Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by ChickeNES 2620 days ago
FTDI modified the driver for their USB<->RS232 chips so that it would brick counterfeits: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/ftdis...
1 comments

So not one that worked out well.

The article discusses Microsoft's anti-piracy measures. And it brings back horrible memories. So I had this server, running Windows Server 2000. And there was a nearby lightning strike, which bricked the motherboard.

But hey, service contract. Except that the company had gone through reorganization. So they sent me a motherboard that was comparable and compatible with the box. But it had a different seller code, so my copy of Windows Server 2000 wouldn't install.

Microsoft couldn't/wouldn't fix that. So I had to return the replacement motherboard, wait for another replacement, and install it. But hey, it all worked out in the end.