Piracy may be a fair bit of bother for most software companies, but for Microsoft it is an absolute bane. Various versions of the Windows operating system along with the Office suite of productivity applications are some of the most pirated software around the globe.
Redmond may have amped up its anti-piracy efforts, but at the same time it wants to make sure that its modern operating platform has every chance of success.
Windows 8.1 is now alive and kicking, and just like previous flavors of Windows, Microsoft wants to ensure that everyone is running a licensed copy of the new operating system. It has implemented a series of limitations for those that stick with non-activated versions of the new OS.
Similar to how things were on Windows 8, the new operating system blocks users from setting up a new desktop background (or wallpaper, if you will) unless Windows 8.1 is activated.
Windows 8.1 also prevents users form changing the colors on the Start Screen — in other words, the two most key personalization features are out of the reach of users running copies of the operating system that are not activated.
In addition to these two aforementioned limitations, Windows 8.1 also places a watermark on the desktop that indicates the need for activating the operating system.
And all this is not even the real interesting bit. Windows 8.1 users get an activation request every few hours with options to activate the operating system. These can, obviously, be closed so a user continues the work, but it is a persistent nag nevertheless.
A new entry in PC settings, however, shows up to help users quickly activate their copy.
