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The slowest warez team ever — Green hills forever: Windows XP activation algorithm cracked after 21 years Please, please, please do not actually install XP and use it. But if you must

Kevin Purdy – May 26, 2023 2:45 pm UTC Enlarge / With this background, potentially the most viewed photograph in human history, Windows XP always signaled that it was prepared for a peaceful retirement. Yet some would have us disturb it.Charles O’Rear/Microsoft reader comments 11 with

It has never been too hard for someone with the right amount of time, desperation, or flexible scruples to get around Windows XP’s activation scheme. And yet XP activation, the actual encrypted algorithm, loathed since before it started, has never been truly broken, at least entirely offline. Now, far past the logical end of all things XP, the solution exists, floating around the web’s forum-based backchannels for months now.

On the blog of tinyapps.org (first spotted by The Register), which provides micro-scale, minimalist utilities for constrained Windows installations, a blog post appropriately titled “Windows XP Activation: GAME OVER” runs down the semi-recent history of folks looking to activate Windows XP more than 20 years after it debuted, nine years after its end of life, and, crucially, some years after Microsoft turned off its online activation servers (or maybe they just swapped certificates). Advertisement

xp_activate32.exe, a 18,432-byte program (hash listed on tinyapps’ blog post), takes the code generated by Windows XP’s phone activation option and processes it into a proper activation key (Confirmation ID), entirely offline. It’s persistent across system wipes and re-installs. It is, seemingly, the same key Microsoft would provide for your computer.

Tools for generating keys that Windows XP would accept existed long before this entirely offline little programlots and lots of them. But they were typically software hacks or brute-force decryption tools that, while locally accepted, would not validate with Microsoft (for what that’s worth now). Another tool, WindowsXPKg, deliciously hosted on the GitHub servers Microsoft owns, can generate keys but requires an external server that, as of this posting, no longer seems to be operating.

Most people won’t actually, hopefully need this tool. Fully functional XP images that you can sandbox inside a virtual machine exist in many places, including Microsoft’s own Windows XP Mode for Windows 7. And, of course, installing a highly unsupported XP on a device that’s connected to the modern Internet is malice aforethought. Let us all enjoy this for the rhetorical, mathematical victory that it is, while we say a small prayer for those dealing with hardware that truly needs XP. reader comments 11 with Kevin Purdy Kevin is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering a variety of technology topics and reviewing products. He started his writing career as a newspaper reporter, covering business, crime, and other topics. He has written about technology and computing for more than 15 years. Advertisement Channel Ars Technica ← Previous story Related Stories Today on Ars

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BAFTA TV Awards red carpet: Celebs arrive in style ahead of ceremony

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BAFTA TV Awards red carpet: Celebs arrive in style ahead of ceremony

Stars of the small screen have hit the red carpet in the sunshine ahead of today’s BAFTA TV Awards.

Baby Reindeer, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Rivals, and Slow Horses are among the shows in the running for big prizes.

This year’s ceremony is hosted by Alan Cumming.

But before the BAFTA prizes are dished out, the stars are making their way down the red carpet at London’s Festival Hall.

Here’s a look at all the outfits.

BAFTA TV Awards – live updates
The full list of nominated stars and shows

Maura Higgins attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
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Love Island and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star Maura Higgins

L-R: Danny Dyer (centre) and daughters Sunnie Jo (left) and Dani at the BAFTA TV Awards 2025
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The Dyers: Rivals and Mr Bigstuff star Danny Dyer (centre) and daughters Sunnie Jo (left) and Dani

Katherine Parkinson attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
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Rivals star Katherine Parkinson

Emily Atack attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
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Rivals actress Emily Atack

Alan Cumming attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Your host for the evening – Alan Cumming

Ella Morgan attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Trans star Ella Morgan, who starred in Married At First Sight

Tasha Ghouri attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha Ghouri

Laura Whitmore attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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TV presenter Laura Whitmore

Leanne Quigley attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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The Traitors star Leanne Quigley

Jessie J attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Singer Jessie J

JB Gill attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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JLS singer and TV presenter JB Gill

Kimberley Walsh attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Girls Aloud singer and TV presenter Kimberley Walsh

Faye Tozer attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Steps singer Faye Tozer

Lenny Rush attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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Am I Being Unreasonable? star Lenny Rush

Journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Kimberly Wyatt attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Pussycat Dolls star and TV presenter Kimberly Wyatt

Ashley James attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Broadcaster Ashley James

Gabby Allen attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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Love Island winner Gabby Allen

Joseph Fiennes attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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The Handmaid’s Tale and Dear England star Joseph Fiennes

Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson

YouTube star Adeola Patronne attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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YouTube personality Adeola Patronne

La Voix attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Britain’s Got Talent and Ru Paul’s Drag Race star La Voix

Ekin-Su Culculoglu attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Love Island star Ekin-Su Culculoglu

Christopher Chung attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Slow Horses actor Christopher Chung

Chloe Kelly attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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England football star Chloe Kelly

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office star Monica Dolan attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Bafta. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
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Mr Bates Vs The Post Office star Monica Dolan

Ekin-Su Culculoglu attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Love Island star Ekin-Su Culculoglu

Jonathan Pryce attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Slow Horses actor Jonathan Pryce

Clara Amfo attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday May 11, 2025.
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Broadcaster Clara Amfo

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Terror group supporters posted on TikTok, YouTube and Google from site targeted in Indian airstrikes

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Terror group supporters posted on TikTok, YouTube and Google from site targeted in Indian airstrikes

Social media accounts expressing support for a Pakistan-based terror group linked to al Qaeda appear to have posted recent videos from a Pakistan mosque targeted by Indian airstrikes.

Sky News has found videos posted on TikTok, YouTube and Google that appear to be filmed at the Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke. The captions and usernames contain expressions of support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and a group called ‘313’.

Sky News has found and geolocated multiple videos that appear to be filmed in the area where the captions include either or both ‘313’ and LeT.

Some of the videos show men in the streets with guns. Another post captioned a video of children doing martial arts training inside the targeted mosque, “we are little soldiers, and we fight the non-believers”.

The caption of the video reads "we are little soldiers, and we fight the non-believers". It uses the hashtag '313' and uses the word 'mujahid' which means 'who does jihad'.
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The caption of the video reads ‘we are little soldiers, and we fight the non-believers’. It uses the hashtag ‘313’.

The caption uses the hashtag #جہاد313, which translates to ‘313’ jihad.

‘313’ appears to refer to the 313 Brigade, a proscribed terror organisation in Pakistan.

In a TikTok video posted to the Google page for Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke, a man can be seen walking along the street with a gun.

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The account that posted that video wrote in their description, “Lashkar Taiba, Mujahid Force, ‘313’ and Markaz Taiba Muridke”, self-proclaiming their support for the groups.

This screenshot from a Google user labels Lashkar-e-Taiba and ‘313’ and claims to be from Muridke.
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This screenshot from the Google user labels Lashkar-e-Taiba and ‘313’ and includes the location name Muridke

India’s retaliatory strikes on Pakistani-adminstered Kashmir and Pakistan on 7 May came after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.

Gunmen opened fire on tourists, killing 26 people and injuring dozens in a popular holiday spot near Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April.

LeT were accused by India of involvement in the Pahalgam attack through their proxy the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack.

LeT, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council and the UK, focuses on fighting Indian control in Kashmir and is based in the Punjab region of Pakistan.

Pakistan denies allegations of terror camps operating in the country. This region has been in the control of the Punjabi government since 2010. The Punjab government condemned the Indian strikes, and declared a state of emergency across Punjab.

Muskan Sangwan, senior intelligence analyst at TRAC, a terrorism research and analysis consortium, told Sky News: “Brigade 313 is al Qaeda in Pakistan. It’s an umbrella organisation for members of several groups like Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Haqqat ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Jaish-e Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jundullah.”

Ms Sangwan explained that ‘313’ refers to the number of companions said to have fought with the Prophet Mohammed in the Battle of Badr.

TRAC have seen a recent uptick in TikTok videos and other social media posts that refer to ‘313’.

Many of the accounts are linked to each other.

Ms Sangwan said: “They [the TikTok users] mostly use ‘313’ as a hashtag… trying to push that hashtag to as many people it can reach on social media.”

Sky News sought to verify the location by comparing before and after videos from the strike location, and using the video released by the Indian army conducting the strike.

One video showing damage at the strike location was posted by a user with 313 in their TikTok username.

The TikTok account that posted video footage of the destruction of the mosque has 313 in their caption.
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The TikTok account that posted video footage of the destruction in Muridke has 313 in the username

Below is satellite imagery that shows the destruction of the site.

Satellite imagery shows Markaz Taiba Mosque after the strike on May 7th. Credit: Maxar.
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Satellite imagery shows Markaz Taiba Mosque after the strike on 7 May. Credit: Maxar

In one TikTok, the video is captioned “bring your arms and ammunition and go to war”. The text on the screen of the TikTok is ‘313’ and he is carrying a gun.

The group are comfortable with having an online presence. On the Google tag for Markaz Taiba Mosque in Muridke, men pose for a group photo. Almost all the people in the photo have used ‘313’ on TikTok.

Ms Sangwan explained: “With these people from Muridke, pushing this propaganda on social media would generate a lot of significance in terms of recruitment and in terms of gaining support from local people and from other people.”

Sky News’ Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch has reported on the ground in Muridke.

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Anger in Pakistan after India strikes

India says it struck Markaz Taiba, a site in Muridke about 15 miles (25km) from the border, which has long been claimed to be a terrorist training site associated with LeT.

MEMRI, a US-based research group that monitors terrorist threats, told Sky News: “It has been known for decades that Lashkar-e-Taiba has its headquarters in Muridke.”

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Sky News contacted the Pakistan Ministry of Defence for comment. Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, told Sky News: “This appears to be a random video with background music added later – consistent with how TikTok trends often function. If this is to be considered credible evidence, we could produce millions of similar clips ourselves.”

Mr Asif also said that any suggestion that the mosque was used as a base by terrorists was a “completely false, social media made up hoax”.

On 7 May, after the strikes in Pakistan, the Indian subcontinent branch of al Qaeda issued a statement condemning India’s actions and encouraging its supporters to wage jihad against India.

The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

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US

Bodycam footage shows ICE agents arrest Newark mayor Ras Baraka

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Bodycam footage shows ICE agents arrest Newark mayor Ras Baraka

Bodycam footage has captured the arrest of a US city mayor during a protest at a federal immigration detention centre.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was released from custody hours after he was detained on Friday, has denied trespassing during a confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

He was at the facility, which opened in the New Jersey city last week, with three members of Congress and witnesses said his arrest came after he tried to join them in entering the centre.

Ras Baraka has been released from custody. Pic: REuters
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Ras Baraka (centre) has been released from custody. Pic: Reuters

In bodycam footage released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an agent can be heard telling him: “Listen, congressmen are different, congresswomen are different.

“Mr Mayor, anyone that is not a congresswoman or man, step back… It’s your last warning. You will be placed under arrest.”

A heated argument broke out after Mr Baraka’s entry was blocked and he left the secure area to rejoin protesters on the other side of the gate.

Minutes later, several ICE agents, some wearing face coverings, surrounded him and others on the public side.

Mr Baraka was dragged back through the gate in handcuffs, as protesters shouted: “Shame.”

Protesters shout 'let him out' after mayor's arrest. Pic: AP
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Protesters shout ‘let him out’ after mayor’s arrest. Pic: AP

Alina Habba, interim US attorney for New Jersey, said on X that Mr Baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator Geo Group, adding he had “chosen to disregard the law”.

The DHS said in a statement that the politicians had not asked for a tour of the Delaney Hall centre, which the agency said it would have facilitated.

The department said that as a bus carrying detainees was entering in the afternoon “a group of protestors, including two members of the US House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility”.

After his release on Friday night, the mayor told waiting supporters: “The reality is this: I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Mr Baraka, a Democrat running to succeed term-limited Governor Phil Murphy, has embraced the fight with Donald Trump‘s administration over illegal immigration.

Read more from Sky News:
Hospital accused of ‘covering up’ suspended surgeon concerns

Soviet rocket may have crashed through atmosphere over UK

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He has been a vocal critic against the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention centre, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.

DHS said in its statement that the facility has the proper permits and inspections have been cleared.

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