Major proposal to shape the future
Hello!
I have a proposal for something huge.
Let's start this off very simply:
Have you ever read up on old popular PCs online and you've always wanted to try them or the software or stuff like that pre-installed? Have you always wanted to trick your friends into thinking you actually had an old popular PC? Well in this proposal I am going to state exactly how we can do that...
You see we have so many old PCs...some popular...some not that people have dreamed or wanted to test out but your a kid or you just can't afford it or you can't find any for sale online. Well VMs can fix this problem. You see...people take VMs as a way to install just retail software...but what about OEM software? Well...i've done some testing over the past 3 days and I have managed to crack 4 PCs and get them running on any hardware. That's also including what didn't need any cracking at all.
You may be wondering what i'm talking about or how this will be possible. Ever heard of a OEM Restore or Recovery Disc? Well...while they are usually locked down with protection by the OEM...a community like us could crack its protection and bypass it entirely making it possible to try out all its old software...get its wallpapers...trick friends...just think of the possibilities. Maybe even restoring an old childhood PC you had back then. Its all possible with this.
Those 4 PCs I told you I cracked? Those were really OEM Recovery Discs which sounds impossible to crack but not if you have the tech skills like I do.
I have cracked the following brands of OEMs (only what is specified is the amount cracked):
3 eMachines Recovery Discs
1 Gateway Restore Disc
We all have OEM restore discs just lying around collecting dust...why don't we make them useful for once? Instead of ending up in the garbage it can end up on the internet for the entire world to use. Just know i'm only talking about any windows OS up to XP. Not any newer...as that would then be illegal.
As just stated...it is illegal for what I have mentioned. But it really doesn't matter if its XP or older now does it? No it doesn't because support for it ended (including support for POSReady 2009).
I know what i've cracked so far may not seem very impressive due to the brand names and known for being cheapo PCs but its a start and its proof. I can even provide pictures if needed.
So...who's with me! Who thinks this is a good idea and who will join me and help out with this goal?
Comments
A good idea? Maybe - if you just want to see how an old computer worked when it was stock. Legal? Technically no, but it depends. I wouldn't even mention XP on here, because whether it's still supported or not, it still has a large user base. It's not abandonware yet. Microsoft says no.
The problem with this proposal is that many people didn’t want OEM software and often deleted it.
That was back then...but now? Nowadays people want to see what it's like.
Eh...I know XP still has a large userbase but come on...you can still talk about it. You just can't request the OS or Office XP be put on WinWorld in accordance with the rules.
I'd say it's a niche market of a niche market.
How much OEM stuff is really that valuable? If it's stuff like software trials and diagnostics like now, then no.
But 3.x/9x era might be interesting with custom wallpapers, screensavers, full versions of abandonware, alternative shells etc.
I'm not really sure about XP because we used custom builds throughout that era but I have the impression that's the era when preloads became intolerably bloated with loads of shit that should never see the light of day. Pre-builts really dropped in price during that time and a factor in the cost reductions was the OEMs subsidizing them with marketing vehicles a.k.a. trials and reduced-functionality versions.
Well its the custom wallpapers and stuff that i'm talking about. I could show you pictures of a eMachines PC from 1999 (has Windows 98 SE) with a bunch of old software and a VMware graphics driver.
98 and XP definitely stand out in my mind as having some pretty bad OEM installs depending on the OEM.
But with 7 and higher, I think the OEM installs have been a bit more tame. Especially the Windows 10 pre-installs. But I still wipe it out the first chance I get.
The wallpapers are worth saving, IMO. It would be cool if we could have a website dedicated to OEM wallpapers. I know there is a site that has some IBM and Compaq ones.
I may consider starting a website for that. How popular it'll get? That's unknown but I have dedicated servers already to do this kind of shit.
As for anybody wondering...this is a picture of that eMachines PC...well one of them:
I installed Opera on it myself...it didn't come pre-installed ofc.
This one is the first one I have ever installed and the first time I tried doing shit like this. Tried installing a sound driver for VMware so it'll work and all it does is BSOD it like shit when it runs. Like 2 minutes in and it just gives a BSOD.
Another eMachines I have installed however DOES have working sound since that one wasn't a bitch with the sound driver. The one with the working sound is a eMachines eTower 366id. The sounds are as random as shit...I can't even begin to wonder how and why the fuck they would not only change the sounds pre-chosen but why they would even make sounds like this. It sounds like a fucking jungle whenever I turn it on.
Just be glad OEMs don't do that nowadays or else everyone would be building their own PCs...even people who can't afford it or are just doing it for business purposes.
Other than Microsoft Works and Netscape, there isn’t anything that I would actually use. I definitely wouldn’t use that massive bar above the taskbar.
Well apparently the Microsoft Works pre-installed on that PC is limited from the actual retail Microsoft Works from that time. It has Windows 98 SE.
Here's two for your OEM collection:
How'd you get these? Anyways I really like the Compaq one. And if you have any old Compaq Presario's say from 1997 or with Windows 95 on it could you let me know? I'm looking for a serial number from atleast 1 Compaq Presario model and its a specific one.
I've been testing these with @TheTechWiz25 and I love the Dell background from @BlueSun . Nostalgically: I did have this on an old Dell I had in 2009 which was from 1998. xD
We're trying to find more methods to getting past CD / DVD Disc protections.
Possibly we could use VirtualBox and edit the BIOS
The compaq one I got from a modified OEM install we used to use in high school and the Dell one I got from the Dell Dimension 2350 that was our family computer circa 2002 or so.
I'm pretty sure I also have a couple from my thinkpad T40 somewhere, but I couldn't find it.
We got it working
Just a little edited BIOS and that
Change of plans: It decided to fool us...that welcome thing used to not appear. Atleast its progress.
Just found this screen saver while I was busy trying to do something. Never actually thought to check them out on those eMachines PC's. This one was from an eOne. That's right...that super rare shitty model that was only out for a couple months.
Looks nice...oh btw I'm making progress with cracking an IBM one
I will update you as it progresses
This site has wallpapers and screensavers from many of the big OEMs and for some reason, a gun manufacturer:
http://www.mocom.ru/Wallpapers/
Well thank you for this. If only it wasn't russian lol.
As for progress on the IBM cracking...I can get it cracked within the course of 10 minutes if I decide to do it how I am thinking it'll work.
My plan is to take an eMachines recovery disc that I have that's already been cracked...and change out the hard drive image files with the one from the IBM disc. The one problem that makes me think about this plan is that the eMachines disc uses .img while the IBM disc uses .imz. It has an unzip program according to the code and if its what I think it is then it should work well but the eMachines one only has a couple .img files while as the IBM disc has a shitload of .imz files. Even though they are both Windows 98 SE.
MAJOR UPDATE: Okay so...my plan seems to be working as planned...I spent hours and hours on it. Took alot longer than I thought it would but still you know.
The one problem is that it wont boot giving me this: https://forum.winworldpc.com/uploads/editor/x6/7g7bouh01s2i.png
If you can help make this thing bootable then I will personally send you the hard disk file (VMDK) for you to get working. Then you can send that back to me.
Remember it runs Windows 98 SE.
Is the CD actually bootable? Sometimes they can be either improperly dumped or may use some old methods of booting(such as emulating a floppy drive) that VirtualBox doesn’t recognize.
The CD boots fine...i'm talking about the hard disk here. All the files are on the drive it just wont boot. I think it needs a boot sector or some shit. I tried to add the one that the CD came with but I have no fucking clue how it works and I can't find any documentation for it online.
There is one thing I could've noted but chose not too since I thought I would get some help. I have access to every single file on the image. Meaning OEM information for the system properties dialog, wallpapers, pre-installed applications and the like.
If I really wanted too...I could just install a vanilla Windows 98 SE and then install all that crap and then its technically an OEM installation. You'll never be able to tell the difference. The one problem that I see with that is that I don't call it a legit OEM installation unless its just the OEM files...not anything replaced or installed on the vanilla version.
I mean...if I don't get any help soon I might have too. I'll do it sooner though if you guys think I should do that instead.
I just cracked a Compaq QuickRestore Disc!
https://i.imgur.com/u6E7HDQ.png
Okay...so...in my time of inactivity I cracked 2 more Compaq QuickRestore discs and last night after an entire day of solution finding and code searching I was able to install a system recovery partition from an HP Pavilion Recovery disc.
I cracked 2 of those yesterday but I also got both of them working yesterday to install so that's very good.
Oh god the nostalgia
https://i.imgur.com/PLd2v4d.png
Okay so...I need some help cracking the password of a zip file. If you would to volunteer to help let me know.