you need a Windows licence but don't want to pay for it? no problem, ask the CIA - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 09:46:32 pm
content: Skipping Windows 8 Activation:https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/cms/page_3375301.html

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 10:02:34 pm
content: What id I don't want a windows license

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 10:46:39 pm
content: Quote from: FrankBuss on March 07, 2017, 09:46:32 pmVery well known and it is not anything illegal. In most windows installations, you can skip inserting the key during the install and you get 3 days to activate. For some reason, the Windows 8 install did not have this feature by default, but you could edit the ei.cfg. You get 3 days for free!!! - Just as you always did.Again you can also extend Windows for 3 months without a license key using a standard non-secret Microsoft command. Used to be 12 months, but I think recent changes have killed that. Better then 3 days.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 10:56:16 pm
content: /rearm works 3 times iirc so you can get 90 days from retail installs before the grace period stops. It's not a secret command.And for the Linux/Unix fanboys, the CIA are hacking your toys too.

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 11:05:26 pm
content: Quote from: amspire on March 07, 2017, 10:46:39 pmYou are right, was already published a year before the CIA article on stackexchange, I didn't search for it:http://superuser.com/questions/498436/install-windows-8-without-a-product-keyMaybe the leak was just fake news some bored kid collected from the internet and made it look like it were from the CIA?

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 11:47:15 pm
content: By the way, the instructions on that site forgot to mention that you had to be running Linux or perhaps a Linux shell on a Windows pc.I wonder how many people are desperately trying to runCode:mount -t auto -o loop win8_image.iso win8_roon their windows PC?

author: eugenenine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 12:07:08 am
content: Quote from: amspire on March 07, 2017, 11:47:15 pmDidn't work, I don't have a win8 image to mount.This workedCode:wine; talk; touch; unzip; touch; strip; gasp; finger; gasp; mount; fsck; more; yes; gasp; umount; make clean; sleep

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 12:10:39 am
content: Quote from: amspire on March 07, 2017, 11:47:15 pmI think NSA is using their ownSELinuxso maybe other government agencies as well, and they didn't mention it in the article, because it is the standard OS at CIA? It has some advantages for an intelligence service compared to using Windows with all the known (and unknown) 0days.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 12:18:25 am
content: I see there is an exploit for my Mikrotik router. Maybe explains the poor performance of my broadband

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 12:30:14 am
content: Quote from: NivagSwerdna on March 08, 2017, 12:18:25 amThat has been public for several years—it was discussed by a speaker at Defcon 18.The leak so far does not disclose any 0days. But that's not to say that they don't exist.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 02:26:26 am
content: It's possible to reset the Windows 7 rearm count. It doesn't require any kind of 3rd party hack, just what comes with Windows 7 and was provided by Microsoft. I've been using Windows 7 this way on one computer since 2012. I don't know if it works on any other version of Windows because 7 is all I have.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 05:02:21 am
content: Last time I tried the registry change in Server 2008 changing the SkipRearm key from 0 to 1 to allow more rearms, it no longer worked.The number or rearms was not changed and when you checked the registry again, SkipRearm was back at 0.I know there are a number of more complex methods involving using sysprep, or Windows repair mode that may still work - I haven't tried them.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 06:03:14 am
content: It is a bit of a pain to reset because you have to reboot and do some parts in recovery mode. The way I use Windows, the set up is so simple that it's about as easy to just reinstall. Also, the 30 day limit isn't checked except after booting, so if you just leave it running and never reboot, that "30 day trial" can last a long time. I rarely restart that computer, so the rearm count limit will usually last a year or more.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 10:23:53 am
content: Hilarious amounts of ridiculousness to avoid paying $10 to some random key seller website for a "licensed" copy.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 11:50:48 am
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on March 08, 2017, 10:23:53 amThe feature is mostly not used for that. I think rdl is heroic in his attempts to keep his Windows alive for free. I don't know anyone else doing it. I don't think the Wikileaks author realized that their "revelation" was the normal way Windows works and only gives you 3 days of free Windows use. It was a revelation about nothing.This is a pretty essential tool for IT pros and trainers. This feature is implemented in Windows intentionally by Microsoft. It is fully described in their knowledgebase articles and in public web postings by Microsoft support staff.It really helps IT Pros in making the decision that it is safe to upgrade companies servers and PCs to the new Windows versions and that is exactly what Microsoft want. If an IT team cannot fully test new Windows for compatibility with key company software (often 10 years+ old) and with drivers for expensive peripherals, they will just not push for any upgrade. This feature means testing is easy and free.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 11:56:36 am
content: I know about the grace period. Said that above. slmgr.vbs /rearm is indeed well documented. But my point is the fact that rdl must have spent hours over a period of a few years resetting the timer in lieu of spending $10 on a shady key selling website to activate Windows "legitimately".

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 03:10:21 pm
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on March 08, 2017, 11:56:36 am$10 is a lot. Last time I bought a Windows 10 Professional key for a VM installation was for EUR 4.99 on eBay. Well, the auction was removed shortly after I got the key and the seller blocked by eBay, so I couldn't leave a positive feedback, but nevertheless it works without problems

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 04:01:16 pm
content: The amount of time needed to do rearm resets is very little because the entire process takes only a minute or so, most of which is the system rebooting. I've only done this running in "free mode" as an experiment of sorts. The copy of Windows used is a legitimate purchased copy of the OEM version of Windows 7. That computer is used only for games and has Windows Update turned off. It can run many months without being rebooted and needing a rearm reset. When the rearm count is used up, I usually just reinstall the OS. That only happens every year or two and takes less 15 minutes.

author: CraigHB
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 04:12:28 pm
content: I'm still running win7, but I thought I read somewhere that win10 will let you run in trial mode without a key indefinitely having little impact on function. That's one thing good to see, MS lightening up with their licensing demands on customers, though they're taking more control over the system by removing user control over updates. And those updates may make big changes and have impacts on function. Personally I'm very picky about which updates I install on win7 and losing that ability is something that makes me shy away from win10.

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 04:26:08 pm
content: Quote from: CraigHB on March 08, 2017, 04:12:28 pmI configured it that it just shows a notification when an update is available, and I can click on it when I like. Default behaviour is that it installs all updates automatically, and even restarts the computer automatically, which I really didn't like.

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2017, 05:29:12 pm
content: The ei.cfg "trick" is a must use if you have a laptop with a key in UEFI, the vanilla image from MS will not read the key and will ask you the key before starting the install, and if you dont have a key you just use the ei.cfg to bypass the key like you would for any laptop and then just use it in trial mode.Is this news?