Pirated copies of Windows. No Response to "Every pirated copy of Windows is dangerous"
This is the next stage in development Windows programs Genuine Advantage, which Microsoft quietly launched last September. It consists in the fact that using special software, the legitimacy of this particular copy of Windows is checked. The program will form the basis of Microsoft's campaign to increase the number of paying customers among the millions of people who use Windows.
Windows Genuine began as a voluntary program, but then Microsoft began requiring legalization from more and more categories of customers who wanted to download the company's software. For example, in March, Microsoft said that those who want to download a foreign language software package for Windows must prove the authenticity of their copy of Windows.
Starting Wednesday, customers in the United States whose copies of Windows XP Professional have not been verified will have the opportunity to receive a free, licensed copy. To do this, they will have to fill out a tampering statement and provide Microsoft with the Windows disk they have and a receipt confirming its purchase.
"Our goal is to ensure that replacements are made to people who were truly unaware that they were victims of counterfeiting," explained Genuine Windows program director David Lazar.
Those who do not have the disc or receipt can purchase a licensed copy online for $149. This is cheaper than buying a full copy of Windows XP Pro, but more expensive than the copy of Windows that buyers of a new PC pay for.
“At first glance, it seems suicidal to reward pirates with free, licensed copies,” comments The NPD Group analyst Ross Rubin. However, Microsoft has the opportunity to demonstrate to customers the benefits of officially using the software and the potential benefits they will receive as legitimate customers when future versions are released. In addition, it can help them identify those who lead pirate networks. “When fighting drug trafficking, the police bypass the lower level dealers to get to the drug lords; so they probably want to get to the distributors of pirated Windows,” says Rubin.
Test program
For now, the Windows authentication process remains voluntary for most customers, although this summer Microsoft plans to make such scanning mandatory for anyone who wants to download software from the company's website.
For those customers whose copy is not will be tested, most Windows-related downloads will not be available, but they will still be able to receive security updates - either by turning on Automatic Update mode or by manually selecting a specific patch. Utility Windows Update, which identifies all necessary updates and offers to download them, will only work for those whose copy of Windows turned out to be licensed.
However, Lazar says that before the program gets that far, Microsoft wants to test the upgrade process in action. Hence today's offer, which will be valid until July 30th. What Microsoft will offer next is unknown. “We knew that to fully implement the program we would have to make a proposal like this,” Lazar said. “It allows us to verify.”
Specifically, Microsoft will test a scanning tool that confirms that a customer who wants a legitimate copy of Windows already has everything necessary files Windows. This tool verifies the presence and integrity of all genuine system Windows files XP, although Microsoft also sends a CD to customers and recommends that those who have suspicions about possible problems with their copy of Windows, reinstall the operating system.
Customer registration
Analysts were concerned that Microsoft might force customers to completely reinstall Windows when upgrading to a licensed version. operating system.
So far, customers seem willing to let Microsoft test their copies of Windows. In the eight months since the program began, the majority of users surveyed did not object to this. Globally, 48 million customers visited the page asking to participate in the program and 27 million, or 56%, expressed readiness to be verified.
Lazar did not specify the exact number of bogus copies identified by Microsoft, but said that the "vast majority" of machines have licensed copies of Windows installed. The level of software piracy in the world is estimated at about 36%, and Microsoft's results, according to Lazar, are about the same as what it expected.
The company tested a paid upgrade program in China, one of three countries where Windows check authenticity has already become mandatory. Lazar said that "several thousand" customers accepted the offer to purchase Windows version with a discount - XP Pro is offered for about $150. The vast majority of systems in China have unlicensed copies of Windows installed.
Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, praises Microsoft for being transparent about the program's goals and for having tools to determine whether copies of Windows are genuine. At the same time, he expressed the wish that Microsoft is better informed customers, helping them proactively identify counterfeit copies of Windows. “This is all very good, but these measures are taken ‘after the fact,’” he says. Consumers are less aware of the attributes Microsoft uses to mark its software, such as Certificate of Authenticity labels and holographic marks on discs. "I doubt my dad knows what a 'Certificate of Authenticity' is," Cherry noted.
Depending on the type of activity (our specialists also work), we often hear the question: “What is the difference between a licensed Windows OS and a pirated one (Windows without a separately purchased license)?
- What are the real differences between having a license and not having one?
- Why Windows installation with a license costs the user more than a version with a trial period (free evaluation copy)?
- What are so-called operating assemblies? Windows systems, distributed via the Internet, what is their difference from the original image?
The questions are not quite obvious, and in this article we will try to consider them.
First, let's look at the concept of a license for the Windows operating system.
So when buying a license for money installation disk, a key is provided along with the storage medium itself Windows activation.
In addition, you are provided with a sticker on system unit or laptop, to confirm the purchased product.
If you do not have a disk drive or for some other reason you do not want to use installation via disk, you can download an image of the operating system from the Microsoft website and install via a USB flash drive (if you have an oem version, i.e. pre-installed on your PC or laptop by the manufacturer, then you will not be able to download the system image). Even if you purchased your license online, you should receive a key package and sticker.
At the time of writing, the price of Windows 10 averages from 300 BYN (approximately 150 y.e.).
I would like to make a small clarification. When purchasing an operating system, you only buy WINDOWS ITSELF.
It does not contain drivers (they will need to be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website), office suite(you must purchase it from Microsoft separately), or use free analogue OpenOffice, LibreOffice.
The price for an office starts from 250 BYN (approximately 130 y.e.).
It seems clear with the license, the main thing is not to provide your key to anyone, because... V otherwise he will be tracked and blocked!
In general, for Windows 7 there is a command to reset the trial period (it can be used three times) for a total of 120 days. Those. throughout this period you will be able to use official system with all updates.
The command to reset the trial slmgr –rearm should be entered without any quotes in command line(must be run with administrator rights).
Now let's talk about other methods of activating Windows
If you download images from the official Microsoft website (and this is possible, without even having a product key), then they are no different from an officially purchased operating system - that’s a fact.
The only difference is that you do not have an activation key, so you will only be able to use Windows for a trial period (from 90 to 120 days). This should be followed by either purchasing a license or a new clean installation of the OS with formatting of the system partition (drive C:\).
This is not very convenient, but at least you always have the original version installed on your computer without using various tricks. It turns out that it is completely legal to use official version You can use Windows for 3-4 months without purchasing a license.
Activation of Windows, depending on the OS version, can occur either with a key (it was very popular in Windows XP) or with the help of third-party software.
Even if activated with a key, after installing the updates, a message may again appear that you are not using the original version of Windows, because Some updates include license verification.
Another way is using KMS (Key Management Server - key management service). The KMS server is activated using a special VLC key (KMS host key) and “distributes” licenses to client machines.
This activation method is used in corporate networks, where there are many machines and activation with each hand will take a large number of time. This is a completely legal way to activate Windows for business (not to be confused with pirated KMS activators that are circulating on the Internet).
Craftsmen were able to adapt it for home use. With this method, you will have to re-activate every 180 days. This can be done manually or automatic mode using the scheduler Windows jobs. As a rule, activators assign tasks for repeated activations automatically.
We've sorted out the licenses. In the cases described above, the system differs only in the activation method. Don’t forget about system updates - you can disable them, but in this case there is a high probability of your computer being infected with a virus (for example, the recent WannaCry virus only works on an operating system that does not have the ms17-010 patch installed).
What are operating system assemblies and what could be their danger?
If 3-4 months is not enough, but you don’t want to buy a license (no money, no desire, “we’re used to it”).
Windows builds downloaded from the Internet are remakes of the original Windows image“for yourself”, or “for the user”, followed by reverse packaging for installation (RePack).
The advantages of such assemblies: almost everything is installed current updates The operating system has a built-in C++ package that is needed for the correct use of a number of programs (including Skype) package dll libraries, frameworks, etc., also usually in one image there is an installation of several editions of the system (from Windows xp to 10).
Cons: the first and most important disadvantage is that the end user does not know what else was added to the system assembly.
For example, there may be a program there to send your personal data to the attacker’s computer, and these are not only your passwords from mail and “contact” and “classmates”.
Since quite a lot of things are now paid for using a bank card, you will also transfer its data to the attacker.
In addition, there is interference in system files operating system, which sometimes leads to incorrect operation and system failures, although almost all changes are made using Windows tools.
So, let's summarize. Since our team primarily pursues the interests of ordinary users, and not a specific company, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with our objective assessment.
Objective advantages of licensed Windows:
- There will be no problems with updating;
- Possibility to upgrade to a new version of Windows for free (for versions of Windows 7 and older);
- 24/7 support from Microsoft;
- Clean system without intervention
Disadvantages of the license:
- The most important thing is very high price licenses (not everyone is ready to spend so much money to buy only Windows and an office);
- Even using the original version, there may be problems with the system operation (incorrect installed drivers and software)
Pros and cons of extending your Windows trial period
Pros:
- Same as the license
Minuses:
- The same as for the license;
- Relatively short period of use
Pros and cons of so-called Windows builds
Pros:
- +Updated at the time of release of most OS components
Minuses:
- The same as for the license;
- Unstable operation possible;
- Possibility of installing malware into the assembly
Microsoft told how things will go with pirated copies of Windows 10
As is known a new version Windows operating system number 10 will be released this summer. Not so long ago, Microsoft representatives announced that not only holders of licensed copies, but also pirated ones, would be able to upgrade to version 10 for free.
But not everything is as rosy as it was stated. The head of the Windows development division, Terry Myerson, revealed details about who and how will be able to switch to the new 10 version.
How are things really going at the moment?
As for owners of licensed Windows 7 and 8.1, they will be able to switch (update) to version 10 completely free of charge. That is, they will have access to absolutely all new functions and services. new system, for the duration of support of this device- more precisely, what exactly this means has not yet been explained.
As for pirated copies...
The previously promised free transition is now prohibited for them; they still remain illegal without any rights. Now, using unlicensed Windows 10, a watermark will be displayed on the desktop, which indicates that this version the system is illegal.
Microsoft representatives especially ask you to pay attention to this when purchasing new devices on which such a copy of Windows can be installed.
The status of a pirated copy of the OS means that it will not receive any service updates. The only thing Microsoft can offer owners of such copies is a transition to the new licensed version 10 under very favorable conditions, perhaps we are talking about a reduced price.
No more information was said about any other restrictions in the pirated copy of Windows 10
Very favorable conditions most likely mean a paid transition to Windows 10. (introductory article review of Windows 10) The possible amount has not yet been announced, but judging by the company’s assurances, it will be small and quite acceptable. This can also be judged by information recently received from Microsoft that the future release of the Windows 10 operating system will be the last.
That is, it will function on the principle of an online service, with timely updates and improvements. Plus a subscription will appear (again, as in online services, you need to somehow monetize this OS). This is understandable, since it is stated that this OS will subsequently be continuously improved.
As we see, Microsoft did not keep its promises to switch to a new operating system for everyone. But this is partly explained by the possible appearance of a paid subscription. Plus the amount for holders of pirated versions is promised to be attractive.
It is difficult to hide surprise and interest in the new distribution and support scheme for the new OS from Microsoft. Inexpensive paid subscription is now one of the most common access schemes various services and programs. One such example is the popular video hosting site YouTube, which is also gradually introducing it.
Renowned Finnish antivirus company F-Secure has published a report explaining why users in Russia and China were hit the hardest by WannaCry. It turned out that most of the infected computers had a pirated version of Windows installed.
Microsoft has closed the MS17-010 vulnerability, which was exploited by WannaCry back in March 2017. Thus, all legal Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 systems were protected before the start of the WannaCrypt campaign.
Since the ransomware infected a large number of old computers, Microsoft decided to deviate from its rules and released the critical security patch KB4012598 for unsupported Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The company urged users of older machines to install an update as soon as possible to protect themselves from WannaCry.
Updates are coming out for licensed Windows
However, there is one major problem: users of pirated versions cannot install updates, regardless of whether they are using an old, unsupported system or a new supported OS. Although there are installation methods latest updates Microsoft constantly sets new restrictions on illegal copies of Windows, so depending on the version of the system, the task of installing updates on a pirated version can be very difficult.
According to F-Secure, a huge number of cases of infection have been recorded in Russia and China due to the fact that pirated versions of Windows systems are very common in these markets.
F-Secure reports that the size of the infection indicates the number of computers that did not receive the security update. This can be caused by 3 reasons:
- The patch available in March was not installed for some reason.
- a pirated copy of Windows was used (which does not receive security updates).
- The computer was installed with Windows XP, which is no longer supported and is not receiving updates.
On this moment There are several ways to protect yourself from WannaCry and similar types of malware, but the most convenient, especially if you are using genuine Windows, is to install the latest updates released by Microsoft. For users of pirated versions of Windows, infection WannaCry ransomware is one of the risks they pay for using illegal software.
Microsoft today officially announced the release of Windows 10 in the summer, and also spoke about a strategic partnership with Chinese companies, which should “help fight piracy,” which is actively flourishing in the Middle Kingdom. Then it was said that Microsoft would update even pirated copies to Windows 10 for free, and now the head of the Windows division of Microsoft Corporation, Terry Myerson, told how exactly updates would occur in the case of legal and pirated systems.
According to Microsoft's position, owners of legal copies of Windows 7 and 8.1 will receive an upgrade to Windows 10 absolutely free. After the update, these users will receive all new features and security enhancements absolutely free, “for as long as this device is supported.” What exactly the last words mean (until the device breaks or, perhaps, for the duration of the warranty?), he did not explain.
If Microsoft detects any kind of tampering with the system - simply detects that a copy of Windows was obtained illegally - a watermark will appear on the desktop, informing the buyer that he has an illegal copy installed. Terry Myerson asks users to be attentive to this when purchasing new devices and to avoid purchasing gadgets with Windows 10 that have a watermark on the desktop.
A Microsoft “black mark” means a lack of support from the company and its partners and threatens not to receive updates, even critical security updates. Microsoft emphasizes that free update still will not be available to users of illegal copies of the system, however, the software giant, together with partners, promises to offer “very attractive” conditions for the transition to a licensed version of Windows 10.
It appears that no further measures will be taken. Microsoft probably decided that it made no sense to restrict the operation of a copy of the OS that was identified as pirated. This time, it seems, they won’t even deprive the desktop screensaver.
The “very attractive” transition conditions probably hide a paid upgrade to Windows 10. What the amount will be has not yet been announced, but it can be assumed that Microsoft will not ask for a lot of money for this. This idea is prompted by the recent announcement that Windows 10 will be latest version The OS will be improved according to the service principle. One of the likely options for monetizing Windows 10 is the introduction of a subscription, which was previously hinted at by Microsoft COO Kevin Turner. This would be a logical step, given plans to gradually improve the system. The amount of transfer from a pirated copy will most likely be comparable to the amount of a short-term subscription, since the user will bring money constantly in the future - this is exactly what Microsoft is striving for.
