Free Windows

by fooCount1

The title can be seen in two ways: free as in no cost (free beer) or free as a verb (free the slaves).

I like to think of it in both ways at the same time.  Here I'm talking about ways to get a free Operating System (OS) from Micro$oft (MS), and the results of efforts of doing a clean Windows (Win) 10 installation.

Free All Win OSes - If You Know How!

Ever since Windows 95, I've been looking at ways to hack, tweak, and bootleg MS OSes.

Although Win XP is no longer "supported," it's still a good OS and can be used for home desktop and few-user server platforms.  Just be sure to use good network perimeter security!  That means firewall/router at the "edge" (where you connect to the Internet).  Starting with Volume License Key (VLK) Win XP ISO, you can install the OS, use a VLK keygen for activation, and have a nice stable free platform.

You can get an ISO for Win 2000 and not worry about activation!  You can get an ISO for any later Win OS and simply use Windows Toolkit which relies on AutoKMS, a tweak on a valid MS system.

There are versions of the Toolkit which work with Win 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and various server versions.  Windows server OS activation is a bit more specialized - could be a subject for another article!

Let's Focus on Win 10

Now I want to zero in on the most recent desktop Win OS - Win 10.

MS uses a device signature, called Hardware ID (HWID), sent to their servers when you do the "update" from Win 7, 8, or 8.1 to Win 10.  They have said all such updates in the first year after release of Win 10 will be free (as in beer), but of course this is a marketing strategy.

There are two things a hacker may like to do with Win 10.

First, can we do a clean install?  That is, can we start with a formatted drive, bare metal, rather than starting with a previous version and "update" to Win 10?

Second, how can we do a clean install for free (as in beer)?

The solution is nice, as we have options.  One option is to use an existing Win 7, 8, or 8.1 installation, and do a clean install of Win 10 on that machine.  For this option, you should save your activation key (product key; use a keyfinder app or Belarc Advisor), so you can input the key during the Win 10 clean install (the HWID allows your key to be accepted by MS!).  See below for using Windows 10 ISO for this option.

Another option is if you already have Win 10 installed, and just want to do a fresh (clean) reinstall of Win 10 on the same machine, you don't even need the key, as MS will already have the HWID on their servers, which will detect that Win 10 should be activated already.  Format your hard disk during the Win 10 clean install, and you will be activated!  Again, see below for using Windows 10 ISO for this option.

Generate ISO, Install, Activate!

O.K., here is the real challenge.

How can you start with a computer that has not run any other Win OS, and you want to do a clean Win 10 install?

Easy!  We will use a tool provided by MS called the Media Creation Tool (MCT) to generate an ISO that can be used on your target machine.  (Or you can obtain an ISO from another source (see references), but why not get it from MS since it will likely be untainted?)  Then we use a widely available hack, called AutoKMS, to activate it (see below).

Be careful to get the MCT specifically for Win 10, as there are versions for generating previous Win versions.

Previously, the tool for Win 10 came in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors, but now one tool will install the correct architecture for your hardware (32- or 64-bit).  Also, you may want to investigate the different versions of Win 10 to select what is right for you.  I won't cover Win 10 versions here, as the data is readily available online.  However, you may need to know that from November 2015, there is no option in the MCT to download Home and Pro ISO images separately; just select Windows 10 in Edition field as the generated ISO will include both Home and Pro versions.

See references also for walk-through in using this tool.  Here is a brief summary.

Run the MCT; choose to accept the agreement; choose "Create installation media for another PC", not "Upgrade ..."; choose Language, Edition, Architecture (to change settings, click to unselect "Use recommended settings ..." at bottom, then select individual settings via pull-down menus; here is where you can select 32- or 64-bit); click Next, then select USB flash drive or ISO.

You may want to rename the created ISO to more accurately indicate the properties of the OS to be installed.

Once you have the ISO, you can burn it to disk and use the disk to install to bare metal, or use the ISO directly to install a virtual machine (using, for example, VMware Workstation Player, or Oracle VirtualBox).  When prompted for product key, just click the "Skip" button to skip that step.  After the install, you will need to activate Win 10 using the AutoKMS app.

AutoKMS - Commonly Called Windows Toolkit

The trouble with finding an AutoKMS app for Windows 10 is that most such apps available online are carrying considerable crapware (malware or adware, perhaps Trojans or rootkits).

I spent a lot of time using VirtualBox VMs to sort through lots of AutoKMS apps, and the vast majority were a real pain-in-the-ass due to crapware.  See the refs for current clean app.

Running the AutoKMS is easy.  Just make sure you disable anti-virus first, then run the activator.  (Some say you may need to run as Administrator, but I didn't find that was necessary.)

Select the OS version (Win 10), then EZ-Activator (some say click Install before EZ-Activator, but I didn't find it necessary).  It's best to reboot, then check the activation status (Control Panel -> System).

Just about all the AutoKMS apps will give anti-virus indication, since they change the registry.  Ignore that if you get the app from a trusted source or have done your own forensic investigation of your download!

You may even want to use virtualization to confirm you can do the Win 10 install from ISO, followed by AutoKMS activation, before you actually do an install on bare metal.  It's a relatively easy way to test things, and when you become confident you can do the steps for real.

See the references for more details and for digging into resources.  The bottom line is, at least for now, you can get and use Win 10 for free (as in beer), even with a clean install, just like you could for all other Win versions.

Thanks MS.

The AutoKMS (Windows Toolkit) apps can activate nearly any MS product, including Office.  Hint, hint - get Office ISO, install, activate with the Toolkit.  (You may need to reactivate Office at three month intervals in some situations.)

What If It Doesn't Work?

Things change fast in the world of free Win OSes.

What works today may not work tomorrow because MS will push out an update that kills the activation.  If your activation goes "off," try running the AutoKMS app again.

If that does not work, search for an updated app.  Rest assured that a new AutoKMS version will be available within hours or days to allow you full activation again!  All it takes is persistence to find the right tool among the giant Internet pool of ineffective or infected crapware!  (Again, virtualization is your friend, as it gives you a nice "test bed" that can be simply removed when done.)

Of course, there are lots of alternatives to MS OSes, like Linux, BSD, etc.  But why not use MS offerings to hone your hacker chops?  It's free too!

References

Here is a current link to download the MCT (use second link toward bottom of page):

www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

This gives screen shots of using the MCT:

keyscity.info/installing-windows-10-using-the-media-creation-tool

This gives some details used to make my own free install described in the article:

techjourney.net/download-official-windows-10-iso-via-usb-dvd-media-creation-tool-without-product-key

Here are mirrors for a clean AutoKMS app (commonly called Windows Toolkit):

www.mirrored.to/files/1WFDNEXC

www.mirrored.to/files/1WFDNEXC/?hash=9d3fb1cff0ada1bab23c0b7acc1160eb&dl=0

It seems Win 10 ISOs may be available directly from these sources if you don't want to use the MCT (why not?):

www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench

www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9230-windows-10-iso-download.html

www.microsoftiso.com


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