Though Microsoft has decided to make the much-publicised move to upgrade even non-genuine versions of Windows to Windows 10 when the operating system is released this Summer – though there have been mixed messages from Microsoft since it was announced – it is known that the upgrade will not legitimise pirated licences.
Now, another caveat has been revealed: users that upgrade their pirated versions of Windows to Windows 10 will see a watermark on their desktop as a constant reminder that their Windows licence isn’t recognised by Microsoft, with the hope that it will encourage users to purchase genuine licences with “very attractive” upgrade options.
In a Microsoft blog post, the EVP of Operating Systems, Terry Myerson, wrote, “When we can’t verify that Windows is properly installed, licensed, and not tampered with, we create a desktop watermark to notify the user. If you ever encounter this watermark on a new machine, 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.”
“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,” he added.
The Windows 10 upgrade for non-genuine copies of earlier Windows versions is designed to tackle rampant piracy of Microsoft’s operating system in China.
Thank you Engadget for providing us with this information.
As one of the most popular online games lately, it’s no surprise that Xbox fans…
We've finally reached the month of November, and that means one thing for Xbox users:…
For those who haven't had it on their radar, this week we take a new…
An overclocker from the MSI team has managed to push the Kingston Fury Renegade CUDIMM…
It seems that NVIDIA wants to launch its next products ahead of time. We are…
The trend of upgrading storage from traditional hard drives to SSDs has become increasingly popular,…