Windows 10: Microsoft can disable pirated software, unauthorised hardware
Microsoft can now disable counterfeit games and unathorised hardware with Windows 10
Microsoft can disable any counterfeit software or hardware running Windows 10, at least this is what is being interpreted based on the updated End User License Agreement (EULA). The new terms and conditions allow Microsoft to change or update software on your computer and changes to the EULA were first spotted by PC Authority.
According to the report, section 7b or ‘Updates to the Services or Software, and Changes to These Terms’ under EULA states that Microsoft, “may automatically check your version of the software and download software update or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorised hardware peripheral devices.”
With Windows 10 already running on over 14 million machines, it is still uncertain how Microsoft will be able to disable counterfeit or cracked software which includes its own Office suite. With Windows 10 Home, Microsoft has already made the software update mandatory. The problem with this that a user might not even know when the update will take place and Microsoft has denied users the choice to say no to an update.
While PC games have been heavily cracked and distributed across various channels, popular video game streaming service like Steam have been gaining strengths. Microsoft quashed its Windows Live Games in support of Steam with Windows 10.
While Microsoft blocking pirated games/software seems understandable but its unclear what Microsoft means by ‘unauthorised hardware peripheral devices’. With Windows 10, Microsoft has brought Xbox games to computers and users can also stream Xbox games from Windows 10 machines. Microsoft disabling unauthorised hardware might well relate to Xbox game controllers which will now serve as a must-have peripheral for PC gaming.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/techno ... nFA3s.dpuf
Switching gears, has anyone run into issues with the fall update, version 1511 build 10586?UEFI provides a number of advantages, though, over the traditional BIOS. For starters, UEFI is capable of addressing hard drives with capacities up to 9.4 zettabytes. Yes, zetabytes. By some estimates, that’s roughly three times more than all of the information on the entire Internet right now, so it should be sufficient for the foreseeable future.
UEFI initializes hardware faster for a more “instant on” experience, and it allows for security and authentication before the operating system is booted. UEFI can also connect to a network. That means that even a PC that can’t boot into the operating system could be remotely accessed for troubleshooting and maintenance.
It's funny: POST and GRUB each (separately!) take longer than Win10 does once the Windows loader finally kicks in on my desktop which is running an old X58 board with oldschool BIOS. On the Surface, I get a "Surface" splash screen and then Windows is there. No POST, nothing. Hold volume down for UEFI config (I'm assuming F2 or DEL on most desktop boards) but otherwise you never see it at all.Rogue One wrote:Windows 10 boots faster because it's designed to take advantage of UEFI used on newer machines. Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) has replaced the older, slower Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) which has been in use since the 1970's.