Risks of going online with pirated Windows XP

Hi There,

If I install a pirated Windows XP in my laptop , and if I connect to Internet , is there a possiblity that my pirated OS will get caught by any websites or programs in the internet?
Earlier during a short trip to India , I used to get a pop up when connected to Internet saying that " Your windows is not valid ... bla..bla.. "
So will it happen again here in Germany?

Anyone faced a similar problem while trying a pirated OS?

I have a valid vista OS now but , I want to get rid of it

Thanks

Install a legal WinXP or Ubuntu ... simple really.

Usually there is also a Vista -> XP downgrade option available.

Guess I have to buy a legal one..

But the Vista > XP downgrade option .. Can You pls give the details? Maily does it increase the system performance?

thx

Google could be your friend. There are ways to "lose" that "Windows is not valid" message, but I'm no criminal so I ain't gonna tell ya.

you use a regular xp installation and when it asks you to activate it you choose the option to do the activation by phone, explain your situation to customer service, provide your vista license and that's it.

as far as I remember the downgrade to XP from Vista option is only available if you have the Pro/ultimate edition of Vista, not the home premium that most PCs come with as standard

I never had any legal versions of Windows in my life:) except for work computers, and never had any problems, like popping up windows or whatever else. I don't remember where did I download the latest XP, but it works great for about a year on three laptops, including all automatic updates.

Will a Pirated XP get caught. Maybe.. Almost every part of XP phones home to MS every time it is run.
Windows (And now Office) have a program called Windows/Office Genuine advantage which checks the
authenticity of either product every time it installs updates and at random intervals.

If it thinks your install is bogus, it will pop-up warnings for 30 days, then it will only run windows in
"Reduced functionality mode", which means it will run for an hour or so the quit, forcing you to reboot.

The Vista to XP downgrade Option is only available if you buy Vista Business, Ultimate or Enterprise (Or a PC with it installed).
Then its just as Gorgo explained.. Call up the support line and give them the Vista key, and they will give you a Key
to use for installing Windows XP.

If you looking to buy a new PC, many manufacturers are including the Downgrade option during the Order/build process.
Dell will sell you a laptop with Vista, but will install XP if you so choose and provide you with the XP and Vista keys.
No need to contact Microsoft.

Get ubuntu and if you wanna play games get a PS3.

I had Bill Gates knocking on my door last week... Nah I don't think MS do a witch hunt on dodgy installations, that would make them more
unpopular than they already are. They just do not offer the full updates. I think this works better and people eventually end up buying it
legally in the end anyway.

I expect you will get caught eventually and have to deal with the reduced functionality etc however a tip is to always check the kb updates that appear in the update manager in google before you let windows install them.

Anything that looks like it will break what is allowing you to use the copy should not be allowed to run.

you can have problems, I gave my old laptop to our computer geek about 2 years ago to fix for me, well, he installed an illegal copy of XP on my computer, only found out when I tried to do some updates. Internet kept shutting down, couldn't respond to TT, was a mess, email program shut down on me all the time.
Was really pissed at him for doing that.

I think it would work if you choose to DOWNLOAD UPDATES MANUALLY and CHOOSE THE UPDATES YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD. There will be CHECKBOXES beside the UPDATES NAME/TITLE.
And dont forget NOT TO CHECK OR DOWNLOAD the WINDOWS GENUINE PROGRAM (Im not sure about the title)...

But personally, I would rather buy legal software than getting caught.hehe Support Bill Gates! LOL! Or install UBUNTU because it is user friendly (But you cant play many games especially DOTA using LINUX OSes).

Just my Opinion...