If the OEM check scanned the appropriate memory addresses and found one or more matching strings, activation was done, OS was activated.

oembios.bin was a somewhat obfuscated and MS-signed file describing memory locations and copyrighted/trademarked data to look for at those locations. OEM validation consisted on checking the oembios files. Later many/most VLKs got blacklisted, but just generate more! Royalty OEM activation at this point used generic XP keys which simply provoked OEM validation. VLKs were not checked online in any way in XP/2003, so this was ideal. Windows XP: Online activation and OEM SLP bios locks: Commonly defeated by pirates by simply using VLKs. Windows 2000 and prior: OEM protection is pretty much a joke, just changing the product ID to the right numbers removed all serial prompts. OEM activation down through the ages, oldest to newest, with a particular focus on how it can be used and abused, with customer/user OSes as the default: Ok, sorry to wade in here with my cluebat on my first post, but there's a lot of misinformation and almost-not-quite in this thread, and I feel compelled to educate. Create a new text file and paste the following into it: Once you have the folder structure, open the 'Sources' folder.ģ. Copy the content's of your Windows setup media (in the case of a CD) or extract it from the ISO (in the case of a DL).Ģ. It is at this point I learnt that it is possible to exploit legacy Windows setup behaviour. We need a way to actually stop the Windows setup using this license in the first place. It is possible to view it using BIOS tools or even use more commonly known programs such as Belarc. There is no way to alter the license key that is stored in the BIOS. Get an error message stating that the license key won't work. Attempt to activate your unused license to unlock additional features (e.g.

After installation, note that Windows is already activated.Ħ. During OS re-installation process, notice that the setup never asked you to enter the license key.ĥ.

Prepare a superior version of Windows key that you have (never been used license).Ĥ. Reformat HD per usual OEM bloat removal.ģ. I make note of it however as this is my first encounter of it:Ģ.

For those who aren't already aware (because this has apparently been happening for along time already), you may encounter the following situation.

Windows pid checker online