Abstract:
Users who installed Windows XP systems at the beginning of this century may also know this key: FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8. Anyone only needs to download the volume licensing version of Windows XP and match this key to activate the system. Microsoft did know that this key was being abused but did not take drastic measures. Microsoft did not ban this key until the SP1 version was released.
A former Microsoft engineer said it may have been leaked by OEM employees in advance:
Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer said that the original Windows XP was divided into a retail version and a volume licensing version. The retail version was available to all users who purchased operating system licenses directly (all came with installation CDs at the time), while the latter was mainly used by Microsoft partners and OEMs.
The volume licensing version allows partners and OEMs to install the system on devices in batches without using different keys for activation one by one. At least at that time, ordinary users did not have access to volume licensing discs suitable for OEMs. During system installation, the installer will compare the key entered by the user with specific data on the CD. This encryption mechanism can identify the legitimate key generated by Microsoft.
The OEM-oriented version of Windows XP was completed on August 24, 2001, while Windows XP was officially released on October 25, 2001. Volume authorization discs have been sent to OEMs in advance so that OEMs can pre-install it. Dave Plummer said that it was possible that an employee of a large OEM such as Dell or Intel leaked the installation image and key before Windows XP was officially released, and then the piracy organization Devils0wn Quickly spread it online for everyone to use.
Microsoft adopts a laissez-faire attitude:
Is Microsoft aware of this type of volume licensing key leak? Of course, Dave Plummer said that Microsoft did not want to cause unnecessary trouble to users, so it adopted a laissez-faire attitude, at least in the official version of Windows XP and did not take any action until the release of Windows XP SP1 version.
When SP1 was released, Microsoft routinely included leaked keys in the operating system activation blacklist. At that time, there were 640 banned keys. When SP2 is released and Microsoft's genuine value-added plan continues to strengthen authorization detection, systems activated by illegal use of blacklisted activation keys will not be able to obtain updates normally.
Many people believe that the reason why the FCKGW key is effective is simply that Microsoft's key generation algorithm is relatively simple, but Dave Plummer categorically rejects this statement. Plummer said that the key generation algorithm was written by a group of really smart people with brains so big that they would bump into the door frame when they entered your office.
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