21 years after its’ launch, the Windows XP activation algorithm has been completely cracked allowing for offline activation. Unfortunately it is common for very out of date Operating Systems to still be deployed, especially in manufacturing and industrial settings. Software that is required to run or communicate with an essential piece of equipment was written decades ago and isn’t being updated, so an OS that should be long gone lives on.
If this wasn’t bad enough now anyone can activate Windows XP offline and run it to their hearts content. I have seen some jokes about people still running XP at home but based on my personal experience it is probably more likely than you think. A lot of people tend to think if it isn’t broke you shouldn’t fix it. If your hardware is old, or you just don’t trust modern Operating Systems please consider installing Linux. At least that is still being patched and updated…
For more details one of many articles is available here!