Blame Me: The INSIDER Secrets of Windows Product Activation!

Dave reveals the stories behind the first version of Windows Product Activation, or WPA, the anti-piracy technology he worked on while at Microsoft as an engineer. From Product ID to Hardware ID to Confirmation ID he details each step in the Activation process and why it's needed.
I get a lot of questions about which keyboard I'm using as well as various other camera and studio equipment questions, so here are the highlights:
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Sony FX3 or A7SIII Cameras
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Пікірлер: 4 100

  • @AntneeUK
    @AntneeUK3 жыл бұрын

    Me, a few weeks back: Why does KZread keep suggesting this guy's videos? Me, now: Why didn't KZread tell me about this channel ages ago?

  • @HappyfoxBiz

    @HappyfoxBiz

    3 жыл бұрын

    Because KZread is designed for advertisers, they prefer to downrank what would be controversial like talking about piracy and the like, advertisers don't like to put their brand next to something that's controversial because it would give their lawyers a bad day of advising them it's not a good idea. So KZread prefers the big money makers where advertisers bid the most on one thing and if something is popular like let's play's then of course it's going to make the most money because kids like watching others play games it's like playing speak and spell, and of course it's safe, education is a safe topic to talk about but if you're a professor of quantum physics you're not wanting to learn about social studies on children with social development issues unless of course you are a mad scientist that want to bring forth the next evolution of astro engineers... or you have children yourself. Linus tech tips makes money because it makes people... feel intelligent and dumbs down a lot of stuff, doesn't make them feel like they are watching a video version of a technical manual, and he keeps their attention. While I was doing my cert II in networking and trying to understand how Windows Server works, I would have loved KZread to just pop this guy into my inbox but by looking at this guy he was probably at Microsoft at the time

  • @Danny.._

    @Danny.._

    3 жыл бұрын

    hahaha me too

  • @tedjohansen1634

    @tedjohansen1634

    3 жыл бұрын

    Wow.... just wow. This channel needs to hit 1M subs. 20 minutes went by like nothing. I'm giving you a 5.0, Dave!

  • @bobsfriend12

    @bobsfriend12

    3 жыл бұрын

    saaaaaaaaaaaaame

  • @ManjunathCV

    @ManjunathCV

    3 жыл бұрын

    Felt same here!

  • @MGL83
    @MGL832 жыл бұрын

    The problems with your activation system started when you had to call Microsoft, but you are a 12yo living in eastern Europe and there is no Microsoft rep in your country, and even if your license is legit, 10min call abroad costs more than your monthly allowance, which you spent on new hard drive which caused the license issue to begin with.

  • @sigun0

    @sigun0

    2 жыл бұрын

    And the funniest part is that the pirated windows version was much easier to install and "activate." After so much work in thinking, programming, maintaining call centers, it must have been very sad to learn that the "protection" was successfully circumvented within months of release. And although at first the pirates were somewhat surprised by the unexpected 180-day time bomb, but a couple months later it was bypassed too. In general, after a year or so, protection has posed more problems for legal users than for pirates.

  • @marciusnhasty

    @marciusnhasty

    2 жыл бұрын

    It can be worse. You're eastern European teen just still trying to speak English and Microsoft rep is some lady somewhere in eastern Asia that is also just still trying to speak English. After more than half an hour of back and forward it ended with successful activation, but in the morning you need to inform your parents that you kind of had international call with Taiwan, Hong Kong or who knows which country and that they should brace for impact before monthly phone bill arrives. Outsourcing call centers is just ... evil.

  • @EmilNicolaiePerhinschi

    @EmilNicolaiePerhinschi

    2 жыл бұрын

    even worse, if some hardware drivers had to be installed exactly in the right order and you had to try and try again wiping and reinstalling until you found the right order and in the meantime reached the installation limit and the licence became useless or you bought the licences then you get monthly letters from BSA threatening you with up to 10 years in prison because in Eastern Europe copyright infringement is in the penal code, but had you used pirated copies nobody would have bothered you ever

  • @marciusnhasty

    @marciusnhasty

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@EmilNicolaiePerhinschi Didn't used to have that issue, our first intellectual property laws got passed in Windows 8 era. Home users upgraded pirated 7, 8 and 8.1's to Windows 10 and went legit that way. It's exactly what Microsoft wanted - one of the reasons 7 Ultimate and 8 top tier upgraded to 10 pro only. Even today, government only moves against business users without valid licenses - but they won't bother any company for using Home, Student, etc. over Professional or Enterprise editions. Conscientious people would reinstall many times with WGA remover tool and "activate" in order to find proper driver order and only than reinstall with licensed copy to properly activate.

  • @johnrauner2515

    @johnrauner2515

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@sigun0 Think music, TV and film industries and DRM. hahahahaha. It's funny how these companies NEVER learn. Who is going to buy an MP3 they can only play on 3 devices when they can download an MP3 they can play anywhere? Honestly, these guys are their own worst enemies and they just don't get it.

  • @cyootlabs
    @cyootlabs Жыл бұрын

    That one guy: There's no such thing as a read-only registry key. This guy: Yes there is, because I invented it. What a flex to be able to use. That's wild!

  • @FighteroftheNightman

    @FighteroftheNightman

    Жыл бұрын

    Quit simping for scumbags

  • @mlynn1974

    @mlynn1974

    Жыл бұрын

    Is that the same as Protected Storage? PStore.exe

  • @dermathze700

    @dermathze700

    Жыл бұрын

    "Source?" "I am the source!"

  • @xamtra

    @xamtra

    Жыл бұрын

    But they can run some services to block the particular registry key editing. K7 antivirus does that. You can check by yourself by trying to change its registry key.

  • @OligoST

    @OligoST

    Жыл бұрын

    How does it work? You know what happens if I say too much

  • @djalil_YT
    @djalil_YT Жыл бұрын

    I used to do phone activation for XP. We were instructed that at the end, customers were always right and you had to activate even if clearing house smelled shenanigans. Compare that to how things are done today. Windows activation wasn’t evil per say but it certainly opened the door to modern DRM and reinforced the notion that we don’t own the software we paid for.

  • @CoolKoon

    @CoolKoon

    8 ай бұрын

    Let me be honest with you: here in Eastern Europe literally NOBODY believed that Microsoft would be benevolent with its Windows users regarding product activation, because it was perceived as an arrogant, malicious American company that even got away with its shenanigans thanks to American government backing (mind you this was at the time when all the antitrust charges against them were dropped by the government of that bastard Dubya). Which probably discouraged legal Windows use even further.

  • @alicangul2603
    @alicangul26033 жыл бұрын

    Dave's next video: How I got kidnapped by Steve Ballmer and escaped using the Windows Task Manager

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    You've got to grant me that dude does look a little like Steve. And I'm not shafting him, I just noticed the coincidence!

  • @OldePhart

    @OldePhart

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage in air quotes "coincidence".

  • @VenturiLife

    @VenturiLife

    3 жыл бұрын

    Throws chair...

  • @donbot5000

    @donbot5000

    3 жыл бұрын

    Running and ducking from flying chairs.

  • @VenturiLife

    @VenturiLife

    3 жыл бұрын

    ""He is also infamous for a legend in which he threw a chair at former employee, Mark Lucovsky, after the engineer told Ballmer that he would be leaving Microsoft to join its competitor, Google. " “Prior to joining Google, I set up a meeting on or about November 11, 2004 with Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer to discuss my planned departure….At some point in the conversation Mr. Ballmer said: “Just tell me it’s not Google.” I told him it was Google. At that point, Mr. Ballmer picked up a chair and threw it across the room hitting a table in his office. Mr. Ballmer then said: “F-ing Eric Schmidt is a f-ing p-sy. I’m going to f-ing bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I’m going to f-ing kill Google.”

  • @LostieTrekieTechie
    @LostieTrekieTechie3 жыл бұрын

    "seatbelts and airbags" yes that is where I thought it was going.

  • @KaceyGreen

    @KaceyGreen

    3 жыл бұрын

    Same I 😂

  • @Gun08Man

    @Gun08Man

    3 жыл бұрын

    This is the comment I was looking for. Thanks.

  • @PinataOblongata

    @PinataOblongata

    3 жыл бұрын

    2 condoms with tiger balm in between. If one of 'em fails, someone is really going to know about it.

  • @KaceyGreen

    @KaceyGreen

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@PinataOblongata that'd get someone's attention

  • @andrewmackenzie2638

    @andrewmackenzie2638

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@PinataOblongata I've heard Deep Heat/IcyHot. In Austrailia we'd say "Double tarp it, with a layer of deep heat in between" (tarp is short for tarpaulin)

  • @BrowncoatFairy
    @BrowncoatFairy2 жыл бұрын

    Having my motherboard blow was a huge bummer. Replacing it was a pain. Realizing after doing so that I had to re-buy Windows again, even though I was still using all the same parts other than the mobo was infuriating!

  • @PhirePhlame

    @PhirePhlame

    Жыл бұрын

    As someone who had to move a hard drive over to an older, but virtually identical, laptop due to a screen break: customer support is understanding, and will help you get your activation squared away. The lady I got didn't ask any questions that struck me as her being suspicious of me (not even of the "I'm required by my company to be suspicious" variety) or try to put up any unnecessary red tape or anything!

  • @FuzzWoof

    @FuzzWoof

    Жыл бұрын

    @@PhirePhlame Yup, my copy of Windows 10 deactivated itself when I changed my motherboard, gave Microsoft a call and was rather surprised at how quick and easy the process was to get things reactivated. One of the nicest and smoothest customer service calls I've ever had, top marks to Microsoft for that one.

  • @CalculatedRiskAK

    @CalculatedRiskAK

    Жыл бұрын

    @@FuzzWoof Even now, the activation troubleshooter in Windows 10 and 11 is an absolutely amazing tool. I've had my computer deactivate on Windows 10 after a GPU change. Went to the troubleshooter and in seconds it reactivated.

  • @amos660

    @amos660

    Жыл бұрын

    Same exact thing happened to me.

  • @TUUK2006

    @TUUK2006

    Жыл бұрын

    One hardware change doesn't trigger that. Multiple changes do. I had to reactivate after upgrading my mobo, cpu and ram but I'm not rebuying Windows for that. I paid for it and it's the one and only time I'm okay with using less than legal means to get around it.

  • @EternalxFrost
    @EternalxFrostАй бұрын

    You still deserve a 5.0 score for your channel. It's absolutely mindblowing to get all the precious pieces of information you put out there for us, as well as hystorical stuff and whatnot. You're a legend, Dave !

  • @Hiphopasaurus
    @Hiphopasaurus3 жыл бұрын

    "It's the most reliable axe I've ever owned. I've only replaced the blade twice and the handle three times!"

  • @zwz.zdenek

    @zwz.zdenek

    3 жыл бұрын

    A good axe head will last a lifetime if cared for properly. Handles suffer the most during splitting and they shrink loosening up, so you'll want to keep replacing them.

  • @ridefast0

    @ridefast0

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes, and if you purchased a license to chop down trees then it shouldn't matter how many handles and blades you have used.

  • @danman32

    @danman32

    3 жыл бұрын

    But is the license applied to you to chop trees, or authorization to use that axe to do the chopping? I have a driver's license that lets me drive any car up to a certain weight. I have a registration that lets anyone with a driver's license drive my Prius on the public streets, but shows I own it. As for replacing the blade twice and handle 3 times, you have to also factor timeframe of the replacements to determine quality. Such replacements in one or two years time chopping once a week? Poor. Over 2 decades chopping each workday? Excellent.

  • @AsmodeusMictian

    @AsmodeusMictian

    2 жыл бұрын

    I keep thinking about the joke from the beginning of the movie "John Dies at the End." "That's the axe what slayed me.....but was it?" :')

  • @SayrexZ

    @SayrexZ

    2 жыл бұрын

    idk why but i laughed at this for at least a minute

  • @jk9554
    @jk95543 жыл бұрын

    4:10 "I was not gonna rootkit the machine..." 2005: _Sony BMG has entered the chat._

  • @zwz.zdenek

    @zwz.zdenek

    3 жыл бұрын

    Just about every anti-virus rootkits the OS. It has to do that to "compete" with malware.

  • @TheExileFox

    @TheExileFox

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@zwz.zdenek unless it's McAfee because it's essentially a virus :D

  • @ZanderBurke

    @ZanderBurke

    3 жыл бұрын

    Epic comment!

  • @phacus

    @phacus

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hahah so true that it's sad

  • @skilz8098

    @skilz8098

    2 жыл бұрын

    I've noticed that I've had more issues with systems when an antivirus program was installed versus one where none were installed...

  • @raymondwoods2304
    @raymondwoods23042 жыл бұрын

    Yes, I for one would like to thank you for Window's activation. Without out it I would never had made the jump to Linux! When I received a demand for £65 to use a copy of XP I had already bought for my upgraded computer boiled my piss. So again, thank you. I've been a happy Linux Mint user since 2006.

  • @toby9999

    @toby9999

    Жыл бұрын

    I guess if you're one of the 5% who can tolerate Linux as their main desktop system then yes, lucky you. I'm not one of them.

  • @friedrichdergroe9664

    @friedrichdergroe9664

    11 ай бұрын

    @@toby9999 Tolerate? Unless you are running specialized software only written for Windows, or are a hard-core gamer, you can do pretty much everything on Linux these days. Even hard-core gaming! But hey, use what you like.

  • @sholland42
    @sholland42 Жыл бұрын

    When you said read-only registry key , I was one of the thousands of programmers who said “what?”

  • @offontangent

    @offontangent

    Ай бұрын

    I am still unsure what he is on about... Its not one of those invisible "owned-by-system" keys that you have to access from WinPE?

  • @iwasinnamuknow
    @iwasinnamuknow3 жыл бұрын

    Not often you get to hear these kind of stories from folks who were there and involved. Thanks Dave!

  • @OldePhart

    @OldePhart

    3 жыл бұрын

    try to read the book "Showstopper". It's a great look back at this era. It's so cool to hear Dave talk about this.

  • @brokenprop2474

    @brokenprop2474

    3 жыл бұрын

    Love looking under the hood with you, thanks!

  • @Thamstras
    @Thamstras3 жыл бұрын

    Ah yes, activating windows over the phone or as we called it, "The Windows 7 Nuclear Launch Codes"

  • @memitim171

    @memitim171

    3 жыл бұрын

    "Choose the option to activate over the phone" Step 1 of the installation instructions of every pirate version of windows I ever used...

  • @snowmansteve5011

    @snowmansteve5011

    3 жыл бұрын

    I love that name

  • @thepwrtank18

    @thepwrtank18

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@memitim171 then put everything as 0 (that's how the office crack works, so i'm assuming it's that here)

  • @skilz8098

    @skilz8098

    2 жыл бұрын

    This goes back to before Windows 7... had to do this for Windows XP.

  • @superchiaki

    @superchiaki

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@thepwrtank18cool

  • @alwayscensored6871
    @alwayscensored6871 Жыл бұрын

    Brings back memories, and a very useful tip if I can remember it in a few years time. Two types of protection, Seatbelts and Airbags. Having fun binge watching these vids. So much history is being explained and reasons giving for the pain we suffered from.

  • @marcforrester7738
    @marcforrester7738 Жыл бұрын

    The fundamental problem with all DRM no matter how carefully engineered is that it will only ever bite honest customers.

  • @DatamasterCorporation

    @DatamasterCorporation

    Жыл бұрын

    Exactly. Especially in the case of games. DRM is really only there to protect the sales for the first few days of the release. I always think it's funny to read forum posts of innocent buyers of the product when the DRM breaks the game and they get accused of stealing it when they didn't. About 4 or 5 years ago there was a flight simulator developer that put a program that would steal chrome passwords and send them unencrypted back to the company. Their excuse for putting it in there was that they were trying to steal information from pirates. Also, there was another flight sim DRM problem with the PMDG MD-11. If the DRM suspected that you using a cracked copy, if you attempted to install a livery for the plane, it would just delete your whole simobjects folder. That means all aircraft models, default and purchased downloaded content would of had to be reinstalled. If it was something that was not downloadable anymore then it was just gone forever. Most of the people that were effected by this were people that paid over 60 dollars for the addon. The liveries that would bomb the simobjects folder also cost money.

  • @erroneouscode

    @erroneouscode

    Жыл бұрын

    It really added to the failure in uptake of BluRay. They doubled down on DVD's and then some.

  • @RoastBeefSandwich

    @RoastBeefSandwich

    Жыл бұрын

    Same argument is made for gun control, the war on drugs, etc. It rarely changes the mind of those in power though.

  • @g-rexsaurus794

    @g-rexsaurus794

    Жыл бұрын

    are you stupid? He LITERALLY addressed it.

  • @upstar21t

    @upstar21t

    Жыл бұрын

    Thankfully there's hundreds of millions of honest customers, if not more.

  • @michaelhanson5773
    @michaelhanson57732 жыл бұрын

    In high school, some kids took "multiple layers of protection" a totally different way not knowing it actually decreased the amount of protection. Glad to see you teaching your boys right.. seatbelts and airbags all the way.

  • @Just-View

    @Just-View

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah, using a helmet would only be an extra when you already have two trusty protections on your body, while driving.

  • @CBTvideos

    @CBTvideos

    Жыл бұрын

    Though I'm struggling to understand what the seatbelt would refer to

  • @FluffyFoxUwU

    @FluffyFoxUwU

    Жыл бұрын

    \*lays layer upon layer of thousands of permuatation of SSL and TLS on top of another protocol\*

  • @beezanteeum

    @beezanteeum

    11 ай бұрын

    But in turd world countries like Indonesia, the seatbelts and airbags don't even matter because they wanna die like a real human Oh, did i mention if Indonesia loves to break the traffic rules (lane hogging, speeding, carrying beyond capacity, road rage, driving/riding under influences, distracted driving/riding, using rotators and strobes even though you have no interest to using it)

  • @modarkthemauler

    @modarkthemauler

    10 ай бұрын

    @@Just-View When wearing a helmet don't forget the neck brace as well. Keeps you from snapping your neck in a sudden stop. So always double up your protection.

  • @patrik_x86
    @patrik_x863 жыл бұрын

    One of the best tech channels on the internet right now. Nothing rehashed, no crazy editing or effects to cover up bad content. Dave i'd buy you a beer one day!

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Wow, thanks! Please let folks know so the channel grows :-)

  • @Retro_Ken53
    @Retro_Ken532 жыл бұрын

    I don’t mind activation, but as a vintage computer collector, I wonder what the future holds. It would be nice if Microsoft would release installation media for there older OSs that included all updates. If sold for a reasonable price I think there would be a limited market.

  • @4lpha0ne

    @4lpha0ne

    Жыл бұрын

    Just a few weeks ago there were news, that the Win XP activation had been cracked. Maybe this helps the retro community.

  • @ghosttwo2

    @ghosttwo2

    Жыл бұрын

    Plenty of 'site license' copies are available, and are far more flexible wrt activation.

  • @DimitriMoreira

    @DimitriMoreira

    11 ай бұрын

    ​@@4lpha0nelike... In a different way? Since Windows 95 people had fake/pirated Windows. XP was also heavily pirated. I don't get your "they cracked the XP activation system". Like... When was it not cracked?

  • @kernel_data_inpage_error

    @kernel_data_inpage_error

    11 ай бұрын

    MS still is hosting the updates, there is a project called LegacyUpdate that reroutes them to non-SSL capable installs and works great, also fixes the endless searching for updates loop. There may be some workaround for win9x as well

  • @wintrparkgrl

    @wintrparkgrl

    10 ай бұрын

    Those previous ways were workarounds, the crack he is talking about completely decrypted the activation process. Meaning not even Microsoft would be able to tell the difference

  • @micah7448
    @micah74482 ай бұрын

    I wish I found this channel sooner. I love these looks back to the past. Early computing is so interesting to me, everything was so new and exciting. I love hearing about guys like Steve, Bill, but I love even more to hear from the engineers who were on the ground really building this stuff. Bravo on an amazing career, and thanks for building what I love and use everyday.

  • @Tailspin80
    @Tailspin802 жыл бұрын

    The bigger picture is that Microsoft wanted everyone on the planet to run their software, even if a substantial number did not pay for it. Windows and Office became (and still are) the de facto world standard that everyone in business and academia needs to learn and to use. Microsoft is worth 2.27 trillion. Mission accomplished.

  • @tythagoras5787

    @tythagoras5787

    2 жыл бұрын

    This is further evidenced by the fact that workarounds were built-in in win95 and much of the software of that era. Typing in a bunch of 1's when it asked for a product key, it would accept it without further question. Then, as now I suspect, market dominance is far more important than preventing piracy.

  • @AlexZanderMuro

    @AlexZanderMuro

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@tythagoras5787 even now i believe you can still use all Xs to bypass the key entry and get yourself into the evaluation period (worked with win10 but i havent tried on 11 since i didnt do a fresh reinstall)

  • @bwgti

    @bwgti

    2 жыл бұрын

    True. But. Their security is clunky and difficult. And .0002% of Windows users are going to pirate it and show Microsoft who’s in charge. It’s like you didn’t even read the comments Tailspin. Jeez.

  • @alwayscensored6871

    @alwayscensored6871

    Жыл бұрын

    I try to avoid Windows, been using Linux for 10 years.

  • @Tailspin80

    @Tailspin80

    Жыл бұрын

    @@bwgti Running unlicensed Microsoft software was extremely common 10 or 15 years ago. I developed Access database systems freelance for 20 years (retired last year) so I got to see a lot of offices. I recall one small office on a building development site running a few Windows PCs with only one Office 2010 CD. It let them install freely 3 or 4 times, then one day when I was there working they needed to load on a new machine and it refused. Their solution ? Call Microsoft support with a sob story about their old machine dying and get given a new authorisation code. Licensing just seemed to be for big corporate customers- everyone else could freely pirate, presumably to build the usage base and eliminate the competition.

  • @SizzlingOne
    @SizzlingOne3 жыл бұрын

    The KZread AI did me a solid with this one for once.... This whole channel, even going by skimming previous uploads, is an absolute necessity of a subscription

  • @BigFunnyGiant

    @BigFunnyGiant

    3 жыл бұрын

    Indeed.

  • @pnds
    @pnds Жыл бұрын

    I'm enjoying your stories and the context Dave, thanks so much for sharing with us!

  • @BLKBRDD
    @BLKBRDD Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the content you’re making. This is like the genius behind the magic of my childhood. My first pc was a windows 95 and I’ve grown up with every operating system since. Really fascinating insights 😊

  • @ktaylor9095
    @ktaylor90952 жыл бұрын

    Man, I remember in the early days when I was testing OS capability with a BIOS I was working on... I went to install XP on my reference design, and didn't have the product key handy, so I entered an MS Office key I did happen to have handy, and Windows just accepted it! This did stop working on later builds, but I did get a bit of a laugh out of this.

  • @BulletproofKuloodporny

    @BulletproofKuloodporny

    2 жыл бұрын

    Laughs 20 times.

  • @RogerWKnight

    @RogerWKnight

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@BulletproofKuloodporny You have 5 laughs left before you must activate.

  • @BulletproofKuloodporny

    @BulletproofKuloodporny

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@RogerWKnight del c:

  • @This_is_my_real_name

    @This_is_my_real_name

    2 жыл бұрын

    I remember installing something -- Windows, Office, Visual Studio -- I can't remember, it's been like three decades or so since then. All I can remember is that it was a beta version, and that I could not locate the product key they gave me. In frustration, I entered either all zeroes, or 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... etc. -- and it worked. In fact, I'm pretty sure this happened twice, one time with all zeroes, one time with 1 2 3 4 ... (different products, I _think_ but am not sure).

  • @SqualidsargeStudios

    @SqualidsargeStudios

    Жыл бұрын

    I think the only numbers that counted were the last 4 or so to validate the os code, so even if you had mostly 0’s as long the last couple ones are valid. Well let’s say there weren’t too many combinations, so it’s reasonable that at that time most other ms software with a key could work on older os like 95 98 etc but not anymore from vista onwards or 7 onwards not sure.

  • @StachiBCNR33
    @StachiBCNR333 жыл бұрын

    I'm in no way an expert programmer, I just like to listen to interesting stories. Keep 'em coming!

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Will do! Send me ideas on what to cover!

  • @kevinp.1842

    @kevinp.1842

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage hey Dave, do you happen to know about the NSA_KEY in Windows? Thank you for bringing these videos, they’re really interesting

  • @nahCmeR

    @nahCmeR

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm not a programmer at all but find this stuff extremely fascinating.

  • @SapphireTvYt

    @SapphireTvYt

    3 жыл бұрын

    How about blue screen and windows games

  • @jamsb

    @jamsb

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage would love to know if you know the real origin of the "Mr. Enigma" registry key. Also be interesting to see an explanation of why Windows still has reserved filenames for "CON", "PRN" etc. and the history of those device names. Discovered some other interesting quirks too like why excel only supports path lengths of only 218 chars due to the way it references other workbooks.

  • @tk429
    @tk429 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your videos in general, but mainly for the videos from my formative years with computers (94 - 2006). You've jogged so many memories from a time I had more hair and was way more confident in my abilities.

  • @cardbored_
    @cardbored_ Жыл бұрын

    As a software engineer for 20 years (currently a director), I absolutely love these videos. Such a wealth of information!

  • @s3vR3x
    @s3vR3x3 жыл бұрын

    as a current microsoft employee, as well as a computer history buff, and one fascinated by Microsoft's history, this sceatches all the right itches. :D

  • @masterman1502

    @masterman1502

    3 жыл бұрын

    Which team are you on, if you can share? :)

  • @unnamedchannel1237

    @unnamedchannel1237

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@masterman1502 not the spell check team

  • @jackkraken3888

    @jackkraken3888

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@unnamedchannel1237 lol

  • @Rock48100
    @Rock481003 жыл бұрын

    I always just lied on the phone activation saying "I only activated two pcs" despite using the same copy of windows on like a dozen friend's PCs. It always worked

  • @butter262

    @butter262

    3 жыл бұрын

    enjoy hell

  • @Rock48100

    @Rock48100

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@butter262 Lovely tropical weather I hear

  • @kickassamd

    @kickassamd

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@butter262 I will lol

  • @Tailspin80

    @Tailspin80

    2 жыл бұрын

    I was working in a client’s offices one day and they had already installed The same copy of Office on 4 PCs, but the 5th wouldn’t activate. The boss told the secretary to phone Microsoft and tell them their PC had died and they were loading up the replacement. It worked of course. Tbh there were so many ways of getting round activation, using academic copies, etc. it seemed that paying for software was just something big companies did. The rest of us it used it for free and helped with the marketing effort in the process.

  • @barendscholtus1786

    @barendscholtus1786

    2 жыл бұрын

    Then you might as well download the WPA crack

  • @robertkinsall7990
    @robertkinsall7990 Жыл бұрын

    I just got here. Your channel is utterly FASCINATING!! THANK you for the stories and vast knowledge.

  • @christophernuzzi2780
    @christophernuzzi27802 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating! This is the kind of living history that needs to be preserved. Subscribed!

  • @roboknight
    @roboknight2 жыл бұрын

    Unfortunately, product activation can really hamper repair of things like CAT scanners that run on older copies of Windows, on isolated machines. If I can’t activate the OS, then, when the machine fails, it could be disastrous. Especially when replacing the equipment isn’t an option. Not saying people shouldn’t pay for software, but owning software instead of a license is definitely an important use case.

  • @jeremyroberts2782

    @jeremyroberts2782

    2 жыл бұрын

    Clasic case of project/developer stupidity, ie the PM/developer did not design the software or project to be maintained. They did not forsee that the OS would not need to be upgraded and did not plan to support the software that was developed, they assumed they could keep using the same hardware and software for 20 or 30 years which is never going end well. This is not Windows Activartion issue it is a project managment issue that did not look at the full expected life cycle of the product. This is common to 99% of all projects as project managers and developers are paid to deliver a project withing a given short timescale somwher between 1 day and 12 months not 20 years.

  • @roboknight

    @roboknight

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jeremyroberts2782 unfortunately, none of what you said there matters to the hospital that bought the best product they could at the time they bought it. It’s still a Windows Activation issue because when someone designs a product, they generally use whatever is available at the time. So, the hospital buys the best product available, but can’t necessarily replace the entire thing when the computer fails. And while we might like a company to update their software for old products, they may have made THEIR money and moved on. This leaves the hospital with 2 options: scrape together money they weren’t planning to spend yet, or, more likely, try to find a way to restore the old machine. But, without a way to activate the box (say it ran Windows 7) and no updated drivers for a newer version of Windows, they might be spending that money on the CAT scanner instead of something else they really needed. Other option might be to send people elsewhere until they can update the machine, but given how fast tech moves, they’ll likely be in that mode again. If on the other hand, there was a better option, like to actually own the copy of Windows for that device, then the machine could likely be used until it was actually slated for upgrade. Note that this goes for MANY other devices. Generally, if it might require a specialized driver, it may only have been targeted for the current crop of hardware and software available. You can’t necessarily expect them to know where Microsoft is going. And when things do change, you can’t expect them to update all of their old stuff. The people that built that CAT scanner might not even still work there. But, what you might expect, when you buy something you do plan on owning for a while, is that a license activation doesn’t stop you from continuing to use the product until you are ready to scrap it. But Microsoft doesn’t give you such an option with something like, say, Windows 7, because they don’t even run the activation servers anymore. Just a question, if you need a vehicle, do you own or lease? I’d guess lease. It can be quite expensive to replace certain equipment frequently. Not saying it should never be replaced, but expecting people can always update is pretty short-sighted. Everyone would love to replace most everything they own with something new, but eventually you’d like to do something more sustainable.

  • @jeremyroberts2782

    @jeremyroberts2782

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@roboknight I buy my cars second hand. They have a life expectancy based on currant age, condition and expected usage and they are replaced at a given time. It is called life cycle planning. If you plan for the lifecycle of a product to be 20 years you should not be specifying a Windows OS as they are only supported for 10 years unless you expect to do regular updates or refreshes, Computer hardware is unlikely to be last that long so you will need to plan for replacement of that. Even governments refresh Aircraft airframes , wings and engines or 20 year old planes. but for some reason no one thinks about these things up front in any technology project and actually looks at the life expectancy of the device and maps out how that will unfold over the intervening years. If you specify a sledge hammer to crack a nut it i s not the hammers fault when in smashes the nut to pieces.

  • @soundspark

    @soundspark

    2 жыл бұрын

    Did the Windows XP Embedded SKU require online activation?

  • @LiEnby

    @LiEnby

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@soundspark Yeah i don't think it actually does.

  • @MWRtelevision
    @MWRtelevision3 жыл бұрын

    I’d like to hear more about the logon screen, it’s evolution from Windows 95 to XP.

  • @dufferzzzzz

    @dufferzzzzz

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes! This! Please talk to us about the Cancel button and why it works as it used to

  • @mvShooting

    @mvShooting

    3 жыл бұрын

    I wouldn't pair Windows 95 with XP in this regard. Logon was radically different in 9X (95, 98, ME) than it is with NT-based systems (NT, 2000, XP, Vista…).

  • @roelbrook7559

    @roelbrook7559

    3 жыл бұрын

    Did 9X even have a login without using Netware etc? I think the evolution is more from NT 3.5 -> XP

  • @TheNewton

    @TheNewton

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'd like to know why I can't just start typing the login, or why the start screen Loves to get into a state where it won't go away preventing login

  • @3DGECASE

    @3DGECASE

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Mike Manfredi Yeah, it wasn't meant as a login to the computer, just a login to the computer's local network credentials.

  • @donmiller504
    @donmiller504 Жыл бұрын

    Great work! Always wished there was some program for someone who struggled to get the hardware pieces together on a home built machine but I'm getting a sense that the backend server has some mercy on activations onboarding.🎉

  • @arandomperson8336
    @arandomperson8336 Жыл бұрын

    My grandfather used to say "Locks keep honest people honest" Software seems kind of similar - you're never going to stop a determined pirate and locking honest customers out of their machines is way more damaging than forcing a hacker to work a little harder.

  • @greglir
    @greglir3 жыл бұрын

    Former Microsoft Escalation engineer here ( support ) that interfaced with Windows QFE group. So I was one of the guys asking the devs for hotfixes. . Really enjoying the Windows history stuff. I have a lot of knowledge but not like this. Very interesting stuff please keep it up! I seem to recall is that WPA had some roots in Office and BradG had a lot to do with it for the Terminal Server product it actually TSLS which the Windows core product borrowed. It's also important to note that Windows server and Windows workstation are the same code. The build number or release may and does differ but all the same code base .

  • @glasser2819

    @glasser2819

    3 жыл бұрын

    Txs Greg for putting in your sweat equity to keep it huming. Windows is the first OS stack that made "the web" an household staple through 56k USR Modems. 🤗

  • @daoneTM
    @daoneTM3 жыл бұрын

    Fun fact: Here in germany it is not allowed by law to bind a software licence to hardware. So you can take your Windows licence from one PC to the next.

  • @Spelter

    @Spelter

    3 жыл бұрын

    Oh I remember that hell back then MS got into. People threatened to sue them if they are not stopping this crap. Somebody moved from a Dell PC to a DIY one and of course, the MAK didn't work. We actived it illegally but the key was still his and he bought it with his Dell PC. Now we use digital keys and no media anymore, so it's not really easier but possible to just activate with a illegal key. Even go around the problem with own KMS servers on the router or somewhere is a way MS will never got rid off. But they are only hunting for bigger companies, not private persons.

  • @onix331

    @onix331

    3 жыл бұрын

    Though why does Windows still say that the hardware has changed and that i need to buy a new Windows 10 license every time i change something major on my PC (which i do alot)

  • @daoneTM

    @daoneTM

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@onix331 Good question, i can't answer it tho. I had no problems so far with my licences. The most i had to do was to register my XP by phone and had a human asking me if i really had deleted XP from the other PC.

  • @Sasoon2006

    @Sasoon2006

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@onix331 i changed my whole PC (even from intel to amd), just nvme drive with Windows 10 intallation was from the old PC, and it did not complain (even that nvme was not original installation drive, I moved win10 install from another ssd in old pc to it, so in a way this was completely new pc)

  • @Spelter

    @Spelter

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@onix331 So what did you change ? Mainboard ? Just use the old key and phone activation, it will ask you on how many pcs its installed and you say 1, that's it.

  • @KingSlimjeezy
    @KingSlimjeezy Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing! Genuinely interesting hearing the stories only attained through a longs and storied career :)

  • @wowassault
    @wowassault2 жыл бұрын

    As an avid tech nerd all my life I gotta say finding your channel and video's has been one of my greatest treasure finds ever! Love your content and the no nonse type of story telling, absolute excellent!

  • @forest3064
    @forest30643 жыл бұрын

    Its crazy to think that this implementation is most likely still in use somewhere in windows 10.

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    I imagine stuff has changed but this series has really amazed me with how much stuff still *IS* the same as 20 years ago!

  • @glasser2819

    @glasser2819

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage it seems the old saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it" fully applies at the core level. Adding an App store was a great idea to copy the Apple revenu stream. ✌️ 👏

  • @saveker

    @saveker

    3 жыл бұрын

    I recently upgraded my motherboard and CPU. Activation failed and I had to spend over 45 minutes on the phone to Microsoft support.. transferred between various agents and had to email them PDFs of my invoice for motherboard and CPU before they would re-active my PC. Towards the end of the call I was starting to consider just buying another copy of Windows... glad I did not... but gosh what a horrible customer experience. This was a great example of paying customers [me] suffering when the pirates just enjoy their free software.

  • @LiamGaughan

    @LiamGaughan

    3 жыл бұрын

    Some of it must be still there, I changed my mobo and cpu, and had to call to reactivate. Sent them proof of purchase of the old mobo, click. Activated.

  • @holladiewal6812

    @holladiewal6812

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@saveker With Win10 you can bind your License to a Microsoft account. If it fails activation, you can then choose "Troubleshooting -> I changed my hardware" and select a license for your Windows edition from your account. It's quite handy to save your license this way (could also theoretically maybe transfer to another PC this way)

  • @philbot01
    @philbot013 жыл бұрын

    " I knew I did pretty well for once " - The guy that had previously invented Zip folders and Task Manager in his spare time

  • @hookahmike
    @hookahmike3 ай бұрын

    It is actually very enjoyable to listen to you and the stories too! (And you learn stuff woohoo!) Thanks!

  • @alstuart
    @alstuart3 жыл бұрын

    I am a proud recipient of one of the rare 5.0 review scores that Dave mentioned in the video.

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Cool, I've talked to a couple of people in the last few days that had done it. Congrats!

  • @mitchelvalentino1569
    @mitchelvalentino15693 жыл бұрын

    _Richard Stallman has left the chat_

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Stop him! He didn't even pay for a ticket!

  • @BumWolf69

    @BumWolf69

    3 жыл бұрын

    It's getting stuffy in here. Can somebody open up some windows?

  • @SIGSEGV1337

    @SIGSEGV1337

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage He paid for the ticket, he just paid in cash so no one would know

  • @richardportelli7253
    @richardportelli7253 Жыл бұрын

    Wow. I really have wondered about this for a long time. Thanks for making a video about it.

  • @kylethmpsn
    @kylethmpsn Жыл бұрын

    Loved watching this, thank you for sharing your insight and experiences!

  • @LanceMcCarthy
    @LanceMcCarthy3 жыл бұрын

    I have close friends who are MSFT employees from the time of stack ranking. When MSFT got rid of it everyone rejoiced (except the folks who constantly got 4+)

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    I did not rejoice :-P. There may have been many excellent and needed reasons for the change, but I still don't like change!

  • @DodgyBrothersEngineering

    @DodgyBrothersEngineering

    3 жыл бұрын

    Lance, do you know how you are doing well at MS? You still have a job. I remember congratulating a colleague on an award he had just won, it was quite a significant achievement. He blew it off like it was nothing. He said to me being above average is why you have a job here in the first place. I stopped and thought about his comment for a moment. While I have to admit that comment did make me feel kind of special, he was right MS rarely hires duds.

  • @user-xr3rb6pn9m

    @user-xr3rb6pn9m

    2 жыл бұрын

    I've read about that. It basically meant that employees had to treat each other like enemies instead of colleagues, and who knows what kind of damage it did to the Microsoft products of that time.

  • @alakani
    @alakani3 жыл бұрын

    "Someone I know" used to be really big into cracking various software, including activation and WGA. While I agree with you, certainly as a developer myself, that people who can afford software should pay for it - I also think the world would be a much better place if everyone who wanted to try to make things had access to whatever tools they need. Particularly software, as this doesn't pose any loss to the producer, if the consumer could never afford it anyway. At best, it's free advertising for the producer. At worst, a rich guy gets to do a little charity work. Personally, I went back decades later and paid for a lot of the software that I pirated as a kid. I think that's pretty common, according to studies. If I didn't pirate those things, I likely never would have escaped ASD level 3 and would probably still be living with a highly abusive parent. Now that I'm moderately functional, I try to pay it back and pay it forward.

  • @Tekape

    @Tekape

    2 жыл бұрын

    So if the World was perfect and these things wouldn't get abused, the World would be lerfect, interesting view on the World, sadly it's obviously not perfect. Also if cracks weren't so broken or would get the same updates easily I wouldn't have bought these products afterwards.

  • @vangildermichael1767

    @vangildermichael1767

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think Windows has addressed this issue (if you can then you should pay for it). While still letting poor high school me use it. Last time I installed windows. I remember it working for free. I just couldn't "personalize" it, until I paid for it. That sounds like such a lil' trivial thing. But it's not. Yet all of the "power" was still available, it just didn't "feel" right. I used the "free" type for a week or two until my key came.

  • @dermond

    @dermond

    2 жыл бұрын

    In my case that's why I decided to try open source and Linux, as a kid I pirated EVERYTHING you can imagine. Music? Ares, LimeWire and some websites. Games? Halo, Sims 2, The Elder Scrolls, Diablo. Software? Everything about Adobe and Microsoft office. But when I entered college I realized that the music and games I like needs support for being so niche, and there's open source software that can do what I need like Krita+Gimp+G'mic. I start getting tired to pirated Adobe (I can't pay Adobe license for 2 programs, it's like it's meant to business, not to normal users) so I'm looking how much I can survive with open source and Linux on college before I'm pushed to pirated

  • @TechHug

    @TechHug

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wow, I didn't realize that developing software was free! I should have known though, since no software dev has ever gone bankrupt.

  • @larmondoflairallen4705

    @larmondoflairallen4705

    2 жыл бұрын

    Easy to say when you are taking someone else's stuff. Less so when someone is helping themselves to the fruits of YOUR labor.

  • @cowtailcalvin
    @cowtailcalvin5 ай бұрын

    Everything story I hear in Dave's Garage not only makes me nestalgic, but teaches me more than I expected

  • @Hirokuro_Asura
    @Hirokuro_Asura2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video. It was very interesting to see the perspective of the former employee on these matters. Looking forward to watch and hear more.

  • @KG4JYS
    @KG4JYS2 жыл бұрын

    The constant reactivation for hardware changes was the most frustrating part of wpa for me. It still would be I'm sure, if I didn't have an MSDN aka Visual Studio subscription these days.

  • @soundspark

    @soundspark

    Жыл бұрын

    There is a limit to how many keys MSDN issues and even the MAKs have a set limit. I personally respect to at least a minumum the VS EULA and limit the keys' usage to test rigs and VMs, with my daily driver desktop running a key that was originally retail Windows 7 Ultimate.

  • @DGTelevsionNetwork
    @DGTelevsionNetwork3 жыл бұрын

    Ah windows xp activation circa 2001... "Windows needs to activate before logging in" Okay I'll just run the activation... Puts in product key "Activated!" System reboots "Windows needs to activate before logging in" Wtf I just activated, I'll run it and see what happens, what the hell "Windows is already activated!" System reboots Fml

  • @A_Box

    @A_Box

    3 жыл бұрын

    what did people do in those situations?

  • @DGTelevsionNetwork

    @DGTelevsionNetwork

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@A_Box "upgraded" to windows 98 or 2000.

  • @teekay_1

    @teekay_1

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@A_Box Usually got a cracked copy or copy that had a volume license associated with it. MS dropped those kinds of licenses years ago.

  • @unnamedchannel1237

    @unnamedchannel1237

    3 жыл бұрын

    There was a trick we used to use I don’t recall what it was but I remember having to deal with that for a couple of clients.

  • @victorlangrehr7505
    @victorlangrehr7505 Жыл бұрын

    Dave you're doing a great job of trying to explain very complicated topics in plain English and I appreciate that, I would actually like to see more information on system tools I really liked your video about the task manager I always struggle with understanding what the blue screen of death is telling me and what the event viewer is trying to tell me and I would like to try and improve my understanding of both of those areas

  • @jdelkins2
    @jdelkins22 ай бұрын

    This is a great episode. So glad I found your channel.

  • @xDB8x
    @xDB8x3 жыл бұрын

    12:25 that part really got me, very good haha

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Ha! Hope this wasn't too over the top, just kind of made it up as I went :-)

  • @xDB8x

    @xDB8x

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage It was perfect! I think it is always good and fun on a video to joke a bit about the topic :)

  • @cromulence

    @cromulence

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@DavesGarage He's talking about S-E-X in front of the C-H-I-L-D-R-E-N! Sex Cauldron?! I thought they closed that place down!

  • @AllahDoesNotExist

    @AllahDoesNotExist

    3 жыл бұрын

    Linux users don't need this advice. They never leave their room. Neither do Mac users, they use each other's backdoor, raw.

  • @SiliconExarch

    @SiliconExarch

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@AllahDoesNotExist I use Windows on my desktop, Linux on my servers and mac OS on my ASUS laptop thanks to OpenCore. What does that say about me? 🤔

  • @xwinglover
    @xwinglover2 жыл бұрын

    To hear Dave discuss the thinking and planning behind Windows evolution makes me appreciate the approach of proprietary thinking a little better. I myself prefer Linux / FOSS as a software model, but the perspective and thought behind Windows from his perspective does open my eyes a little. I am subbed to hear more.

  • @simonlathwell
    @simonlathwell2 жыл бұрын

    I remeber being a beta tester for Windows XP, and then got a full retail version as a thank you for submitting so many bugs back to Microsoft (I think I reported well over 500 bugs over the entire beta testing). I remember the jump from running Win 95 to XP and having to get new hardware as I was running the beta releases on an AMD K5 with 128MB RAM. Then someone gave me a pirate copy of Win XP corporate which didn't need activation on the day of XP being released. I never used the pirate copy as my everday system, but used it for further bug testing and writing software and drivers.

  • @jamesrussell-ui6gd
    @jamesrussell-ui6gd Жыл бұрын

    Dave you are the only youtuber i let run to the end of the video. love these videos :)

  • @LamezLames
    @LamezLames3 жыл бұрын

    I love hearing the design decisions, and thought process from a seasoned developer.

  • @maxvideodrome4215
    @maxvideodrome42153 жыл бұрын

    I remember being astounded that Windows wasn't seeking re-activation despite some heavy hardware changes I made... Now I know why. I owe you almost 20 years of thanks! 😊👍

  • @tasmedic

    @tasmedic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks? Because they let you continue using something that you had paid them for? Why?

  • @Nigsple.

    @Nigsple.

    21 күн бұрын

    @@tasmedic if he would not have programmed it someone who were worse could have

  • @richardjarvisiii
    @richardjarvisiii2 жыл бұрын

    Why did it take me this long to find your channel? Great content!

  • @ZSchrink
    @ZSchrinkАй бұрын

    The multiple levels of protection for *driving* and the end of the Patton discussion both got me pretty good 😁

  • @kirderf85
    @kirderf853 жыл бұрын

    Really enjoy these inside stories from early software development at MS. In a way you give software like task manager, product activation etc. a face and remind us that someone actually sat down and coded these. I don't have any suggestions of the top of my head, but I'll let you know. Looking forward to your next video!

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the kind words!

  • @coreybarnett2158
    @coreybarnett21583 жыл бұрын

    This was fascinating! Love hearing all of the thought and engineering that goes into each topic. I'd love to hear about the origins of XP and your opinions about its success and sticking power.

  • @batman4e
    @batman4e2 жыл бұрын

    Man, this is the most valuable content on youtube.

  • @CharlesAbell
    @CharlesAbell Жыл бұрын

    Why did it take me so long to find your channel! Fantastic

  • @ruimoreira29
    @ruimoreira293 жыл бұрын

    Never thought I would enjoy Dave's videos so much ! Haven't used windows myself for ages now but these videos are really interesting ! Keep it up !

  • @schizoidman9459

    @schizoidman9459

    2 жыл бұрын

    Para de puxar o saco, cara!

  • @tendstofortytwo
    @tendstofortytwo3 жыл бұрын

    Would love to hear your thoughts on Windows Neptune and Odyssey before they merged into Whistler/XP! In the public we've only seen one leaked build of Windows Neptune and only heard rumors about Odyssey, but I'd love to learn more about both.

  • @alphaa

    @alphaa

    3 жыл бұрын

    ^^

  • @Eyetrauma

    @Eyetrauma

    3 жыл бұрын

    Dang this is a good one

  • @roeltz

    @roeltz

    3 жыл бұрын

    Nice one!

  • @rarapas

    @rarapas

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes! I tried that Neptune build at some point on real hardware and I really really liked it, I'd love to hear more!

  • @szr8
    @szr82 жыл бұрын

    What I always found interesting was how companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and many others were crying about piracy all the while they were growing larger and larger, well before DRM like product activation, SecuROM, StarForce, and others came about, so it always felt really disingenuous to make such claims that were impossible to actually quantify. Something else to consider is that PA came out around the time period of the Sony Rootkit, among other DRMs that acted just like malware, which was seen by many as a massive violation of the public trust, that such corporations had no problem showing complete disregard for the rights of their own customer's, that paying customers were going to be treated as criminals and be forced to prove that they obtained the software/game legitimately. Methods like PA always felt like an overreach that violates the First Sale Doctrine which states that after money has changed hands, the producer should not be involved in the operation of the product thereafter, but by forcing customers to prove they bought the title legitimately, they are involving gatekeeping after the point of purchase, which many have argued is inappropriate, as it is not a corporation's place to declare their customers to be criminals unless they jump through hoops, past the point of sale, when their should be zero obligation to do so. So while I cannot encourage piracy of software and media, I certainly understand where a lot of people who were coming from, and that a lot of companies helped create the situation by engaging in more and more nefarious means that clearly went too far (such as Sony BGM's Rootkit) that were harmful to users.

  • @weedthepeople2795

    @weedthepeople2795

    Жыл бұрын

    Ther are a lot of arguments that could be made for pirating media.......movies tv games........the copyright laws need to be redone.........I got a notice from my ISP because I downloaded a TV show......a TV show.....that can be watched for free by any idiot with a TV and an antenna......or recorded to a DVR......but i downloaded it off the internet and i get flagged......on the other side, piracy of software is wrong.....(and I know games are technically software but I dont have time or the space to address that)......the simple fact of software is you can easily find a free version for whatever need you have.....so theres no need to steal software

  • @cameronrramos

    @cameronrramos

    Жыл бұрын

    Particularly galling when these companies already have a monopoly on entire global industries, the least they can do is not bloat their products with intrusive DRM. This is the sole reason I stopped using Adobe, I’d rather use an inferior product.

  • @GTAbestplayer123

    @GTAbestplayer123

    Жыл бұрын

    Thankfully Microsoft disable auto run so the Sony Rootkit does not work anymore. 😂

  • @GTAbestplayer123

    @GTAbestplayer123

    Жыл бұрын

    Whatsmore,iTunes can copy CDs with Sony Rootkit in them. 😂

  • @CoolKoon

    @CoolKoon

    8 ай бұрын

    "it always felt really disingenuous to make such claims that were impossible to actually quantify." - Indeed, the claims made on those grounds were completely bogus and just figments of sleazy corporate lobbyists' imagination. "Methods like PA always felt like an overreach that violates the First Sale Doctrine" - They do, up to this day, but thanks to LOTS of corporate psychopaths probably even precedent rulings have been made which have basically vacated the First Sale Doctrine anyway. "a lot of companies helped create the situation by engaging in more and more nefarious means that clearly went too far (such as Sony BGM's Rootkit) that were harmful to users." - Unfortunately piracy also made it easier for this corporate vermin to get away with their wrongdoings, because people who had the skills to recognize how nefarious their steps were just shrugged it off saying "meh, I'll just pirate it instead".

  • @ChrisTardif_
    @ChrisTardif_2 жыл бұрын

    OMG --- The Friendly Giant! I watched that first run....Love these Dave.

  • @svenkarlsen2702
    @svenkarlsen27023 жыл бұрын

    I switched to Linux when Windows 10 was released, but I love to hear about older Windows versions and the work that was put into them.

  • @cyberp0et

    @cyberp0et

    3 жыл бұрын

    Windows10 is horrible. Windows 98 was my favorite :) I am still using it on an older PC. I'd still use it on newer ones if I had the drivers :p

  • @svenkarlsen2702

    @svenkarlsen2702

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@cyberp0et Win2k was my favorite. Rock solid, Built on NT, and light weight.

  • @hicknopunk

    @hicknopunk

    3 жыл бұрын

    Install a virtual win2k machine on your win 10. You'll wish microsoft had never gone to XP.

  • @svenkarlsen2702

    @svenkarlsen2702

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hicknopunk No thanks. VirtualBox works just as well on Linux. With (potentially) a lot less overhead.

  • @hicknopunk

    @hicknopunk

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@svenkarlsen2702 how does it alter the goodness that is win2k? The os takes less than 60 megs of ram on a full boot.

  • @rbergen
    @rbergen3 жыл бұрын

    This video reminded me of something I would really like to know more about: the history of the Windows Registry. What triggered its development, what was its intended scope of use, what were hurdles in its development, and what do the developers (former and/or current) think of what it turned into?

  • @andrew_koala2974

    @andrew_koala2974

    3 жыл бұрын

    One thing about the Windows registry is that it contains HIDDEN keys, that the user cannot see using Regedt32 Windows activation information is hidden there.

  • @ReadersOfTheApocalypse

    @ReadersOfTheApocalypse

    3 жыл бұрын

    I only remember that it was (among other things) meant to replace all those *.ini files...

  • @TheExileFox

    @TheExileFox

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@ReadersOfTheApocalypse it couldn't necessarily do that though, depending on what's inside it.

  • @Acorn_Anomaly

    @Acorn_Anomaly

    3 жыл бұрын

    There's actually a lot of information on this written by one of the other old school Windows devs, Raymond Chen. He runs a blog called "The Old New Thing". IIRC, it started as a place to register COM objects - hence the name "registry". It was expanded to cover configuration data after they started running in to many situations where the all-settings-in-one-file or in-some-files was becoming too restricting. They needed something that could be read from and written to by multiple people simultaneously, without corruption. They needed something that could support localization. (They considered the INI format locked, because suddenly throwing Unicode data into something that was previously always ANSI/ASCII would break a lot of programs that did their own parsing of INI files.) They needed something centralized. They needed something securable at a higher granularity than just file permissions. (i.e., if you have access to change one setting in an INI file, you have access to change everything in the INI file. They wanted more granular permissions, so programs and the system could secure specific keys from each other, if required.)

  • @thebayandurpoghosyanshow
    @thebayandurpoghosyanshow Жыл бұрын

    Dave, one consequence of WPA is when building an XP retro gaming PC I essentially had to hack the activation even though I think I personally own five or six Windows licenses. I understand the risks of Windows XP in everyday use, but the 32-bit version still has a lot to offer - lots of compatibility and hardware audio. But once the OS reaches its end of life, no activation servers essentially means the OS is dead or you have to look for a shady cracked version that probably has malware to steal the non-existent personal info on that computer, but also maybe compromise your whole network.

  • @abrahamdsl

    @abrahamdsl

    7 ай бұрын

    i think they had cracked the phone activation so you can safely run that on a VM

  • @sniglom

    @sniglom

    6 ай бұрын

    That's intentional. Upgrade and enjoy paying for getting snooped on.

  • @thebayandurpoghosyanshow

    @thebayandurpoghosyanshow

    6 ай бұрын

    @@sniglom It's not like I'm gonna keep on using Windows XP on my daily driver or get on the Internet with an XP PC. They could just remove WPA in a final update when it stops being supported and be done with it. Because, you know, those who want to pirate XP will keep pirating it, WPA or not. Even Windows 11 can easily be pirated. At this point WPA is just making life harder for people like me, not software pirates.

  • @sniglom

    @sniglom

    6 ай бұрын

    @@thebayandurpoghosyanshow I run arch btw.

  • @davidmckean955
    @davidmckean955Ай бұрын

    Piracy was rampant during all of this. I did support at the time and you were definitely not stopping the mom and pop stores. It really was pointless.

  • @johniii8400
    @johniii84003 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Dave. I always knew there was a real person that could speak English and not sound like a digital voice. Now I have a better glimpse of how it works.

  • @foehammermain1811
    @foehammermain18113 жыл бұрын

    I wish there were licenses for ‘curious teenagers without money’. I built Frankenstein computers with parts acquired from friends and families old PCs and was lucky enough to have found a copy of a corporate XP license. Without it, there would have been no way to for me to afford the keys I needed.

  • @supersat

    @supersat

    3 жыл бұрын

    Modern activation is pretty forgiving. I suppose there's also MSDNAA/Dreamspark/Azure for Education/whatever the hell they're calling it these days, although those licenses may technically be "upgrade" licenses

  • @geoffreystraw5268

    @geoffreystraw5268

    3 жыл бұрын

    With something like gvg mall you can get a full featured legit legal windows 10 pro key for like 15-20 bucks. Hardly a big deal even for an aspiring builder.

  • @eupher2

    @eupher2

    3 жыл бұрын

    I have a corporate copy of XP I got from a teacher in my IT class. It doesn't have activation at all.

  • @mr_jarble
    @mr_jarble Жыл бұрын

    How have I never found your channel before now 0.0 As a computer enthusiast I tend to replace all the parts in my computer very frequently so it was great to hear that you struggled with the whole ship of Theseus paradox. To me the motherboard and power supply are the two things that really represent the soul of the computer. If I am replacing both it means it is time for a new key. And lets face it between the upgrades that windows has given out over the years (win7 to 8 for a pittance and 8 to 10 for free and 10 to 11 for free I feel I have my moneys worth.

  • @user-oo5oh1uw6g
    @user-oo5oh1uw6g Жыл бұрын

    Worked with Microsoft products (OS and Apps) since Dos 3.0 and Word 2.0 (as well as WordPerfect 5.0, PFS First Choice, Lotus 1-2-3, VP Planner - oops, gotta duck and avoid that Tetradactyl flying overhead...). Thank you for the trip down memory lane. It is great to pop the hood and see what the software engineers working on products were thinking at the time - one of the most valuable channels on 'the tube'!

  • @xuzeliu
    @xuzeliu3 жыл бұрын

    Can you talk about DirectX and it’s history of development?

  • @KyleHarrisonRedacted

    @KyleHarrisonRedacted

    3 жыл бұрын

    Listen, I'm gonna level with you @xuzeliu ... after watching some of Dave's videos, i actually tried to seek any retired or even active DirectX team members with youtube channels I didn't find any, at least not in the time I tried, im sure *someone* is out there

  • @noanyobiseniss7462

    @noanyobiseniss7462

    3 жыл бұрын

    In a nutshell Director of DixectX states OpenGL is a better product and gets sacked.

  • @SwervingLemon

    @SwervingLemon

    3 жыл бұрын

    Even the devs weren't allowed to know how all of DX worked. It was black-box code, split across several teams to assure that nobody could actually crack the whole API and write a wrapper for Linux or Mac. That's why it was such a cumbersome piece of garbage.

  • @brittherself

    @brittherself

    3 жыл бұрын

    Vulcan is better anyways lol

  • @hansoak3664
    @hansoak36642 жыл бұрын

    As a filthy pirate from all the way back into the 1980s (my eye patch and parrot have long since been forgotten in a dusty cardboard box somewhere), this video has earned my respect. Your thinking on the problem and solution was ethical, fair, and wise. I only wish I would've been able to hear this story back then. Well done, sir.

  • @GALENGODIS

    @GALENGODIS

    Жыл бұрын

    I did pirate when I was a kid, I didn't have any means really to buy online etc, and it helped me develop my computer skills a lot. When I got older and started working I stopped completely and instead paying for licenses. In some parts it's good that there is ways to pirate, if you really don't have the possibilities to pay.

  • @LongTran-em6hc

    @LongTran-em6hc

    Жыл бұрын

    Coming from an 3rd world country, thepiratebay was a bless, at less when I was a kid back in early 2000s I loved it that way: people who really don't have the way to pay for things, can have these things, if they can workaround that. It helps increased my proficiency tremendously.

  • @AlphaCarinae

    @AlphaCarinae

    Жыл бұрын

    @@LongTran-em6hc Just make sure you don't apply that logic to things like AI art, or all the capitalists will come out of the woodwork to tell you how you're not allowed to have nice things if you don't have any money.

  • @tooMuchChad
    @tooMuchChad Жыл бұрын

    Hi Dave, I like the content and the format. Doing a lot of work with public and private keys at the moment and it got me thinking, what if you just overwrite the public key with your own. Niceto know that there are checks and balances and "If you tinker we can see you". Just wanted to start a dialog. Will have a think about what I would like to hear. In the mean time glad to hear you're doing it for the subs out there

  • @ALZlper
    @ALZlper Жыл бұрын

    I did a generational upgrade, new CPU, RAM, Motherboard and NVME. Windows was no longer activated. I was quite unpleased with this and that week I actually switched to Linux and never looked back. Since I am a web developer and all my software runs on Linux anyways it makes total sense for me. In a private context I use Windows for Gaming sometimes though. Many games run natively anyways. The Steamdeck increased compatibility by a lot, but some anti cheats are not worth my free time figuring out right now.

  • @bertugolu
    @bertugolu3 жыл бұрын

    You just improved my everyday programming mentality. Cheers, the way you talk is inspiring. Love these discussions.

  • @geoffreyhoffmann8007
    @geoffreyhoffmann80073 жыл бұрын

    Love your war stories. In Australia, we have what's called Ned Kelly's axe. It's had three new axe heads and five new handles, but it's still Ned Kelly's axe.

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Cool, I've never heard the axe version before!

  • @craig9802

    @craig9802

    3 жыл бұрын

    Over here, there's the old tale of the gentleman selling George Washington's axe. Approximately the same punch line... :)

  • @diegorodriguezv
    @diegorodriguezv Жыл бұрын

    You, my friend, are an inspiration to all programmers. Please keep teaching us about everything and anything that you want. I think we all feel smart by having an interesting "conversation" with someone who knows what he's talking about.

  • @FloydMaxwell
    @FloydMaxwell Жыл бұрын

    Great video. Appreciate your honesty and openness. As to Ike & George, we agree on Patton but I'm a Truman fan. Best.

  • @SuperPingoGuy
    @SuperPingoGuy3 жыл бұрын

    Such an interesting video and perspective! I’m in the process of putting together an offline Windows XP rig and experienced telephone activation for the first time while I was setting it up. I was honestly in awe that such a robust system existed and is still functional today. Really cool to hear your breakdown and design philosophy behind it.

  • @matteofalduto766
    @matteofalduto7662 жыл бұрын

    Dave's daughter's boyfriend: - Why do you want me to put on 2 condoms? - It's a long story...

  • @waliqadri
    @waliqadri11 ай бұрын

    Most people without insight and IT knowledge are unaware of the immense effort and brainpower invested in creating enterprise-level software. Imagine thousands of skilled engineers collaborating to craft something as complex as the Windows OS for years worth of hard work. Not to mention, programmers are highly valued professionals and their expertise comes at a significant cost, often involving millions of dollars

  • @postiemania
    @postiemania27 күн бұрын

    I have many Genuine Microsoft licences from Win 3.0 to Win 11. I also have a few Linux machines and I started with DOS 4.0 I even had a Televideo with CPM 86. Thanks for your professional work.

  • @bertblankenstein3738
    @bertblankenstein37383 жыл бұрын

    Back in the good ole days, I worked in IT asset management. We purchased 1500 licenses for Windows 3.1 (or upgrades to 3.1, can't remember). So each individual license was its own piece of paper and came in a folder. This ended up being something like 6 boxes of paper we had to keep. I had hoped it could've been two pieces of paper, one for 1000, and one for 500.

  • @RobertWGreaves
    @RobertWGreaves3 жыл бұрын

    Only once about 15 years ago I had to call Microsoft when I was having system problems and had to replace a number of components and reinstalled the OS three times before getting it right. Thankfully, we got it through after a number of questions and answers.

  • @nekomasteryoutube3232
    @nekomasteryoutube3232 Жыл бұрын

    Fun fact: I've never paid for windows (from 95 to 11). Only reason I have Windows 11 pro right now is someone bought me a Key for Windows 10. I do feel a little bad about skirting the anti-piracy measures but it was around XP when we finally had a PC that could do stuff for my family. Fun fact 2: I had a copy of XP Media center that I downloaded, and eventually wanted activation. Some how doing the phone activation method worked and I got it officially activated and passed the WPA test. Was nice because at the time the only way for me to get media on the big screen TV without internet was to stream media from my PC to my XBOX 360 to my 27 inch CRT. I'm just glad that now with a legit copy of Windows I dont need to worry about using cracks to make things work (aside from skirting the UNsupported hardware issue with Windows 11 and me not having a TPM 2.0 module on my ASUS board)

  • @kmath50
    @kmath502 ай бұрын

    Very interesting. I remember when PC Week did an article on this. They were trying to show that they could make it lock the system, even when the key was valid.

  • @itssamuelrowe
    @itssamuelrowe3 жыл бұрын

    Dave, I just wish to be, at least, half as good as you at the end of my career. 🙌 You are a legend!

  • @szr8
    @szr82 жыл бұрын

    17:25 Let's be realistic. It wasn't just sometimes subverted. Like most forms of DRM, it was an extra thing paying customers had to deal with, while it barely slowed the pirates that just nuked WPA. Same with WAT in Vista, 7, etc. WPA/WAT was just another in a long line of anti piracy schemes that did next to nothing to actually stop piracy. Great video overall, as always.

  • @Tekape

    @Tekape

    2 жыл бұрын

    you would be surprised how many people do not crack their software just because of some soft drm

  • @jemsterr

    @jemsterr

    2 жыл бұрын

    Over the years of doing residential/small business IT support, this is the thing that has bugged me no end.. The randomly failed activations or randomly triggered WPA issues. Now I know who I've been cursing for all these years.

  • @jemsterr

    @jemsterr

    2 жыл бұрын

    I got to the point I had the number memorised. The web interface was much more aggressive than the phone operators., that's for sure.

  • @user-xr3rb6pn9m

    @user-xr3rb6pn9m

    Жыл бұрын

    The only "DRM" that actually works is audit. Any technical solution can be bypassed.

  • @jpierce1987
    @jpierce1987 Жыл бұрын

    Very interesting. As an enthusiasts, the newer forms of activation can be a pain when swapping hardware during upgrade season 😅 I miss the old days with keys.

  • @BurdenOfprof
    @BurdenOfprof Жыл бұрын

    I'm a Linux guy now thanks to the frustration I experienced 20 yrs ago with WPA. Much like how I can't comprehend why KZread algo took 2 yrs to recommend this video I couldn't comprehend why I had to endure the perils of WPA after hardware upgrades. Can't complain as it the journey has been fruitful. Nonetheless, thank you sir and your coworkers for the considerations you put into WPA. I endured as long as I could at that time.

  • @benbradbury3665
    @benbradbury36653 жыл бұрын

    Would love to hear more about the code review, branch and merge process used in the older days. What where your dev machines like. Also some crunch time story’s Also the thinking behind service packs and how they worked.

  • @DavesGarage

    @DavesGarage

    3 жыл бұрын

    Good thinking! Code reviews definitely warrant their own episode, I'll make a note of it!

  • @55mga

    @55mga

    3 жыл бұрын

    ​@@DavesGarage +1 for Ben's idea on all the various code review and "buddy build" tools that lived in various teams.

  • @ReadersOfTheApocalypse

    @ReadersOfTheApocalypse

    3 жыл бұрын

    The older days: What is this "code review, branch and merge process" you're talking about?

  • @rarapas

    @rarapas

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes, I always wondered about the specs of the dev machines on each era. Especially XP since it can be made to run in almost everything :)