The new crack has been designed to circumvent the Windows Vista activation process for OEM versions of the operating systems by patching the motherboard BIOS. Microsoft has implemented the OEM Activation for Windows Vista software protection technology (an enhanced form of System-Locked Preinstallation) in order to safeguard the installation of the Original Equipment Manufacturer's editions of the operating system.

Via the OEM Activation for Windows Vista technology, the operating system is associated to the firmware of the physical non-licensed computer. The weak spot? The fact that System-Locked Preinstallation enables OEMs to pre-activate Windows Vista, but OEMs have also the possibility of persistent activation and to activate the operating system without connecting to Microsoft or any other activation provider.

Hackers have speculated this, and in combination with a range of leaked Windows Vista OEM product keys have put together a plethora of BIOS patches designed to activate OEM versions of Windows Vista. The list of BIOS patches for Windows Vista OEM activation is impressive, and just browsing through it, it contains names like: Acer, Abit, Aopen, ASUS, DFI INFINITY, EpoX, Gigabyte, MSI, Onda, Soyo and Unika. But you have to understand that various models of mother boards are treated independently and that a BIOS crack is provided for each one.

Although the complexity of the Vista activation crack via BIOS patching is variable, one example that I came across involves a 40+ steps process. And in the end, the crack will alter the motherboard's BIOS. Users will lose warranty, and risk killing their system completely by modifying the BIOS irremediably.