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Ask Your Vista Questions Here.
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Auslander
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6. December 2006 @ 17:15 |
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when dan's right, he's right. and right now, he's right. right? right.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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6. December 2006 @ 17:22 |
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Auslander
0-o
stop summoning aniem girls in my head that say dim/catchy thigns that rime...at least the one that ends all sentances in desu is gone...for now....
damnit..I added another word to FF spell checker....other than replaceging the file itself can you edit words in it?
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Lets renegotiate them.
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6. December 2006 @ 17:25 |
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if ye get VISTA-POOP this is what ye have to do to use it
a RIAA and MPAA,studios and microsoft kiss arse..
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. December 2006 @ 17:27
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6. December 2006 @ 18:07 |
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hurry up and get vista and a piece of cake..
Windows Trojan masquerades as Vista hack
Pirates sink 'selves
By Gavin Clarke → More by this author
Published Wednesday 6th December 2006 14:34 GMT
A week after Windows Vista's official launch hackers have devised their first attack, targeting pirates trying to install illegal copies of Microsoft's operating system.
A supposed Windows Vista crack called Windows Vista All Versions Activation 21.11.06 is reportedly doing the rounds, offering those tempted by the chance of sticking it to Microsoft the ability to install illegal versions of Windows Vista.
However, the software is not a Windows Vista crack and pirates get something they didn't expect - installation of a Trojan called PSW.Win32.LdPinch.aze - something with a "high" threat level.
Apparently, most anti-virus scanners can recognise the Trojan, but NOD32 and the latest software from Norton won't.
The installer follows in the footsteps of a Windows XP hack circulated by the devils0wn group in 2001, which allowed users to bypass product activation of Windows XP.
Windows Vista is currently available for download only to customers on Microsoft's volume licensing deals and won't become generally available until January. The Trojan would therefore likely hit certain business users and those working in businesses passing on copies to friends, family, or colleagues.
Worryingly for business users in general, though, is the fact the Windows Vista DVD has been designed to make it easy for third parties' software to be inserted with the operating system for mass distribution. That potentially lets hackers insert their code just as easily as Microsoft partners.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/06/windows_vista_trojan/
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The_Fiend
Suspended permanently
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6. December 2006 @ 21:33 |
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Zippy, if you so much as attempt to hug me, i'll whack you over the head with my 12-pound skateboard.
And yes, i could do with some sun, all i saw was rain.
You'd think creaky would at least have sent me to jamaica on that 2 week vacation, but noooooo, he had to send me to russia... ;-)
irc://arcor.de.eu.dal.net/wasted_hate
Wanna tell me off, go ahead.
I dare ya !
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7. December 2006 @ 02:39 |
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oops i could have sworn that's what the flight ticket said, damn online holiday booking systems, probably running under Vista
Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS-WPA2/AES ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 3node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G2 v1. *** Forum Rules *** |
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The_Fiend
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7. December 2006 @ 05:29 |
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Methinks it must have been running Windows ME.
irc://arcor.de.eu.dal.net/wasted_hate
Wanna tell me off, go ahead.
I dare ya !
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7. December 2006 @ 05:36 |
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good point, also i'd even choose Ubuntu over Vista or WinMe, that sums up Vista for me
Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS-WPA2/AES ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 3node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G2 v1. *** Forum Rules ***
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Member
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7. December 2006 @ 06:55 |
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What's Ubuntu?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 7. December 2006 @ 06:59
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Auslander
AfterDawn Addict
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7. December 2006 @ 06:57 |
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a linxu distro.
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7. December 2006 @ 07:02 |
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except i'm not human
Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS-WPA2/AES ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 3node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G2 v1. *** Forum Rules ***
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ddp
Moderator
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7. December 2006 @ 10:56 |
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i figured as much!!!!!
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7. December 2006 @ 20:20 |
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Originally posted by creaky:
except i'm not human
Why do you keep saying that? Non Homo-Sapiens cannot use the keyboard, and neither do they have such a good sense of humor! ;)
EDIT: BTW, is ubuntu free?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 7. December 2006 @ 20:22
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The_Fiend
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7. December 2006 @ 20:26 |
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Yes.
irc://arcor.de.eu.dal.net/wasted_hate
Wanna tell me off, go ahead.
I dare ya !
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Member
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7. December 2006 @ 20:32 |
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Does anyone know this?
Vista kernel fix 'worse than useless'
Microsoft has modified Windows Vista to prevent a high-profile exploit demonstrated at security conferences this summer but the fix creates as many problems as it solves, according to the security researcher who identified the original problem.
The bug, demonstrated by Joanna Rutkowska of security firm Coseinc, created a possible mechanism for hackers to bypass security protection built into 64-bit versions of Vista in order to inject potentially hostile code into the kernel of prototype versions of Windows. This so-called "pagefile attack" defeated a feature called Vista kernel protection.
Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 frustrates this attack by blocking write-access to raw disk sectors for user mode applications, even if they are executed with elevated administrative rights. Rutkowska writes that Microsoft's fix is fraught with difficulties because it prevents legitimate applications, such as disk editors and recovery tools, from functioning without their own signed kernel-level driver. Hackers might be able to hijack such legitimate drivers so all Microsoft has done has created extra work for developers in displacing - but not resolving - the problem.
During a presentation at the Black Hat conference in August, Rutkowska explained two other approaches Microsoft might take in defeating the page-file attack as well as highlighting the problems with simply blocking write-access to raw disk sectors for user mode applications. "Microsoft actually decided to ignore those suggestions and implemented the easiest solution, ignoring the fact that it really doesn’t solve the problem," she writes.
Keep it up, Microsoft!
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The_Fiend
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7. December 2006 @ 20:39 |
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This was on packetstorm... about 5 months ago.
And i think ireland already mentioned it or linked to it.
irc://arcor.de.eu.dal.net/wasted_hate
Wanna tell me off, go ahead.
I dare ya !
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AfterDawn Addict
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8. December 2006 @ 13:47 |
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Pirates crack Vista Activation Server
* 7th December 2006
* James Bannan
* Vista
Pirates have released another ingenious workaround to Vista's copy protection: a hacked copy of Microsoft's yet-to-be-released volume licencing activation server, running in VMware.
Volume Activation 2.0 is one of the more controversial features of Vista: it means that every copy of Vista has to be activated, even the Business/Enterprise volume licenced editions.
However, to make life easier for administrators, Microsoft worked in a more convenient system of in-house for en masse activation of PCs called KMS ? Key Management Service.
The idea behind KMS is that you have a single PC running KMS which can then handle activation for all your Vista clients, so that they don?t have to connect back to Microsoft every single time.
The downside of KMS is that the activation is only good for 180 days, to discourage people bringing in their home systems, activating them and wandering off again.
Bearing in mind that KMS wasn?t scheduled to be released until next year, pirates have managed to get hold of KMS and produce a standalone, fully-activated KMS server called ?Windows Vista Local Activation Server ? MelindaGates?. Tongue-in-cheek of course?the first ?cracked? version of Vista was called Vista BillGates.
The download is a VMWare image, and the idea behind it is that you download and install VMWare Player (a legal free download), boot the image and use some VBS script (supplied with the activation server download) to have the client Vista machine get its activation from the local server. And that?s it ? no communication back to Microsoft.
Of course, in line with the Volume Activation 2.0 model, this only works with Vista Business and Enterprise editions, as they are the only ones which will accept KMS keys.
Home and Ultimate editions still use normal single-use activation that calls back to Microsoft for validation of the product ID.
On one hand, this is strikes a serious blow to Vista?s activation model. Simply possessing the Vista DVD (which was released on the boards about two weeks ago) wasn?t enough to get you past the robust activation requirements. But if you can load up a local activation server and activate Vista that way, it sort of makes the whole thing redundant.
There are two caveats though. Vista still has to be installed with a KMS product key, so if that activated system ever goes through the WGA system with a known pirated key, Microsoft will be able to track it down and eventually close the loop.
The second is that this is a true KMS server, so the activation is only good for 180 days, then the client needs re-activation.
It?s also still not a crack. In this instance, as with the Vista BillGates release, it?s an activation workaround. Admittedly a very clever one, and one that Microsoft will have a lot more trouble stamping out, but the fact that it?s taken the acquisition of a KMS server shows that Vista activation is still holding strong in its own right.
But is that of any comfort to Microsoft right now, while its yet-to-be-widely-released OS is being pirated like crazy?
http://apcmag.com/node/4769
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AfterDawn Addict
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8. December 2006 @ 13:52 |
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Vista Minimum Requirements Unrealistic
By Scott M. Fulton, III, BetaNews
December 8, 2006, 11:57 AM
A white paper published this morning by hardware analysis firm iSuppli, based on its studies of Microsoft Windows Vista running on multiple grades of computer hardware, has concluded that the software publisher's stated minimum requirements for the system -- which include an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 35 GB hard drive -- may not be nearly enough.
"Despite Microsoft's claims that Vista can run on such trailing-edge systems," writes Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst for compute platforms research, "iSuppli believes the reality is quite different."
A much more realistic expectation, states the white paper, entitled "Sorting Out the Requirements for Windows Vista" (downloadable through registration), is for consumers to plan for either a 3 GHz single-core CPU or a 2 GHz dual-core CPU for their desktop systems. A 1.5 GHz processor may be suitable for notebooks. Windows XP can get by with much less.
The reason for what many consumers will consider expensive upgrades isn't what you might think at first. While a great deal of extra processing power, especially in the graphics department, is necessary for Vista to run the "full experience" of its Aero operating environment -- including, for instance, the ability to flip application windows around in full 3D rendering -- Wilkins points out that Aero is merely an option, that it isn't really a necessary one, and that it can be turned off.
No, the reason is the one that should be more obvious, were it not obstructed by the superficial ones: It's just Vista, and it needs more processing power just to be Vista.
Besides the CPU, the biggest factor impacting the overall cost of a Vista-capable system will be memory, iSuppli says, not graphics. For system builders and OEMs producing PCs today, the firm's charts make clear, they'll build Windows XP-capable systems with the same CPU as for their Vista-capable systems, so buyers of new computers this holiday season won't find new systems with XP pre-installed that are incapable of running Vista.
Wilkins pointed out some reports may be over-dramatizing the notion that older PCs can't run Vista, saying that while Microsoft's stated requirements may be unrealistically low, even older PCs today meet or beat those specifications.
Memory will drive up component costs, however, and could be principally to blame for price differences that users will see between XP systems that are "Vista-ready" and those that are "Vista-capable" (Microsoft has asserted their differences).
A 2 GB comfort zone for desktop DRAM -- up from the 1 GB zone of realism for XP -- would naturally double suppliers' costs for memory per unit, and thus drive up their total component costs per unit up, iSuppli calculates, by as much as 20%. Factor in the resale margin, and consumers could be paying one-fourth more for a system intended to run Vista.
ISuppli's contentions run completely contrary to those recently made by Acer Senior Vice President James Wong. He claims that Microsoft has been engaged in a campaign to compel users to purchase more expensive computers than they really need, by virtue of the same fact iSuppli's Wilkins believes is inconsequential: The full "Aero" experience will not be appreciated by users whose systems will only run Vista Basic.
Earlier this year, there may have been some evidence to support Wong's claims. At that time, it was reported that Microsoft and graphics card producer ATI were actively developing a campaign based on Microsoft's new Windows System Performance Ranking (WSPR), to divide the consumer PC market into five tiers of performance rather than just two. The middle and upper tiers of this system would have been the more "preferred" levels, and they would have mandated much higher-level performance specifications than hardware analysts such as iSuppli believed were being sold to everyday consumers at that time.
As it turned out, Microsoft adopted quite the opposite approach, perhaps after evaluating public response to news of that policy under consideration.
While iSuppli projects, under ordinary circumstances, consumers may pay 20% plus margins more for Vista-capable PCs than for XP-capable ones, it's December, so these are not ordinary circumstances.
A check of TigerDirect.com this morning revealed HP systems with a 3.06 GHz single-core Pentium 4 524 processor, with integrated video, 160 GB hard drive and 512 MB of DRAM -- well within the tolerance limits for Windows XP -- is selling for $499.99, less a $200 holiday rebate.
Meanwhile, a Systemax system from the same vendor configured with a 3 GHz Pentium 4 531 processor, 160 GB hard drive, and 2 GB of DRAM -- as iSuppli suggested for Windows Vista -- sells for $829.98, and is without a rebate offer. So as retailers such as TigerDirect shed their XP baseline systems, the spread right now (counting rebates) appears not to be 25%, but as much as 64%.
http://www.betanews.com/article/Vista_Mi...stic/1165596677
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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8. December 2006 @ 13:56 |
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Vista runs stable on desent hardware running on a 64bit CPU at 1.7Ghz with 512 ramm,to run the new 3d menu system you'll need over all better hardware in all Vista on lowest settings will run about the same as XP.
both sides are hyping and its out of control...
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Lets renegotiate them.
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8. December 2006 @ 13:56 |
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Microsoft: Vista Wireless Access Could Cause Laptop Battery Drain
By Gregg Keizer,
Users running Windows Vista on laptops may see batteries draining faster than they expect, Microsoft said in a warning, because some wireless access points aren't configured to take advantage of the new operating system's Wi-Fi power-saving mode.
In a recent post to Microsoft's official Vista blog, senior product manager Jason Leznek spelled out the company's last-minute decision to change the default power setting of wireless adapters to "maximum performance."
"Test results from Microsoft and our customers show that some Windows Vista beta users experienced connectivity problems when connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots," wrote Leznek in his post. "In many cases, the root cause of the problem is access point or router hardware which is not compatible with the 802.11 power save protocol."
Rather than leave the wireless access card in "power save" mode -- which reduces battery drain by periodically putting the card to sleep -- Microsoft switched the default to a more power-intensive mode, one usually reserved for times when the laptop is connected to AC power, Leznek noted.
"However, this power savings scheme for 802.11 wireless adapters depends on cooperation of the access point," Leznek wrote. "The problem is that many access points do not implement or support the power save feature correctly."
To make sure as many people as possible would be able to connect to wireless hotspots, Microsoft made the settings change before Vista moved into its release to manufacturing (RTM) phase last month. "The obvious downside is a potential decrease in computer battery life," Leznek acknowledged.
OEMs can modify the default setting before shipping Vista-equipped notebooks, Leznek pointed out; users can also change the power-savings mode through "power options" in Vista's control panel.
http://www.techweb.com/showArticle.jhtml...RSSfeed_TechWeb
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Member
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8. December 2006 @ 19:45 |
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Just a question: Isin't DRM only for specially copy-protected windows media files? Or can it be used in other media file types too [like MP3, MPG, AVI, WAV ;)]?
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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8. December 2006 @ 19:51 |
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ashwin18
I frist thought DRM was a lock down on vid and audio meaning no DRM no play thats not the case,the new DRM features in VIster are to prevent ease of copying/Cracking DRMed files and DVDs and such.
this will be shot down after they poke holes in WGA.....frankly WGA is hurting vista more than its DRM setup is.
TH DRM setup is painful but frankly as MS has to do i show the emdia mafia they tried and release instacraked updates to the DRM,I would be surprised if a complete halt came to the DVD/CD rip programs they will release updates to make the programs work on vista,in the end MS is only plugging holes in the media mafias war on consumers,if you dont know plugged holes leak LOL
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Lets renegotiate them.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 8. December 2006 @ 19:58
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9. December 2006 @ 03:45 |
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So basically, I want to know what kind of files and discs can be DRMed?
As far as I know, i've seen it only in some windows media files.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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9. December 2006 @ 03:55 |
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Originally posted by ashwin18:
So basically, I want to know what kind of files and discs can be DRMed?
As far as I know, i've seen it only in some windows media files.
DRM goes to most MP3/MP4/WMA/WMV files but can be placed on most files.
AS for media(DVD/CD,ect,ect) they have tried to lock down the eynctription/protection "lanes" to make it harder to bypass to copy them.
hacks cracks and workarounds will be flowing from the net within acouple month after launch so the DR aspect of it is the least of my worries WGA thats over the top with anti consumerism is my main focus until its limited or removed I am not wiling to put up with it.
I am looking at the price of things looking at my hardware and thinking WTF IF I want to upgrade to basic NEW gameing I have to put 300ish wroth of parts into the system I could fully upgrade for another 600 go wif a nice core duo or plug the holes in my system for 100-200 and get a 360 to play the game I want (BIoshock).
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Lets renegotiate them.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 9. December 2006 @ 03:58
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9. December 2006 @ 08:45 |
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Vista Crack Means Big Trouble
Joe Wilcox
Joe Wilcox
In a somewhat deja vu circumstance, crackers may have put the kibosh on Windows Vista product activation, as they did before Microsoft made Windows XP's widely available.
The exploit doesn't break Microsoft's anti-piracy mechanism, but falsely activates some Windows Vista versions.
The Windows Vista crack, if definitely proven effective, is rather ingenious. Because I haven't personally tried it out and Microsoft is confirming nothing--absolutely nothing--I can't definitely say it works. But, conceptually, the crack should work, although it's a whole lot of trouble for average folks. Paying up for a legit copy of Vista would be better way to go, if for no other reason than it's the right thing to do.
In a statement, Cori Hartje, director of Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative, described the crack as "purely speculative."
I can confirm the cracking tools are out there. I easily found Web links to torrents of the crack. Supposedly the software contains a VMware image and visual basic script that acts as a pseudo activation server for Windows Vista. The user obtains a Windows Vista image file--also available on torrents--and activates against the pseudo server.
The crack exploits Microsoft's Volume Activation 2.0, which Windows Vista supports. The newer anti-piracy mechanism requires Windows Vista versions obtained through volume licensing to phone home every so often to essentially reactivate. Microsoft chose the approach to combat the ongoing problem of leaked or stolen volume-licensing keys. Five years ago, the first keys leaked even before Windows XP shipped, allowing for mass pirating of the operating system. Conceptually, the reactivation mechanism would allow Microsoft to revoke some keys and then invalidate pirated Windows Vista copies.
Volume Activation 2.0 uses two reactivation mechanisms. The crack supposedly takes advantage of the Key Management Service, or KMS. Businesses would set up KMS servers for activating Windows Vista and reactivating within every 180 days.
The service is only designed for software distributed through volume licensing, which would mean Windows Vista Enterprise. The consumer versions of Windows Vista activate in single fashion, so the cracking technique shouldn't work. Besides, Enterprise is the ultimate version to steal, so to speak.
"We are actively monitoring these types of piracy and counterfeit situations, and will take action on any Key Management Service or Multiple Activation Key keys that have been reported as stolen or abused," Hartje said.
The crack isn't without its flaws. Pirated Windows Vista versions would have to be pseudo-reactivated within every 180 days. Vista copies that aren't activated or fail to reactivate all but shut down in about 30 days.
From a security perspective, the Vista crack is deeply disturbing. Suppose a pirate distributed hacked versions of Windows Vista that redirected product activation to its own servers. Conceptually, the hacker could distribute pirated software preloaded for participation in botnets. A little pseudo-activation here, some added remote-access Trojans (RATs) there, and the hacker-pirate has a botnet distribution platform.
There would be little consolation in people stealing Vista paying the hacker pirate by another means, because of all the trouble botnets cause.
No doubt, Microsoft will respond to this crack, assuming it's real, quite possibly by modifying how KMS works. It's not like there have been massive deployments of legitimate copies of Windows Vista yet. The customer impact would be minimal right now.
As for the crack, Microsoft anti-piracy mechanisms aren't perfect, nor are they meant to be. Microsoft probably could make Windows a really tough nut to crack--maybe impossible to pirate. But the cost would be huge reduction in the operating system's utility and usability.
As an end user, I dislike Microsoft's anti-piracy mechanisms. They're a hassle, and they feel like Microsoft either doesn't trust or must punish legitimate users. But Microsoft could have made the mechanisms much more burdensome. Each time hackers, crackers and pirates (Oh my!) undermine these mechanisms, Microsoft must make them tougher and in the process more burdensome for legitimate users. That's the price we pay for people who steal.
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/v...2129TX1K0000535
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