No good deed goes unpunished: Windows XP source code apparently leaked

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I’ve heard rumors about this for years, but it looks like the Real McCoy just hit 4chan. Dan Thorp-Lancaster at Windows Central has the story: Alleged
[See the full post at: No good deed goes unpunished: Windows XP source code apparently leaked]

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abbodi86, GreatAndPowerfulTech, geekdom, Microfix

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https://twitter.com/Laughing_Mantis/status/1309276455432458240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Is it possible that Govt and Educational facilities may have inadvertantly leaked this?
as they have access to source code, so I believe.
Perhaps it’s another vain attempt (in the name of leaked security) by MS to get more users onto W10..
Implications for subsequent versions of Windows should be interesting now that it’s possibly in the wrong hands..even legacy W10 code! Intersting times ahead

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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GreatAndPowerfulTech, Myst

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Maybe this is the way how to became open-source. I wonder how many people will create their own operating system now. Also Server 2003 is included in that torrent.

Perhaps it’s another vain attempt (in the name of leaked security) by MS to get more users onto W10.

Interesting thought, very sophisticated way to force users to change their OS. But for me very unprobable, since lot of parts of source code remain the same (at least some – control panel, contets and structure of the Windows folder, driver update dialog, IP protocol properities, Microsoft Console, …).

Dell Latitude 3420, Intel Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, W10 22H2 Enterprise

HAL3000, AMD Athlon 200GE @ 3,4 GHz, 8GB RAM, Fedora 29

PRUSA i3 MK3S+

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There’s no way to legitimately make a new OS using the source code leak.  Technically I think even looking at the code would be illegal as you’re using stolen intellectual property to inform your own development.  There’s already a couple systems out there that try to create a Windows-compatible system (Wine, ReactOS, and there was an older one as well).  They can’t use this source code in any way without endangering their projects.

Illegally it could be possible to get a working WinClone up and running with what’s provided, but why when you can just crack XP or 7 and use that instead?  About the only group that could take advantage of it (in my opinion) would be nation state groups (China, Russia, etc) where they could ignore copyright laws and homebrew their own system.  Probably too expensive and insecure to be worth it, though.  Using it illegally for research purposes for security or new development is the most likely use case.

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Good points, but I was thinking more about DIY operating system. Not selling that OS, but to have your own operating system – some gurus are capable of great things.

Dell Latitude 3420, Intel Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, W10 22H2 Enterprise

HAL3000, AMD Athlon 200GE @ 3,4 GHz, 8GB RAM, Fedora 29

PRUSA i3 MK3S+

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How much of the currently supported versions have legacy code? It’s a small leap and doesn’t require much imagination to see the next development step.

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There are unconfirmed reports that Windows 10 source code was leak as well.

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This is old news. Xp source code has been out for years. Some of the open source communities have been using it to improve Xp for the last few years. But have not been able to say this in public.

My concern is that Windows 10 source code was leaked as well. I have seen posts about it on a few sites but have not tried to check if it is real.

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JHC!  Whatever the consequences for my two Win7 systems, as of this week, I not only have Linux Mint 19.3 up and running from a bootable 1½-inch long 128GB SanDisk stick, I have already adapted my key files (created under Windows) to the constrained Linux font selection (I did import the MS font set, but only some of them transferred successfully).  FF, Libre Office and Foxit Reader are also installed and operational, so I have the core of what I need and I am good to go.  I can make the jump whenever I need to, at a moment’s notice.

It took some effort to get there.  One of my systems is so old, the Bios does not offer booting from USB, and I searched the HP site in vain for a Bios update, as they no longer support my Compaq clunker.  But my other system does have this capability.

I was able to create this option for myself thanks in no small part to the tips and advice I found here on AW.  As I have written before, it’s well worth the price of admission!

Good luck to us all!  I will be following developments closely in Woody’s columns and right here in the Lounge.

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I suspect that the developers of React OS will be tempted beyond their ability to resist looking at XP’s source code. After 15 years, or so, of making an XP OS clone, this opportunity may be too great. All they have to do is rewrite the old code to make React OS finally usable. I’m keeping an eye on this as React OS looks interesting, being open source, but it’s currently useless.

GreatAndPowerfulTech

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FakeNinja, rontpxz81

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I don’t think the leaked XP code is so important.
Way more important are the leaks of Server 2003 and NT as Windows 10 is no more than a wrapper on NT Kernel.

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doriel, Charlie

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XP is also NT (version 5.1). Windows Server 2003 (version 5.2) is just the server version of XP. Windows ME (Millennium) was the last consumer version with DOS underpinnings. XP being NT based and sold as a consumer OS is a large part of why it was so popular.

Microsoft’s original plan was for Windows 2000 to be the first NT based consumer OS, which was probably why it was called 2000 instead of NT 5. The plan ended-up delayed/changed, so consumers got ME, and businesses got 2000.

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FakeNinja, Myst, Microfix, SueW

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Absolutely! Not forgetting NTFS, that MSFT Oses subsequent to XP use!
That’s the one thing for me, that made XP a ‘must buy’, NTFS hence better stability and security than the DOS based predecessors at ALL levels of computing.

Funny you should mention ‘Windows ME’ it had it’s 20th birthday on 14th Sept 2020..we missed it!
wonder why?

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Myst

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Microfix wrote:

‘Windows ME’ it had it’s 20th birthday on 14th Sept 2020.

Win ME was my third Windows system. The unit came with a monitor as big as a vintage tube TV. Had more problems with that OS than I care to remember. Moved on to Windows XP with Media Center and never looked back.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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7ProSP1

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Never had or even used it myself as the nickname “Mistake Edition” was enough of a warning of what may lie ahead to keep me far away.

XP forever!

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doriel, Cybertooth, Microfix, Myst

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Was ready to just dive in to any new Windows system which is how I learned to repair the problems. Hmmm, try this, nope, but this might work, yep we’re good, etc. One sure fire way was to move onto the next until they got it right. Win7 is where I am and will stay.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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GarthP, SueW, 7ProSP1

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Well yes, ME was pretty universally though to be bad.

But I don’t think it was much worse than the original-release 95… I’m fairly sure I have some old software manuals around here with a listing of supported Windows versions that goes like “3.11, 95 OSR2, 98, 98SE, NT 3.51, NT 4, XP, Server 2003”

… 2k wasn’t all that popular with businesses either.

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Toa Of Justice, doriel, SueW, Alex5723, abbodi86, Cybertooth, Microfix, 7ProSP1, Myst

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YES

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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mn– wrote:

Well yes, ME was pretty universally though to be bad.

But I don’t think it was much worse than the original-release 95… I’m fairly sure I have some old software manuals around here with a listing of supported Windows versions that goes like “3.11, 95 OSR2, 98, 98SE, NT 3.51, NT 4, XP, Server 2003”

… 2k wasn’t all that popular with businesses either.

Windows ME suffered partially because they implemented changes to driver model – if I’m remembering correctly it was suppose to be something to start getting the device makers ready for the move to the NT kernel. There were other changes that caused software compatibility issues with Windows 3/3.1 apps which didn’t help either.

I believe the main advantage 2k Workstation had over NT 4 was USB support. Server side had a more of an advantage with Active Directory (kindly borrowing some things from Novell). The disadvantage was being released relatively close to NT 4. Then XP being following fairly closely too didn’t help.

EDIT – this was meant to be a reply to the quoted post, and I messed it up.
Mod note: FTFY

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Microfix

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Wonder how long it’ll be before forgotten cash machines $pit out mon£y on the str€€t? lol

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Myst, Cybertooth

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Anonymous ( #2298848 ): “About the only group that could take advantage of it (in my opinion) would be nation state groups (China, Russia, etc) where they could ignore copyright laws and homebrew their own system. ”

And black hat hackers?

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Others may not really be interested in that old OS but if there is any File System code in there(source code dump) that may be useful for file system compatibility, and maybe even for any MS file types information that may be there as well. Even API documentation for any undocumented calls and such!

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hmmm..interesting
https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/25/21456525/microsoft-windows-xp-theme-mac-aqua

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Cybertooth, Myst

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It is quite credible that the source code could have been leaked.

Back in the 1980’s, the IBM pc was the gold standard for pc’s, and the Microsoft Flight Simulator was the standard of compatibility with an IBM pc.  I owned a pc clone (but not IBM) and bought the Flight Simulator.  Alas, it would not run on my clone.  I discovered, however, that the problem was a memory address, which (if I could find the address) would solve the incompatibility problem.

I called the Microsoft Help Desk and asked for help.  They were recalcitrant, but the service rep said, “I am not allowed to give out that information, but Bill is working the help desk today, he might give you that information.”  Bill Gates came on the the phone.  He said, “I appreciate your buying the Flight Simulator, but if I give you that information, you might be able to psych out our code scrambler.”  Becoming madder by the minute, I said, “I will psych-out your code scrambler, and when I do, you may wish you had given me the penny-ante memory address…all I want to do is use a product which I have legitimately paid for.”

He laughed and said, “Good luck…but on the very slight chance that you do, at least give me a chance to discuss it with you before you do anything else.”  He then provided a direct phone number to reach him.

Essentially all my spare time for the next six months was devoted to analyzing over 64,000 lines of encrypted code.  Being good at cryptanalysis, and by making some assumptions, I was able to decrypt the code scrambler.  (There was even an “easter egg” buried deep in it that said, “Bill Gates is a nerd.”)

I called the number he had given me, and  it was a direct line to him.  We had a most interesting conversation.

The fascinating thing about all of this is that Microsoft did not change their code scrambler after this adventure.  That gave me a window into all sorts of Microsoft software.

I never revealed the secrets to anybody, but I have really had a great time since then.

Now, the latest in flight simulation is the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, which is great fun to fly, and works well on any suitably powerful pc.

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Toa Of Justice, hhodges, GarthP, ScotchJohn, SueW, wavy, Myst, Cybertooth

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Microfix wrote:

Wonder how long it’ll be before forgotten cash machines $pit out mon£y on the str€€t? lol

ATMs running XP already do.

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[glnz]

This dumped code – is it updated?  Through what date and KB?

Is it also updated with the POS Embedded updates that kept my XP updated through April 2019 (thanks to the gang at MSFN)?

• This reply was modified 4 years, 8 months ago by glnz.

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