From pages 3 to 6 of=20
Microsoft=C2=AE Product Activation for Windows=C2=AE XP =
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Technical Market Bulletin =C2=B7 =
August 2001 =20
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Technical Details on Microsoft Product Activation for Windows XP
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Product Activation and retail boxed software product=20
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Product activation relies on the submission of the Installation ID. The =
Installation ID is specifically designed to guarantee anonymity and is =
only used by Microsoft to deter piracy. The Installation ID is comprised =
of two different pieces of information =E2=80=93 the product ID and a =
hardware hash (a hash is a numeric value derived through a mathematical =
formula and based upon some other, original value). The product ID is =
unique to the installation of Windows and is created from the product =
key used during installation. Each product key delivered with retail =
boxed software is unique, and the product ID it creates is unique. =
Microsoft uses the product ID for other purposes in addition to product =
activation such as when requesting product support. The product ID can =
be found by viewing the Properties of My Computer (an example of a =
product ID is 12345-123-1234567-12345).
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The hardware hash is an eight byte value that is created by running 10 =
different pieces of information from the PC=E2=80=99s hardware =
components through a one-way mathematical transformation This means that =
the resultant hash value cannot be backwards calculated to determine the =
original values. Further, only a portion of the resulting hash value is =
used in the hardware hash in order to ensure complete anonymity.=20
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Example: A processor serial number is 96 bits in length. When hashed, =
the resultant one-way hash is 128 bits in length. Microsoft uses only =
six bits from that resultant hash in activation=E2=80=99s hardware hash. =
Due to the nature of the hashing algorithm, those six bits cannot be =
backwards calculated to determine anything at all about the original =
processor serial number.
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Moreover, six bits represent 64 (2^6) different values. There were over =
100 million PCs sold last year worldwide. From those 100 million PCs =
sold, only 64 different hardware hash values could be created as part of =
activation.
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Microsoft developed the hardware hash in this way in order to maintain =
the user=E2=80=99s privacy.
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Additionally, whether or not the PC can be put into a docking station or =
accepts PCMCIA cards is also determined (the possibility of a docking =
station or PCMCIA cards existing means that hardware may disappear or =
seem changed when those devices are not present). Finally, the hardware =
hash algorithm has a version number. Together with the general nature of =
the other values used, two different PCs could actually create the same =
hardware hash. The 10 different hardware values used to create the hash =
are outlined in the table below:
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Table 1: Hardware hash component values
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Component Name
Example Hash Value (#o of bits)
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1
Display Adapter
00010 (5)
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2
SCSI Adapter
00011 (5)
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3
IDE Adapter
0011 (4)
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4
Network Adapter MAC Address
1001011000 (10)
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5
RAM Amount Range (i.e. 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc)
101 (3)
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6
Processor Type
011 (3)
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7
Processor Serial Number
000000 (6)
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8
Hard Drive Device
1101100 (7)
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9
Hard Drive Volume Serial Number
1001000001 (10)
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10
CD=E2=80=93ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM
0101111 (7)
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-
=E2=80=9CDockable=E2=80=9D=20
0 (1)
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-
Hardware Hash version (version of algorithm used)
001 (3)
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The product ID (nine bytes) and hardware hash (eight bytes) are used by =
Microsoft to process the activation request. When activation is done =
over the Internet, these two values form the Installation ID (in a =
binary format) and are sent along with request header information =
directly through secure sockets (SSL in HTTP) to the Microsoft =
activation system in a binary format. There are three communications =
made to complete Internet activation:
1.. Handshake request: Contains product ID, hardware hash, and =
request header data such as request ID (for linking the handshake, =
request, and acknowledgement) and activation technology version. 262 =
bytes total. =20
2.. License request: Contains product ID, hardware hash, and customer =
data structure for holding voluntary registration information if =
provided. If registration is skipped, this structure is empty. Also =
contains request header data such as request ID and the PKCS10 digital =
certificate request structure. The PKCS10 structure can vary slightly =
based on the inclusion of voluntary registration information; about 2763 =
to 3000 bytes total.
3.. Acknowledgement request Contains certificate ID (returned to =
user=E2=80=99s machine after license request), issue date, and error =
code. 126 bytes total.
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If Internet activation is successful, the activation confirmation is =
sent directly back to the user=E2=80=99s PC as a digital certificate. =
This certificate is digitally signed by Microsoft so that it cannot be =
altered or counterfeited. The confirmation packet returned as part of =
Internet activation is approximately 9 kbytes in size (the digital =
certificate chain accounts for most of the confirmation data packet =
size). =20
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If activation is done by telephoning a customer service representative, =
the product ID and hardware hash are automatically displayed to the user =
as the Installation ID; a 50 digit decimal representation. The encoding =
encrypts the data so that it cannot be altered and provides check digits =
to help aid in error handling. Telephone activation is a four step =
process:
1.. Selecting the country from which the call is being made so that an =
appropriate phone number can be shown in the product UI.
2.. Dialing the phone number
3.. Providing the Installation ID to the customer service =
representative
4.. Entering the Confirmation ID provided by the customer service =
representative.
The confirmation ID is a 42-digit integer containing the activation key =
and check digits that aid in error handling. Both the installation ID =
and confirmation ID are displayed to the user in easily understandable =
segments in the product UI.
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Modifications to hardware and how they affect the activation status of =
Windows XP
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Product activation rechecks the hardware it is running only to help =
reduce illegal hard disk cloning =E2=80=93 another prevalent piracy =
method. Hard disk cloning is where a pirate copies the entire image of a =
hard disk from one PC to another PC. At each login, Windows XP checks =
to see that it is running on the same or similar hardware that it was =
activated on. If it detects that the hardware is =E2=80=9Csubstantially =
different=E2=80=9D, reactivation is required. This check is performed =
after the SLP BIOS check discussed above, if the SLP BIOS check fails. =
This means that if your PC is pre-activated in the factory using the SLP =
pre-activation method, all the components in the PC could be swapped, =
including the motherboard, so long as the replacement motherboard was =
genuine and from the OEM with the proper BIOS. As noted above, =
installations of Windows XP made using volume licensing media and volume =
license product keys (VLKs) will not have any hardware component =
checking.
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Microsoft defines =E2=80=9Csubstantially different=E2=80=9D hardware =
differently for PCs that are configured to be dockable. Additionally, =
the network adapter is given a superior =E2=80=9Cweighting.=E2=80=9D If =
the PC is not dockable and a network adapter exists and is not changed, =
6 or more of the other above values would have to change before =
reactivation was required. If a network adapter existed but is changed =
or never existed at all, 4 or more changes (including the changed =
network adapter if it previously existed) will result in a requirement =
to reactivate.
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Scenario A:
PC One has the full assortment of hardware components listed in Table 1 =
above. User swaps the motherboard and CPU chip for an upgraded one, =
swaps the video adapter, adds a second hard drive for additional =
storage, doubles the amount of RAM, and swaps the CD ROM drive for a =
faster one. =20
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Result: Reactivation is NOT required.
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Scenario B:
PC Two has the full assortment of hardware components listed in Table 1 =
except that it has no network adapter. User doubles the amount of RAM, =
swaps the video card and the SCSI controller.
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Result: Reactivation is NOT required.
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Dockable PCs are treated slightly more leniently. In a dockable PC, if =
a network adapter exists and is not changed, 9 or more of the other =
above values would have to change before reactivation was required. If =
no network adapter exists or the existing one is changed, 7 or more =
changes (including the network adapter) will result in a requirement to =
reactivate.
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Scenario C:
Dockable PC Three has the full assortment of hardware components listed =
in Table 1 except that it has no network adapter. User doubles the =
amount of RAM, swaps to a bigger hard disk drive, and adds a network =
adapter.
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Result: Reactivation is NOT required.
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The change of a single component multiple times (e.g. from video adapter =
A to video adapter B to video adapter C) is treated as a single change. =
The addition of components to a PC, such as adding a second hard drive =
which did not exist during the original activation, would not trigger =
the need for a reactivation nor would the modification of a component =
not listed in the above table. Additionally, reinstallation of Windows =
XP on the same or similar hardware and a subsequent reactivation can be =
accomplished an infinite number of times. Finally, the Microsoft =
activation clearinghouse system will automatically allow activation to =
occur over the Internet four times in one year on substantially =
different hardware. This last feature was implemented to allow even the =
most savvy power users to make changes to their systems and, if they =
must reactivate, do so over the Internet rather than necessitating a =
telephone call.
As I stated the only way I have found to remove a network card (after =
activation) is to reinstall XP. That is why you get the box that says =
"may be required for boot up" or words to that effect.
--=20
Just my 2=C2=A2 worth,
Jeff
__________in response to__________
"Don Wimani" Don
wrote in message =
...
| The only way I have found to remove is a complete reinstall. The =
network=20
| card is part of the license hash.
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| Where have you found this information?
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| For a while now I've been trying to delete entries of unused network=20
| adapters (not anymore present physically in my computer)
| but haven't found a solution
| or even an explanation.