The expected hacks for Windows 7 activation have been publicized and utilities called “RemoveWAT” and “Chew-WGA” are circulating.
They join the grimy world of cracks and key-gens – oft-Trojanized applications that defeat activation passwords or other security on legitimate software. It’s an ugly world on the sites that distribute them. We go there.
WGA stands for “Windows Genuine Advantage” Microsoft’s antipiracy software. The company replaced that with “Windows Activation Technologies” (WAT) in Windows 7. Thus the names of the cracks.
Trojanized versions of RemoveWAT and Chew-WGA soon will be available on websites and file-sharing networks near you. Look for them (or maybe we should say “look out for them.”)
Computerworld story “Hackers outwit Windows 7 activation” here.
Tom Kelchner