By softwarehelper.tech 
If you are a computer geek and have been fiddling with computers for a long time you probably have used the Windows operating system as your go-to OS at some point in time. You may or may not have used a genuine Microsoft Windows or maybe a friend of yours has a PC that has a pirated copy of Windows installed. The following question may have come to your mind:
Why Microsoft does not stop piracy?
The short answer to the above questions is Yes, Microsoft can detect and block non-genuine copies of its Windows. Then why does it not do that?
Well, let’s get some facts straight. Microsoft Windows has the largest share worldwide with about 68.41% followed by 20.15% of MacOS.
Image Source: StatCounter
How does a PC work without a genuine Windows operating system?
Microsoft Windows has been in the market for a long time. Long before some of us were even born. There are a lot of programmers who can change the registry code of a genuine copy of Windows and bypass the system for it to check the licensing and validation through Microsoft servers. Now this takes a lot of time, but also they had a lot of time as the basic kernel for Windows has rarely changed over the years.
These non-genuine copies, when installed on a PC, can behave like any genuine copy of Windows with the occasional hiccups/reboots, black/blue screen errors, or the lack of updates. Needless to say, these operating systems can be filled with bugs, malware, spyware, and other intrusive code that can make your life hell without you knowing it.
Now let us get to the elementary question and a few scenarios and examples.
Why Microsoft does not stop piracy?
1. Getting Addicted
Remember those days when only a few households had computers and we as students mostly relied on the school and college computers to get our hands dirty? Our first exposure to any operating system was Windows, and not the fancier and costlier Macs. It is like learning a language. Not the C++ or Java kind. But the ones in which we express our thoughts.
Imagine a child learning a language from childhood say English or French or Hindi, which happens to be their mother tongue. The child would be most comfortable in the language that they have been taught or rather, they hear it around them, be it from family or neighbors. Now if one day, the child is asked to speak in a different language would that be easy for him/her?
The same is the case with operating systems. We are used to working on a specific operating system and this gets us addicted, or we are always in our comfort zone as long as it is Windows. It is not that it is impossible to learn or adapt to a new one, but it is not a cakewalk either. More the number of computers running Windows, be it original or pirated, the market share always remains.
2. Stopping where it matters
We may be using non-genuine Windows in our homes, schools, or even colleges, but when it comes to the real world, the world where we have to struggle daily between the nitty gritty of a job or a business, a genuine Windows is all you will see. Using a non-genuine copy of Windows in a workplace is a big NO-NO, as it can have multiple implications and lawsuits sometimes which may amount to billions of dollars, just the fact that if you face any issues related to your work computers, Microsoft would not be liable in any cost.
This practice of using genuine copies is often not taken care of by Microsoft, but by the business itself to avoid landing into a soup. This saves Microsoft a hell lot of trouble to check for genuine copies. And since we or the employees are already addicted to Windows, the companies have a double advantage of using only Windows computers.
a. Companies do not have to worry about their employees learning a new OS and save essential time.
b. Windows hardware is much cheaper than MacOS hardware, as well as relatively user-friendly than Unix OS.
3. Wanna buy some services
Most product-based companies are focussing their goals on to service-based approach. Apple would want an iPhone user to buy an iCloud subscription yearly. Though consumers may not change their phones every year they launch(Yes, there are a lot of people who save money by not changing their phones every year for some flimsy upgrades), iCloud is some service they would be continuously using. It is a recurring source of income that does not stop.
As long as a user does not switch from an iPhone to an Android, high chances are that they will buy iCloud, Apple Care, and whatnot for years to come.
Well again same is with Microsoft. We may be buying a genuine copy of Windows once. But the license for Microsoft Office or Office 365 is something that we have to renew year on year. Technically speaking, it would amount to more money for Microsoft from the sale of these products which it is marketing as services, than the Windows itself which a user buys only once. Even if people change computers, the same Windows license can be used. Evidently, Microsoft would be more focused on getting a hold of these services.
Hope you got the point as to why Microsoft does not stop piracy.
Bill Gates, when he was the CEO at Microsoft had once stated, that as long as people are stealing software and using pirated copies of operating systems, we want them to steal ours.
Although it may seem that there may be no harm in using a non-genuine copy, trust us, it is always advisable to use only genuine software even for home usage. We know the consequences if you don’t do so.
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