More than 21 years ago, Microsoft introduced the latest version of its operating system – Windows XP. Although official support for this version finally ended in April 2014, there are still users who find this system interesting for some reason.
Log Journal Bring On Friday, June 26, somewhat unexpected information: He managed to crack the Windows XP activation algorithm. He points at the same time Per Tinyapps.org blog postwho may have been the first to report this news.
Activation key generator
“Four years ago, WindowsXPKg2 was launched on the Microsoft GitHub platform. It relied on an older internal Windows product activation: a fully licensed Paper3 project and generated product keys, but relied on an external third-party server to return the confirmation ID.” mentions the publication.
In a post on discussion site Reddit In the topic dedicated to finish web activation for Windows XPa user shared the file xp_activate32.exe. This is the application that calculates the installation ID, then generates and optionally uses the corresponding confirmation ID to activate Windows XP, all without the need for an internet connection.
In practice, this means that the algorithm Microsoft used to verify Windows XP product keys has been successfully cracked and re-implemented. As a result, it is now possible to generate valid activation codes for Windows XP without an Internet connection, even though Microsoft has turned off all activation servers.
Forget about Windows XP
The log urges readers not to take this information as a recommendation to run Windows XP. Even in 2001, it wasn’t the most secure operating system You should not use it in 2023 — especially on anything connected to the internet,” Warn.
However, he is aware of the reasons that might lead to the need to use the prehistoric system from today’s point of view. “For example, there’s a device that only works with Windows XP and nothing newer…and there can be very expensive devices that still work perfectly – but require an older version of Windows to run.”
In the case of the “experts” installation, one of the problems is the fact that Microsoft has shut down the activation servers. So, even if you install a fresh, clean copy, you won’t be able to activate it online. However, there is still said to be a phone activation service that you can take advantage of if you are comfortable with that option.
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