Cracking Windows

How hard would it be to crack Micorsoft Windows Operating Systems? Curious to see how difficult it might be . Need some knowledge of nesscary tools one might need to do it. And an idea of the difficulty. My friends and I are usually doing the opposite and writing programs so this seems interesting. We were thinking of it the other night and it got our minds pondering the thought if it was even possible.We also got to thinking that they have some of the most brilliant minds working for them and designing software that the encryption would be unbeliveable.

I was asking about this a while back.. To no conclusion either.. Although.. I did recieve about 20 replies worth of babbling why ME sucks and 2k is better..

=|:

I'm sure I read a report somewhere that hackers in China have already cracked the activation code part of WindowsXP. Don't know if it is true, but it wouldn't surprise me, as there is an awful lot of software piracy in that part of the world.

Yeah the activation code got cracked, I can confirm on that. Free copy's of XP pro were passed around out here.

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Originally posted by darkes
I'm sure I read a report somewhere that hackers in China have already cracked the activation code part of WindowsXP. Don't know if it is true, but it wouldn't surprise me, as there is an awful lot of software piracy in that part of the world.

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Tell me about it. In Hong Kong, there was this place in Tsimshatsui (near the MTR station) on the Kowloon side of the harbor called (rough translation:) "The Golden Shopping Arcade"... Practically every program you could ever want in a nice tiny shrink-wrapped package with a CD-key at $10-$20 HK (less than $5 US)... The police knew about it, everyone knew about it... but like with drugs, the police were really after the Big Fish, not the little distributor.

My guess is that a lot depends on a system admin himself. If he keeps up with the latest patches, the machine is properly locked down and he has good IDS it would probably be hard. But i assume there is always a way around it. We are talking win2k here. But win98 and 95 should be quite easy to get by. But then again it depends on a person.
I heard the same that XP activation has been cracked and i have seen a crack for XP office.

I would think that it's very hard but not even close impossible. However, the server checks are annoying, kind oif like cuteftp - just a registry entry with user/serial stops the server reg check.

And, it's microsoft. Have they ever made anything that someone can't crack? nnnnnooooppee

Windows 98 and 95 are actually kinda hard to "hack"...mainly because they don't have and real "network capabilities". If you wanna get into the meat of things, stick with NT, 2k, or even XP. Over and out...

referring back to:
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Tell me about it. In Hong Kong, there was this place in Tsimshatsui (near the MTR station) on the Kowloon side of the harbor called (rough translation "The Golden Shopping Arcade"... Practically every program you could ever want in a nice tiny shrink-wrapped package with a CD-key at $10-$20 HK (less than $5 US)... The police knew about it, everyone knew about it... but like with drugs, the police were really after the Big Fish, not the little distributor
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from Terr

Looks like nothing has changed in Hong Kong over the last few years then. When I was out there about 5 years ago (when it was still controlled by the UK), the situation was exactly the same.
And of course you could buy very convincing fakes of trainers, designer clothing, Rolex watches etc. for a few dollars.

Ok to clear some things up that are in this thread, I'm not interested in hacking or breaking into windows computers. I was looking for help to crack the windows os source code, maybe you did mean this, but just for others to know. Maybe they already post it, but for some reason that doens't sound like Microsoft. I know if I ever got a hold of it, I would put it up on the net and make it free source.

I would really like to go to Hong Kong one day, that's good information on to know where to get pirated software dirt cheap. I hope to go someday when I'm stinking rich.lol.


Hope it clears things up, I wasn't pissed off, but just want to see if I can get some better answers.

My opinion is this (by the way I like the Zool avatar freeOn)

depending on which windows you are talking about and what kind of access you want.

win95/98:
Encryption is good but there are programs that can crack it in seconds.
Security is a joke, many things bypassed by deleting the .pwl files.

winME/NT/2K/XP
everything is a little better on these. However keep in mind
programs are written by humans, Humans make mistakes. Which basicaly states, that NO software will ever be hack proof or crack proof forever. It took someone less than a month after xp to come out before the key was cracked, I say by summer you can bet on a whole suit of xp hacking/cracking programs to come out.

The best way to learn is to mess around with what you have. Do anything and everything. I used to hang out with a guy who loved to talk in irc, we would sit around and try things that seamed useless to see what kind of ways there where to bypass this or get by that. If you read my io.sys trick thread you can see that sometimes it is the things we never think of that can be of the most use.

Read everything and keep on it.

As far as pirated software goes, I once got a lecture for asking for a product key, it was a good lecture but I didnt listen completely.

But they way I see it is this way. If I am buying a new computer would I pay $3,000 for it from gateway or $300.00 from tigerdirect? Also after I buy that computer I consider it as mine, my bits my bites, I feel as though I can do as I please with those bits and bites. SO if I can get office xp for free instead of $240.00 what do you think I would do? (btw, I have no need for office software this was just an example)

anyways enough babble

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Originally posted by freeOn
...I'm not interested in hacking or breaking into windows computers. I was looking for help to crack the windows os source code, maybe you did mean this, but just for others to know. Maybe they already post it, but for some reason that doens't sound like Microsoft. I know if I ever got a hold of it, I would put it up on the net and make it free source.

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Well now, therein lies the whole dilema. Microsoft does not believe in open-source code (ie. Linux). The problem with your idea of 'cracking' the OS and getting the source code is that there is no actual source code in your Win installation. The source code has already been compiled and as far as I know to reverse this process is either impossible or nearly so.

The best bet if you want to get the source code is to hack into the microsoft network and download it off the developers machine yourself! Very questionable at best.

On the other hand, the trial vs microsoft may change this situation. One of the ideas being passed around as a punishment (along with heavy fines) is that microsoft must release all the source code for their software (including Windows). This would allow other software vendors to see the 'secrets' behind windows that will allow them to create better apps that are faster.

Just think of all the vunerabilities we will find when/if this happens. :D

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?posted by Stronzo On the other hand, the trial vs microsoft may change this situation. One of the ideas being passed around as a punishment (along with heavy fines) is that microsoft must release all the source code for their software (including Windows). This would allow other software vendors to see the 'secrets' behind windows that will allow them to create better apps that are faster.

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I think it'd be very interesting to see the source code for windows. I'm assuming the software venders who use and improve the Windows software have to give away their source code too.

Xp crack? Thats old news.. I have had that since i have had xp



Xp is Crap...


heh.. ;)


U know.. I got emotional scars so deep they show...
:eek:

Well today in my Cobol class I got some cool insight into how one might crack it or at least come close. Ok well most of programming is listing your inputs outputs and processing, Logic is of course your main part of creating programs.

Now lets take it back to, let's say Windows 95. Ok you have a good idea on how to assemble your code by the examples that you can see by looking at windows 95. By using Windows95 as a visual example.

Ok now that makes what your trying to do a little easier because you know what it's supposed to look like, and what it's supposed to do.

List all of the programs independently, all of the actions, break it all the way down into flowcharts, psudocode, whatever try to get it down to the most simplest terms. Once you've done that re-program it and divide it into modules. Walk through each module and program of the Operating System. Trying to get as close as you can to what Microsoft has done.

The hardest part to me is figuring out how to get all the modules to work together. But I think if you can do that then you may have come close to have replicated Microsoft's windows source code.

Now of course you can break it all the way down into assembly and manipulate bytes. But I figure if you can run Windows off of MS-DOS then what's stopping you from running your own Windows 95 replicated version off of it.

I don't know maybe I'm way off but it was just an idea let me know what you think. At least if it sounds somewhat of what I was talking about or if you have know idea about what I'm talking about I will try to break it down even more. Just let me know.

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Originally posted by freeOn
Ok to clear some things up that are in this thread, I'm not interested in hacking or breaking into windows computers. I was looking for help to crack the windows os source code, maybe you did mean this, but just for others to know. Maybe they already post it, but for some reason that doens't sound like Microsoft. I know if I ever got a hold of it, I would put it up on the net and make it free source.

I would really like to go to Hong Kong one day, that's good information on to know where to get pirated software dirt cheap. I hope to go someday when I'm stinking rich.lol.


Hope it clears things up, I wasn't pissed off, but just want to see if I can get some better answers.

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You want to reverse windows? haha, i dont think thats going to happen.

You can download the windows CE (i think) source code from the MS website. But whats the point of having the win code anyway? why not just use a BSD or linux when you get the source in better form in the first place.

Ok maybe that idea seems close to impossible but nothing is and well if you could recreate the source you could know every, even the little secrets that microsoft doesn't want you to know. Also if it was possible to create your own windows I would like that. Plus the whole challenge of doing it.

Like i said, get a BSD unix or linux, then you get the source anyway. you coulnt technicly reverse windows because its now one EXE, or DLL etc.

You can recreate window but thats totally pointless.