Windows 8 preinstalled licenses, AKA OA2.2 and OA3.0

CODYQX4 · Aug 2, 2012

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ZaForD · Aug 2, 2012

Thanks Tito,

Hopefully they will still work the same for Enterprise and W2G.

Tito · Aug 2, 2012

ZaForD said: ↑

Thanks Tito,

Hopefully they will still work the same for Enterprise and W2G.
Click to expand...

Hmm... we have to develop a newer KMS emulator

frwil · Aug 3, 2012

Hmmm...
It looks like (from comparison table in OEM-Activatio.Module-NEW.VERSION-2.wmv) that OA3.0 machines will NOT have COA stickers (and thus - no COA keys?) on case, just some "Genuine Microsoft Label" instead...

Loxxx · Aug 3, 2012

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youngchaos · Aug 3, 2012

Loxxx,can you explain in more clearly words?! I'm not a programmer so i would like to understand but with "child" words.. i'd rly appreciate it!

Loxxx · Aug 3, 2012

I can not. I do not speak Eng.
offline OEM Activation windose 8 is no. Only online.

Stannieman · Aug 3, 2012

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youngchaos · Aug 3, 2012

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youngchaos · Aug 3, 2012

How much hard is to develop a KMS? I mean,how many datas you need for ultimate it?!

Yen · Aug 3, 2012

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Stannieman · Aug 3, 2012

I think it's not that hard. The base is there, the only thing that needs to change is what that hotfix adds. And I think it doesn't add security/anti pirate stuff. Just some new entries for windows 8/server 2012 compatibility. Unfortunately I can't test yet as I don't know how to set up a kms host myself. All premade hosts are 7/2008R2 RTM based and this update requires SP1...

youngchaos · Aug 3, 2012

Sorry Yen!

Well Stannieman i've replied on the right thread! thanks for the explanationg and teaching me something new!

imatrix · Aug 3, 2012

Yen said: ↑

Windows 8 preinstalled licenses, AKA OA2.2 and OA3.0
Latest news and summary. (20/06/2012) ***Will be updated if there are more news / changes.***

Preinstalled licenses of Windows 8 Sever will not use OA3.0. They will get OA2.2.
This is just an updated SLIC, probably the marker only (just we had at windows 7).

The reason for it is that OA2.2 can be activated offline against the SLIC in the BIOS.
OA3.0 will be a online activation method ONLY.

This was done to support offline servers.
OA3.0 will be for pre-installed client SKU's only.

How OA3.0 works:

The OEMs have two platform servers.
One is a OA3.0 key server and one a OA3.0 reporting server.

The OEMs have a master image of windows 8 that has a master key installed.
The purpose of this key is only one thing: To make w8 to be a pre-licensed version. (SLP channel)

The key is more like the old XP pre-licensed key. This key is NOT OEM specific, however, it is edition specific.
Anyway this key does not activate. It is only installed to determine the kind of licensing (SLP).
Those keys are generic.

Manufacturing process:

-The system is built. Manufacturing of complete systems.

-The system is brought online (online doesn't mean internet, just local network) and the OA3Tool is run (Either in WinPE or Full OS) and it requests a key from the key server, this generates a FULL MSDM table as output it contains the unique key for the particular system.

- A firmware specific tool is then run (could be in WinPE or DOS or whatever they wrote the flash tools for) which takes the MSDM table file and injects its key into the firmware, to NVRAM, ROMHOLE, or to wherever it is specified by the UEFI or BIOS.
The flash tool also checks to make sure that if a MSDM table does already exist, it fails.

The OEM can invalidate and delete a MSDM table with the tool, however, they have to report then this invalidation to M$ via the reporting server and then they can delete the MSDM table and over-write.
- The OS will be installed.
- Once that is complete and all testing is complete (no more hardware changes) then the OEMs can run the OA3Tool again.
This run of the OA3Tool generates the 128 bit hardware hash and reports that ALONG with the product key to the reporting server as CBR, the computer Build Report.
The tool has the ability to generate the hardware hash when there is NO network connectivity. This has been updated and wasn't possible before.
The reporting server then reports it (CBR) to M$ which sends an acknowledgement that it has received the Key+Hash. Once it has been received, then the CBR is removed from the PC.
If any hardware is changed except for external USB devices, and internal expansion cards (PCIe, PCI, SATA) then the OEM has to re-report to M$ a new hardware hash with the key or activation will fail.
Finally the OAtool is ran the last time again to lock the MSDM table to prevent any changes ever.

Then the OEMs ship the hardware to the customer.
The customer turns on the machine and goes through OOBE using the Master OA3 key which is valid for the key check but will not activate by itself.

Within 4 hours of OOBE finishing the system will automatically attempt to activate by seeing the OA3 Master Key, then reads the MSDM table for the key AND generates a NEW hardware hash and sends both to M$, the M$ servers then check to match up the hardware hash and key and if it matches (does not have to be an exact match, there is slop in there, it isn’t known what can be different) then the system is activated.

The essential requirements for OA3.0 are:

- The smBIOS UUID MUST be non-zero
- There has to be at least ONE MAC address in the system

If the above aren't there OA3 won't work and will fail.

The OEMIDs in the RSDT/XSDT tables don't matter at all. They did matter at older revisions of OA3, though (had to match those of the MSDMTable).

They no longer check those as part of OA3 only the MSDM table matters. There are no certificates or anything like that either. If you change enough hardware to require reactivation it will fail and you'll have to use the key on the machine.

OEM's pay for OS licenses based on number reported - number invalidated.
Click to expand...

well explained Yen, it seems M$ has strengthened windows activation process.

Mr Been · Aug 3, 2012

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ZaForD · Aug 3, 2012

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Yen · Aug 3, 2012

ZaForD said: ↑

Sorry Yen, I think it was me that dragged the thread on that tangent.
Click to expand...

No problem. I have added the bold lines later to keep them separated. No issue.

sauronxxx · Aug 3, 2012

one short question about win8 activation

i read a lot about the new OA3.0.

but one thing that is not 100% clear to me is... do ALL win8 activation methods need ONLINE (internet) connection?

let´s say i buy a OEM PC there is no phone activation?

is there some official info from M$ about this?

sauronxxx · Aug 3, 2012

please let me know if i understand this right. im not native english so excuse that i have to ask again.

with win8 every OEM BIOS has a uniqe KEY and a hardware hash.

so my ASUS PC OEM bios has a different KEY then your ASUS PC OEM bios.
even when these PC systems are identical builds.

the unique key for the OEM system is also stored in a microsoft database that will contain millions of unique keys.

when i connect my new win8 OEM system then it will automatically connect to microsoft and check if the KEY in bios (+ hardware hash) is the same as the one stored in microsofts database.

there is no way to offline activate (phone) win8 anymore.

will the activation be checked periodically?

is this correct or i am wrong?

frwil · Aug 4, 2012

sauronxxx said: ↑

please let me know if i understand this right. im not native english so excuse that i have to ask again.

with win8 every OEM BIOS has a uniqe KEY and a hardware hash.

so my ASUS PC OEM bios has a different KEY then your ASUS PC OEM bios.
even when these PC systems are identical builds.

the unique key for the OEM system is also stored in a microsoft database that will contain millions of unique keys.

when i connect my new win8 OEM system then it will automatically connect to microsoft and check if the KEY in bios (+ hardware hash) is the same as the one stored in microsofts database.

there is no way to offline activate (phone) win8 anymore.

will the activation be checked periodically?

is this correct or i am wrong?
Click to expand...

As i understand it, i'd answer YES to all, except pre-last one: activation isn't checked by MS periodically (if not to count WGA), but is instantly monitored by Software Protection Service, so if you change hardware, activation will "fly away".

Windows 8 preinstalled licenses, AKA OA2.2 and OA3.0

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Windows 8 preinstalled licenses, AKA OA2.2 and OA3.0

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