Windows is a proprietary operating system that allows Microsoft to set any restrictions it sees fit as long as it doesn’t break the law. As a result, we recently learned that the Redmond giant might be considering limiting the web browser’s capabilities Microsoft Edge in Windows 11 installations that work without an activation key.

When using Windows without an activation key, much of the operating system works perfectly and may even be sufficient in many contexts. Yes, there will be a reminder and a watermark, and some customization options are unavailable, such as setting the wallpaper through the system settings, but the user can install applications and use them, so the system is functional enough to fulfill its role as a tool that allows the computer to be used.

Obviously, using Windows 11 without an activation key sounds too good, so Microsoft is testing it the Microsoft Edge Canary channel includes some new features that cause some parts of the browser to remain blocked if the operating system is not activated with the corresponding key. The user will be able to see a message in some parts of the application that Windows was detected as not being activated, so some customization options were limited (yes, as well as some parts of the system itself).

Source: ghacks.net

Microsoft has yet to provide any explanation for the move, and seeing as it’s something that was introduced in the Edge Canary channel, It’s possible that the company will conduct tests around the restrictions in place before finally implementing them into the stable branch of the browser.which is the one that users usually use and the most recommended because it is the production-oriented version.

As we said earlier, Windows is a proprietary operating system, and so is Microsoft Edge, which is proprietary thanks to the permissive three-clause BSD license under which Chromium, the web browser on which it is based, is published. This allows the Redmond corporation to set any restrictions it sees fit as long as they don’t violate the law.

However, the limitations reached the Microsoft Edge Canary channel on Windows 11 installations that were not activated They can easily be “skipped” by just using any other non-proprietary browser. Quite possibly, Mozilla Firefox, Vivaldi and Brave will use this circumstance to sell themselves as a space of freedom against the restrictions that Microsoft apparently intends to impose. On the other hand, builds of Microsoft Edge for macOS, Linux, and Android should not be affected by the Windows 11 restrictions, which don’t seem to have reached version 10.