The fact that Microsoft has relaxed its antipiracy mechanism built into
Windows Vista concomitantly with the release of Service Pack 1 failed to stop
hackers from providing a crack for the latest version of Windows Genuine
Advantage Validation. Various reports point out that Genuine Advantage
Validation and Notifications versions 1.7.69.1 (1.7.0069.1) and 1.7.69.2
released in March 2008, following the March 18 availability of Windows Vista SP1
through Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center, have been cracked.
The workaround is designed to be integrated with pirated copies of Windows XP
and Windows Vista in order to render useless the WGA Validation mechanism.
According to the reports, applying the WGA crack will permit users of
counterfeit versions of Windows to access and download items from Windows
Update, Microsoft Download Center and Microsoft Update. The pirated operating
systems with the cracked WGA will pass all validations on Microsoft's websites
and offer anything from updates to applications that are restricted to users of
genuine operating systems only.
