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Not to say that I would do such a thing, but let's say someone decided to use bittorrents to download a free copy of Windows operating system (any one of them at all).

What are, if any, some common problems that will or can arise from using this ?illegally? downloaded software.

Can you still run Windows Updates, or do you even have to? I know you can disable them from running automatically, but what would happen if you did?

I just want to be clear on all these points, before I go ahead and offer advice to someone else on the subject.

Mokubai
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TronJavolta
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    Common problems include keyloggers and other malware preinstalled in the image you downloaded and a generally insecure system resulting from a disabled update system. The problems you meet would be outside of the scope of this site as they will not be the same problems you would have with a legitimate copy and we are not here to fix your computer or clean it up if the image you downloaded had malware in it. http://superuser.com/questions/100360/how-do-i-get-rid-of-malicious-spyware-malware-viruses-or-rootkits-from-my-pc – Mokubai Nov 22 '13 at 17:41
  • Everything you do on the machine is sent to a hacker who sells your info. Every account you touch gets taken over. If you ever use a credit or debit card on it to buy something, that accounts gets taken over. Just Say No and learn Linux instead, it's a free download from www.xubuntu.org – K7AAY Nov 22 '13 at 17:44
  • This topic is well documented. This question shows a lack of research on part of the author. – Ramhound Nov 22 '13 at 18:00
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    Hair on your palms. – dg99 Nov 22 '13 at 19:26
  • Look, I just wanted some friendly advice on what is likely or possible to happen, that is all. I came to SuperUser because I heard it was a great site to learn, and ask questions. Maybe I should have just Googled it. – TronJavolta Nov 30 '13 at 17:37

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There's nearly an infinite number of answers to this question. There's millions of possible problems you could run into, because the "release" you've downloaded has been put together by an individual with

  • Unknown skills/expertise in modifying the final product (they could have done 1, 2 3, or a billion things wrong)

  • Unknown intentions (they could be just "sharing" or they could be an identity thief)

Ultimately the possibilities range from a minor, random bug to your entire bank account being emptied, and anything in between.