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475 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -12/+724"Microsoft's in trouble now" - surely this is the end for Microsoft, since no other OS Microsoft made has been pirated.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -11/+535I can't give a confirmation, but I can express my confidence in team Paradox (note: Paradox is not a single individual). They crack all of Adobe's respective programs and others. If anyone can crack Vista, I'm very sure Paradox can.
- arunforce, on 10/12/2007, -13/+513I must say, I am rather disappointed in this release, they forgot the most important part. As a many time Paradox crack user, I have to ask...
Where's the freakin' cool background and funky techno music? - Xorsist, on 10/12/2007, -13/+323I *might* know "someone" that got it to work on their copy of Vista Ultimate.
- TheCount, on 10/12/2007, -16/+236I don't see how this means Microsoft is in trouble. The pirating of XP was a large factor in why it became so popular. As far as I see it, pirating can only help Vista spread more quickly and once it's in more homes, Businesses will feel more confident making the switch and they will actually be paying for their licenses.
- brasso, on 10/12/2007, -8/+196Paradox is not a person...
- RubeusEsclair, on 10/12/2007, -111/+278The only time I would ever use a crack like that is if there was a bug and I couldn't register my copy of Vista. Yes, my software is legal. Why? Because I am a coder and I would be pretty furious if someone was stealing my programs.
Too expensive for you? Its the program that runs your WHOLE computer 24x7. Compare that to something like WoW-- how long until you've squandered more money in a fake world than it would cost to be legit in the real?
Linux is free, why can't Windows? Linux fanboys will hate me for this, but Windows is better because it is a commercial product geared towards not just consumers, but other businesses as well. Im not saying open source is bad, Im just saying Windows is a better OS for a desktop system in 99.99% of all situations. (IE: it takes 5 minutes to install a program on XP/Vista, but it takes a few hours to get it working on Linux/Wine/Compiling it yourself.)
And dont try to justify it by saying "They are a big greedy corporation!"; thats just retarded. Youre no Robin Hood, a thief is a thief. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+167Paradox is the bomb. Somebody call the boston police. I ran their keygen for Photoshop and got to listen to some cool techno music they thoughtfully provided with the crack.
- Ignignokt01, on 10/12/2007, -7/+110@JesterJDL
Did you ever get in trouble for pirating XP? Nope.
The thing is, for OS's, as long as people are USING it and most people payed for it, Microsoft is happy. On the outside, it may look like they're 'working real hard to catch all these darn pirates', but they probably don't care that much. They might go after the teams that do the cracking, but they're not going to sue any individuals. I think they're even going to offer a cheaper version to pirates that they catch when they attempt to do updates, but according to this crack, MS can't tell the difference between pirated users and payed users. - Ocelot13, on 10/12/2007, -6/+93yay for the paradox group, they also provided me a way to register PS CS2. YAY!
- gldfshnpcklejar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+72haha "A person named paradox"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PARADOX_%28warez%29 - driftwood07, on 10/12/2007, -3/+71paradox makes good ***** . their photoshop cs2 keygen not only works but looks ***** awesome
- Asianwaste, on 10/12/2007, -10/+78@ jimbojim
You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm sure Microsoft while swimming in a pool of $100 bills is saying, "So the ***** what?" - greenlight2001, on 10/12/2007, -6/+72Couldn't figure out how to spell any words? Don't feel bad, you can blame it on the public school system. Just keep in mind that not being able to spell hasn't stopped 95% of diggers from posting anyways! You're in great company. Seriously. :)
- lopla, on 10/12/2007, -15/+79I have confirmation that this works on the following Vista Builds.
-Vista Feather
-Vista Home
-Vista Pro
-Vista Corporate
-Vista Super
-Vista Mega
-Vista Ultra Mega
-Vista Party Pack
-Vista Ultimate
-Vista Freedom
-Vista Universe
-Vista Gamer
-Vista Coder
-Vista Extreme
-Vista Survivor
and
-Vista Big Bang
MSFT Are Screwed! - Initialpassion, on 10/12/2007, -22/+75Then a god?
- tkstock, on 10/12/2007, -9/+61@ varunb007
What do the Boy Scouts of America have to do with this? - Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -43/+92@rubeusesclair
"Im just saying Windows is a better OS for a desktop system in 99.99% of all situations. (IE: it takes 5 minutes to install a program on XP/Vista, but it takes a few hours to get it working on Linux/Wine/Compiling it yourself.)"
Don't you just love utterly made up statistics? "99.99% of all situations"
Riiiight. Sure thing, buddy.
Windows is certainly more suitable in some cases but for installing stuff I call BS.
Utter BS.
I've no experience with some of the more "compile it yourself" geared distros but the thing is, these days there's no need to unless you want to!
My experience is based mainly around Ubuntu, so I'll use it for my examples:
Using Ubuntu you can get software installed in a few clicks. No compiling yourself. No hunting around for executables of dubious origin online.
Just because you CAN compile software yourself (as I do on occasion) doesn't mean it is required by any stretch of the imagination.
Windows is better in a few cases, such as if you're a hardcore gamer.
There's business applications that are currently only available on Windows too, so that can be valid too.
However Linux is fantastically useful on the desktop!
In our business we run three desktop machines on it and one server.
The amount of hassles that are removed by having machines that are immune to Windows viruses alone is worth it.
You can argue Windows is better in many cases, certainly, but for gods' sakes, don't do the whole pulling fabricated statistics out of the air thing. It makes what would otherwise be a fair argument and turns it into thoughtless garbage. - boscorelle, on 11/04/2007, -10/+59article contents:
BIOS Emulation Toolkit For Windows Vista x86
Download link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/19283398/ParadoxVista.zip
What's the purpose of this release?
Bypassing the product activation requirement of Microsoft Windows Vista x86.
How does it work?
Microsoft allows large hardware manufacturers (e.g. ASUS, HP, Dell) to ship their products
containing a Windows Vista installation that does NOT require any kind of product activation as
this might be considered an unnecessary inconvenience for the end-user.
Instead these so-called 'Royalty OEMs' are granted the right to embed certain license information
into their hardware products, which can be validated by Windows Vista to make obtaining further
activation information (online or by phone) obsolete.
This mechanism is commonly referred to as 'SLP 2.0' ('system-locked pre-installation 2.0') and
consists of the following three key elements:
1. The OEM's hardware-embedded BIOS ACPI_SLIC information signed by Microsoft.
2. A certificate issued by Microsoft that corresponds to the specific ACPI_SLIC information.
The certificate is an XML file found on the OEM's installation/recovery media,
ususally called something like 'oemname.xrm-ms'.
3. A special type of product key that corresponds to the installed edition of Windows Vista.
This key can usually be obtained from some installation script found on the OEM's
installation/recovery media or directly from a pre-installed OEM system.
If all three elements match Windows Vista's licensing mechansim considers the given
installation a valid system-locked pre-activated copy (that does not require any
additional product activation procedures).
So the basic concept of the tool at hand is to present any given BIOS ACPI_SLIC information to Windows
Vista's licensing mechanism by means of a device driver.
In combination with a matching product key and OEM certificate this allows for rendering any system
practically indistinguishable from a legit pre-activated system shipped by the respective OEM.
How do I use it?
Preliminary hint:
Most operations described below require elevated privileges, so disabling UAC (Run->MSCONFIG.EXE->
Tools->Disable UAC) for the time being is recommended, Of course, it can be safely re-enabled after
all steps have been performed. Otherwise OEMTOOL.EXE and some SLMGR.VBS operations must be explicitly
run with adminstrative privileges.
1. Install the Windows Vista x86 edition of your choice without entering any product key during setup.
Basically any Windows Vista x86 installation media will do, regardless if it's MSDN/Retail/OEM/ETC
2. Install the emulation driver.
INSERT THIS FILE INTO THE C: SO THE FILE IS IN C:.XRM-MS E.G. C:ASUS.XRM-MS" if you chose to install the default driver
Run OEMTOOL.EXE, select the OEM BIOS information to emulate (ASUS might be a good choice given the
fact that it's the only OEM for which a complete set of product keys is provided ) and hit the
'' button.
If prompted about whether to install an unsigned driver, allow it.
(For some odd reason Microsoft didn't wanna sign this one...)
3. Reboot your machine.
4. Install the OEM certificate matching your OEM selection during driver installation by running
SLMGR.VBS -ilc .XRM-MS
(e.g. "SLMGR.VBS -ilc C:ASUS.XRM-MS" if you chose to install the default driver and extracted
the certificate file to C:)
Note that this operation might take quite a while depending on your system, so be patient.
5. Install an OEM product key matching the installed edition of Windows Vista x86 by running
SLMGR.VBS -ipk
(e.g. "SLMGR.VBS -ipk 6F2D7-2PCG6-YQQTB-FWK9V-932CC" if you're running Windows Vista Ultimate using
the default emulation driver)
Note that this operation might take quite a while depending on your system, so be patient.
See PKEYS.TXT for a list of OEM product keys published by different OEMs.
Download link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/19283398/ParadoxVista.zip - NX910a, on 10/12/2007, -10/+50Microsoft is hardly "in trouble." On the contrary, pirates will ensure that Microsoft's relatively large marketshare (one word or two?) stays in place.
When Windows activation works, Vista will become more difficult to pirate. A win for Microsoft.
When Windows activation doesn't work, Vista will become pirated much more often, which increases Microsoft's marketshare (pirates comprise a large portion of the population, I would imagine). Another win for Microsoft.
Either way, they win. - expertninja, on 10/12/2007, -6/+46http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PARADOX_%28warez%29
That is paradox. All hail Wiki. - Ngai, on 10/12/2007, -7/+43It works... Paradox is the *****.
Mess with the Best, Die like the Rest! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+41LOL a "person called paradox"
they are still around. their stuff works unless it is fake or has been hijacked by lamers. - sputty01, on 10/12/2007, -2/+32old news... but good news :) paradox rock, people don't have enough respect for the scene groups these days. just spend a second while your installing your completed torrents giving a thought to the people that brought it to you!
- Duhitsmichael, on 10/12/2007, -4/+34@arunforce
"Where's the freakin' cool background and funky techno music?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracktro - DiggHermit, on 10/12/2007, -23/+53Not a person indeed, a scene group. Basically the people the MPAA/RIAA should be going after, instead of scraping the bottom of the barrel.
- Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31seeing as there is a driver needed to make this work, couldn't MS release a new WGA that specifically checks for this driver?
- m1ss1ontomars, on 10/12/2007, -8/+37http://chris.tandiono.googlepages.com/ParadoxVista.zip
- Lane, on 10/12/2007, -19/+47(speaks on behalf of all of digg) We Love you team paradox!!!!!
- ThinkFr33ly, on 10/12/2007, -4/+32Microsoft's in trouble? Ya, because all the piracy that XP experienced really crushed the company's profits. Give me a break.
Microsoft has long maintained that preventing piracy will be virtually impossible. WGA and Activation are simply ways of getting unwitting pirates and casual pirates to pay for the product they're using. It was never really intended to thwart the hardcore pirates.
Microsoft's anti-piracy efforts have, for the most part, work exactly as they were intended to work. - Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -2/+30truegodofwar - Hehe, it's good to know warez groups still upholding the tradition of cracktro's. :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracktro - Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+26OK, if Paradox is behind this, I'm pretty sure I'll trust this more than that keygen... :-) IMO, only a well known warez group like them would be willing to put their name behind a crack that really is a "good" solution, from the pirate's POV. And indeed, MS will probably have a hard time telling a reported OEM BIOS apart from a real OEM BIOS.
- venom8599, on 10/12/2007, -7/+32@ZekeSulastin
It's not stealing, it's copyright infringement. Physical Property != Intellectual Property.
If you steal a sports car, you're depriving someone else of a sports car. If you use cracked/pirated software, you're making a copy that is simply unlicensed, and the original is left intact. Morally wrong? Yes. Illegal? Depends on your country's copyright laws. Is it stealing? No. - K-Flow, on 10/12/2007, -8/+31god, you're so ***** leet, dude
- chumba, on 10/12/2007, -6/+29@jrsims - "Microsoft's pricing scheme is abusive, and therefore I won't play ball."
Wha? I'm as anti-microsoft as the next guy, but you've got to be kidding right? Abusive? You don't like it, you don't pay for it. It's as simple as that. There's nothing abusive about their pricing. They can ticket it as high or as low as they want. Are BMW's pricing policies abusive because you can't afford to buy one or you think they cost too much? Holy crap dude, wake up. - fyrehart, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23Confirmation:
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2544/licensedwt9.jpg - hokkos, on 10/12/2007, -10/+32The other link have been buried, so digg this one
- swaggadocio, on 08/20/2008, -1/+22Perhaps not as profitable though. RIAA out-of-court settlements anyone?
- bennyboy371, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22Thats right Microsoft, from his name and the URL, you can find his school AND his full name in addition to incriminating evidence!
Jeez, way to point out the reasoning behind the phrase "on a platter." - alecks, on 10/12/2007, -3/+24I thought paradox was software only... do they release music/movies as well?
- thefat, on 10/12/2007, -7/+27Did anyone really think Vista wasn't going to get a crack at some point and time? Props to the guys at Paradox for doing it first.
I still won't use it. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23^^^^^Above link is NSFW^^^^^^
- jerryparid, on 10/12/2007, -4/+22Yes; this is a Paradox release. Note at the end of readme.
"TEAM PARADOX '07" - agimat, on 10/12/2007, -9/+27@vertex
"What about the 5 other times Ive paid for the same code? I have no problem buying code once. But Vista is only 5% different then XP, which was only 5% different then 2000, which was only 5% different then NT."
Then why pirate it at all? If it's only 5% different than NT, you should be perfectly happy using your *paid for* Windows NT and not wanting for Vista enough to use a warez copy.
"Sure, I agree you deserved to get paid, but at what point does code become public property? How many times should I have to pay for something I already bought?"
They have no obligation to make anything "public property" and you have no obligation to buy their product.
/Enjoy your pirated vista. We know how it is so quit making lame justifications. - teckieee, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18WOW really starts now
- Alfarin, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21Fact> Paradox is not a person; its a group... this was mentioned by several others already.
Fact> This is not 'cracked' by Paradox, it was something M$ did for their manufactures that needs to OEM. Something similar (but easier to dupe) is done for XP as well.
Fact> This is not 'discovered' by Paradox, a Chinese forum had this information floating for about a week or more already.
Fact> Paradox downloaded the exploit, and gathered a few product key's readily available off other website and branded as their own.
Would bury for inaccurate news; but since its useful to some extend, and it does indeed work, I'm not going to do anything about this entry. - foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17@truegodofwar
Add this to adblock before going if you are afraid of NSFW
http://banners.adultfriendfinder.com/
I never got any pictures when going there with adblock with this added. - emfb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16"Microsoft's in trouble now"
I beg to differ. The now free, as in pirateable, Vista is a demotivator for switching to a non-Microsoft operating system.
This will alow them to retain thier existing home user market share until the computers need replacement. When it's time to upgrade the computer, the user now familiar with vista, will probably purchase a vista pre-installed computer.
This is actually a very good way to transistion users to vista. - Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16lol @ readme:
"If prompted about whether to install an unsigned driver, allow it.
(For some odd reason Microsoft didn't wanna sign this one...)" - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16I agree 100% , these people have saved us alot of money.
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