Windows wants money from you. He will take them by force
Microsoft is working to make life more difficult for people using unactivated Windows. The Edge browser was targeted.
Basically, you can use Windows without activating it. This is sometimes troublesome because you cannot change, among others: personalization settings and the watermark on the screen takes some getting used to, but it works. Moreover, under applicable law it is not illegal at all.
The thing is that Microsoft has recently realized this loophole. Or maybe another way: he probably knew about it for a long time, but now he decided to make life a little more difficult for non-payers than before.
In the test version of the Edge browser, Canary appears a new, previously unknown feature called msEdgeLockSettingsInNonActivatedOS – reports Windows Report. As you can easily guess, it analyzes the system activation status and, if it is found missing, blocks access to browser settings.
It's debatable how much of a blockade users will feel. After all, theoretically they can install any other browser, even Chrome or Firefox, and thus easily bypass Microsoft's restrictions.
However, it cannot be denied that such moves are living proof of the intentions of the Redmond company, which is clearly looking for further arguments to persuade people to pay for its system. Of course, it remains an open question whether this plan will be successful.
