UPDATE:
From: “Allen Nieman[MS]” <allenn@microsoft.com>
Newsgroups: microsoft.beta.xpsp1.general
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 12:35 PM
Subject: debunking SP1 volume licensing key rumors
Hi all,
Earlier this week there was an internet posting about supposed changes in
activation that is entirely untrue, but unfortunately is being picked up an
parroted by some folks without validating with us. I’m hoping to enlist
your help with some FUD-busting and provide you all with the straight scoop
on this nasty little internet rumor.
Here’s a link to the original posting that people are parroting:
http://www.betaone.net/archives/00000060.php
Here’s the deal: There is no truth in this rumor. We are not changing the
way volume licensing customers install or deploy Windows XP. We are not
issuing volume licensing customers new product keys. Volume licensing
customers are not impacted by any of the changes we are making to
activation in SP1. The only folks impacted by the changes we are making in
SP1 are people with illegal copies of Windows.
We are planning to completely discuss and document what is changing in
activation to address crack and pirate issues as part of the overall SP1
comm planning and included in that will be a technical marketing doc I am
writing that explains exactly, detailed, what the changes are, how they
work, and why we are doing them. Our goal here is to be completely
transparent and forthcoming - fully open kimono if you will. As soon as
that doc is complete (early to mid next month) I’ll post it here.
As always, if you have any questions about activation or Microsoft’s
licensing technologies don’t hesitate to post them here and someone from MS
will get you the answer.
Thanks,
-Allen
Allen Nieman
Lead Product Manager
Licensing Technologies
Illegal XP owners beware, Microsoft has quite a suprise planned
Microsoft is planning what could end up being quite a shock for the Windows XP warez world, and what currently looks to be one of the most amazing moves made by Microsoft since Windows Product Activation was introduced.
Currently, Microsoft is in the works of completely rewriting the algorithm for the way Windows XP Corporate keys are generated, and is rewriting the code for Windows XP to recognize this new algorithm. This new code will be an added ‘feature’ of Service Pack 1 due out later this year.
At the present moment, an upgrade to Windows XP SP1 from Windows XP with no SP installation will not give any problems or errors about an invalid CD-Key on a corporate version of Windows XP. This is because the new algorithm feature has been switched off in SP1 upgrades. To get to see this new feature, you would have to slipstream SP1 into the Windows XP installation media and setup Windows. Once you’ve reached the CD-key, no current Corporate Windows XP key (none of the 75 that we’ve tried) will work, as they are all invalid. Even if a corporate key is managed to be found, the chances of it working when SP1 final comes out are slim to none, as Microsoft is rumored to ‘still be working on the algorithm for SP1 for Corporate customers’.
source: betaone.net