Putin's awkward online video shows him running an unactivated copy of Windows on a US-made Dell PC

[midian182]

Facepalm: Russia might have spent more than a decade trying to drop US technology in favor of home-grown alternatives, but it appears that even President Vladimir Putin is happy to use a Dell PC and Windows for a video showing him casting his vote. It also seems that the Kremlin didn't want to pay Microsoft $139 for an activation key (or $10 for that matter): Putin was using an unactivated copy of the OS, and looked about as comfortable using the computer as most 73-year-olds would.

In the clip, the Russian president was casting his vote online in the country's State Duma elections, which were held between September 18 and 20 to elect members of the lower house.

But the video is getting a lot of attention for reasons unlikely to please the Russian president. Firstly, there's no attempt to hide that the PC being used in this case is a US-made Dell, likely a Dell U3011, running Windows.

It looks as if Moscow isn't in a hurry to hand over any more money to Microsoft. A magnified section of the video appears to show the Activate Windows watermark. This indicates that Windows is unactivated, though not necessarily unlicensed: a legitimately licensed installation can also display the warning if activation fails.

– Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 18, 2026

Not using something like Astra Linux, which has a 74% share of the Russian-made OS market, for the shoot is something of a surprise.

There could be reasons why this Windows copy is unactivated. Maybe it was set up only for this clip, so registering a fresh copy of the OS was deemed unnecessary. Or perhaps Russia thought it was mocking Microsoft and the US?

Or maybe it was all a ploy to distract from Putin's computer skills. He looks far from at ease when casting his vote, as the president squints at the screen, takes long pauses, and occasionally resembles the dog from the old "I have no idea what I'm doing" meme. His exclamation that "You can't go wrong" sounds more like he's trying to convince himself.

Putin has never come across as technically inclined. It was reported in July 2026 that he still doesn't own a smartphone, though his spokesperson claims this is due to security and privacy concerns. He's also said to be wary of the internet and modern communications, but then maybe we all should be.

Permalink to story:

Putin's awkward online video shows him running an unactivated copy of Windows on a US-made Dell PC

 

[Kirby1]

I guess him and Bill don't meet up at Epstien island anymore, otherwise he could just ask Bill for a product key.

 

[toooooot]

Well, there is no such thing as a Russian PC. He can pick Chinese or American but that should not be very different for him.

The CPUs Russia sort of created are a mess. It would be a lot more embarrassing to use those.

 

[Kashim]

I guess him and Bill don't meet up at Epstien island anymore, otherwise he could just ask Bill for a product key.

Bill? You're confused. I think you mean Donald.

 

[Pwnjuice]

Bill? You're confused. I think you mean Donald.

You must be confused; I don't remember Donald being CEO of Microsoft.

 

[Kirby1]

Bill? You're confused. I think you mean Donald.

I'm sure he was there too, but how is Donald going to help Putin get a windows key?

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

You must be confused; I don't remember Donald being CEO of Microsoft.

He clearly meant Donald Sterling, who Steve Ballmer famously bought the LA Clippers from. Reportedly, Steve Ballmer paid Donald $2B in Windows activation licenses for the team. Donald's ancestry is Russian, so that automatically makes him an agent of Putin. /s

Source: https://thenewporktimes.com/article...a-clippers-to-steve-ballmer-for-2b-in--dcx45u

 

[Tantor]

Funny article, but it doesn't prove anything.

The US voting system uses Dominion software, which is entirely unaccountable to the American people, and was behind the 2020 election theft. Whereas the Russians use a gutted version of Windows 10.

It's not surprising that Putin was squinting. He was actually trying to READ the bloody screen, unlike Trump who can't even read. Or Biden who can't sign documents but uses auto-sign. Pathetic.

Joke: What's the difference between the Russian president and the American president. The Russian president can read and write English. And probably speak German, French, some Chinese, as well as being uber-fluent in Russian.

By the way, Putin is in his mid 70's and probably uses glasses.

 

[OortCloud]

Crackpot dictator doing what crackpot dictators do best.

2 million - mostly young - people have lost their lives now in the utterly pointless bungle-fest that is Putin's ludicrous Russian invasion of Ukraine. I wonder does a man as truly unhinged as Mad Vlad feel even a tinge of remorse about it?

 

[p51d007]

Wonder how many times he was allowed to vote for himself?

 

[netman]

In the clip, the Russian president was casting his vote online in the country's State Duma elections, which were held between September 18 and 20 to elect members of the lower house.

... And Ukraine effort yet to disrupt the election by sending 1,600 attack drones to Moscow failed miserably...!

Election Error

 

[Mr Majestyk]

See all ths time we thought he was a scumbag, now we have proof. Nothing worse than piracy right. Forget the Ukraine war, that's chicken feed compared to this crime.

 

[Taroo]

Unactivated copies of Windows still "work", right ? I mean, not less than activated copies, at least.

 

[Later]

"US made Dell Pc....." , Dell is not making pc's in the US since forever. ))))))))))

 

[Alpine7995]

To be fair, an activation watermark doesn't necessarily mean the copy is pirated. But using Windows on a Dell for a highly publicized government video is an amusing advertisement for how difficult completely replacing entrenched Western technology can be.

 

[mjuice7]

Bill? You're confused. I think you mean Donald.

how dare you insinuate that drumpf was on the epstein plane many times (the likes the world has never seen before) & on epstein island many times (the likes the world has never seen before). you've clearly upset the drumpf fanbois on this thread.

 

[mjuice7]

You must be confused; I don't remember Donald being CEO of Microsoft.

bill & the drumpf were both there. wasn't there something written about the drumpf gobbing bill's tossil?

 

[mjuice7]

Funny article, but it doesn't prove anything.

The US voting system uses Dominion software, which is entirely unaccountable to the American people, and was behind the 2020 election theft. Whereas the Russians use a gutted version of Windows 10.

It's not surprising that Putin was squinting. He was actually trying to READ the bloody screen, unlike Trump who can't even read. Or Biden who can't sign documents but uses auto-sign. Pathetic.

Joke: What's the difference between the Russian president and the American president. The Russian president can read and write English. And probably speak German, French, some Chinese, as well as being uber-fluent in Russian.

By the way, Putin is in his mid 70's and probably uses glasses.

you're wrong. dominion wasn't behind the election theft. I've seen a video of an extremely knowledgeable punter explaining that the 2020 votes were sent to a satellite in space & the votes for the drumpf were changed to votes for biden & then beamed back to earth. that's how the election was stolen. & this woman would know because she's a drumpf voter & we all know how whip smart they are.

 

[A Tabby Person]

Q: How can max # of Americans be trolled? A: Windows on Dell. Donald can’t do this.

 

[RaXelliX]

... And Ukraine effort yet to disrupt the election by sending 1,600 attack drones to Moscow failed miserably...!

Election Error

It was never meant to disrupt election. It was meant as a message and every moscow resident heard it loud and clear. What's miserable was how the moscow refinery got pounded by those drones and that the five rings of russian air defense couldn't stop it.

Also linking rt.com - a russian propaganda outlet...

 

[TheBigT42]

"Kremlin didn't want to pay Microsoft $139 for an activation key (or $10 for that matter)"

Or even be bothered to run Github Massgravel Microsoft Activation Scripts???

I mean Microsoft owns Github they have to know this exists.

 

[PurpaFur]

Will I EVER see a TS comment section WITHOUT at least one unrelated mention of Trump? I'm starting to think not...

 

[jdrch]

And suddenly I realize MassGraves scripts are a honeypot.

That said, I read once that Putin's biggest lie most non-Russians believe is that he controls all of Russia. In reality Russia is far too vast to be completely governed.