates i believe Microsoft have finally earned a little money from me
sirtrancealot Jul 31, 2009 1:13 PM	same here, i've never bough a copy of windows.. even the Vista Business that came with my HP laptop was immediately removed for an OEM Vista x64 Ultimate. (why all vendors give u x86 on 64 bit hardware without even giving you an option is beyond me!) soon as they make the OS a reasonable price. like ~$100 then all these people who download it. will probably reconsider.. but at ~$300+ per licence, it's just stupid.. especially when u're like me and have 3 machines at home... $900-$1200 on Operating systems... forget it!!!! how about a multi-PC licence at a decent price. i think it would amazing how much extra money they would make just by dropping the price to an average of what people would be willing to pay.
Neo-SiN Jul 31, 2009 3:16 PM	Oh yeh, I always forget about the multiple system licenses. Every time I consider buying software, I need to remind myself that I have four computers.
xFOADx Aug 1, 2009 7:59 AM	Paid for my first legitimate copy of windows less than a year ago. Now they want me to fork over more money. Hah.
strifus Aug 1, 2009 9:57 AM	I have always bought all my operating systems (eg Windows, OS/2, OSX) with the exception of Linux. Force of habit I guess. Call me a boyscout if you like but I feel that purchasing something is much better than stealing it which is what it is when a person uses a cracked version. xFOADx: Well, you dont have to buy said OS.
SceptreCore Aug 1, 2009 3:37 PM	I have never paid for windows... so in the interest of sustaining high morale principles, I won't be paying for Windows 7. -SC
smadge1 Aug 1, 2009 5:17 PM	I wanna see if the lower prices of the Ultimate version make it worth buying. I think some preliminary prices put the retail version less than $100 more than the OEM version. Though that may have been US pricing, and we know MS don't often of price parity between their market and ours.

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