We do know that Microsoft has made an announcement just yesterday which opened the doors for pirated versions of Windows to be able to make the upgrade to Windows 10 the moment the new operating system rolls out. That does sound like a big deal, actually, but it seems that the statement will need to be clarified. Apparently, this free upgrade, while being made available to all Windows users – pirated copies or otherwise, will see that the former camp will not end up with a valid license at the end of it all.
In other words, this free upgrade will not alter the license state of a user’s operating system, and you would still have a pirated copy running even after the Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft full statement reads as follows.
“We have always been committed to ensuring that customers have the best Windows experience possible. With Windows 10, although non-Genuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. Non-Genuine Windows is not published by Microsoft. It is not properly licensed, or supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. If a device was considered non-genuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered non-genuine or mislicensed after the upgrade. According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions.”
Filed in . Read more about Microsoft, Windows and Windows 10. Source: polygon