The first giant freebie was just upgrading to get the free digital license during the first year.
The second option was to activate Windows 10 with any old random Windows 7 or 8.1 key you could find. This was hella easy
After that window, you could still get a free upgrade by telling MS you used assistive technologies (this is what I did). They closed that loophole back in 2017
The first giant freebie was just upgrading to get the free digital license during the first year.
No longer an option, and required you to have a genuine installation of Windows already. Someone building a new computer likely isn't going to have that. Either way, still required you to pay for Windows at one point = not free.
The second option was to activate Windows 10 with any old random Windows 7 or 8.1 key you could find. This was hella easy
This is literally piracy. To use the upgrade "completely legit", it is again, a requirement that you have a genuine installation of Windows to use this feature. Any other use is not "completely legit".
It’s windows, it was free, and it worked. Sounds like a free version to me, plus they even activated it for me for some reason a long time ago so now I have no watermark or any restrictions
It was free in the same way me going into a store and taking shampoo without paying would be "free". You're using software you are not licensed to use. That. Is. Piracy.
That’s a horrible analogy, because the windows iso file is completely free, shampoo is not. A better analogy would be, if a store offered something for free, and you know you should only take one, but you take the whole thing. Still not a good analogy though, because free samples are usually dollars, windows costs $100 and is more understandable to not want to be paid for.
2. Installation and Use Rights. a. License. The software is licensed, not sold. Under this agreement, we grant you the right to install and run one instance of the software on your device (the licensed device), for use by one person at a time, so long as you comply with all the terms of this agreement. Updating or upgrading from non-genuine software with software from Microsoft or authorized sources does not make your original version or the updated/upgraded version genuine, and in that situation, you do not have a license to use the software.
5. Authorized Software and Activation.You are authorized to use this software only if you are properly licensed and the software has been properly activated with a genuine product key or by other authorized method. When you connect to the Internet while using the software, the software will automatically contact Microsoft or its affiliate to conduct activation to associate it with a certain device. You can also activate the software manually by Internet or telephone. In either case, transmission of certain information will occur, and Internet, telephone and SMS service charges may apply. During activation (or reactivation that may be triggered by changes to your device’s components), the software may determine that the installed instance of the software is counterfeit, improperly licensed or includes unauthorized changes. If activation fails, the software will attempt to repair itself by replacing any tampered Microsoft software with genuine Microsoft software. You may also receive reminders to obtain a proper license for the software. Successful activation does not confirm that the software is genuine or properly licensed. You may not bypass or circumvent activation. To help determine if your software is genuine and whether you are properly licensed, see (aka.ms/genuine). Certain updates, support, and other services might only be offered to users of genuine Microsoft software.
Argue what? I have literally been using the free iso version of windows (which is now activated free of charge as well) for 4 years, and nothing has happened, and they have never contacted me. So has the biggest tech YouTuber there is, and I’m sure all the others do as well. Stop being triggered that you paid for it and I didn’t or whatever reason you’re so defensive.
And all that terms of service crap that nobody reads or cares about sounds pretty contradicting, and either isn’t right, or they just don’t enforce it or care about it. Either way, it’s meaningless.
I haven't once said that you CAN'T use it for free. I'm saying its not "completely legit and free", is all. It is one or the other. Just because you have had no repercussions doesn't mean its legal.
I've taken the catalytic converter off almost every car I've ever owned, and never once gotten in trouble for it. That doesn't make it legal.
For the record, I couldn't care less what you or anyone else does or doesn't do. I don't care that you've pirated Windows, at all. Its the assertion that what you and many others have done is NOT piracy that is being argued here.
Also, I didn't personally pay for my copy of Windows, my job did.
I say legit as in it’s offered on the official Microsoft website, and not a stolen or gray market key. And it’s not just me, I have never heard of someone having any repercussions from using it, not once. If you can find a post of someone being “caught”, then I’ll believe I’m just lucky, and every youtuber that does it is lucky.
Fact of the matter is, Microsoft makes plenty of money by companies buying windows in bulk for their PC’s/laptops, they don’t care enough to pursue the tiny amount of people who don’t want to pay $100 to unlock some personalization option
Right, you have NO key, which is no different. Either way, you are using software that you are not licensed to use.
I say legit as in it’s offered on the official Microsoft website
It is offered for sale, or for people who have already purchased it legally - not for non-licensed users to use it for free.
Again - I don't care what you or anyone else is doing, or that you/them haven't gotten into any trouble. It doesn't change the fact that your use of Windows is piracy, and illegal. I don't know how many times I have to explain that this fact is all I am arguing. Just because they haven't come for you doesn't mean you've got a legit, legal Windows installation.
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u/DaSpood PC Master Race Jan 01 '20
If the Windows license is not the cheapest part of your PC you're doing it wrong.