4 ms·
From a security perspective, I'd really really like not just a pre-baked image, but also instructions on how to replicate that using only files and tools with k
by mschuster91 10mo ago
From a security perspective, I'd really really like not just a pre-baked image, but also instructions on how to replicate that using only files and tools with known-good hashes and/or digital signatures.
I too distinctly remember the times I earned my money cleaning up malware, and a few times the root cause was someone using pre-cracked install media from some shady torrent.
- axus 10mo agoI imagine some beefy Microsoft support contracts were required to get all of these updates through this month, with restrictions on redistribution; this isn't Linux! Is there any reason that downloading this is more legal than downloading the latest Hollywood movie?
- mschuster91 10mo ago> Is there any reason that downloading this is more legal than downloading the latest Hollywood movie? Windows ISOs with updates being baked in by third parties (usually computer magazines) has been a thing for well over a decade, ever since MS ceased to do Service Packs. So the pure act of distributing an ISO that hasn't been modified other than applying the official update packages should have enough precedence on the side of distribution being allowed that MS won't be able to do much more than maybe sending a nastygram your way. What you definitely shouldn't do though is pre-crack the ISOs... but I doubt Microsoft even cares about that at this point. Massgrave (a very popular collection of activators for everything from Windows through Office) is hosted on Github. Unlike earlier times, MS doesn't (need to) care about piracy any more, at least not from private users. The real revenue comes from enterprise and government contracts and, most importantly, the cloud.
- axus 10mo agoSo legally a gray area, but ethically and financially not a problem.