What does microsoft use to fight pirated copies of windows?
Answers
Microsoft’s Windows operating system holds the dominant position in the OS war, but with that popularity comes the occasional downside. The widespread use of the operating system has also led to it being widely pirated, from users sharing license keys to counterfeiting operations producing bogus software products. Microsoft has taken steps to protect its intellectual property, blocking the installation and use of pirated versions of Windows and other programs at several different levels.
Activation
After installing Windows, you have 30 days to activate your copy of the operating system, either online or by phone. If you go beyond this grace period without entering your key, Windows will enter “reduced functionality” mode, turning your desktop black, blocking certain graphical features, reducing your ability to install updates and nagging you to provide a valid license key. You may also enter this mode if the license key you enter fails the Windows Genuine Advantage check, a system designed to ensure that the key you are using is the one linked to your system.
Windows Update
The primary way in which Microsoft attempts to limit piracy of their software is by limiting non-genuine copies’ access to the Windows Update system. If your copy of Windows is not genuine, you will only be able to download and install critical security patches, not general updates, new drivers or other non-essential downloads. Likewise, if a copy of Microsoft Office fails the WGA check, you will have access to any patches that block major security threats, but all other upgrades will be unavailable.
MSDN and TechNet
Another area of software piracy that Microsoft cracks down on is licensing through the Microsoft Developers Network and Microsoft TechNet. These programs allow resellers and developers to access the latest Microsoft products at will for an annual subscription fee, and in some cases users shared or sold these licenses in violation of the terms of agreement. To combat this piracy, Microsoft has reduced the amount of licenses a single subscriber can claim, as well as adopting a policy of invalidating these licenses once the user's subscription ends. Now, anyone with one of these specially licensed editions who does not have a corresponding MSDN or TechNet subscription will find their copies failing the WGA check and asking for a valid license key.
What to Do
If your copy of Windows reports that it is not genuine, you have a few options. If you knowingly installed a pirated copy of Windows, all you need to do is provide a valid license key that you own to restore functionality. If you purchased your copy of the OS from a reseller and it comes up invalid, things could be more complicated. The reseller may have oversold a license key, or mistakenly sold the same key to two different users, or they could be knowingly selling fraudulent keys. If the reseller will not refund your money or provide you with a valid license, you may contact Microsoft directly for further action, as well as to acquire a valid key for yourself.