‘Belarus customs facilitated Windows 8 piracy’

12 Aug 12 17:55 by in category Software

While Microsoft is receiving a lot of criticism on their upcoming operating system Windows 8, it seems the buzz has also created a lot of interest from computer users.  On the Piratebay (TPB) Software top 100, Windows 8 is on the 5th and 13th place,  where its main competitors are Microsoft’s own Office 2010 and packages with Adobe software.  While the download is very popular only a limited amount of people will be able to actually use the Windows 8 RTM torrent.

For the installation to become valid, Windows 8 needs to contact an activation server. Several sites from software crackers are reporting that an offline activator is being worked on. That way the crackers will probably write software that emulates the response of an actual activation server. However for a short while an activation server was available for those trying to activate their Windows 8 RTM torrent. According to the Russian website Hi-Tech.mail.ru,  a Key Management  Server (KMS) server was running on the IP address 91.149.135.121, probably for testing purposes and this allowed server people to activate their installation.

At the moment the server has been taken offline, but hundreds of people claimed to have activated their copy of Windows 8 using this server. It’s likely that Microsoft has contacted the Belarus officials to get the server offline.

6 Comments on ‘Belarus customs facilitated Windows 8 piracy’

tmc8080
Posts: 980
Posted on: 12 Aug 12 20:45
Did someone offically have permission to put up a KMS server (so that Redmond wouldn't have a big internet bill) or was this a hack?
ChristineBCW
Posts: 1351
Posted on: 13 Aug 12 14:22
"Piracy"? Is that how Redmond spelled this new trial distribution effort? It sounds more like farmers seeding the field.

"We need to try something-!"
Mr. Belvedere
Posts: 18850
Posted on: 14 Aug 12 10:01
Seems there's a new KMS server somewhere in the Ukraine...
Kenshin
Posts: 13163
Posted on: 14 Aug 12 11:16
I'd like a Mac Pro Retina with Windows 8 RTM preinstalled instead of the Mac OS X since the Mac OS X Mountain Lion is sold for just US$20.
tmc8080
Posts: 980
Posted on: 14 Aug 12 17:49
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Belvedere View Post
Seems there's a new KMS server somewhere in the Ukraine...
Let's see how long that one lasts.. with the takedown of demonoid..
skdkye
Posts: 1
Posted on: 15 Aug 12 00:07
It's probably better just to wait and use the non activated version anyway
Tell us, what do you think about

‘Belarus customs facilitated Windows 8 piracy’

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