KMSPico is a very popular tool for illegally activating Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office products. Due to the fact that it is an unofficial activation program that tampers with certain settings of the OS, many anti-virus and anti-malware applications detect it as a threat, but most of them do not remove it since in most cases, it is labeled as “suspicious” and left as is. Such detections are usually detections are false positives because KMSPico is not malicious. Still many users have reported that this activation tool is a Trojan and it comes bundled with browser hijackers and adware. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss how this activation tool works and whether it is safe.
Where does KMSPico come from?
This activator was developed be a person known as Heldigard. You will often see this name after the name of this program. It has had many versions, and the developer has taken care of this activator and is still releasing new streamlined versions of it. Not much is known about the developer and it understandable why he wants to stay in the shadows. To date, the newest version is v10.2.0. Nevertheless, older versions are still out there, and they can work just as well as the newest release.
There is a lot of misleading information about this activation tool. Searching for KMSPico online will result in multiple “official” websites that have been set up by third parties that have nothing to do with the real developer. You might come across websites such as Kmspico10.com, Windowsactivators.com, Free.appnee.com/v10-2-0-kmspico, Download.kmspicofinal.com, and many others. Now, we are not saying that all of the aforementioned websites feature fake download. Some of them feature the fully functional non-modified version, while others bundle it with malware. We have received information claiming that it can come bundled with a browser hijacker called Isearch.omiga-plus.com. Also, this activator is often uploaded to torrent tracker websites, and since anyone can create and upload a torrent, the content is not always safe. Take note that the only place where you can get this program unmodified is Forums.mydigitallife.info, not that we support using illegal software, but you should avoid your computer becoming infected with highly malicious software.
How does KMSPico work?
KMSPico is set to replace the installed key with a volume license key. It creates an emulated instance of a KMS server (KMS is a technology used by Microsoft to activate devices deployed in bulk) on your computer and force Windows and/or Office to activate on this server. Previously, this activator used the localhost activation method. However, Since Windows 8.1 Microsoft changed the activation method. Therefore, the newer iterations of KMSPico use three different activation methods.
The first one injects a DLL file which diverts the activation request, bypassing the localhost check. Thus, there are no permanent changes made to the system. The second method involves using a service called WinDivert that redirects packets. It captures the packets and makes it seem like they came from a different IP address, thus bypassing the localhost check. The last method installs a TAP driver that creates a virtual network adapter and makes it seem that the activation server comes from a different IP.
Since this tool activates Microsoft products by passing off the localhost as a different IP, it needs to modify your system’s firewall. However, there is nothing to worry about as this is standard procedure. Now, this application can be installed on your computer and run in the background, or it can activate MS products without installing it. Note that the KMS activation method is valid for 180 days after which you will have to reactivate Windows again. The installed version is set to reactivate windows every two days while the portable version activates only one once.
We have received reports claiming that KMSPico is a Trojan. There can be several explanations for this. First, this program pretends to be an activation server for Windows and performs actions not typical of ordinary applications. Therefore, Anti-virus programs detect it as a threat. Second, malware developers might disguise their Trojans as this particular activator and upload them to fake official websites.
How to remove KMSPico?
If you have downloaded this application from a shady source and installed it as an application to be run in the background, then you can remove it via Control Panel. However, if you want to be sure that your PC is free of malware that could have entered your computer using this activation tool as bait, then we suggest scanning your computer with our recommended anti-malware tool. The original KMSPico is an illegal application for activating MS products, but it does not pose a threat to your computer’s security. However, you should be aware of versions that have been tampered by third parties that could have made it unreliable.
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