The legendary Microsoft developer behind Task Manager, ZIP folders, and Windows Product Activation (WPA) has revealed the true story behind FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8. Some of you oldsters out there might be familiar with this code, but even if not, it is probably recognizable as some kind of software key. This garbled alphanumeric string actually represents the first valid Windows XP volume licensing key that fell into the hands of software pirates. Now, Dave W. Plummer has taken to X to confirm it was “a disastrous leak,” rather than a clever hack.
The story of FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8.If you're not the type to pay for your software, you probably know this key. What you might not know is that I worked on the first version of Windows Product Activation, and this was our first major "hack". And yet, it wasn't a… pic.twitter.com/bJoGGO5c9oOctober 8, 2025
