I’m looking to test out Windows, but I don’t want to download it without my VPN. I’m trying to use it in a virtual machine with GPU passthrough so I can play all my games. I also obviously don’t want to pay for a copy. TIA!
The fact that this is available on a Microsoft-owned source code repository is bonkers to me.
Because they get your data as long as you install Windows and your data over time is worth more than you would pay for the OS.
Not really as that brings pennies. The logic is the same as WinRar. Basically they don’t care about users pirating since it helps them retain the market share since middle aged or older people aren’t that tech savvy.
The biggest moneymaker in retail sector is laptop manufacturers bundling windows with their laptops and companies/corporations using legit windows copies.
They get ridiculous amounts of money just to provide security updates to windows XP because there are loads of equipment that can’t be run without the specific software that is incompatible with later versions.
And they will get ridiculous amounts of money 20 years down the line for doing the same with windows 10 too as long as they retain the massive market share and middle aged people will be accustomed to win 10.
I heard from someone that MS support just tells people to use this if something goes wrong with their key.
This right here. If I remember correctly Gates even said there was no issue as long as people were using Windows.
These days the best way is to download the official ISO, install without key, open powershell with admin rights and run the massgrave one-liner script with a quick copy/paste.
Just download it from MS directly and use it unactivated (select “I don’t have a key” when prompted). Why anyone would f- around with their OS, of all things…
If you care to activate, it’s trivial to get a grey key or to find an activation script (though I think they patched out the script – even though MS Support themselves used it)
Or just use ohook
https://massgrave.dev/ohook.html
Used this about 4 times in the past month alone lol
Why would you download a “pirated” copy? Just download the dumbass Windows official installer from Microsoft and use the link Ardi60 posted. There’s no reason to needlessly get yourself root-kitted because you were downloading an OS that doesn’t even need to be cracked in order to install.
