A genuine crack for Windows Vista has just been released by pirate group Pantheon, which allows a pirated, non-activated installation of Vista (Home Basic/Premium and Ultimate) to be properly activated and made fully-operational.

Unlike cracks which have been floating around since Vista RTM was released in late November, this crack doesn?t simply get around product activation with beta activation files or timestop cracks – it actually makes use of the activation process. It seems that Microsoft has allowed large OEMs like ASUS to ship their products with a pre-installed version of Vista that doesn?t require product activation ? apparently because end users would find it too inconvenient.

Editors note: This crack is tied to specific keys, and requires a driver to run. It seems it may not last long, but does provide a proof of concept.

continued @ apcmag.com