AfterDawn: News

Microsoft letting all Chinese Windows users upgrade to Windows 10 for free, even from pirated versions

Microsoft has made an unprecedented move today, announcing that all Chinese Windows users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10, for free - even if you are running a pirated version.

Over the past decade, studies have found that between 60-75 percent of Chinese users run pirated versions of Windows, with most of those users running Windows XP, which is over a decade old and vulnerable to security exploits.



Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft's Windows division, announced the move this week: "We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10." He did not say much else except to note that the company is looking to "re-engage" with hundreds of millions of Chinese Windows users.

Besides the desktop OS, Microsoft is working with Qihoo, Tencent and Lenovo in China to bring Windows to the mainstream, and the companies are actively working on Windows Phone devices, or Windows 10 apps for their software.

Outside of China, Microsoft is offering Windows 10 for free to licensed Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 owners, the first time it has offered an operating system upgrade for free.

Source:
Recode

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Mar 2015 10:04

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• 14 comments

• max777

  Do you need to be living in China? Born there? What about Taiwan?
  

  18.3.2015 10:23 #1

• panchdara

  Well, if I were an American, I'd be most upset. This is MS biting the hand that raised it. It's no wonder no one sheds a tear when MS gets hurt.

  18.3.2015 10:43 #2

• Rezer

  China is a huge market, it would make sense for companies to care more about that market.

  18.3.2015 10:49 #3

• Tazer247

  Originally posted by panchdara: Well, if I were an American, I'd be most upset. This is MS biting the hand that raised it. It's no wonder no one sheds a tear when MS gets hurt. Why?
  Anyone with a 7/8 pc gets it free anyways. I think the percentage of XP users that will be angry is small (they probably want to stay where they are if they still haven't upgraded) and those that have non-genuine copies of 7 and 8 are again probably in the minority, but are also going to pirate a copy again anyways.
  
  Unless they are a very jealous person who wants the best perks every time and for no one else even if you don't need them, this really shouldn't upset anyone.
  

  18.3.2015 10:52 #4

• lamain

  Originally posted by panchdara: Well, if I were an American, I'd be most upset. This is MS biting the hand that raised it. It's no wonder no one sheds a tear when MS gets hurt. I do have windows 7 and I am considering upgrading but even if I did not get a free upgrade I would see this as a good thing. The more we are able to get ride of old unsecured computer form the internet the more likely we will have lees bot nets and other security problems.
  
  
  

  18.3.2015 12:16 #5

• Mez

  Although XP is more vulnerable than later version none are very secure. The method of attack from most malware is more like an installation or upgrade. I do not believe M$ has addressed this issue. They focus on old methods of defense not radically different methods. It is like they keep making a thicker front door and the crooks are coming in the windows.

  18.3.2015 16:42 #6

• riggarob

  Originally posted by Tazer247: Originally posted by panchdara: Well, if I were an American, I'd be most upset. This is MS biting the hand that raised it. It's no wonder no one sheds a tear when MS gets hurt. Why?
  Anyone with a 7/8 pc gets it free anyways. I think the percentage of XP users that will be angry is small (they probably want to stay where they are if they still haven't upgraded) and those that have non-genuine copies of 7 and 8 are again probably in the minority, but are also going to pirate a copy again anyways.
  
  Unless they are a very jealous person who wants the best perks every time and for no one else even if you don't need them, this really shouldn't upset anyone. I thought that the free upgrade for 7/8 users was only for a year. am I wrong?

  18.3.2015 23:11 #7

• MagengarZ

  Okay, so China is a bigger market.
  Still, the U.S. market has legitimately supported MS from
  the very beginning. Therefor the U.S. market has every
  right to be angry.
  
  U.S. pirates are NOT part of the legitimate market.
  Since when has a U.S. pirate ever fully paid for any
  Windows operating system?
  All those pirated Windows OS torrents aren't gonna download
  and install themselves into someone's computer, you know.
  
  So, China gets a free upgrade to Windows 10 even after
  years of pirating previous Windows OSes.
  And we get a free upgrade to Windows 10 from 7 and 8
  after having PAID for previous Windows OSes.
  That doesn't seem fair at all.
  Like sending money to foreign countries who wanna bomb us,
  but we're ignoring our own homeless veterans who served
  our country!

  19.3.2015 00:03 #8

• ilikefree

  Well it would be a good way for the NSA to get their spyware into china, though they already have it there with the hard drive firmware back doors they have already installed.
  Reformatting won't get rid of that neither will a pirate copy of an operating system as it is in the firmware.
  

  shit doesnt just happen theres always an arsehole involved

  19.3.2015 04:24 #9

• Virgil_B

  Originally posted by riggarob: Originally posted by Tazer247: Originally posted by panchdara: Well, if I were an American, I'd be most upset. This is MS biting the hand that raised it. It's no wonder no one sheds a tear when MS gets hurt. Why?
  Anyone with a 7/8 pc gets it free anyways. I think the percentage of XP users that will be angry is small (they probably want to stay where they are if they still haven't upgraded) and those that have non-genuine copies of 7 and 8 are again probably in the minority, but are also going to pirate a copy again anyways.
  
  Unless they are a very jealous person who wants the best perks every time and for no one else even if you don't need them, this really shouldn't upset anyone. I thought that the free upgrade for 7/8 users was only for a year. am I wrong?
  
  As I understand it, during the first year that version 10 is available it will be offered free to anyone running versions 7/8/8.1. After the first year if you decide to upgrade your version 7/8/8.1 then you will have to pay some price (unknown at this time) for windows 10 as it will no longer be free. I am just afraid that it will be a download only version and that you won't have a licensed bootable disc so that you can go back to Windows 7 and then later reinstall Windows 10.

  19.3.2015 09:37 #10

• Mez

  Originally posted by ilikefree: Well it would be a good way for the NSA to get their spyware into china, though they already have it there with the hard drive firmware back doors they have already installed.
  Reformatting won't get rid of that neither will a pirate copy of an operating system as it is in the firmware. Well I would not be surprised if China didn't have spybots on most of the worlds computers. A method has been out for 6-7 yrs that allows the same bot to have a unique viral signature for each infected computer. An out going exec from McAfee claimed only about 1% of the viruses found are added to the list. Semantic claims they are 50% effective. The spokesman was still working there when he made that statement. If the bots only spy they don't activate any alarms and AV scans do not work for these 'server side polymorphic malware'.

  19.3.2015 09:42 #11

• Jadesq

  Jadesq says,
  
  "I thought that the free upgrade for 7/8 users was only for a year. am I wrong?..."
  
  The short answer is YES you are mistaken.
  See: Microsoft website Windows 10/about
  
  "...And even better: once a qualified Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it up to date for the supported lifetime of the device..."

  19.3.2015 10:04 #12

• Sannas

  I'm not annoyed about this in anyway whatsoever, please look at this for what it is. Windows 10 isn't really anydifferent from windows 8. A new webbrowser and a few utils/apps as additions doesn't make a new OS, i can get a new browser by downloading one from google, firefox or safari and the list goes on. This is microsoft desperate to get people to move away from windows 7 and previous versions. They are so desperate they are giving it away to anyone including cracked versions for free. Seriously people this OS is rubbish and MS know it. They cant get you to buy it so force it on you with free upgrade. Seriously stick to Windows7 You will be happier.
  If you don't play games(I mean pc games from steam or a shop not facebook or browswer games) Then grab a copy of linux its not as complicated as Microsoft would like you to believe and is far more functional. For anyone with an Iphone or Android phones your already using linux anyway so just make the move. Its free, its faster, it has its own free version of Office what more could you want. Its more reliable and secure. Updating it can be done whilst drinking a cup of coffee compared to Microsofts all day event. If you don't play games, in my opinion linux is a far better option.

  19.3.2015 10:20 #13

• Mez

  Sannas, I fully concur. That was going to be my statement until I saw lamain's statement that 10 would keep bot nets out. I would happily buy an OS that really tried to be secure. Like being able to stop all updates, and have full control of the updates, have a file property that is beyond read only-only a format could remove the file and nothing could alter it. There you could hold a zip of all your non-changing system files. Now one of the first things an advanced malware does is infects bot the system restore and the OS duplicate stored on a hidden partition.
  
  Most infections occur like an update. The attack starts early in the boot process before any security is up and running. The malware can disable AVs before they become active. Hackers will be able to get around these changes but it might take a while and at least the OS would be trying something new.

  19.3.2015 17:40 #14