Difference Between Genuine And Pirated Windows 8 Activation
Windows 8 has been released publicly for a long time now and since then activators have started floating around the web. P2P networks and File sharing sites have variety of Keygens and Windows 8 permanent activators. But, do they really work or activate Windows 8 genuinely like in Windows 7?
I tried hands on some Windows 8 crack tools and procedures and found many of them as fake. Here’s how you can identify the difference between genuine activation and pirated windows 8 activation.
- How I activated Windows 8 Permanently for Free
Windows 8 Activation Screen
Go to Properties of My Computer and System info will say Windows is activated in both fake and genuine case. Click on View Details in Windows 8 activation to know more.
This Window reveals truth.
Genuine Windows 8 Activation says “Windows currently running on your PC is activated and followed by Edition, Product key and Activation date.
On other hand, Pirate Activation says just Windows is activated with no date and other things mentioned. It happens when you use a activator tool which just modifies system file to give output text as activated.
If you happen to activate Windows 8 using KMS trick, there will be one more detail in this window which tells Windows Expiration date. This is generally 180 days after the date of activation.
Personalize PC Settings
Access PC Settings from Charms bar and click on Personalize (first menu on left sidebar).
If you notice that Options on right namely Start Screen, Lock Screen and Account Picture are greyed out (disabled), it is pirate activation.
Genuine activation unlocks Personalization features.
Most of the pirate activators just corrupts slmgr.vbs (file which is responsible for Windows 8 activation) such that it gives “Windows is activated” as output. But in actual, it is not.
Some of these tools also have feature to remove Windows 8 watermark and activation notification.
Why Windows 8 Activators are Given Free
Hackers have their own benefit behind this. They inject virus inside these activators while packing and then distribute it widely on free file sharing sites. You should be aware and avoid using such kind of things to prevent your system from malware infection. If you are trying it out of curiosity, make sure to carry out virus scan before using.
Any Other Difference?
No. You will be able to use all the features and functionality of Windows 8 depending on the edition you have.
At this moment, there is no permanent activator tool on web which would make Windows 8 genuine like you did in Windows 7. The one you will download will fall in one of the above mentioned category. Instead of risking your system, I would say keep running Windows 8 unactivated if you want some more time to decide on purchase or rearm Windows 8 Trial to extend evaluation period.
Lastly, Pirates have nothing to lose, they found a loophole to crack Windows 8 Apps store too. So, today or tomorrow, there will be a working crack on Internet. Being such a popular OS, company cannot really stop enthusiasts and curious minds from such activities.