I am going to eventually use Linux (although need help with a good option for gaming and video library use), but I was curious how long I could use Windows unregistered for? What are the limitations of it not registered?
Whatever you do, don’t find massgravel’s GitHub and run the PowerShell script (this is sarcasm btw)
I’ve posted the link to the Github project so people can avoid it
I love how this has 81k stars on Github, a platform Microsoft acquired in 2018.
It won’t let you customize your settings (change your wallpaper and lots of stuff). It limits the Windows updates you’ll receive. It leaves the annoying “watermark” up. It nags you to activate. I think that’s about it.
It’ll harass you to activate it indefinitely but Microsoft has a policy that they’d rather have people steal their operating system than pay for someone else’s, so ultimately that’s it. It’ll just annoy you.
Most active way of harassment was changing your background with a black image. I think that was win 7
I have been running for almost a year and after first setup, didn’t get a nag to activate. Just a watermark on the lower right.
they’d rather have people steal their operating system than pay for someone else’s
Uh… What? 99% of all alternatives to Windows are free (as in beer), whereas Microsoft is the one that charges money. Especially as a non-commercial user.
Hes half right.
Its not about paying for someone elses cause as you said the alternatives are free for the most part, its about not learning someone elses ecosystem so they stay in the windows ecosystem. Its why they have never come down on people using illegal copies.
U can use it how long you like. There are only some settings, you cant cange (but only in the settings, when you use the old control panel, you can sometimes still change them). Biggest issues for a standard user would probably be no background image and the watermark.