Windows....... lucky to be pirated?

[Dippyskoodlez]

http://tlug.jp/articles/Windows_Is_Free

Perhaps microsoft knows too little about the piracy?

Perhaps it would be bad if microsoft DID finally come up with a legit activation...

 

[KennyT772]

Maybe it is that M$ knows that while they make enough $, if they completly blocked off piracy they would make even less $.


As is most legal copies of windows are sitting in the bottom of a landfill. A computer is bought with XP preinstalled, then when that computer breaks, is too slow, or is just too old, it gets thrown away. M$ has had to make a new revision of SP2 for retail xphome discs just so they have more keys to sell.

Think about that for a second, XP has sold so many copies they have to make new revisions of software so they can release a new set of keys. There are currently more keys in existance than people currently using XP. I'm going to bet that out of pirated versions 1 pirated key is used on 10 times the computers that a retail key is used on.

You can legally use the same key that came with your gateway on your new rig as long as you are not using it on more than one computer at any given time right? Maybe there wouldn't be as many stolen installs if people recycled what they have already purchased, or maybe M$ just likes to cry wolf.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

If they really cared about piracy that much, it would not happen, but they make enough money as it is and think about this:

Lets say the OEMS want to buy 100,000 keys. Well right then M$ makes money, while the company has yet to. Microsoft has almost a absolute sale, because people need this. People who cannot afford, well, pirating this won't make a huge difference in the longrun, but since windoze has become so mainstream, people need it, and M$ makes money and people who legally buy it still buy it.

And Kenny, very good points.

 

[Zedicus]

you cannot legally *to the letter of the law* use an OEM copy of windows from another machine on a different machine. say a dell copy on a custom built, even if the dell is no longer using that install of windows.

AND (it gets better)

say you jump on new eg and buy a new cd drive and new OEM copy of windows at the same time. you just tied that install to that cd drive, you through away that cd drive then legally you have to through away that oem license.

if you bought it with a video card, cpu, or mainboard or stick of ram, or burnable recordable media. you dispose of what you bought it with, legally u should dispose of the license. they are non-transferable. PERIOD.

now taking that into consideration now how many peeple do you think are using pirated windows? i would guess 80% or better.

 

[Jess Stingray]

No, it's tied to that motherboard, not CD drive.

 

[KennyT772]

Well theres your problem.

to Thepiratebay we all go.

 

[Zedicus]

if u only purchase the oem windows and a cd drive then yes my friend it is tied to a cd drive.

 

[Jess Stingray]

No, the OEM edition is tied to the motherboard. I upgraded my CD drive loads of times, and I never get a message saying I need a new serial key. And besides, you can just call Microsoft for a new one.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

Well theres your problem.

to Thepiratebay we all go.

Yeah, I still use the legal versions because I have morals...

 

[Jess Stingray]

Mine's legal, just hacked so it won't ask for a serial. It was the OEM, but since I'm not using the original motherboard, I have to do it this way.

 

[KennyT772]

Mine's legal, just hacked so it won't ask for a serial. It was the OEM, but since I'm not using the original motherboard, I have to do it this way.

Seeing how it is hacked, and you aren't using the motherboard the license was for it is illegal. Your install is no more legal than if someone downloaded it from tpb...

 

[Zedicus]

No, the OEM edition is tied to the motherboard. I upgraded my CD drive loads of times, and I never get a message saying I need a new serial key. And besides, you can just call Microsoft for a new one.

that has nothing to do with the license itself. yes when u install xp it ties its instalation id to the mainboard. again this has nothing to do with licensing.

just because u installed windows with a real key and u hav the little sticker does not make it at all legal.

a RETAIL copy can be used on one machine any where, a OEM copy is ONLY legal to be used on the device it was purchased with. like the guy up said, if youve moved or hacked yur oem install to another box you are just as legal as the kid that downloads a install cd and uses a keygen.

also having a real windows install cd means nothing. it has nothing to do with licensing or proof that you own windows.

 

[niko084]

Although I own legal versions of windows, my xp installs are corporate disks and keys to bypass the BS activation. I don't have time to wait for that crap, nor feel like it.

Some say doing that is wrong, some say its fine... When it comes down to it, its legal because I own the software.

I refuse to purchase software that requires me to be online to use and or activate it.

 

[Kreij]

a OEM copy is ONLY legal to be used on the device it was purchased with.

I purchased my OEM version of Vista from Newegg seperately (without any hardware items).

Looks like I'm good to go as it is not "tied" to anything !

Actually, an OEM license is "tied" to the device that it is installed on, and has nothing to do with what you purchased at the time.

From MS's license breif ...

The OEM license for the Windows desktop PC operating system is “tied” to the device on which software is first installed. Accordingly, customers may not transfer the OEM license to a third party without that device. As long as the license and device remain together, there is no limit to the number of times they may be transferred.

 

[yogurt_21]

lol no the oem copy is only tied to the computer you're using it on at a time, mircorsoft only cares that the software isn't installed on two speerate computers at the same time. that's why when you change mobo's, you have to reactivate windows and stay on the phone a while with the guys in india. thewy ask you the questions, you tell then you swapped a component, but he os is only installed on one computer, they activate it for you. so yes your old keys are still good, and perfectly legal to use on another machine, providing that the old machine is no longer in operation.

 

[Oliver_FF]

I purchased my OEM version of Vista from Newegg seperately (without any hardware items).

Looks like I'm good to go as it is not "tied" to anything !

Actually, an OEM license is "tied" to the device that it is installed on, and has nothing to do with what you purchased at the time.

From MS's license breif ...

Actually, when you register your key it ties your key to your hardware. You're allowed i think 3 minor hardware changes before it won't let you use the key again.

I upgraded my mobo, CPU and ram - went to reinstall Vista used my totally legal and valid key, it told me that the key was already in use and i needed a new one. Basically it checked my hardware against what the key was tied to, and if it's too varied it wont' accept your key. You've gotta get another one.

 

[keakar]

you cannot legally *to the letter of the law* use an OEM copy of windows from another machine on a different machine. say a dell copy on a custom built, even if the dell is no longer using that install of windows.

AND (it gets better)

say you jump on new eg and buy a new cd drive and new OEM copy of windows at the same time. you just tied that install to that cd drive, you through away that cd drive then legally you have to through away that oem license.

if you bought it with a video card, cpu, or mainboard or stick of ram, or burnable recordable media. you dispose of what you bought it with, legally u should dispose of the license. they are non-transferable. PERIOD.

now taking that into consideration now how many peeple do you think are using pirated windows? i would guess 80% or better.

actually the oem must be bought with main hardware components but what it takes to meet the requirement now is just laughable. it used to be required you buy cpu & mobo but now even a keyboard will qualify lol.

the key components are tied to the license, cpu and motherboard, you are allowed to replace or upgrade the cpu or motherboard seperately but not at the same time. i guess that makes sense to some lawyer somewhere lol, but if you call microsoft and explain (lie) some story about what happened and "ask permission" to reregister the new equipt you wont have problems and your new equiptment will then be legally licensed.

microsoft told me they renew the registered hardware of your system through the validation and automatic updates every 3 months to avoid issues from minor upgrades over time like video cards and dvd players etc. so this makes it easier for someone who is just reformating not to have registration issues.