Is your Windows license Genuine?

In Nigeria, due to the relative newnesss of computer usage, software piracy is almost legal as there are little or no laws persecuting computer users who install and use these cracked software.

When you also consider the economic hardship faced by millions of Nigerian who are computer literate, especially when computers themselves come at a high cost, paying for genuine software is practically out of fashion as it's not the normal way of things.

One of the biggest names being taken advantage of by pirates is the Windows Operating system as there is really little or no other competing Operating system in the market. There may probably be only a handful of Linux users in Nigeria and this is a free Os one could use for Pc. The majority of system users however has already being captured by Microsoft's Windows, even though they are non paying customers.

Rumour has it that if all computer users in Nigeria are actually using a genuine windows installation, Microsoft would experience a significant increase in profits. From small businesses to home and school users, a lot of users simply just make use of the cheap software that comes mostly on computer systems already installed with a cracked version of the Windows OS.

The truth is that majority of computer users(mostly made up of youths) don't know much about the piracy issues or are able to detect if a windows license is actually genuine. Here, the people who commonly use Windows OS out of ignorance are the young people in school. With the exception of a few ones who are studying computer related courses, the majority of others just use computers as they come without paying for a license.

Personally, even while I was at the university, I didn't know much about paying for Windows software or other software and even when I later did have the money to pay for it, there were not many stores readily available that sell original computer software with the CD.

From Windows 98 as far back as I can remember to Windows XP, you could always find a place to get a Windows CD for as low as N150($1)and there is a big market for this at the computer village. Even now that we've got Windows 7 and Windows 8 in the market, there are already cheap copies of these software being sold in the market.

There are several reasons why many people in Nigeria still use a pirated version of Windows. One of the major reasons has to do with ignorance. Computer users with little or no knowledge about Windows installation are less likely to patronize pirated cd sellers but they are also likely to seek for the services of experts who would install it on their system for a small fee and return from time to time for maintenance issues. There had even being cases of small businesses paying for a supposedly original windows installation package but get duped by experts who install fake versions.

Another reason why people patronize pirated Window versions is because of the high cost. Most people would prefer to buy complete computer systems that already have a windows installation and don't bother whether if it's genuine or not and if the system later develops a problem, they'd later just get a fake CD for a new installation. An original Windows software could cost as much as $300 but a fake one goes for around $1.

A third reason I think computer users in Nigeria prefer using a fake Windows OS is probably because of the near absence of legal persecution. People are less likely to be legally prosecuted for using a fake windows license than for oil bunkering. Since Windows is produced by a private company - Microsoft, from which the govt has little or nothing to gain from directly, the officers of the law are less likely to crack down on illegal users. Although there have been some success at cracking down on targeted companies using fake Windows OS, there still remain a large number of users who go Scott free. Piracy issues and copyright protection in Nigeria are mostly promoted by the owners rather than the government.

Most other companies however who are keen on operating legitimate long term businesses do make use of genuine Windows software. Companies like banks, finance houses, stockbrokers, legal institutions and govt contractors are well aware of the risk associated with using pirated version of Windows since they know they could be targeted if they default.

The benefits of using a Genuine Windows software are numerous and people who have been used to making use of pirated versions ultimately find out that it costs more for their business in the long term if they stick to those habits. Pirated Windows are more likely to crash and make you lose valuable data. They offer an inefficient service, slow down your operations and eventually eat on your profits.

If you are not sure if the Windows you are using is genuine, your best bet is to check it yourself by going to your control panel.

Just Go to Menu > Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System

Under Windows activation, you'd see the Windows is activated message and the product ID.

If this doesn't work for you, then you are not using a genuine Windows software.