After two decades, the Windows XP activation system was finally cracked

It has never been too difficult for anybody with enough time, desperation, or flexible morals to get past Windows XP’s activation system.

The encryption technique used for XP activation hasn’t been fully broken, at least not without an internet connection, despite being highly disliked from the start.

The Register first came across a blog post on tinyapps.org titled “Windows XP Activation: GAME OVER” that details recent experiences of people trying to activate Windows XP more than 20 years after its initial release, nine years after its end of life, and, most notably, several years after Microsoft stopped providing online activation servers (or maybe they just switched certificates).