Is fake win 10 legit?

[Heliamsoi]

So I need windows 10. Those product keys cost 100€+ but all my friends told me that I can get one for under 20€. They said I could get key from ebay, g2a etc... But then I started thinking, that is it legal and safe? I have heard stuff that the producer of the "fake" keys can check out my email password, credit card numbers etc... So could someone tell me that are they legit?

[Docretier]

They are grey market and only serve the purpose of activating windows, it won’t necessarily give you access to the features of windows 10, only the basic stuff. 

[Belzebuth]

They will activate windows just fine, but it's grey market, so illegal because it doesn't fit the CGU of Microsoft

[LogicalDrm]

The title of this topic is in contradiction with itself.

 

To actual question. I'm going to quote myself and link to topic just from yesterday. But before that, if you can find Windows key from G2A, thats legit. G2A requires Microsofts authorized reseller certificate from anyone wanting to sell keys there.

 

Many posts in this https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/973028-are-unoriginal-windows-10-safe/

[homeap5]

I think it's like this - if you want to be legal, buy legal Windows from shop.

If you want to be a pirate - it's bad but it's your problem.

If you want to pay for illegal licenses - that is a big problem and you support not piracy, but criminal activity.

 

Personally if I was a programmer who creates good program and someone will made illegal copy for himself, it will be not a big problem for me, but I would be pissed off very much if someone would make money for selling my program (without my permission and without any profit for me).

[demonix00]

If you don't want to pay for windows 10, then just install it and don't enter a product key as you'll still get around 99% of the functionality and M$ will still be making money off all the data they're collecting and selling on to the highest bidder.

[homeap5]

7 hours ago, demonix00 said:

If you don't want to pay for windows 10, then just install it and don't enter a product key as you'll still get around 99% of the functionality and M$ will still be making money off all the data they're collecting and selling on to the highest bidder.

No man. If you want to be a pirate, use pirated copy instead of pretending that using Windows without license key is legal. Is not. Windows is not shareware or freeware.

[LogicalDrm]

On 20.9.2018 at 10:19 AM, homeap5 said:

No man. If you want to be a pirate, use pirated copy instead of pretending that using Windows without license key is legal. Is not. Windows is not shareware or freeware.

Using it without license as in not activating and having designed locks on is not pirating. If Microsoft allows it to be done like that, and lets be honest it was much more restricted in previous versions, then its fine. There are plenty of bad ways:

• Using cracked version = BAD
• Using registery edit or asking for one to enable locked features = BAD
• Asking for ways to remove watermark/popup without paying = BAD
• Activating with KMS = BAD
• Activating with grey market key = BAD

Running unactivated is not. If MS has decided that its fine, then its fine.

[homeap5]

1 hour ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Using it without license as in not activating and having designed locks on is not pirating. If Microsoft allows it to be done like that, and lets be honest it was much more restricted in previous versions, then its fine. There are plenty of bad ways:

• Using cracked version = BAD
• Using registery edit or asking for one to enable locked features = BAD
• Asking for ways to remove watermark/popup without paying = BAD
• Activating with KMS = BAD
• Activating with grey market key = BAD

Running unactivated is not. If MS has decided that its fine, then its fine.

They never say that it's fine. Please find me where they wrote that using Windows without product key is permitted.

 

Previous versions was more restricted, because was another way of selling products - mostly in BOX with DVD that was required to prove that your Windows is legal (and you need also sticker on your pc case). Now Microsoft change that a little - now you can download Windows from their website, because you can buy product without DVD or USB pendrive, and you need only proof of purchase. It's cheaper for them, Microsoft can provide most up to date version of Windows this way, you don't need to download Windows from suspicious websites (and that is more safe for everyone), but it's still against to use it if you have no key. This download is for customers only.

 

It's like you download program that is free but not allowed for commercial use - you still can use it in your company, because program can't detect where you use it, but it's against policy. And what - you'll say that everything is ok, because program starts and works fine?

 

I found something like this (it's easy to find):

 

So, you can use Windows only if you are properly licensed and the software has been properly activated with a genuine product key.

 

Any other theories that watermark means "ok" and "free"?

[homeap5]

2 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

• Using cracked version = BAD
• Using registery edit or asking for one to enable locked features = BAD
• Asking for ways to remove watermark/popup without paying = BAD
• Activating with KMS = BAD
• Activating with grey market key = BAD

Nice btw.

I would add one more:

• Asking people on forum how to be a pirate = VERY BAD

 

[Tristerin]

Linus covered a video on not activating Windows 10 and during the install process just CLICK NEXT instead of accepting the Terms - and then what...you didn't accept anything and doesn't it still continue the install?  Ill go rewatch the video

[GlobalPentahedron Corp]

I have seen these based from Hong Kong. Some people say MS doesnt police them. Some people say their computer randomly de-authorised. I do know that MS datamines their activation server because there have been a few research papers published from it. The problem I have with these people is you cant trust in 6 months time if they will re-sell your key to someone else. Its like the dirty fish & chip shop that changes management all the time to avoid getting a fail grade from city health inspectors. You know your eating crap that is bad for you but the price is so tempting you end up buying more food.

[Tristerin]

Youtube - Why does Linus pirate windows - he doesn't necessarily but does per Microsoft Terms - watching the video now to get his take on this again

 

From Linus Linus "License Terms are defined by the EULA, NOT by whether a key activates or doesn't activate with Microsoft Servers"  more words more words "Cant use Windows 10 for Remote Access per the Terms" more words more words "*explains general software piracy cases*" more words more words "in the end there are inexpensive and even FREE ways to make sure that Watermark never shows up in our videos again but they involve grey market or violation of the terms anyway" "so for a USE case the best solution we have found (AT LINUS TECH TIPS) is the leave the Software unactivated FOREVER"

 

Just call yourself a Tester, bam you good to go don't activate ever

 

I was banned from Toms Hardware for some time for bringing this type of stuff up, hope it doesn't happen here!

[LogicalDrm]

18 hours ago, Tristerin said:

From Linus Linus "License Terms are defined by the EULA, NOT by whether a key activates or doesn't activate with Microsoft Servers"  more words more words "Cant use Windows 10 for Remote Access per the Terms" more words more words "*explains general software piracy cases*" more words more words "in the end there are inexpensive and even FREE ways to make sure that Watermark never shows up in our videos again but they involve grey market or violation of the terms anyway" "so for a USE case the best solution we have found (AT LINUS TECH TIPS) is the leave the Software unactivated FOREVER"

 

Just call yourself a Tester, bam you good to go don't activate ever

 

 

It's important to note that LMG has maybe 25+ Win10 Pro licenses. So they could activate, but for such short install periods, it's more work. They aren't really stealing as they're already paying. Just not activating.

[Tristerin]

On ‎9‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 3:20 AM, LoGiCalDrm said:

It's important to note that LMG has maybe 25+ Win10 Pro licenses. So they could activate, but for such short install periods, it's more work. They aren't really stealing as they're already paying. Just not activating.

 

Semantics - LMG is intentionally not burning Windows 10 activations, and regardless of their reasoning it doesn't make them more Virtuous by nature than a user not burning a install key.  And I should state - I don't care about my "perceived virtuousness" by my peers as that is just virtue signaling which is what Linus is doing and you are eating hook line and sinker.

 

Either its a "crime" to press "next" with the intention of never burning a key, or not.  And from my seat (and Linus') its not a "crime", since Im testing my hardware.

[LogicalDrm]

5 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

Semantics -

 

Call it what you want. Its your own good night sleep you might loose.

 

5 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

Either its a "crime" to press "next" with the intention of never burning a key, or not.  And from my seat (and Linus') its not a "crime", since Im testing my hardware.

I'm not one using legal or illegal when talking about this. But I will say that if you are testing, you should still pay for license to support MS coders for their (bad) work. If you don't like the idea, install Linux.

[Tristerin]

1 minute ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

 

Call it what you want. Its your own good night sleep you might loose.

 

I'm not one using legal or illegal when talking about this. But I will say that if you are testing, you should still pay for license to support MS coders for their (bad) work. If you don't like the idea, install Linux.

Semantics - the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning. There are a number of branches and subbranches of semantics, including formal semantics, which studies the logical aspects of meaning, such as sense, reference, implication, and logical form, lexical semantics, which studies word meanings and word relations, and conceptual semantics, which studies the cognitive structure of meaning.

 

It is what it is - we don't have to agree - but we are arguing over your small point of logic that you believe bypasses the actual law.  You believe that its okay because he has made a monetary exchange with Microsoft already, but because he isn't applying them that is where the Laws and EULA is broken (if you care for those kinds of things) (illegal, legal, all of these terms are completely involved in this discussion - so using them is required one would think - and even if it doesn't fit your view of legal or illegal it does by definition.)

 

We don't have to agree, because GodKing Linus has already touched on the subject - so we can all go back to testing our hardware.