Windows Vista Genuine Advantage to Start Validating

If you’re using WPA files from Windows Vista RC build to replace the same files in Windows Vista RTM build to create a hybrid as a workaround to bypass Windows Vista activation, your honeymoon won’t last too long. Microsoft has announced that it will releasing an update via Windows Update that will stop piracy monster of so called ‘frankenbuild’ Windows Vista, which has the Vista activated by cobbling the RC and RTM build files and use release candidate product key to activate the Vista.

Windows Vista will use the new Windows Update client to require only the “frankenbuild” systems to go through a genuine validation check. These systems will fail that check because we have blocked the RC keys for systems not authorized to use them. In other words, the wrong key is being used. The systems will then be flagged as non-genuine systems and the experience will be what we announced back in October – including losing certain functionality (e.g. Aero, ReadyBoost) and the system will have 30 days to activate with a good product key. If they don’t produce a new product key within 30 days, they will then only be able to access their system in what we call reduced functionality mode – a mode which limits their use to one hour with their default web browser.

Another crack method which using virtualization technology in conjunction with the mechanism Microsoft uses to allow large businesses to activate multiple copies of Vista (i.e. using spoofed KMS server to activate Windows Vista by personal users) has also been watched, according to Microsoft Genuine Advantage blog. Most likely Windows Vista activated this way will also be subjected to WGA genuine Windows validation test and will get its permanently activated status removed once failed the validation.

It’s a little bit weird on why Microsoft needs to release an update for Windows Genuine Advantage validation to work, as WGA should have built into Windows Vista as part of the Software Protection Platform (SPP). May be the WGA validation on whether Windows is genuine or not needs a trigger in order to execute. Whatever, those pirates will need to skip the update or else be prepared to keep searching for new crack for Windows Vista WGA again.

Note: The new WGA for Vista distributed via Windows Update is Windows Vista Validation Update (KB929391), classified as critical update with download size of about 103 KB. The description is this update provides the latest information to the Windows Vista validation components.