Pirated software - to legal

Is there a way to take the pirated software that a user might have on their
computer and "legalize it" by paying Microsoft some money. What I mean is if
I had a "friend" give me a "pirated" copy of software and I went to the
update.microsoft.com website and it says that the copy is "Illegal" is there
a way to get a "legal" copy, via a key or download or something, of which you
will pay?


I also wonder if you have a key on the side of your computer, but your hard
drive is wiped out and you are not under warranty anymore, how you can get
that "legal" copy to work, however, you don't have the right CD to install,
such as an OEM. We have many Windows 2000 computers at my company that were
legal at one time from IBM, and I wonder if they are "legal" anymore. I am
fully aware that they are still "owned" by my company, but I see that users
have these keys as well, for XP as well, and I wonder if they buy from, Dell,
for instance and have that restoration CD that blows their system away and
forces them to start from scratch. Well, if that is ALL that they have and
someone discards the CD, is there a way to get the legal key to work without
the CD!? Maybe by calling Microsoft or something?

Thank you.

Matt

Shenan
Tue Sep 05 12:45:11 CDT 2006

Matt Carter wrote:
> Is there a way to take the pirated software that a user might have
> on their computer and "legalize it" by paying Microsoft some money.
> What I mean is if I had a "friend" give me a "pirated" copy of
> software and I went to the update.microsoft.com website and it says
> that the copy is "Illegal" is there a way to get a "legal" copy,
> via a key or download or something, of which you will pay?

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/FAQ.aspx?displaylang=en#Question6Label

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409


> I also wonder if you have a key on the side of your computer, but
> your hard drive is wiped out and you are not under warranty
> anymore, how you can get that "legal" copy to work, however, you
> don't have the right CD to install, such as an OEM. We have many
> Windows 2000 computers at my company that were legal at one time
> from IBM, and I wonder if they are "legal" anymore. I am fully
> aware that they are still "owned" by my company, but I see that
> users have these keys as well, for XP as well, and I wonder if they
> buy from, Dell, for instance and have that restoration CD that
> blows their system away and forces them to start from scratch.
> Well, if that is ALL that they have and someone discards the CD, is
> there a way to get the legal key to work without the CD!? Maybe by
> calling Microsoft or something?

Need the CD - usually any **GENERIC** OEM CD will work with said OEM product
keys.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

QuidnuncSimcha
Tue Sep 05 23:01:02 CDT 2006

Mr Carter,

In a way I can understand why you may want to keep the illegal copy. It may
be installed and you don't want to "fuss" around with installing another
after removing the "illegal" copy.

Although I am a novice to computers, I would like to make the following
suggestions. If a person has the ability to "crack" MS's sophisticated
registration mechanism, the person probably has the ability to add some nasty
things to the OS. The most likely tool in this situation would be a
"rootkit". If this "rootkit" is on the OS, there is a "probability" that your
software firewalls will not work to block potential covert ports or code via
said rootkit. Based on the latter, I say....why not trash the "illegal" copy
and buy a "real" copy?" Yes, it is more expensive but yu will feel better in
the future if a question of security ever rises.

Just a thought.



"Matt Carter" wrote:

> Is there a way to take the pirated software that a user might have on their
> computer and "legalize it" by paying Microsoft some money. What I mean is if
> I had a "friend" give me a "pirated" copy of software and I went to the
> update.microsoft.com website and it says that the copy is "Illegal" is there
> a way to get a "legal" copy, via a key or download or something, of which you
> will pay?
>
>
> I also wonder if you have a key on the side of your computer, but your hard
> drive is wiped out and you are not under warranty anymore, how you can get
> that "legal" copy to work, however, you don't have the right CD to install,
> such as an OEM. We have many Windows 2000 computers at my company that were
> legal at one time from IBM, and I wonder if they are "legal" anymore. I am
> fully aware that they are still "owned" by my company, but I see that users
> have these keys as well, for XP as well, and I wonder if they buy from, Dell,
> for instance and have that restoration CD that blows their system away and
> forces them to start from scratch. Well, if that is ALL that they have and
> someone discards the CD, is there a way to get the legal key to work without
> the CD!? Maybe by calling Microsoft or something?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Matt

gato2006chile
Wed Sep 06 12:01:10 CDT 2006

QuidnuncSimcha escribió:
> Mr Carter,
>
> In a way I can understand why you may want to keep the illegal copy. It may
> be installed and you don't want to "fuss" around with installing another
> after removing the "illegal" copy.
>
> Although I am a novice to computers, I would like to make the following
> suggestions. If a person has the ability to "crack" MS's sophisticated
> registration mechanism, the person probably has the ability to add some nasty
> things to the OS. The most likely tool in this situation would be a
> "rootkit". If this "rootkit" is on the OS, there is a "probability" that your
> software firewalls will not work to block potential covert ports or code via
> said rootkit. Based on the latter, I say....why not trash the "illegal" copy
> and buy a "real" copy?" Yes, it is more expensive but yu will feel better in
> the future if a question of security ever rises.
>
> Just a thought.
>
>
>
> "Matt Carter" wrote:
>
>> Is there a way to take the pirated software that a user might have on their
>> computer and "legalize it" by paying Microsoft some money. What I mean is if
>> I had a "friend" give me a "pirated" copy of software and I went to the
>> update.microsoft.com website and it says that the copy is "Illegal" is there
>> a way to get a "legal" copy, via a key or download or something, of which you
>> will pay?
>>
>>
>> I also wonder if you have a key on the side of your computer, but your hard
>> drive is wiped out and you are not under warranty anymore, how you can get
>> that "legal" copy to work, however, you don't have the right CD to install,
>> such as an OEM. We have many Windows 2000 computers at my company that were
>> legal at one time from IBM, and I wonder if they are "legal" anymore. I am
>> fully aware that they are still "owned" by my company, but I see that users
>> have these keys as well, for XP as well, and I wonder if they buy from, Dell,
>> for instance and have that restoration CD that blows their system away and
>> forces them to start from scratch. Well, if that is ALL that they have and
>> someone discards the CD, is there a way to get the legal key to work without
>> the CD!? Maybe by calling Microsoft or something?
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Matt

All depend of the type of software what are you using.

To a "pirate" Windows XP is possible to change the key for another
legal, but other programs perhaps dont(the license is stored in the
register or other location codified).

Compresors, antivirus, Office program, program to create pdf they have
theirs equivalents free.

If your are an home user, you have more option free to replace the
propietary programs.

Examples are:
OppenOffice( normal files, PDF, flash)
Avast(Antivirus)
Djgpp(programing)
NVU(Webdevelopening)
Compressors(Lzarc, 7-Zip, etc)

And a large etc of free software equivalent to the propietary software.

The only programs propietary necesary are the SO, and perhaps Visual
Studio, and VS have versions free to learning and programing(Visual
Studio Express).