If i use an illegal copy of windows,will it cause problems?

[laoli]

as i haven't enough money to buy windows Xp, i decide to use illegal copies. my friend downloaded a copy of xp, used a sepcial software to make a key, and actived it. now it works very well and can update. i want to do the same, but i don't know whether it would cause series problems if i do this?
besides braking the law, of course. ;)

[Dani]

Illegal software isn't really supported at this forum for legal reasons. I have heard that warez versions of WindowsXP have a problem with Service Pack 2 or something along those lines. Other than that, I'm not a fan of warez in general although I'm sure many other people beg to differ. I can't see any other problems arising, however. Perhaps Microsoft has something up their sleeve, who knows. I'm probably not the person to ask on this.

[laoli]

I don't know whether it will bother , but i want DANI's icq number. since i'm a chinese and i have to learn English, I want to pactise a lot. So will you kind enough to help me?

[big_k105]

personally i think you should try it :twisted: but thats the way i am i guess. if all else fails reformat and reinstall the version of windows you do own. jst make sure to back everything up of course. ;)
i also think that an OS is the one software, you should paying for.

[theQube]

Illegal software isn't really supported at this forum for legal reasons. I have heard that warez versions of WindowsXP have a problem with Service Pack 2 or something along those lines. Other than that, I'm not a fan of warez in general although I'm sure many other people beg to differ. I can't see any other problems arising, however. Perhaps Microsoft has something up their sleeve, who knows. I'm probably not the person to ask on this.

The SP2 Issue is only if you're trying to upgrade from the original, pre-release RTM copy.

[Tekmaven]

Illegal software is a no-no. If the BSA contacts you, you may be pressed by a $20,000+ fine.
(Ed: The Business Software Alliance will find you one day. Their website is http://www.bsa.org if you were wondering.)

Just to remind everyone, TechTalkForums does not in any way associate itself with illegal software. Illegal is illegal no matter how little the crime is.

[JANINE]

why use illegal software anyway? suppose if you have problems with this. you will be stuck and then you will want to report the fault and wahey you are the BSA's fodder. go and spend a little money and buy yourself a proper software disc. it wont hurt and it'll spare you a jail sentence. theoretically you are stealing the copyright from the software vendor (in this case mocrosoft). copyright theft is big business and not right.

[Dani]

Plus, we don't give support here if you're using pirated software ;) And the same goes for Microsoft. Which means if you ever have a technical support problem, you're outta luck.

[JANINE]

yep. theres just no point in it
i know that at least when im using proper software there is help.

[MartyMcFly]

I would quite like to buy Microsoft office, but I can't afford it because other people keep pirating it, (or at least thats what MS says)

I've decided to use OpenOffice instead, can't you just use Linux.

[JANINE]

Im using MS office and Open office without any problems. you can get hold of perfectly legal copies of MS office from trusted sites like ebay. i did and it was fully packaged complete with product key. try amazon also

[zeroth]

I'll reverse the question / if you wrote a nifty piece of software and spent a lot of time and effort on it, would you appreciate someone stealing it. How about your car? Having been in this business for many years, I´m constantly amazed at how many people don´t have any problem at all in ¨borrowing¨ or ¨copying¨ copyrighted material, even though they would be up in arms to the police if someone ¨borrowed¨their car.

I just went on the web and found WinXPpro for $49 and combo WinXPpro/Office 2003 for $99...

My caveat: I don´t have any problem at all paying for a software package because if I don´t, that company won´t be in business long to produce more. As for the many complaints about Microsoft, most who complain still use their products, whether they like them or not. But once you pay, you should be able to put it on as many computers as YOU own. I´m only talking personal here, not business.

[JANINE]

definately not. copyright theft is illegal and its depriving the company of whats rightfully theirs. its like going in to a shop and taking something without paying for it. crime.

i have fun writing my own programs anyway using visual basic and visual studio.

[Comatose]

I'll reverse the question / if you wrote a nifty piece of software and spent a lot of time and effort on it, would you appreciate someone stealing it?

Careful... I have made quite a few nifty piece's of software on multiple platforms. I have written programs as far and wide as an anti-spyware assistance program, to a web based sign up (CGI) package, for ISP's, complete with an optional Perl/Tk Administration Program, and released them all as open source.

[zeroth]

What´s your point? I applaud your efforts and generosity. However, this thread refers to efforts that are made to generate profits, an entirely different goal. In our capitalistic system, companies have to make profits or cease to exist...

[Comatose]

Granted, but all I'm saying is that a "how would you feel" about people stealing your programs, isn't necessarily a valid point. Granted someone "borrowing" or stealing your car is a good and valid point, but there are plenty of people who write programs for people to use and modify. I'm not advocating piracy here, but keep in mind that not every programmer has a problem with people using/copying their software.

[zeroth]

OK, I'll grant you the point. But I maintain that you are not stealing if the program is freeware.

And I still compliment you on your generosity. People with your attitude are the reason the computer industry and the internet became so large so fast. We need more like you

[alc6379]

Granted, but all I'm saying is that a "how would you feel" about people stealing your programs, isn't necessarily a valid point. Granted someone "borrowing" or stealing your car is a good and valid point, but there are plenty of people who write programs for people to use and modify. I'm not advocating piracy here, but keep in mind that not every programmer has a problem with people using/copying their software.

To draw a parallel to the commercial side of the "how would you feel" question posed: I, too, have written and distributed works under the GPL. Nowadays I usually do it under the BSD license, but that's a different subject. Since you release GPL code, how would you feel if you were in the situation like the PearPC guys are in right now? Someone took their code, incorporated it into their proprietary work, and now they're claiming that the simlarities are just coincidental.

Even though money is not at stake, I'm sure that would hit a nerve with you. I know it certainly does with me! Technically, that's piracy just as much as warezing a copy of XP, in my book.

[Killer_Typo]

i am just going to say this. LOL to your topic...of course illegal software can cause problems.

[JANINE]

Careful... I have made quite a few nifty piece's of software on multiple platforms. I have written programs as far and wide as an anti-spyware assistance program, to a web based sign up (CGI) package, for ISP's, complete with an optional Perl/Tk Administration Program, and released them all as open source.

i only write them for my use. :cool:

[caperjack]

Im using MS office and Open office without any problems. you can get hold of perfectly legal copies of MS office from trusted sites like ebay. i did and it was fully packaged complete with product key. try amazon also

I think in the licence agreement, it states that its yours to use not to sell,only microsoft is licened to sell the product!
I almost sure i read that somewhere on the net before!!!

[zeroth]

That's probably only if it's opened. I see no problem with reselling a software package if it's unopened. The license is only for protection against installing it on more than one computer.

[caperjack]

True ,i never thought of it that way! not opend ,makes sense

[Phaelax]

I installed XP for a friend, legit copy of my own. However, I did not feel like going though the activation hassle so I used a registration crack. After upgrading to SP2, the crack no longer worked for him. I told him to just put his 2kpro back on.

[steveneven]

as i haven't enough money to buy windows Xp, i decide to use illegal copies. my friend downloaded a copy of xp, used a sepcial software to make a key, and actived it. now it works very well and can update. i want to do the same, but i don't know whether it would cause series problems if i do this?
besides braking the law, of course. ;)

Get your self a great and legally free OS:
http://fedora.redhat.com/
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/
http://www.suse.com/
http://www.slackware.com/
http://www.debian.org/
http://www.gentoo.org/

Or get a CD from here:
http://www.linuxiso.org/

Windows XP has been cracked from day one, you could get away with using less than legal copies of Win XP, they blocked some keys with SP1 and some more with SP2, but there are still loads that work.

The next big problem your going to have if you go down this route is the WGA or Windows Genuine Advantage.

Last month Microsoft said from the middle of 2005 customers will need to verify that their copies of Windows are genuine before downloading updates and add-on tools, through a programme, called Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). WGA uses a validation tool to check whether a particular version of Windows is genuine, which is already running on the Microsoft site.

From: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/windows/0,39020396,39185471,00.htm

The WGA FAQ page at MS:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/faq.aspx

Steveneven

[zeroth]

I'm going to confuse the thread a little here, well, at least my arguement, and expand on alc's post because I think it's interesting. I posted part of this somewhere else but can't find the ref...

For those who use the command prompt, of course that's left over from MSDOS, part of which is still in all the Microsoft O/Ss, did you even wonder how that came to be? I´m talking about C:\>. When MSDOS was introduced (I was lucky enough to be working for Microsoft at that time) DOS used that prompt. It was just a black screen with A:\> - A because at that time there weren´t any hard disks, I know that´s hard to believe, but the whole O/S really was on a floppy.

Anyway, Microsoft broke all the rules and it´s own policy that it holds so dearly now and stole that and a whole lot of code from a guy down in Monterey, CA (sorry can´t recall the name for some reason and don´t feel like looking for it) that wrote CP/M. And that was a viable O/S that ran on most micros. So Microsoft did not invent the wheel on its way to becoming number one, and its roots are based in hostile acts...

And for Steveneven who posted to this thread while I was writing this, as I was a unix programmer way back when, I´ll have to support him in his enthusiasm for linux. You can do more for less with unix and its derivatives than any other O/S ever written. But I, like most, use Windows still because more of us use it. And that logic has been around for a long time...

[caperjack]

changing to Linux world not be an option for most, as using windows is hard enough and its somewhat user friendly .

[steveneven]

And for Steveneven who posted to this thread while I was writing this, as I was a unix programmer way back when, I´ll have to support him in his enthusiasm for linux. You can do more for less with unix and its derivatives than any other O/S ever written. But I, like most, use Windows still because more of us use it. And that logic has been around for a long time...

I really like Linux, I have also used and like Solaris, but thats about the extent of my Unix experience.
I am only a Linux Noob, I can get by, but have been a Windows user for the bulk of my computing life.

I prefer Linux, I use it for about 70% of my computing needs, but I do still have and use Windows XP also.

I only really use it for gaming, I don't get on too well with the Windows emulators, and just by chance most of the games I like don't have ports for Linux :(

I am not another MS basher, you can't knock a company that knows how to market and sell, and excluding the moral arguments, you can't really knock a company that will do anything it can to stay at the top.

I will offer links to Linux and great Linux support sites to anyone that will have them, but I don't hate MS or their Windows products, I just prefer the freedom that comes from Linux and other Opensource products, and I genuinely think that for me, and most of the activities I want to use my computer for, Linux just seems more powerful and most importantly more stable.

Steveneven

PS: is it only me or is everyone else noticing that their posts look different every few minutes this evening?
I guess that someone is changing the way the signatures are presented?

[caperjack]

I genuinely think that for me, and most of the activities I want to use my computer for, Linux just seems more powerful and most importantly more stable.

may i ask wht it is that use it fore mostly ,i ask because i use windows xp ,mostly for burning making backup copys of cd/dvd that i buy and coming to this fourm.can i copy my dvd collection with linux.[/url]

PS: is it only me or is everyone else noticing that their posts look different every few minutes this evening?
I guess that someone is changing the way the signatures are presented?

no its not just you ,someone is defently putting a different look on things
edit ,the different look just went away !!:)
Edit :The different look is back and I like the Split between message and signature

[Killer_Typo]

I'm going to confuse the thread a little here, well, at least my arguement, and expand on alc's post because I think it's interesting. I posted part of this somewhere else but can't find the ref...

For those who use the command prompt, of course that's left over from MSDOS, part of which is still in all the Microsoft O/Ss, did you even wonder how that came to be? I´m talking about C:\>. When MSDOS was introduced (I was lucky enough to be working for Microsoft at that time) DOS used that prompt. It was just a black screen with A:\> - A because at that time there weren´t any hard disks, I know that´s hard to believe, but the whole O/S really was on a floppy.

Anyway, Microsoft broke all the rules and it´s own policy that it holds so dearly now and stole that and a whole lot of code from a guy down in Monterey, CA (sorry can´t recall the name for some reason and don´t feel like looking for it) that wrote CP/M. And that was a viable O/S that ran on most micros. So Microsoft did not invent the wheel on its way to becoming number one, and its roots are based in hostile acts...

microsoft, did not steal the code for DOS, Bill Gates had his father purchase it (from a man in CA, because they had just pitched to IBM that they had DOS, but they didnt, and that they would Licesnse it through IBM), and for the GUI, that was stolen from Mac, that was in turn stolen from xerox....

watch the movie pirates of silicon valley (its pretty good and goes over pretty much everything that happend) and to top it off, my dads been working in computers his whole life, and is a great source of info.