Just a day after Microsoft released the final OEM version of Windows 8 to manufacturers, leaked copies of the OS have started appearing on file-sharing sites. Reportedly, it's the 64-bit version of Windows 8 Enterprise N Edition that is doing the rounds of P2P sites. Many users from ThePirateBay.org have reported that it's indeed "the real deal". However, the download package is not bootable, and requires you to execute the setup file from your existing Windows installation. Since it's the N Edition (meant for European markets), it also lacks Windows Media Player. This is because in 2004, Microsoft was ordered to ship its OS sans WMP by the European Commission.

As of this writing, the download links are still active. However, my advice to readers is not to install it, since there is a good chance that the package may contain malware. This is even more probable because the links are hosted on Chinese and Russian sites. Finally, without the activation process, the OS will work for only 30 days. if you're really keen on trying out the new OS, download the Windows 8 Release Preview instead.
 

TAGS: Software, Internet, Windows, Microsoft, ck