Should i pirate windows?

[ChristopherH]

3 hours ago, ShoByte said:

If you upgraded from windows 7 and misplaced the key, you can't do that.

 

You have to have the liecence linked to your account. Which I did and it still errors.

Then you are doing something wrong. And it does not link to a Microsoft account (this only happens if you purchase an upgrade). This link tells you exactly how to do what you need to do (and is even endorsed by a MS employee):

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/901ebde8-6a24-4dd4-bd97-87512c7b264d/how-to-reinstall-windows-10-after-free-upgrade

 

*Disclaimer: I do not own and/or operate the website for which I have provided links in this post, and I do not take responsibility for it's contents.

[leadeater]

2 hours ago, ChristopherH said:

Then you are doing something wrong. And it does not link to a Microsoft account (this only happens if you purchase an upgrade). This link tells you exactly how to do what you need to do (and is even endorsed by a MS employee):

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/901ebde8-6a24-4dd4-bd97-87512c7b264d/how-to-reinstall-windows-10-after-free-upgrade

 

*Disclaimer: I do not own and/or operate the website for which I have provided links in this post, and I do not take responsibility for it's contents.

You only need to do telephone activation if you have activated the key too many times, I'm fairly sure the activation count resets too after a year or two. It's there to stop people sharing the key or preventing stolen ones being used as easily.

 

Reinstalled my laptop 3 or 4 times in one year and internet activation worked just fine.

[ChristopherH]

2 hours ago, leadeater said:

You only need to do telephone activation if you have activated the key too many times, I'm fairly sure the activation count resets too after a year or two. It's there to stop people sharing the key or preventing stolen ones being used as easily.

 

Reinstalled my laptop 3 or 4 times in one year and internet activation worked just fine.

Not necessarily. If you do transfer the license to a new system (at least in my experience) it will tell you that the license has already been activated. It will then ask you to phone MS Activation Centre, and they will ask you why you are re-activating. Give them the installation ID, they give you the confirmation ID, and all is hunky-dory.

[leadeater]

30 minutes ago, ChristopherH said:

Not necessarily. If you do transfer the license to a new system (at least in my experience) it will tell you that the license has already been activated. It will then ask you to phone MS Activation Centre, and they will ask you why you are re-activating. Give them the installation ID, they give you the confirmation ID, and all is hunky-dory.

Depends on the key type, if it's a retail key it'll change systems and active over the internet just fine. If it's an OEM license that came with the computer the I think telephone activation is required if it detects a hardware change.

 

I've changed hardware quite often for multiple different people using retail keys without having to phone activate but that was with Windows XP, 7 and 8/8.1.

 

Generally I don't actually have to worry about activation though since I usually deal with Volume Licensing and KMS activation, or MAK if the device is going to be off network. Business licensing is just easier, so long as you are big enough to have a license agreement since small businesses tend to just use retail keys. KMS requires a minimum of 25 desktops or 5 servers to check in before it'll active anything so if you're below that KMS isn't an option so it's either MAK or retail.

[ChristopherH]

True. I generally use MAKs where I can because it is a hell of a lot easier to work with. It's not often that I purchase OEM licensing from Dicker Data unless I'm building a PC for someone. Otherwise all my internal PCs (office and home) and servers are all MAK activated. I've found KMS can be a pain to work with.

[leadeater]

Just now, ChristopherH said:

I've found KMS can be a pain to work with.

How so? Can be a bit hit and miss the first few times you set it up but once you learn the proper, not Microsoft documented way to do it it's actually really simple. The worst is usually Office since you need to load extra tools on to the KMS server, new servers OS's also have a KMS role now and a better interface to configure it. 

 

VAMT makes it a lot easier to manage and diagnose btw, you can issue remote activation to computers and get return codes and will track everything in a SQL DB (independent of KMS it's just to keep history of last status of each device).

[ChristopherH]

Just now, leadeater said:

How so? Can be a bit hit and miss the first few times you set it up but once you learn the proper, not Microsoft documented way to do it it's actually really simple.

That hit-and-miss seems to be every single time. I try to install a Win 10 Pro key onto a KMS running on 2k16 and it borks itself, never works.

[leadeater]

1 minute ago, ChristopherH said:

That hit-and-miss seems to be every single time. I try to install a Win 10 Pro key onto a KMS running on 2k16 and it borks itself, never works.

Ah right, you can thank Microsoft documentation for that. You're actually supposed to only load on the Windows Server 2016 KMS host key and that'll activate every OS, desktops and everything for all versions.

[handymanshandle]

11 hours ago, ChristopherH said:

If you have a legit copy and then upgrade your motherboard, CPU, etc. then you do not need to buy a new licence. All you need to do is contact the Microsoft Activation Centre and complete a telephone activation. You can only transfer MS OS licensing in the following circumstances:

 

OEM / System Builder:

• If your PC has suffered a major hardware failure (e.g. motherboard has failed due to power surge) and is not repairable, and like-for-like parts cannot be sourced.
• Your board has been replaced due to a faulty IO port, etc.
• These licences are not available through retail channels, unless purchased with a pre-built system. Most hardware channel partners will sell the OS uninstalled if you purchase 99% of the parts that are needed to build a PC (Motherboard, CPU, PSU, HDD and RAM) and are building it yourself.

Retail:

• You can transfer the license in almost all circumstances, as long as the installation of Windows has been removed from the old machine and will no longer be used.

I was told something similar, I kinda wanted to just say screw it and risk getting a key from kinguin but I was like meh, I'll look at other options or getting a W10 digital key from Amazon for $120 after tax.

[LogicalDrm]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy13 said:

Do you have any proof of that. As far as I know Kinguin is legit at least, same with G2A, I know there are plenty of other sites that sell illegal keys. G2A has strict rules on illegal steam keys so I assume the same sort of testing extends to windows keys, I don't actually know.

 

If they are just selling illegal keys then definitely don't buy them lol

Every key that is sold below MSRP is violating something. Legit OEM keys are around $80. MSRP is price which retailers pay, if they would buy them one-by-one. Most of the OS keys sold as "cheap" keys are from volume packs or ripped of dead or otherwise unused laptops and prebuilds.

 

As service both G2A and Kinguin are legit. But thats about it. They are marketplaces which sell service for sellers (like eBay) and some to buyers (protection against scammers). I haven't read what G2A's ToS says, but Kinguin has line about sellers not being allowed to sell anything violating another service ToS. Which in legal look makes them "innocent" partner in process. They don't check sellers and gods one-by-one, but probably remove anything if any claims or reports against are made. That doesn't make keys legit. I assume G2A has something similar. eBay has actual rule about not selling digital items unless they are included with hardware. But again, they can't check every listing so they will only remove if any complains are made.

 

Technically selling OEM to something else than to PC builders is violating MS ToS. Stores could refuse to sell unless you provide something to convince them. But when you are already paying correct price, stores don't really mind. Nor does MS. They do mind people selling volume keys and such. And have blacklisted packs because of that.

[Godlygamer23]

21 hours ago, iLoveCaptTeemo said:

I can sometimes understand why younger people are thinking about piracy and I am not sure how old you are but if you already have a regular job imagine you're programming 8+ hours a day on a software and get nothing in return because people are pirating ur software

I know someone who openly pirates things, and they're almost in their 70s, so age isn't inherently a factor. Sometimes people simply do not care.

[Highflow]

Still thinking to buy it, but can i be sure my privacy keeps privacy even after updates?

and can i just uninstall xbox and other crap for once and forever without coming back

after next update?

 

Sure we can use it for free and legally but even than the makers earn money with all

the privat data and advertise for games and stuff.

[SteveGrabowski0]

On 12/22/2017 at 9:57 AM, Crunchy Dragon said:

  Hide contents

 

It's a victimless crime, like punching someone in the dark.

[straight_stewie]

7 minutes ago, Highflow said:

till thinking to buy it, but can i be sure my privacy keeps privacy even after updates?

and can i just uninstall xbox and other crap for once and forever without coming back

after next update?

I have no idea what you're trying to ask, but here's some stuff to think about:

There are generally three popular methods of collecting information for advertising which are cross platform: GAID, IDFA, and "advertiser ID" which is an API that Amazon publishes (here's lookin' at you FB). No matter what you do big sites are tracking your browsing habits atleast on their website. There is some debate about whether some are also reading your history and/or cookies.

Long story short, if you use the internet, the type of privacy that you are talking about is a moot point. And I know you use the internet because, well, duh...

[ShoByte]

I have no idea. I do exactly what microsoft and it tells me I can't reactivate. This what I hate about Microsoft.

[Highflow]

I know, but basically you pay the makers to get your informations , thats a little weird.

 

[straight_stewie]

Just now, Highflow said:

I know, but basically you pay the makers to get your informations , thats a little weird.

How do you figure? Use of Facebook, Amazon, and Google is completely free. They don't charge you a dime...

(Also, please quote whomever you are replying to, it gives them a notification and makes it much more likely that they'll respond).

[LogicalDrm]

13 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

How do you figure? Use of Facebook, Amazon, and Google is completely free. They don't charge you a dime...

(Also, please quote whomever you are replying to, it gives them a notification and makes it much more likely that they'll respond).

And still gather and sell information. With FB everything user adds to site belongs to them.

[Abdul_Ahad]

On 12/22/2017 at 10:07 PM, GoodBytes said:

Why you should not pirate Windows:

• The OS is the best value for your money among all software including games. For 120$, assuming the retail box, you are using a massively complex piece of software, that controls all your hardware inside and outside your PC that are connected in some fashion to it (without an OS, your PC is nothing more than an overpriced door stop). You use it more than any 60$ game you play (the OS runs your game... so if you play 200h of some game, than you used 200h of Windows at the same time). That 60$ game is a piece of cake compared to an OS in terms of complexity.
   
• Support the developers. Windows makes your DirectX, and Microsoft a contributor of OpenGL as well, not to mention that many engineers within Microsoft, personally contribute to mass number of open source software, including Linux based OSs, OpenGL, and more. You keep them having a job, this makes your games and program be even cooler and better.
   
• You have free options out there. You don't want to buy Windows. You can get an Apple computer which includes MacOS within the price, and have free support. And you have a massive collection of Linux based OS distros that you can't even count them which all of those are free.
   
• It is illegal.
   
• You have no guaranty of the legitimacy of the OS and hacking tools. The OS might have been modified to actually spy on you for identity theft purposes, and/or include viruses and malware injected directly on the code of the OS, making all of these undetectable by any anti-virus, anti-malware, and any other security software. You are infected, and it is impossible for you to know, putting your private data and other valuable data such as family pictures at risk (we don't have a time machine to go back and retake them). Hacking tool usually involved modifying system files.
   
• Solid experience (assuming you don't screw up your own PC, of course), you get to enjoy a fully updated OS, as updates comes out, and not have to worry about the hacked version you are using from not working anymore, or working properly, or gets de-activated.
   
• No need to worry of being "unplugged" from MS services, reducing your experience, to avoid being detected that you are running a non legit version of Windows.

 

what is the origin of windows?? isn't it stolen isn't it lunix based?

doesn't means i am supporting piracy.

 

[GoodBytes]

2 hours ago, Abdul_Ahad said:

what is the origin of windows?? isn't it stolen isn't it lunix based?

doesn't means i am supporting piracy.

 

Not at all.

And please don't resurrect very old threads. Feel free to make a new one to start a new conversation.