May Someone Like To Test Vista'd Behavior?

[Guest Reimar]

Just read an interesting article/Blog in an different (private) forum about how easy it is to crush Vista! Also interesting is that MS didn't issue any official comment about it!

But read by yourself:

Windows Vista can be completely killed by pressing a simple combination of just two keys. All you need to crush Microsoft's latest operating system and put the much-applauded Wow at an end is two fingers.

This issue has been reported independently of Microsoft, and the Redmond company has failed to issue any official comment at the time of this article. The immediate question which comes to mind is if the problem is a security vulnerability or a simple bug.

Either way, you too can watch Windows Vista die in front of your eyes. To make matters worse, the key combination is one of the most utilized keyboard shortcuts in Windows. Pressing the Windows key together with "E" will start Computer in Windows Vista. Keeping the two keys pressed will open a large volume of Computer windows. Want to crush Windows Vista? Nothing could be simpler. Just keep the two keys pressed for more than 20 – 30 seconds.

The operating system will begin to behave aberrantly and will continue to open Computer instances flooding the desktop. There is no way to restore Vista to its normal self, outside of a reboot. With Computer windows cascading on your desktop, you will soon find that Task Manager cannot be accessed. The same is valid for additional processes. You will have to restart the operating system in order to restore Vista.

"It took millions of dollars to make Windows Vista secure and stable. While I am happy that Windows Vista is so much stable than Windows XP; there is a bullet proof way to crash WindowsVista. A simple service which loops a thousand times while sending Windows Key + E can be written within ten minutes. Microsoft may have spent millions of dollars for security and stability; it takes two fingers or a simple service to crash Windows Vista down. No matter how bullet proof Windows Vista claims to be, two keys to crash the operating system is a bullet proof approach as well," revealed the author of the crash method on TechTicles.

In its present form, the bug seems to create nothing more than a Denial of Service condition. It remains to be seen if it can be exploited remotely or if it permits code execution. Still, I’d put my money on a bug, rather than on a security vulnerability.

Edited July 15, 2007 by Reimar

[Tywais]

I just gave it a try with Vista Ultimate running under VMWare and it appears to have gone into an infinite loop with the screen flashing like crazy and the occasional beeps. Seems an easy fix, just limit the number of instances that it can open. Will be interesting to see Microsoft's comments/solution.

[cdnvic]

I find that by pouring coffee into the case I also manage to disable Vista.

Simple solution to both?

Don't do that.

[Guest Reimar]

I find that by pouring coffee into the case I also manage to disable Vista.

Simple solution to both?

Don't do that.

Must it be coffee? Could it be Budwiser as well?

Hey I like coffee but unlike most germans I don't like Beer!!

[Tywais]

I find that by pouring coffee into the case I also manage to disable Vista.

Simple solution to both?

Don't do that.

[cdnvic]

I find that by pouring coffee into the case I also manage to disable Vista.

Simple solution to both?

Don't do that.

Must it be coffee? Could it be Budwiser as well?

Hey I like coffee but unlike most germans I don't like Beer!!

What do Budweiser and beer have to do with each other?

[britmaveric]

Don't use that function anyways, so its of no consequence!!!

[solo siam]

Whats the point of the post?

Rebooting it makes it go away, it's actually probably got some use for someone and I'm sure it can be got rid of if it somehow becomes a problem through updates (which Vista handles pretty well).

[Guest Reimar]

Whats the point of the post?

If you read many thread's here at TV, you will know that there a lot users out there which didn't know how to handle such situations or others.

Don't take your knowledge as an level pointer!

Rebooting it makes it go away, it's actually probably got some use for someone and I'm sure it can be got rid of if it somehow becomes a problem through updates (which Vista handles pretty well).

Is that enough?

[Khutan]

Wow, I never used the windoze button, but just reading this, I also tried Win+D and that shows my desktop. Pressing it again brings back this screen.

I wonder what the other buttons do. BTW I am running XP

[britmaveric]

windows + L = locks workstation

[Tywais]

Wow, I never used the windoze button, but just reading this, I also tried Win+D and that shows my desktop. Pressing it again brings back this screen.

I wonder what the other buttons do. BTW I am running XP

I was going to suggest just try Windows + A-Z. Here is the list > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301583

[endure]

I find that by pouring coffee into the case I also manage to disable Vista.

Simple solution to both?

Don't do that.

Must it be coffee? Could it be Budwiser as well?

Hey I like coffee but unlike most germans I don't like Beer!!

What do Budweiser and beer have to do with each other?

Depends which one you're talking about.

[Khutan]

I was going to suggest just try Windows + A-Z. Here is the list > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301583

Thank you, that is an interesting link.

[solo siam]

Whats the point of the post?

If you read many thread's here at TV, you will know that there a lot users out there which didn't know how to handle such situations or others.

Don't take your knowledge as an level pointer!

Rebooting it makes it go away, it's actually probably got some use for someone and I'm sure it can be got rid of if it somehow becomes a problem through updates (which Vista handles pretty well).

Is that enough?

Whats the chance that someone is going to be holding in those 2 keys for more than 30 seconds whilst they boot, and then not know how to reboot. You may as well make a post on how NOT to boot into safe mode on Windws XP etc...

[Guest Reimar]

Whats the chance that someone is going to be holding in those 2 keys for more than 30 seconds whilst they boot, and then not know how to reboot. You may as well make a post on how NOT to boot into safe mode on Windws XP etc...

Ben, not forget the human nature and that humans are imperfect, which I and most others humans know very well!!

[sjaak327]

I just tried that key combination, indeed it opens up loads of explorer windows, but all it took was to close two of them down, all of them disappeared, and vista is still running. No reboot needed.

[malcolmswaine]

I've also found that if i press all the keys at once whilst jumping up and down on my machine it has the same undesirable effect. I think that one also falls under the category of ...

"Just don't do it..."

Edited July 15, 2007 by malcolmswaine