FCKGW
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FCKGW are the first five characters of the CD key that is commonly used to bypass product activation in early versions of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. The key is obsolete, as it has been blacklisted by Microsoft updates since August 2004; despite this, it is regularly a symbol of warez geek pride.
Dubbed the "devils0wn" key, this particular key came with the first warez release of the final version of Windows XP. This version was supplied by a group calling themselves "devils0wn" 35 days before the official retail release on August 28, 2001.[1] It is a volume license key (VLK) leaked from one of Microsoft's customers, rumored to be from a PC manufacturer. Unlike most versions of Windows XP, volume-licensed versions do not require product activation. This made the key desirable for unauthorized users of Windows XP, as well as legal owners who had problems with the activation code.
This key has also been used on Windows XP installations where the owner had a license to Windows XP but the person doing the installation did not want to bother with activation or used disk cloning software. There has been discussion of Microsoft's decision to block the installation of service packs on computers where this product key has been used. Microsoft argues that it does not need to cater to the needs of those who did not pay for their software. Microsoft even developed a new key verification engine for Windows XP Service Pack 2 that could detect illicit keys, even those that had never been used before. Several security consultants have condemned the move by Microsoft, saying that leaving a large install base unpatched from various security holes is irresponsible due to the fact that this unpatched install base can be leveraged in large scale Internet attacks, such as trojan horses used to send spam e-mail. Others have come to Microsoft's defense, arguing that Microsoft should not have to provide support for illegal users. After much public outcry, Microsoft elected to disable the new key verification engine. Service Pack 2 only checks for the same small list of commonly used keys as Service Pack 1. This method does not completely prevent piracy, as users can generate new VLKs that will not be detected as pirated. Users of existing installations of Windows XP can also change their product key by following instructions from Microsoft.[2] This key was made famous partly due to the fact that it is featured in a popular image circulated around the web around the launch of Windows XP. In the image, the key is written on a CD-R containing the leaked operating system and held in front of a digital Microsoft sign counting down the days until the release of Windows XP.
The key has been completely banned by Microsoft and cannot be used with any CD that has been slipstreamed with Service Pack 2. If an original Windows XP CD (or a slipstreamed copy with Service Pack 1) is used to install Windows XP, the key is accepted; however, the system will not allow any newer updates (including Service Pack 2) to be installed. Microsoft has also released the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program, which requires users of Windows XP (and other recent operating systems) to activate their copy before downloading updates and certain programs from Microsoft's website.
