Buying Windows OS - advise

[S00perb]

My win7 PC has had so many uipgrades that when I last rebuilt it, it now says my version of Win7 is not genuine. I was quite happy to ignore the nag pop up about this, but when trying to add a replacement keyboard, it refused to look for a devise driver!

Called the original computer manufacturer about their copy of Win7 on my machine - no help

Well, I am resigned to buying a new OS.

Win7 has always been excellent up to this point for me and was hoping to keep to it, but use Win10 at work and have to admit it is not as bad as Win8 by miles

So

Any good price options available for Win 7 or 10 you know about?

Would go Linux but run so many win software I am dubious it would be hassle free

 

[octyal]

It may be worth contacting Microsoft about the issue, especially if you have the certificate of authenticity on the tower. You can also got through the activation process again, where it will send a link to your phone to activate windows with a new key.

[S00perb]

Thx - yes did try loads of stuff like that and they seem a little confused as to the OS key and tower sticker numbers. They don't seem to match, hence contacting the manufacturer.

tbh I am fine with buying a new version, just asking for advise as to the most economical way pf going about that

[Aspman]

It it was an OEM license then technically it's coded to the processor and mobo so any upgrade there could invalidate your license. In reality I've never known MS to bother but they're getting arsey to move folk onto 10 now so maybe...

 

Usual suspect companies will sell you a full price license. If you plan to do a lot of upgrades then it might be worth forking out for a proper one rather than OEM.

 

If you've got any students or teachers in the house then you can usually pick up big discounts on student licenses.

 

https://softwaregeeks.co.uk/product/windows-10-home-2/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzMSM0-qs1wIVzL3tCh395Ar4EAQYASABEgL7y_D_BwE

 

£20

 

Plenty of reviews online but I've never used them.

[@Lee]

I might have a licence key for 7.

If I find it you can download 7 here https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7

[sparckzero]

eBay often has cheap W10 licenses for sale, however they're a bit "grey" in terms of legality. They're mostly OEM licenses, and so shouldn't really be re-sold without the accompanying equipment.

[S00perb]

OK, thanks all. I think I may be sorted now

[S00perb]

Just in case anyone fonds this thread who is in a similar position: The solution is to spend less then £2 on ebay for an unused key. It works fine

[VWD]

I'm running W7 on a so-called genuine key.  And that's from the "genuine " W7 label on the DVD. But every so often on updates, I get a suggestion that my copy is not genuine. Is it MS playing games to get us to move to W10.

I don't know, but having tried W10, I'm very reluctant to move to a chunk of bloat where I'm expected to let MS takeover my updates.

[S00perb]

9 hours ago, VWD said:

I'm running W7 on a so-called genuine key.  And that's from the "genuine " W7 label on the DVD. But every so often on updates, I get a suggestion that my copy is not genuine. Is it MS playing games to get us to move to W10.

I don't know, but having tried W10, I'm very reluctant to move to a chunk of bloat where I'm expected to let MS takeover my updates.

This is how my problems started as well.

The big problem came when I tried to add a new keyboard - it said that as it was not a genuine versionb of windows, it woul dnot ook for or instal the required driver.

If you have no need to add hardware, maybe you will be OK but if you need the key, it is very cheap on ebay.

I feel the same about W10. W7 has never crashed on me and it is the best OS I have ever had (started on 3.1!!)

[Guest FurryFriend]

My advice. Buy Apple. Just been through complete nightmares with Windows and their constant update scenarios , and humming and hawing about genuine licence keys for software bought previously,  all of which were legitimately purchased incidentally. 

Now bought a 27"iMac, and it's amazing. 

Bluntly **** Microsoft. They have forgotten about everybody except corporate customers. 

 

[@Lee]

35 minutes ago, FurryFriend said:

My advice. Buy Apple. Just been through complete nightmares with Windows and their constant update scenarios , and humming and hawing about genuine licence keys for software bought previously,  all of which were legitimately purchased incidentally. 

Now bought a 27"iMac, and it's amazing. 

Bluntly **** Microsoft. They have forgotten about everybody except corporate customers. 

 

You've bought an iMac with a big screen  
Apple  Homepod, three years behind Amazon Echo and three times the price.
iSheeple. Priceless  

[Guest FurryFriend]

Not quite as it seems, so perhaps get your facts straight before ridiculing people. 

 

Cost me £50.

 

My brothers. He's just emigrated. 

 

So Up yours.  

 

My money.... My choice pal. 

Edited 24 November, 2017 by FurryFriend

[VWD]

13 hours ago, S00perb said:

This is how my problems started as well.

The big problem came when I tried to add a new keyboard - it said that as it was not a genuine versionb of windows, it woul dnot ook for or instal the required driver.

If you have no need to add hardware, maybe you will be OK but if you need the key, it is very cheap on ebay.

I feel the same about W10. W7 has never crashed on me and it is the best OS I have ever had (started on 3.1!!)

SOOperb- me I started on an old 286, with a lot of stuff, so I used a Norton program called BE to create a menu based program to select the program I wanted to use. Years before 3.1.  I remember 3.1/95 and 98FE, where crashes & BSOD were a common thing. XP was roughly stable, but W7- I've never had to update til lately due to bloat problems. I've got a copy of W10, BUT tbh- I feel it's not fit for purpose. More like the Kings new clothes- 

[S00perb]

On 24/11/2017 at 22:51, VWD said:

SOOperb- me I started on an old 286, with a lot of stuff, so I used a Norton program called BE to create a menu based program to select the program I wanted to use. Years before 3.1.  I remember 3.1/95 and 98FE, where crashes & BSOD were a common thing. XP was roughly stable, but W7- I've never had to update til lately due to bloat problems. I've got a copy of W10, BUT tbh- I feel it's not fit for purpose. More like the Kings new clothes- 

Every item of technology goes through a sweet spot of perfection. W7 seems to be it for me. W10 takes away your update control and Microsoft could bust every PC in the world overnight with just one bad overnight update. Not a very good idea

[Aspman]

2 minutes ago, S00perb said:

Every item of technology goes through a sweet spot of perfection. W7 seems to be it for me. W10 takes away your update control and Microsoft could bust every PC in the world overnight with just one bad overnight update. Not a very good idea

 

Win2000 was the peak for me. Did as it was told and did nothing more.

 

MS has always had the ability to brick half the planet through it's updates ;-)

[S00perb]

1 minute ago, Aspman said:

 

Win2000 was the peak for me. Did as it was told and did nothing more.

 

MS has always had the ability to brick half the planet through it's updates ;-)

you must have had a cleaner install of win2000 than me then

[VWD]

I've had few problems on W2K , apart from it's problems with USB device disconnect.

[superbdreams]

On ‎24‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 20:05, FurryFriend said:

My advice. Buy Apple

That will be a cold day in hell!

[KenONeill]

@VWD - I wrote an A Mess DOS batch file to let me run the program I chose from the root directory; not a commercial application in sight other than WordStar, DBase 3+ and Lotus 123.

[VWD]

Ken- think I mentioned this earlier about my first PC which was an old 286, where I used an old Norton program( came with Norton 4.5) ( BE and CHOOSE)  to run a menu program selected from a run line in Auto exec .the language was similar to an old version of Sinclair Basic, with the options being on an IF/THEN set up.  And return to the menu on program shut down. 

[taylsy01]

On 28 November 2017 at 22:12, superbdreams said:

That will be a cold day in hell!

 Agreed.

 

 

since your copy of windows was genuine and you have genuinely misplaced the key I can give you a tip, there is a program called KMS Spico which should only be used for testing or for when you have a genuine license you can't get access to (for example the heat has faded my serial on my laptop).

 

before anyone starts, I do not condone using this unless you have a valid license. If Microsoft go bust I'll be out of a job so please buy genuine but if it was genuine and your having issues I see no reason you should buy twice. And do not purchase or use a dodgy serial.

 

ill also add that many AV software will try to remove this software as KMS software, I didn't create the software so can't 100% say its clean but I've read into it and have been using it over 5 years with no issue.

 

ill explain how it works and hence why AV programs pick it up.

 

the program is essentially a small local web host program which mirrors the Microsoft KMS (activation) servers. It then re routes any traffic your computer try's to put to Microsofts KMS server back to your machine and through KMSSpico and activates windows. You'll still get all your Microsoft updates as the update server is different and just checks that windows is activated. (Which it will be through this)

 

if you need anymore technical details of it before deciding let me know I'll explain, if you worry about what traffic it's rerouting it can all be checked in something called the "HOSTS" file (c:\windows\system 32\drivers\etc\hosts. (Open the file with notepad as it has no file extension)) here you'll see the servers it's re routing and where too (it will be rerouting to 127.0.0.1 which is known as the loop back address and therefor means your computer.)

 

any questions or concerns just ask mate I'll try help but end of the day it's up to you.. I trust the program as I'm good with Microsoft and from what I've seen on machines I've used it on, the way it works is safe. There might be something in it well hidden but even at that I would say I would have noticed, I would be absolutely shocked if I had missed something worrying. 

 

 

 

 

[KenONeill]

@taylsy01 - I'm not sure this advice applies to my situation. I have genuine MS Office installed on machines that are used stand-alone and never with any network connection. I'd like them to not throw "this product is not activated" messages because they can't phone home to the beast of Redmond.

[camelspyyder]

Last week I googled windows 7. it was £11.99 for the DVD and the licence. Not expensive.

[SWBoy]

14 hours ago, camelspyyder said:

Last week I googled windows 7. it was £11.99 for the DVD and the licence. Not expensive.

Be aware that support for Windows 7 will end on January 14th 2020 (less than 2 years time) so after that date you won't get any security updates and be vulnerable to zero day exploits.

 

W7 end of support 14/1/20