Windows 8 to Feature New OEM Activation Method
OEMs will no longer used the same key for every Windows PC shipped.
Several NDA-tainted slides have been leaked that reveal a new activation process used by the OEM version of Windows 8. The new product activation standard is called OEM Activation 3.0 (AKA OA 3.0), and provides benefits over the previous version used in Windows 7, OA 2.1, such as allowing OEMs to digitally order and receive product keys directly from Microsoft.
For the uninitiated, the OA process allows PC manufacturers to ship systems with Windows pre-installed and already activated so that end users aren't required to take additional activation steps when they boot up their rig for the first time. Hackers usually take advantage of the OA process to activate pirated copies of Windows using fake license keys.
However hackers now face a new challenge. The leaked slides show the difference between the OA of old, and the new system that will be used in Windows 8. To crack down on piracy, manufacturers will be required to write a unique Windows product key -- which is associated with the hardware hash -- into the system's BIOS instead of using the same product key for every shipped desktop or laptop.
The new OA system will also require OEMs to supply production reports to Microsoft, detailing their license compliance. A "Genuine Microsoft" label must also be affixed to the chassis, dumping the previous "Windows Certificate of Authenticity" sticker. Unused keys can be returned in real-time without shipping or insurance costs, according to the leaked slides.
"OA 3.0 is the new product activation standard for Microsoft, beginning with Windows 8," one slide states. "The new program enables OEMs to digitally order and receive product keys from, and report computer information to, Microsoft as well as enable activation of software on specific hardware."
In comparison, OA 2.1 allowed OEMs to write the same bypass key into the BIOS of every shipped PC. The Certificate of Authenticity was shipped from an authorized replicator and sent to the OEM's shipping address. When received, they were required to be affixed to the chassis (just like the current label). OEM's were not required to send production reports, and the RMA had limitations.
Products not eligible for OA 3.0 at launch include non-client Windows 8 products (Windows Server, Windows Embedded), and previous version of the OS including Windows 7, Vista and others. To see the additional leaked slides, head here.

Before they had a much simpler approach of selling a single key to the OEM. The OEM would then purchase COAs from MS that they would affix to the case of the computer, and would be used to register and track changes over time and piracy.
This new system sounds like they will get a box of generic stickers instead of COAs, and instead of having a separate licence, activation key, and COA number, there will simply be a single # that is digitally purchased and assigned to the box which will then track the box throughout the life-cycle of the machine. This is perfectly fine for OEMs, and should actually make their jobs a little simpler on the logistics side of inventory and orders, while making the setup side a little harder. For MS this means that it will be much easier to track individual boxes, and their hardware changes over time, and if they get cash hungry then they can crack down on reactivation after upgrades and such (something that up until now they have been fairly generous with).
I really wonder how this will work for refurbishers like the company I work for. We take old computers, and MS gives us an extremely generous discount so that we can put a fresh legal copy of Windows on the machine that is tied to us (instead of the OEM such as Dell, HP, etc.). For some machines we are just putting XP back on them, while other higher-end XP and Vista boxes are getting Win7 instead. I am sure that MS will still have some form of vehicle for us to be able to provide the service that we do, but when win8 boxes start coming our way, I wonder if we will be forced then to re-use the same OS, or if we will be able to 'downgrade' to win7.
Personally I like win8 a lot, but the user base that we work with are quite computer illiterate and have a very difficult time moving from XP to 7 (which is essentially the same thing when it comes to web browsing and program launching). Moving from XP to 8 would be... traumatic at best. But time will tell, and I suppose this is what we have training classes for...
Then there will be malware/scareware that will overwrite the key and popup a screen saying you need to pay so much to restore.
The article only talks about OEM as on when someone buys a pre built system, but but says nothing about
the actual OEM copy of Windows 8. A huge problem about this method is that every time that a customer press the CLEAR BIOS button it will render the BIOS back to default.
Example: while overclocking .... oh didn't work, lets try again.... etc... so when the customer finally gets back to Windows 8, will he have to REGISTER again?
This method also apparently assumes that the customers will never upgrade their systems.
Not that I care about this OS at all, but this is just unnecessary.
For x86, it will be more of the traditional way of hardware hash, and product registration, much like it has been sense winXP. It is only OEMs that are affected.
As if Windows 7's sysprep wasn't bad enough. It seems like every new version of Windows Microsoft continues to ignore their corporate IT people and give us more and more BS that we have to work through to get our stuff to work right. With every new activation scheme I start thinking more and more about moving our systems to Linux. Especially since many of our programs are slowly being converted to web based formats...
But doesn't appear that it will do anything against piracy, simply because there will be end user copies of Win8 being sold that will not adhere to the tight coupling to the Bios...
But they can dream right?
Windows 98SE - Miss
Windows 2000 - Hit
Windows ME - Miss
Windows XP - Hit
Windows Vista - BIG Miss
Windows 7 - BIG Hit
Oh and you can bet that Daz and all the other crackers won't stop till they get it. Windows is the crown jewel of the cracking world ofc.
Provided a OS will have a long support cycle, spending $100 on an OS is no issue, and if microsoft plans to reduce the price of newer versions of windows, then tat is even less of a reason to make activation harder.
The worst possible infection is one that is active at some of the earliest states of the boot as they can then easily avoid detection and really ruin your day. You can get a cracked app but never a cracked OS
you can't be serious.
many users (myself) included upgrade our system from time to time, but occasionally this upgrade includes to switch / upgrade the motherboard and therefor every other component as well.
this means that I have to re install the OS and programs/games etc...
(this usually also means one cal to M$)
there are many LEGIT reasons to do this, and the customer should NEVER be penalize for it.