Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer revealed details regarding the infamous FCKGW Windows XP product key. The validation mechanism for Volume License keys utilized 10 MB of encrypted data from Microsoft Bob, a software assistant released in 1995.
Windows XP was released in two versions: Retail and Volume. The latter was intended for OEMs and partners to facilitate mass installations. The RTM version of the OS was finalized on August 24, 2001, ahead of the official October 25 launch.
Plummer suggests the Volume media and key were leaked by an employee at a major OEM, such as Dell or Intel. The pirate group Devils0wn subsequently distributed the files online. This led to the FCKGW key being blacklisted in Service Pack 1.
With the release of Service Pack 2, Microsoft introduced Windows Genuine Advantage checks, which blocked updates for systems using blacklisted keys. Plummer dismissed theories that the key worked due to a flawed generation algorithm.
