The Activation Wizard in Windows XP
Microsoft Product Activation is a DRM technology used by Microsoft Corporation in several of its computersoftware programs, most notably its Windowsoperating system and its Officeproductivity suite. The procedure enforces compliance with the program's end-user license agreement by transmitting information about both the product key used to install the program and the user's computer hardware to Microsoft, inhibiting or completely preventing the use of the program until the validity of its license is confirmed.[1]
The procedure has been met with significant criticism by many consumers, technical analysts and computer experts, who argue that it is poorly designed, highly inconvenient and ultimately does nothing to prevent software piracy.[2] The process has been successfully circumvented on multiple occasions.[3]
- 1Process
- 2Usage
Process[edit]
Before activation[edit]
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The Activation Wizard in Office 2010
When installing a retail copy of Windows or Office, the user is asked to input a unique product key supplied on a certificate of authenticity included with the program, which is later verified during activation.[1] Immediate activation is not required following installation, but the program must be activated within a specific period of time in order to continue to function properly. Throughout this grace period, the user will be periodically reminded to activate the program, with warnings becoming more frequent over time.[4]
Certain versions of Windows and Office are available under a volume license, where a single product key is used for multiple installations. Programs purchased under this license must still be activated, with the exception of Windows XP and all versions of Office released prior to Office 2010.[5][6][7][8] Businesses using this licensing system have the option of using Microsoft's activation servers or creating and managing their own.[9]
If Windows is pre-installed on a computer by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the operating system is automatically activated without the need for interaction from the user.[10] In this case, the copy of Windows installed does not use the product key listed on the certificate of authenticity, but rather a master product key issued to OEMs called a System Locked Pre-installation (SLP) key. On each boot, Windows confirms the presence of specific information stored in the BIOS by the manufacturer, ensuring the activation only remains valid on that computer, even if the product key is used on another machine.[5]
After grace period[edit]
If activation is not performed within the grace period or fails because of an illegal or invalid product key, the following restrictions will be imposed on the user:
- In Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2003 R2, after a grace period of 30 days, the operating system cannot be used at all until the activation process is completed successfully.[11][12]
- In Windows Vista RTM, after a grace period of 30 days, the operating system will boot only into a reduced functionality mode. The reduced functionality varies based on whether the operating system is simply out of grace or has undergone a failed activation. In the former case, built-in games and premium features like Windows Aero are disabled, and the system is rebooted every hour; in the latter case, certain premium features are disabled and some content is not available from Windows Update.[13][14]
- In Windows Vista SP1, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2, after a grace period of 30 days (60 days for Windows Server 2008), the operating system will add a text message in the bottom-right hand corner of the screen stating that the copy of Windows in question is not valid, set the desktop background to black, allow only critical and security updates to be downloaded from Windows Update and give periodic reminders to activate the operating system. However, the operating system otherwise functions normally.[4][13][15][16][17]
- In Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016, the 30-day grace period has been removed. If the operating system is not activated, there is a watermark showing the edition of Windows (although it does not show to activate) on desktop, personalization features (in PC settings [simply Settings in Windows 10], it is located under Personalize in Windows 8, under PC & devices > Lock screen in Windows 8.1, and under Personalization in Windows 10) are disabled. Entire Screen notification appears periodically, roughly once in 6 hours. However, the operating system otherwise functions normally.[18]
- In Office XP, Office 2003, Office 2007, Office 2010, and Office 2013, after a grace period of 30–60 days for Office 2010 and 14–60 days in Office 2013 or opening the program 25 times for Office 2007 and 50 times for Office 2003 and XP, the programs will enter a reduced functionality mode, where files can be viewed but not edited.[2][7][19][20][21]
When activation takes place, the program saves a record of the verification data in the user's computer. If the system is booted up with significant hardware changes, the application will likely require reactivation to prevent the same copy of the program being installed on two different systems.[22]
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On Windows 10, the activation process can also generate a 'digital entitlement', which allows the operating system's hardware and license status to be saved to the activation servers, so that the operating system's license can automatically be restored after a clean installation without the need to enter a product key.[23][24]
During activation[edit]
Activation is performed with a utility supplied with Windows and Office called the Activation Wizard. It can be performed either over the Internet or by telephone.[1] When activating over the Internet, the Activation Wizard automatically transmits and receives verification data to and from Microsoft servers, completing the process without any interaction by the user.[25] Activation by telephone requires that a user and a Microsoft agent verbally exchange activation information. In this case, an installation ID is generated, which is then read to the agent. The agent verifies the information and replies with a confirmation ID, which is then typed into the Activation Wizard.[25]
The Activation Wizard generates verification data primarily based on information about hardware in the computer. In Windows XP, information about the following eight categories of hardware is included:[5]
- Hard drive device and volume serial number
- Optical drive (e.g. DVD-ROM)
- Processor type and serial number
- RAM amount range (e.g. 0-512 MB)
The verification data is also based on the product key entered during activation. In some cases, the product key is checked against a list of known illegally distributed keys.[26]
Certain retail copies of Windows and Office sold in certain countries classified as emerging markets have geographical activation restrictions, which only allow the user to activate the product within the indicated region.[27]
After activation[edit]
If activation completes successfully, the user can continue to use the application without any further issues or impediments. Also, if the key gets blacklisted, the application will continue to run as normal unless a clean install and activation is performed after its key has been blacklisted.
Usage[edit]
The following tables illustrate the usage of product activation throughout Microsoft software, specifying whether the programs can be equipped with retail or volume licensing activation as well as geographical activation restrictions.
Windows[edit]
Retail activation | Volume licensing activation | Geographical activation restrictions | |
---|---|---|---|
Windows XP | Yes[11] | No[5] | Yes[28] |
Windows Server 2003 | Yes[12] | No[12] | No |
Windows Vista | Yes[13] | Yes[29] | Yes[30] |
Windows Server 2008 | Yes[16][17] | Yes[29] | No |
Windows 7 | Yes[25] | Yes[29] | Yes[27] |
Windows 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Windows Server 2012 | Yes | Yes | No |
Windows 8.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Windows 10 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Office[edit]
Aurora 3d Presentation 2012 Serial Key
Retail activation | Volume licensing activation | Geographical activation restrictions | |
---|---|---|---|
Office XP | Yes[7] | No[7] | No |
Office 2003 | Yes[21] | No[8] | No |
Office 2007 | Yes[19] | No[6] | No |
Office 2010 | Yes[20] | Yes[29] | Yes[27] |
Office 2013 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Office 2016 * | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*All Office 2016 and Office 365 licenses are associated with an email account. A personal licence is re-activated on a new machine by logging in to office.com and selecting which of their machines to associate.[31]
Criticism[edit]
While Microsoft says that product activation benefits consumers by allowing Microsoft to produce higher quality software,[1] it has nevertheless received much criticism regarding its design and implementation, effectiveness at stopping piracy and respect of privacy rights. For instance, during the development of Windows XP, beta testers strongly criticized the introduction of product activation, particularly because a change in computer hardware required re-activation.[32] Ken Fischer at Ars Technica questioned whether activation would ultimately be effective in stopping piracy, stating that while casual computer users would be affected, he would 'be a fool to think that someone out there won't find a way to break this whole thing.'[33] Dave Wilson, a technology columnist at the Los Angeles Times, describes activation as 'just another example of a rapacious monopolist abusing computer users who are helpless to do anything about it.' He too believed that the system would not have 'any significant effect on professional pirates.'[34] Fred Langa at InformationWeek, with reference to the transmission of hardware information during activation, stated that 'many users are incensed at this level of monitoring, intrusion, and control by Microsoft.'[2] Finally, Dr. Cyrus Peikari and Seth Fogie, security consultants, considered product activation to be 'hostile both to privacy and to human dignity.'[35]
Others defend Microsoft's use of product activation. The Harrison Group, a market research firm, conducted a study sponsored by Microsoft in 2011 illustrating that computers running activated versions of Windows software were on average 50% faster than their pirated counterparts. The group concluded by stating that users of genuine Microsoft products ultimately receive superior performance while counterfeit users are susceptible to security issues and lost productivity.[36] Fully Licensed GmbH, a developer of digital rights management technology, while criticizing Microsoft for being vague about the nature of information sent from a given computer during activation, nevertheless concluded that activation is not particularly intrusive and does not significantly violate privacy.[37]
Microsoft Product Activation has also been criticized on multiple occasions for violating patent law. In 2006, Microsoft was required to pay $142 million to z4 Technologies for infringing on a product activation patent,[38] while in 2009 Microsoft was ordered to pay $388 million to Uniloc for patent infringement in product activation in Windows XP, Office XP and Windows Server 2003.[39]
Circumvention[edit]
Microsoft Product Activation has been cracked or circumvented on numerous occasions since it was introduced in 2001. In 2001, a UK security company called Bit Arts successfully managed to bypass product activation on Windows XP,[40] while in 2003, volume license keys for Windows XP were leaked to the public, allowing users who had not purchased a volume license to the operating system to bypass activation.[41] In 2009, several security flaws in Windows 7 were used by hackers to circumvent activation.[3][42]
Since the introduction of Windows Vista, most attempts at circumvention of product activation have focused on using leaked SLP product keys and BIOS information used by OEMs to preactivate Windows. In 2007, a circumvention measure was developed for Windows Vista by warez-group Paradox that simulates the BIOS, allowing leaked SLP information to be fed to the operating system, bypassing activation.[43] In 2009, SLP product keys and certificate information for Windows 7 were leaked to the public, allowing the BIOS to be reconfigured to bypass activation.[44]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdMicrosoft Corporation. 'Microsoft Product Activation.' Protect Yourself From Piracy. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abcLanga, Fred. 'Is Windows XP's 'Product Activation' A Privacy Risk?.' InformationWeek. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^ abRagan, Steve (2009-11-17). 'Windows 7 activation crack comes as no surprise'. The Tech Herald. Glasgow, UK: Digital MineField. Archived from the original on 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Windows Activation Technologies in Windows 7.' Microsoft TechNet. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abcdMicrosoft Corporation. 'Technical Details on Microsoft Product Activation for Windows XP.' Microsoft TechNet. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abKeizer, Gregg. 'Microsoft: No Office 2007 Activation Required In The Enterprise.' InformationWeek. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abcdMicrosoft Corporation. 'Entering a Volume License Product Key When Deploying Office XP.' Office.com.Archived 2013-12-17 at the Wayback Machine (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Office 2003 Licensing and System Requirements.' Office.com.Archived 2013-06-15 at the Wayback Machine (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Office 2010 - Volume Activation, Activate Office 2010.' Microsoft TechNet. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Preserving OEM Pre-Activation when Re-installing Windows XP.' Microsoft TechNet. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'How to activate Windows XP.' Microsoft Support. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abcMicrosoft Corporation. 'Windows Product Activation.' Microsoft TechNet. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abcMicrosoft Corporation. 'Activating Windows: frequently asked questions.' Microsoft Windows. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Description of the behavior of reduced functionality mode in Windows Vista.' Microsoft Support. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'How to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 when the Windows Vista activation period has expired.' Microsoft Support. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Windows Server 2008 Product Activation.' Windows Server 2008 R2. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Windows Server 2008 R2 Product Activation.' Windows Server 2008 R2. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^'Appendix B: Licensing Conditions'. Appendix B: Licensing Conditions. Microsoft. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Activate Office 2007.' Office.com. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Activate Office 2010 programs.' Office.com. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abMicrosoft Corporation. 'Activate or register programs in the Microsoft Office System.' Office.com.Archived 2011-12-11 at the Wayback Machine (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Windows XP Prompts You to Re-activate After You Restore Your Computer.' Microsoft Support. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^'How to make sure your free copy of Windows 10 is activated'. Supersite for Windows. Penton. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^'Why you can't find your product key after upgrading to Windows 10'. PC World. IDG. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
- ^ abcMicrosoft Corporation. 'Activate Windows 7 on this computer.' Microsoft Windows. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Technical Details on SP1 Changes to Microsoft Product Activation for Windows XP.' Protect Yourself From Piracy.Archived 2011-11-19 at the Wayback Machine (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^ abcMicrosoft Corporation. 'Geographically restricted software.' How to tell. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Validation problem..geographically blocked PID.' Microsoft Genuine Advantage Forums. (accessed November 27, 2011)
- ^ abcdMicrosoft Corporation. 'Product Activation and Key Information.' Microsoft Volume Licensing. (accessed November 25, 2011)
- ^Microsoft Corporation. 'Microsoft Software License Terms - Windows Vista.' Microsoft Download Center. (accessed November 27, 2011)
- ^Rohn007. 'Reactivating Office 2016 on a new PC'.
- ^Lettice, John. 'WinXP beta testers still in open revolt over product activation.' The Register. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Fisher, Ken. 'Windows Product Activation: an early look.' Ars Technica. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Wilson, Dave. 'Safeguards Punish Consumers, Not Pirates.' The Los Angeles Times. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Peikari, Cyrus, and Seth Fogie. 'Buy Microsoft, Go to Jail?.' informIT. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^The Star Publications. 'Study: PCs run faster on genuine Microsoft products.' The Star Online. (accessed February 16, 2013)
Harrison Group White Paper: Genuine Microsoft Products Vs. Pirated CounterpartsArchived 2014-12-21 at the Wayback Machine August 26, 2011 - ^Lettice, John. 'WinXP Product Activation decoded and analysed.' The Register. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Keizer, Gregg. 'Microsoft Loses 'Product Activation' Patent Suit, Owes $142 Million.' InformationWeek. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Fried, Ina. 'Microsoft slapped with $388 million patent verdict.' CNET News. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Knight, Will. 'Coders claim a crack in Windows XP.' New Scientist. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Mook, Nate. 'Microsoft: No Activation Changes Until Longhorn.' BetaNews. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^Haymarket Media. 'Product activation system flaw found in Windows 7 follows earlier server message block problem.' SC Magazine UK. (accessed November 26, 2011)
- ^McCarthy, Caroline. 'Microsoft confirms Vista OEM hack.' ZDNet. (accessed February 16, 2013)
- ^Keizer, Gregg. 'Windows 7 Activation Already Hacked.' PCWorld. (accessed November 26, 2011)
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Microsoft_Product_Activation&oldid=880587454'
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When we purchase a Windows license, what we actually buy is the unique 25-digit Windows product key. This product key is essential if we need to reinstall Windows or transfer and activate Windows to another PC. Let's see all the different ways about how to find the Windows product key in Windows 7, 8, or 10.
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Table of Contents
- How to find the Windows product key when Windows doesn't boot
How to find the Windows product key in an active Windows installation
In this scenario, Windows is up and running on our PC, and we can execute an app to get the Windows product key.
There are a lot of applications that can reveal the Windows product key. For this guide, we will use NirSoft's ProduKey. It is a lightweight and portable app, so we can run it without having to install it.
We just visit http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html#DownloadLinks and download either the plain version for 32-bit Windows or the x64 version for 64-bit Windows.
After the download, we open the compressed .zip folder and extract all the files.
We then run the ProduKey application.
ProduKey will instantly show us the Windows product key.
ProduKey will also display the product keys for a few major product lines that we might have installed; apps like Microsoft Office, SQL Server, Visual Studio, and Adobe and Autodesk applications.
We find it weird that ProduKey has 54 different translation options, from Arabic to Valencian. Since it just shows the Windows product key when we run it, there is no language barrier whatsoever.
How to find the Windows product key when Windows doesn't boot
One good reason to get the Windows product key is if we have an old PC that we don't use anymore and want to transfer the Windows license on a new Desktop or Laptop.
Sometimes, however, that old PC can't boot Windows at all, and we can't run ProduKey. So, now what? Well, provided that the PC can start, and the disk isn't shot, we can use Lazesoft Recover My Password Home Edition to get the Windows product key.
As a bonus, this application will also reveal the Windows product key stored inside the BIOS/UEFI for preinstalled Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
First, we download it on a functional PC.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have a portable version, so we have to install it. Even though it's free, it won't try to install any toolbars or adware.
Create a bootable medium
We run the Lazesoft app and click on the 'Burn Bootable CD/USB Disk Now!' button.
We don't need to specify a Windows version; we just click 'Next.'
Lazesoft gives us three choices to create a bootable media: on CD/DVD, on USB Flash, and as an ISO image that we can use later to create either a CD/DVD or a USB.
Most PCs made in the past decade can boot from USB, which is the fastest way to get the Windows product key. If however you are not sure whether your PC can boot from USB, the CD/DVD is the most compatible option.
For this guide, we will create a USB Flash.
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We need an active internet connection so that the app can download the WinPE components from Microsoft - it will only do so the first time.
Then, it will format the USB, which will delete anything on it. So, make sure you don't have any files you needed before you click 'Yes.'
On a standard USB 2.0 drive, the preparation won't take more than a couple of minutes.
The USB disk is now ready.
It's a good idea to eject the USB safely. This will minimize the chance of data corruption.
Boot from the medium
Either from changing the BIOS/UEFI settings or by using a boot menu, should the motherboard have one, we select the medium we created on the PC on which we want to get the Windows product key.
We should get a Windows Boot Manager screen. We select Lazesoft Live CD or USB.
This will load the recovery environment. After it loads, we choose the 'Find Windows Product Key' option.
We need to confirm that we are using the Lazesoft app for non-commercial reasons. For commercial use, we need to get one of the paid editions of Lazesoft.
After that, Lazesoft will show the Windows product key. If we had two versions of Windows on dual boot, the app should show the product keys for both.
What's next: how to transfer Windows and do a full activation on another PC
Depending on our type of Windows License (Retail, OEM, or DSP), transferring Windows can be a challenge. On our next guide, we will see how to transfer any Windows License successfully from an old to a new PC.
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