[PLUG] XP installation self destruct has me wary...

Steve Bonds 1s7k8uhcd001 at sneakemail.com
Mon May 23 17:57:50 UTC 2005


On 5/19/05, plug_0-at-robinson-west.com |PDX Linux|
<...> wrote:
> Microsoft complained when I tried to activate it
> that it had been activated before.  I replaced
> the hard drive thinking I can't remove a
> keylogger from it.  When I copied a linux kernel
> onto one of XP's FAT partitions from Linux, that
> somehow wrecked the XP system.  The start bar
> self destructed entirely.  I've been able to
> run explorer from task manager, so I'm not buying
> the idea that explorer.exe got corrupted.
> 
> Is it possible that Microsoft is so paranoid that
> it's booby trapping XP home now?  Does Microsoft
> record a hardware fingerprint when you install
> Windows XP the first time so that it will self
> destruct if you try to install it on different
> hardware?  I installed on the same box, but I
> changed the hard disk.

I thought this was a good description of what gets checked and what
happens when the check "fails":

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

(archive.org version in case the above goes away:
http://web.archive.org/web/20041120093058/http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php)

One quote from the above:

-----
If, on Windows startup, there are not the required seven Yes votes,
the system will, in the original version of Windows XP, only boot to
Safe Mode. You will be required to reactivate by a phone call to
Microsoft. You will have to write down a 50-digit number, call into
the activation center on a toll-free number that will be given to you,
read and check back the number you recorded — and explain the
circumstances. In exchange, you will be given a 42-digit number to
type in. This will reactivate your copy of Windows.

This is made easier if Windows XP Service Pack 1 has been installed:
The system will continue to boot normally for three days, during which
time you will be able to contact the activation center via the net. If
the extra changes have been removed, or if 120 days have passed since
the original activation, you will be able to use the automatic process
once more
-----

It would seem that the start menu problems are not related to Windows
activation.

However, this brings up some interesting points for me-- has anyone
had any experience running multiple instances of XP inside virtual
machines (e.g. VMware)?  I would think the activation would cause some
severe problems with this.

  -- Steve

PS: Disclaimer: I'm not running XP at home-- I still use trusty ol'
Win2k-in-a-VM when I need to.


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