Some articles, as of late, claim that Windows 10 will automatically block pirated stuff, both software and hardware. Is this true? Even though i am not a pirate anymore, by choice and consciousness... I am never going to get something which bashes my former "hobby". Even if it is offered out to everyone for free! So? Can anyone confirm or deny?

from what i gather: its referring to the terms of use agreement for windows live/xbox. Which states they reserve the right to block pirated content. There are no reported cases of this happening.

I don't know, i am just asking, because i read some articles that "startled" me and wanted to find out more. Still, in said articles, they also claim that windows 10 can and will (most probably) block unlicensed hardware, too... Any comment on that?

It's present in the EULA, so although they may not have implemented or started using it now, it is entirely possible they could activate it at any time.

Add on the forced mandatory automatic-updates that you HAVE to use, ensures they could do just about anything they want. If this is limited to their own store, i couldn't say but it has no distinction or clause limiting that (as far as i know).


Let me tell you a story...


A while back my GF had Google Earth installed on her computer, and everything was interesting and nice, she used it quite a bit actually probably out of curiosity of 'Where's my mom's house on here?' and finding locations of where to plan vacations...

Then overnight, the program, installer, and all evidence the program existed VANISHED!

She was annoyed and angry... If Google did this, or someone else i can't be sure...

I know i have had downloaded content just disappear as well (which i could promptly re-download) but it was still an annoyance.

However with the EULA in place that you'd already have agreed to (before they activated it) if they think a program/content is pirated, they could replace it with different executables, or in theory delete it altogether... Like the government mandating all underwear has to be new within a year and then slipping into your house when you're away to find and remove all underwear that didn't qualify, possibly finding personal photos and toys along the way to make note of for later.

edit: hmmm i wonder if they'd qualify any and all emulators and save files from emulators as piracy and delete those regularly from your computer... That would get annoying REAL FAST.

If your worried about MS or nsa or anything other institution snooping into your Computer ether use Linux or stop using computers.

You can turn off many of those stupid data logging stuff in windows 10. Some of them you can force stop it and or remove it all together.

MS and friends have been able to access your previous windows via backdoor for some time now. In windows 10 they're not hiding it no more. But you still can turn it off. Mostly

This only applies to first party Microsoft games, Windows 10 doesn't scan your system for pirated software. Basically all the EULA says is when you run their software it's going to check if it's been modified.

Just more terrible Windows 10 click bait journalism.

If you compare this with the XBone, it's the same as saying that the Kinnect (with camera and mic) could in theory watch, record and send data to MS or the NSA all the time, add in that the Kinnect was required and you HAD to be connected within the last 24 hours to run any of your games.

Even if it's not what might have happened or was going to happen, it was still possible when you put all the elements together. Without a limitation clause, what's to stop them from doing a routine search for all DLL's and EXE files and using MD5 checksums and other data to determine if it's a program or game, and if so if you might have a NO-CD crack on your copy of Diablo 2 and as such since it's modified software it's piracy and thus uninstall it from the computer?

Now let's take it a step further and say, i downloaded a game and put it in a non-designated directory because i hacked the game so it wouldn't require to be online... in order to find it from their set list of games that they are searching for, they'd have to search the entire computer and possibly other drives... If they only scan files from a specific set of directories, then it's very weak as anti-piracy... much like the root-kits were wonderful for malware because users couldn't actually find, detect, or remove the crap... No, they aren't going to limit it to the directory where they expect the games to be...


What i'm saying is, expect the worst... Corporations once they lost their founders have often changed into money grubbing filth of what they used to be, some not as bad as they could be, but still really bad. And MS as we know is no longer run by it's founder.

Until we know how this is implemented I don't think it's too much cause for concern. To me all that clause sounds like is a standard DRM version check when you attempt to use a game on an online service.

Also, they can't even reliably keep people from pirating the OS itself, let alone the software installed on it.

No, they just won't delete stuff off your computer. That's apple/linux fanbois yanking your chain. There are a dozen relevant articles on this, but ill paraphrase the Ars Technica one for you:
Yes, they can target pirated copies of WINDOWS PRODUCTS ONLY! That means it has to be a windows product and has to be on the Windows Store (who uses the windows store/live anymore?) I'd be worried if I was on the Xbox with modded content, or using a copy of an unlicensed MSword/office etc. They are most certainly NOT saying they will be snooping all over your hard drive, looking for pirated files, and there is nothing in their EULA that would provide a legal defense to do that. I could see Apple doing this. Oh could i see apple doing this to all their fanbois.
"Oh hey, look at my 3000 dollar computer i just got delivered, that uses parts from a 700 dollar windows build. But wait, I just signed up for itunes and.. its taking over my PC. HALP! IM A HIPSTER APPLE FANIBOI HALP ME WINDOWS!!!!"
And so on.
Itunes is ALREADY doing this to Mac users.
It won't happen in Windows. Not with THIS Eula.

lol, windows 10 can't block even free upgrades from pirated windows 7 to legit windows 10 ...

That's what https://tails.boum.org/ is for.
I'm not surprised, if the system activates to genuine, then it has no way of knowing. The problem here is presumably with the WGA implementation for 7.

Microsoft didn't block it at all. They wanted pirated windows 7 and 8 users to switch over to windows 10. Those users who switched are now legit.

http://www.pcinvasion.com/windows-10-piracy-eula-change-not-actually-a-eula-change

I don't think they're going to dig through your drive to look for pirated software or games.

Ironically, if you have games on discs and you want to play them on Windows 10, you could need to crack them: http://www.pcgamer.com/report-games-with-securom-and-safedisc-drm-wont-run-under-windows-10/

I thought this issue was about knockoff hardware and fake drivers rather than software in the general.

Or hardware that terribly fails the sticker test.