Slashdot has linked to news out of Microsoft that the option to upgrade your non-genuine version of Win7, 8 or 8.1 to Windows 10 is not as clear cut as it sounded earlier in the week.  Microsoft stated in the interview that "they will remain in a “non-genuine” status and Microsoft will not support them".   This is more than a little odd if the stated purpose of this move, to reduce piracy rates across Asia, is correct as there is little to no reason to upgrade if your PC still remains unsupported.  Perhaps there is some sort of disconnect at Microsoft in which they think that one look at their new OS and Store will cause an epiphany in lifelong software pirates and they will leap at the opportunity to pay for Windows 10?

As Microsoft declined to elucidate further we really have no idea what they mean when they state that your Windows will remain unlicensed.  Will you simply have the same Reduced Functional mode, the black desktop overwrite that appears on non-genuine Windows currently?  Will you get all, some or none of the security updates?  Will it simply refuse to boot after a certain amount of time?  All in all it seems that Microsoft could have just skipped their original announcement as nothing seems to have changed.

"When Microsoft confirmed it will offer free Windows 10 upgrades to pirates worldwide, many were shocked. VentureBeat has been trying to get more details from the company, which disclosed today that after PCs with pirated copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are upgraded to Windows 10, they will remain in a 'non-genuine' status and Microsoft will not support them."

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