What are the risks of using pirated Windows 10?

Millions of people use pirated Windows all around the world, it’s a fact. And in all honesty, it makes sense for them to do so. Especially in developing countries, where the price of Windows license is equal to someone’s monthly salary.

The biggest benefit of a pirated Windows copy is, of course, the fact that it’s free. If you’re not a power user, using a non-genuine copy won’t affect your experience at all. Especially with all these activators and hacking tools available online.

Pirating Windows has been a practice for years, and it’s still very active with Windows 10, as well. People who use this kind of Windows usually have only the price in mind, but they ignore various risks that come with using pirated Windows.

Since we care about our readers’ security, and of course, don’t encourage using pirated software, we’re going to list the most common risks of using a pirated version of Windows 10.

So, if you’re currently using pirated Windows 10, please keep this information in mind.

Why using pirated Windows 10 is risky

It’s all about a ‘good’ activator

Let’s start with an application that makes this whole pirated Windows 10 thing possible – Windows Activator.

We’re not going to dig deep into how this tool works, but the principle is quite simple. You just install the pirated operating system, open the Activator, press one button, and voila, you have yourself a fully functional Windows 10 OS.

Performance of your pirated Windows 10 highly depends on the Activator’s quality. If the Activator is a ‘good’ one, you should be able to run Windows 10 smoothly for months.

If you pick a ‘non-reliable’ activator, you can end up with a broken system from day one.

But no matter what ‘quality’ Activator you use, you never know when your system may break. When that happens, you’ll be in a big trouble.

Missing updates

May pirated copies of Windows 10 fail to receive updates. And since updates are perhaps the most important aspect of the system, you’ll break a big circle.

Back to Activators, there are some that allow you to receive Windows updates on a pirated Windows 10 copy, but you never know when the next update will interfere with your modified configuration, and make your system non-genuine.

Perhaps the biggest threat of not receiving regular updates is that you’ll miss security patches, which will make your system vulnerable to various attacks. But we’ll get to that later in this article.

In plain English, you simply can’t expect to run a non-geninue copy of Windows 10 and receive regular updates forever. You do the math yourself and decide whether it’s worth it or not.

Performance may suffer

In order to make your pirated Windows 10 version work, pirates need to do certain changes within the system’s ecosystem. These changes often cripple the system, making some other features unusable.

So, there’s a big chance you won’t be able to use everything users with a geninue system can.

Performance depends on how good a pirated copy is. So, you might install a copy that won’t even run on startup, or you might stumble upon a nearly perfect copy. Once again, that’s all plain gambling and can lead to a lot of troubles.

Risk from security attacks

A huge percentage of cyber attacks all over the world happens on pirated systems.

Why? Well, as we said above, you won’t be able to receive all security updates on a pirated Windows copy, which makes your computer a perfect target for various cyber criminals.

Okay, we know you’re probably thinking it won’t happen to you, but cyber criminal is at the highest rate now, and it can only go up.

So, think once again, do you want to loose your sensitive data to some cyber criminal, just because you’re using a non-genuine version of Windows 10?

Can’t use all apps and services

And finally, if you’re a fan of Microsoft’s services and apps, we have bad news for you: they won’t work on a pirated system.

Of course, there are also pirated versions of Microsoft’s program, like Office, but installing another pirated program can only lead to more problems. And by more problems, we mean more security holes that can attract hacking sharks.

Also, buying apps from the Microsoft Store won’t be the most pleasant experience in your life. Because Microsoft will notice that you’re making a purchase from a non-genuine system, and you might end up with a banned account.

Wrap up

As you can see, using a pirated copy of Windows 10 brings a handful of risks, that can go way deeper than just breaking your system. So, even if the price of the original product is too high for someone, it’s usually not worth it in a long run.

What do you think about using pirated Windows 10? Are you willing to take the risk, or you’d rather play it safe and legal?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Windows 10: Pirated operating systems will NOT get free upgrade

MICROSOFT has finally clarified which users will be eligible for its Windows 10 upgrade program – and pirates will not be pleased.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addresses shareholders during Microsoft Shareholders Meeting

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After weeks of speculation about the Windows 10 free upgrade program, Microsoft has finally confirmed which users will be eligible.

It was speculated that pirated copies of the operating system would receive an upgrade to a genuine copy of Windows 10.

But this is not the case.

Non-Genuine Windows has a high risk of malware, fraud, public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance

Instead, those running a pirated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will be upgraded to a non-genuine copy of the latest operating system, Windows 10.

The Redmond technology firm defines non-genuine as any copy of Windows which has not been «properly installed, licensed» or may have been «tampered with».

The unlicensed install of Windows 10 will have a «desktop watermark to notify the user».

Executive Vice President of Operating Systems Terry Myerson has confirmed non-genuine customers will be offered «very attractive Windows 10 upgrade offers» to legitimise their operating system to a genuine version.

«If you ever encounter this watermark on a new machine,» the Windows boss wrote in an official blog post «I encourage you to return the device immediately to the retailer from whom you purchased it and request a Genuine Windows device.

«Non-Genuine Windows has a high risk of malware, fraud, public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions.

«Non-Genuine Windows is not supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner.»

Windows 10 is the biggest update to the Microsoft ecosystem in years and is due to be released in more than 190 countries in 111 languages, over the coming months.

The operating system, which comes in six variations – Windows 10 Home, Mobile, Pro, Enterprise, Mobile Enterprise, Education – is believed to be the FINAL version of Windows.

It will also be the first major operating system release since Satya Nadella was appointed CEO, taking over from Steve Ballmer.

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The Windows firm has high hopes for its upcoming operating system – and has previously claimed Windows 10 will be installed on one billion devices within the first two to three years of its release.

One of the most anticipated updates to the operating system is the return of the Start Menu.

The firm unveiled Microsoft Edge – its minimalist replacement for the infamous Internet Explorer browser.

Why Microsoft Is Giving Away Windows 10 To Pirates [Update]

When Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be a free, automatic upgrade from Windows 7 or 8, it was an unusual move. The company has never been known for handing out its operating systems, but the running theory was that Windows 8 was generally so poorly received, they simply wanted to move on, and take all those users with it. The joke was that they wanted to get so far away from Windows 8, they skipped 9 altogether and ran all the way to 10 instead.

But now it’s clear just how badly Microsoft wants a unified user base on Windows 10. Speaking to Reuters yesterday, Windows chief Terry Myerson explained:

«We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10.”

And in case that isn’t clear, a Microsoft spokesperson clarified exactly what that meant to The Verge:

«Anyone with a qualified device can upgrade to Windows 10, including those with pirated copies of Windows.”

That’s right, even if your copy of Windows 7 or 8 is illegitimate, you are still able to upgrade to a copy of Windows 10 for free. On the surface it seems insane, but examined closer, the reasons start to become clear.

Gallery: Windows 10 Update Event

Even though Microsoft has long struggled with piracy issues, licensing is becoming an increasingly less important part of their revenue model. It’s dropped from 23 percent of revenue to 16 percent, year over year, between Windows and Office licenses. The idea here is that with a legitimate copy of Windows in hand, even pirates may be more likely to shell out for Microsoft’s other products like Skype and Office 365.

The move is also seen as an olive branch to China, where as much as three quarters of all PC software, including Windows, is pirated. In one clean sweep, Microsoft can convert millions of pirates into legitimate users. It’s an amnesty program of sorts. Rather than spending a fortune trying to develop anti-piracy measures that pirates will inevitably crack within a week of release, Microsoft is giving everyone a clean slate, and making it much easier to become a legitimate customer of their other products if they so choose.

Past China, where piracy is the norm, Windows users worldwide sometimes find themselves with pirated copies of the operating system purely by accident, given how widely circulated they are, and that can make buying or upgrading legal software difficult. Sometimes pirates aren’t pirates at all, but simple sailors who got on the wrong boat and are confused when they look up and see a Jolly Roger.

The counter-argument to all this of course is that Microsoft is encouraging piracy by offering amnesty with Windows 10. But it’s unclear how that logic holds up after closer inspection. If you’re still running Windows XP, chances are you are not the type of person who knows how to properly pirate an entire operating system. And if instead you’re a pirate who installed an illegal copy of Windows 7 or 8, chances are you’d figure out how to do the same for Windows 10 if it wasn’t free. This mythical group of tech-savvy pirates still running Windows XP, waiting to jump on an opportunity like this, would seem to either be incredibly tiny or not exist at all.

With that said, the final piece of the puzzle is why Windows 10 isn’t just flat-out free. It’s a free, automatic upgrade for Windows 7 and 8, yes, but the type of people who actually are stuck using Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6 and such are either tech illiterate, or working for companies who have no interest in spending the time and money to upgrade, despite being under siege by malware and decaying programs. These are the users who need the upgrade the most, yet they seem like the only remaining group that are still being charged for the upgrade under the currently announced system.

Obviously Microsoft is still making Windows 10-themed announcements ahead of its launch this summer, so the OS may very well go fully free by then, but right now, the issue could be that while Microsoft can rig Windows 7 and 8 to jump to 10 through an update, the process can’t be that automatic for Windows XP or earlier, and would still require a more standard install, which is why these users still haven’t done it in the first place. The difficulty and many of the costs are still in place unless the upgrade is fully automated.

Or it could just be that Microsoft isn’t ready to make their flagship product completely free to all, and right now they’re content to hand it out to those who are with-it enough to at least have a Windows 7 or better machine, even if they’re pirates. Chances are those users are more inclined to buy other new Microsoft products than those still running XP. Still, if this is meant to be a fresh start for their entire user base, Windows 10 should probably consider taking the asterisk off of “free* upgrade” eventually for all their users.

You can’t win the war on piracy, so in a lot of ways, this move makes sense. No one is going to start giving away all their products, but by setting even pirates up with a legal base of operations, Microsoft may convert millions to become legitimate users. You’re no longer a criminal if the store hands you a receipt for the item you stole, and you just might want to actually shop there in the future, after that.

Update: Microsoft has clarified that even though pirates will be able to auto-upgrade to Windows 10, the version they get will still be considered unlicensed.

“Although non-Genuine PCs might be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. This applies across geographies. Customers that are improperly licensed before the upgrade will be improperly licensed after the upgrade. We will provide a mechanism for non-genuine Windows 10 PC devices to “get genuine” via the new Windows Store, whether they are upgraded versions of Windows or purchased. We will have details on this as we get closer to launch.”

So, not outright amnesty or a fresh, legal start for all, but a free upgrade to Windows 10 all the same. Hopefully «conversion» licenses will be affordable enough to be attractive.

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