Ex-MS engineer reveals the story behind the infamous 'FCKGW' Windows XP key
4 hours ago
- Ex-Microsoft engineer David Plummer reveals he was the primary author of Windows XP's Product Activation system, shedding light on the infamous 'FCKGW' key.
- The key 'FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8' was likely leaked by an OEM or hardware partner with early access to Windows XP, such as Dell or Intel.
- Product Activation used a Volume Media disc image with a secret 10 MB 'binary blob' (encrypted Microsoft Bob) to validate installs, which required both the key and the disc.
- Piracy group Devils0wn posted a full Windows XP Pro Corporate ISO with the valid key five weeks before launch, making the activation process work smoothly.
- Pirates popularized the key by baking it into images or writing it on CDs with a Sharpie, leading to widespread use.
- Microsoft responded by blacklisting leaked keys in Service Pack 1 and making checks more aggressive in Service Pack 2, but valid un-leaked volume keys worked for years.
- Plummer notes he never saw a working keygen for XP, and speculates those available were fakes randomly selecting leaked volume media keys.
- The story highlights a historical failure where both media and a key left Microsoft's building early, bypassing hardware binding.