Microsoft clarifies "Windows 10 free for pirate". It's not!

[GoodBytes]

Microsoft spokesperson clarifies the previous statement that Windows 10 can be freely installed on pirated copies of Windows 7 and 8.

It is stating that while the upgrade process will work, it won't change the state of the license of the user.

Their full statement is:

The consumer free upgrade offer for Windows 10 applies to qualified new and existing devices running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. Some editions are excluded from the consumer free upgrade — including Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to other Windows 10 enterprise offerings.

"We have always been committed to ensuring that customers have the best Windows experience possible. With Windows 10, although non-Genuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. Non-Genuine Windows is not published by Microsoft. It is not properly licensed, or supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. If a device was considered non-genuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered non-genuine or mislicensed after the upgrade. According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions."

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/upgrading-to-windows-10-on-pirated-versions-wont-get-you-a-valid-license

So there you go guys. This should be good news for the majority of people who bought Windows.

[kristaps552]

This means that the already ''hooked'' windows licence will just transfer over to Windows 10 and people won't have to get another ''hooked'' licence for windows 10 and it will just keep working or what?

[Enderman]

lol people are so quick to assume

[qwertywarrior]

damn

 

 

 

disclaimer:None of the ideas expressed above are actually mine. They are told to me by Luthor and Ferdinand, the five inch tall space aliens who live under my desk. In return for these ideas, I have given them permission to eat any dust bunnies they may find under there.

[Victorious Secret]

I'm using enterprise licensing so its not a big deal for me, I'll probably switch over to a personal license by reinstalling my Windows 7 Ultimate and just upgrading that way. 

[Geekazoid]

Couldn't one just install a fresh genuine copy of Windows 10?

[Misanthrope]

Here's a key part not clarified yet: Non-genuine copies eventually self destruct right now and won't let users log in or use em. If the non-genuine on 10 will now mean no security or any kind of updates and no support but the os still being functional....I actually could be ok with that.

[Geekazoid]

I'm using enterprise licensing so its not a big deal for me, I'll probably switch over to a personal license by reinstalling my Windows 7 Ultimate and just upgrading that way.

How come?

[TooManyErrors]

I bet someone is going to be mad at Microsoft for not allowing them to pirate Windows 10.

[Victorious Secret]

How come?

 

When work pays for stuff, I feel inclined not to. 

 

I bet someone is going to be mad at Microsoft for not allowing them to pirate Windows 10.

 

You might joke, but I bet someone on this very forum is going to cry about not being able to pirate windows... 

[Misanthrope]

I bet someone is going to be mad at Microsoft for not allowing them to pirate Windows 10.

 

Actually people will still be able to pirate Windows 10, just not with Microsoft's permission and such.

[Geekazoid]

When work pays for stuff, I feel inclined not to.

Fair enough. haha

[c3p0_]

China must've been celebrating prior to this clarification announcement.

 

Now they might DDOS some services in a fit of rage.

 

Actual thats happening.

Ofc they won't give it for free to pirated copies. Lol.

[cesrai]

I know this wasn't true, but damn, I hope they give me a free copy for being an insider.

[Doobeedoo]

But what if you have genuine Windows, could you make a fresh Windows 10 install from USB? Don't want to update, I prefer clean install.

[deviant88]

The win8 key i bought long time ago was like 30$ it activates online but idk if its genuine(it should be if it checks with MS servers) if it doesnt work -> pirate.

[GoodBytes]

But what if you have genuine Windows, could you make a fresh Windows 10 install from USB? Don't want to update, I prefer clean install.

There will be a way. Probably, to get the Windows 10 free upgrade, you need to put your product key in some Microsoft website page, and then it will validate it and give you the ISO download.

Or you'll download a setup.exe, which will check your license of Windows installed (this is how Windows 8 release promotion worked), and then hive you option to burn a disk (I recommend doing that, so that you have a good backup. Once done, either use the the disk to put it on USB, or kill the setup, and restart it and pick USB), and install.

Assuming nothing changed in Windows 10, since Windows 7, there is a registry change that you can do once you install Windows Upgrade license as a clean install to make it activate fine (yes it is legal, it was implement in Windows 7 for people changing their drive). It was not possible to do this before.

[ForsakenLive]

Honestly I don't think they would care about it. They just say these reports to not be taken by joke, but Nadella wants all the pirates in for win10, even if he has to 'pardon' them for the piracy being committed. I'm pretty sure that a non-genuine copy will work with Windows 10, and the latter won't complain or even check it's genuine or not, at least on the first row of updates.

 

Win10 is a very interesting concept, as major part of the testing part is being done by users, not the company. However, what would be the problem with this? An immature product at launch. The part where Nadella is a smart and diabolic man, is that instead of 'forcing' the latest version of windows upon people's throats (like Vista, 7 and 8 was forced), he is making the consumer pick his own poison, likely to be the most early adopted MS OS. Having all these people (including pirates, current 7 and 8 users that will upgrade for free on launch, as it's very likely to be just an offer for the first couple of months), is going to speed up drastically the maturing process of the platform, having by the end of the year a pretty compelling OS, that people won't hate or complain about. Brilliant.

[NumLock21]

I know this wasn't true, but damn, I hope they give me a free copy for being an insider.

Is free for everyone with a valid Win7 or Win8/8.1 within the 1st year of launch. I joined insider too.

[cesrai]

Is free for everyone with a valid Win7 or Win8/8.1 within the 1st year of launch. I joined insider too.

Duh. I already know that, I said I just wish I would get a free copy because I joined insider.

[dalekphalm]

Couldn't one just install a fresh genuine copy of Windows 10?

They would still need valid licensing to do so. You will likely have an option to type your current Windows 7 or 8.1 key into a microsoft webpage that will then verify it and spit out a Windows 10 key.

[Exhilarare]

"According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions."

 

 

I have Windows 8.1 Pro and I can guarantee you that this is bs

 

I've never had a single hiccup or a virus in the year and a half I've been using my pc.

[Misanthrope]

"According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions."

 

 

I have Windows 8.1 Pro and I can guarantee you that this is bs

 

I've never had a single hiccup or a virus in the year and a half I've been using my pc.

 

Yea but by denying support and patches they can claim all that and for average users that do not know not to support Nigerian Princes, it'd be true.

[Nineshadow]

Well...around 80% of people in Romania use pirated versions of Windows anyway so... (with the exception of businesses)

[RH00D]

"According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions."

 

 

I have Windows 8.1 Pro and I can guarantee you that this is bs

 

I've never had a single hiccup or a virus in the year and a half I've been using my pc.

 

 

Yea but by denying support and patches they can claim all that and for average users that do not know not to support Nigerian Princes, it'd be true.

 

Actually it is more dangerous. When you download a Windows ISO off the internet you have no idea what tampering has been done to it.

 

Anyone can configure a Windows install however they see fit (changing registry settings to reduce security, changing obscure firewall settings, removing/disabling software and/or security settings. Bundling in obscure and undetectable software, etc. and then create their own bootable/installable ISO from it using a Microsoft tool called ImageX. Then they upload that ISO onto torrent sites and Blow Joe looking for free Windows downloads it, installs it, and doesn't know that its any different from the legit ISO (because everything looks and feels the same in every sense, even though its been tampered with to hell and back.