This subreddit gets the same questions almost daily, and I figured I could make a comprehensive post that would show up on search.
Before I start, lets make some piracy related things clear:
Never google anything related to cracks or activators or even torrents. Google deletes many "good" results due to DMCA notifications and for example the results for Daz Loader are only malware. Use Duckduckgo instead.
Scene groups do not have "official websites". Those sites are likely to be scam.
If you feel like some cracks/activations seem unsafe and there is no way to find out how they work, then don't use them.
Learn what anti-virus programs' false positives mean and why do they occur.
Go through the comments sections on torrent sites.
Only VPN can keep you anonymous.
Seed at least till ratio of 1 or you're a bitch!
How to get Windows
Option 1: Downloading it
Get an untouched ISO. Stay clear from pre-activated releases or those Russian art/re-skinned versions, because there is no way to be sure what sort of scripts they contain. Problem here is that Microsoft does not publicly provide SHA-1 checksums so it is rather difficult to confirm the validity of your installation media. The medias are usually taken from Microsoft Developer Network, which only developers can access. You can only go through the internet and see if you find the SHA-1 by someone else, preferably on several different sites.
/u/gaviddinola has provided us with link to the MSDN checksums! This is major advantage, big shout out for him/her :)
Note that the checksums do not correspond to ISOs with integrated updates.
I suggest using ISOs from user murphy-78 on KAT/TPB. He releases a new ISO every month, so you don't have to install tens of updates, and leaves the windows files unaltered.
EDIT: murphy78 has quit making integrated ISOs. A good alternative is Generation2. You can also download Windows 10 ISOs from MS Tech Bench.
EDIT MAY 2016: MURPHY IS BACK IN BUSINESS!
After you have your installation media, use a tool called Rufus to make a bootable usb-drive. You then stick it to your computer and boot from the usb. You might need to change the BIOS settings to do this. You will need an 8Gb USB drive, since the Windows ISOs are usually about 4 Gb in size.
Option 2: Use the installation media creation tool from Microsoft
You can read more and download the program here.
Option 3: Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Downloader
The ISO downloader by Jan Krohn can be used to download clean installation media from MS servers. It is constantly being updated. However, it cannot actually download Office installation media albeit the name so suggests.
Requirements: Win 7 or newer, .NET Framework 4.6.1 or newer, Internet Explorer 8 or newer
The tool's homepage is heidoc.net. Because the tool has good support and constant updates, I will leave the checksum away since it would need to updated so frequently.
Activation:
You can install volume channel Windows without product keys but not upgrade to a different version from an existing installation. Retail versions do not let you skip the product key input, but you may input a "generic key" while disconnected from the internet. Now, Microsoft has distributed its operating systems via different channels: OEM, retail and Volume Licensing.
The latter means that same product key is used to license several operating systems. This is what corporations and governmental faculties use. They pay a subscription fee to Microsoft for unspecified amount of operating systems. Volume License keys are checked for validity for every 180 days through key management servers.
OEM licenses are tied to the computer's motherboard and are sold to computer manufacturers. Retail keys are sold to end users and can be used several times. They can also be found for sale "second hand".
After you have installed Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise or any Windows 8.1 version(i.e any Windows that uses volume licensing), use Microsoft Toolkit (pics) to activate it by pressing EZ-Activate. The tool works by creating a key management service emulator, which tricks the Windows into thinking it's genuine. It will also work even without internet connection. You will receive all the updates. MS Toolkit creates only one directory (C:\Windows\AutoKMS) and has other uses aside from activation. This in my opinion makes it better than KMSPico, and probably less prone to false positives from anti-viruses.
Latest version of MTK is 2.6.3
EXE MD5: e01d03275b9be77dd08e7f141efbe059
EXE SHA-1: c422fe44f61b234235e1bed793aefa88826275d6
Because Windows 7 Home Premium and Ultimate versions were only sold as OEM and retail, they cannot be activated with KMS emulator. Instead you will need to use Daz Loader, which tricks Windows by injecting system licensed internal code into the systems before Windows boots. Windows will then think it is installed on an OEM computer. PS: Windows 7 Enterprise is basically the same as Ultimate, and can be activated with MS Toolkit.
Latest version of Daz Loader is 2.2.2
EXE MD5: 323c0fd51071400b51eedb1be90a8188
EXE SHA-1: 0efc35935957c25193bbe9a83ab6caa25a487ada
Both MS Toolkit and Daz Loader have their official threads on MyDigitalLife forums.
EDIT: Another good KMS-activator is KMSAuto Net made by Ratiborus. If you cannot find the latest version alone, it will be included in the executable called "KMSTools Portable by Ratiborus".
Ratiborus' official thread
File : KMSAuto Net.exe
Version : 1.5.3
SHA1 : 757515FAEFF564AA7DAA01D8EDFEE2C49C7CDB0F
Office 2010/2013/2016:
You can get either the retail or volume installation media.You can find Office checksums from MSDN. Retail installer can be changed to volume channel installer with MS Toolkit and you are then able to activate Office with it. KMSAuto can convert installed Office from Retail to Volume.
There now exists a clever tool to install Office 2013/2016 from cloud. It installs Office Click-to-run which can be changed to volume channel and activated with KMS-emulation. The tool does this all.
Office 2016 C2R Install by Ratiborus (latest v6.0.1)
http://forum.ru-board.com/topic.cgi?forum=2&topic=5559#1
File : OInstall.exe
SHA1 : 3973E3264C27565F68F52460D2C58D193960ECB6
Adobe software:
You can download the software from Adobe website. Block adobelogin.com -script so you don't have to create Creative Cloud account (use NoScript browser add-on). Adobe software can also be found from any torrent site (recommended author: m0nkrus). You may then install them without having to sign in with CC account.
There used to be a splendid program for Adobe product activation called Adobe Tool. It can still be used for blocking Adobe host files if you want to be extra sure your activation won't break. However the program is outdated and not usable for activation anymore. Luckily a new version is under development.
Now there are two options for Adobe activation, XForce keygen or AMT emulator.
**EDIT ON JUNE 2016
There is now a new activator called AMT Emulator made by PainteR. It is by far the most advanced activator making the rest pretty much obsolete. It makes the software launch faster and is also able to change software interface language. Using it is similar to using Universal Adobe Patcher. Latest version is 0.9.2.
File |
Size |
SHA-1 |
amtemu.v0.9.2.win-painter.zip |
1.80 Mb |
4320BF75BE097090B3866D7DB9813CF4E2214993 |
amtemu.v0.9.2-painter.exe |
2.39 Mb |
CAAD125358D2AE6D217E74CFCD175AC81C43C729 |
amtemu.v0.8.1.mac-painter.dmg |
1.34 Mb |
FA6A234DEC9BD736072D9E237CFD2993BA007E4C |
The XForce keygen is used as follows:
- Turn off the internet
- During the Adobe installation, click "I have a purchased a key"
- Generate the said key with keygen and do not close the keygen
- Open the Adobe program, it asks for activation, select activate now and go for offline activation with "Having trouble connecting to internet?"
- The Adobe program will give you a request code, which you will paste to the keygenerator and you will then receive activation code
- Copy&paste the activation code to Adobe program
- Block software in firewall
- Done!
Pros: activation without tampering any files, works on Mac OSX too
Cons: activation can be broken easily if the software is able to compare its licensing information with Adobe databases, thus making it impossible to update the software, no offline updates exist for anything other than trial versions
Offline updaters can now be found on http://prodesigntools.com/adobe-cc-2015-updates-links-windows.html
If you run them while offline, you shouldn't break the license. Adobe Update Management Tool can also be used install offline update packages to be extra safe.
EDIT: AUM Tool v8.0 can handle xforce activation too as long as you are not logged in with an CC account. For some reason Adobe software will detect your account even if you do not log in during the installation.
I have no idea what the official source for XForce keygen is (as it is a scene release), but fortunately keygens can be used sandboxed so you can look it up from torrent sites and try it safely.
Checksums for XFORCE CC v2015:
SHA-256: E5ACE324E1E75AC1FB0BA4CD19297CC1D2B5A29694E5C6BD6C275B5F4A35BEE2
MD5: F81A4B9D7E8DD8FE2927598A99798B67
XFORCE keygen for CC 2015 also works with CC 2017 software.
The Universal Adobe Patcher is used as follows:
- Turn off the internet!
- Install the Adobe software as trial
- After the installation, patch the .dll -file containing license information with UAP
- Block software with firewall
- Done!
Latest version of UAP is 2.0. The official source is user named PainteR from forum.ru-board.
EXE SHA-1: 7D0D2B434B51ABE91E5B16E4C8DC8D26143B138C
Pros: software can be updated with Adobe Update Management Tool (even if software has detected a CC account), can be used to "backup" Xforce activation
Cons: if the activation fails, everything adobe related needs to wiped off the computer (Adobe software sees that trial has ended), does not work with Mac OSX
This means it can be updated because there won't be license mismatches. PainteR has also made Adobe Update Management Tool which allows you to install updates without Creative Cloud account. Latest version is 8.0.
UMT is a shell around its own patched version of the Adobe Application Manager (AAM).
This enables UMT to bypass the license checks, and download and install any available update.
Applications installed as a part of a suite can be updated individually without restrictions.
No Adobe ID is required (for installing updates). Internet connection isn't required for offline updates.
There also exists unofficial one-click installers that install Adobe software straight as trial. If you use them, see that they do not install any adware alongside the Adobe products.
Any feedback is welcome. English is not my native language so feel free to correct my spelling too.
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