*After some playing around, I have concluded that this apparently works on any NT based machine (this includes XP…you have been warned)*
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.
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.
*After some playing around, I have concluded that this apparently works on any NT based machine (this includes XP…you have been warned)*
On a brighter note, a person could have a lot fun with this trick in a Circuit City or Best Buy to all of the computers in sight.
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I tried this last week when I first heard about it on Digg. It did not work on my work pc (Dell Optiplex 745, C2D 4GB of RAM running 64 bit Vista sp1) I opened 220 windows and it was slow to respond but no crash.