Windows 10 distro... "sorry to be that guy"...

TinyAudio

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Jan 9, 2017
188
132
So this is my first step back from Macdom after 10 years away.

Why is it so difficult to buy windows?

Just on ebuyer there is W10 OEM, W10 N whatever the hell that is W10 pro.

I will be starting again from nothing so I will need it to be on USB as I cannot do a download on another system... unless there is a way to complete that from within bios, EUFI, ESXI vauxhall Nova GSI... I am starting to think I should just buy a mac mini and be done with it :)

Can someone help me navigate the many tastes and flavours...
 

GreatestUnKnown

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Dec 30, 2016
108
154
I am still waiting to purchase a license and have been running Windows 10 unactivated... I do plan on purchasing one but other than the watermark it is allowing me to bench test my build while I finish modifications for my case.

I also parrot Phuncz by recommending weariness for shady license sellers, purchasing Win10 home does also allow for upgrading to Pro at a later date...
 

Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
KMPKT
Feb 1, 2016
3,382
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Yeah I actually got hosed on one of these fake distributors a few years back. Just buy it straight from Microsoft or a brick and mortar store and be done with it IMHO.

Also a question for the crowd. I've been running Windows 7 and now Windows 10 pro without registration for like 3-4 years. I don't do anything but game on my PC (everything else on my MacBook). What's up with that? I figured they would have forced me to run a full version by now.
 

PlayfulPhoenix

Founder of SFF.N
SFFLAB
Chimera Industries
Gold Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
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Also a question for the crowd. I've been running Windows 7 and now Windows 10 pro without registration for like 3-4 years. I don't do anything but game on my PC (everything else on my MacBook). What's up with that? I figured they would have forced me to run a full version by now.

There was a lot of fuzziness surrounding authentication of Windows installations from 7-8 -> 10 as Microsoft (intentionally) allowed free upgrades to incentive folks to move up to the latest and greatest, but did so in such a way that you could do clean installations and still end up with a legitimate copy. They didn't really express it publicly as such, but if you even just had access to a Win7 or Win8 installation, you (for all practical intents and purposes) had the ability to install Win10 on any computer for 'free' as a result. Win10 would 'validate' as a result of being installed and detecting that you had a Win7 or Win8 license, in effect creating a new one.
 
Mar 6, 2017
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N doesn't have the built in media player (some EU regulation. Pro has Remote Desktop capability. That's it.
Edit: forgot about Group Policy Editor
 
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Ceros_X

King of Cable Management
Mar 8, 2016
748
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Last I checked you could still upgrade from 7 -> 10, even though Microsoft publicly said the program was closing. There was/is a thriving grey market for recycled Win7 keys.

I'd just get an OEM license from Newegg and call it a day to avoid doubts.
 

jtd871

SFF Guru
Jun 22, 2015
1,166
851
@TinyAudio I just installed W10Pro from an external USB-powered DVD (none of my thumb drives were liked by the Media Creation Tool) and it worked a treat (if a bit slow). Brand new system, so Kaby Lake i5 and H270 MB. If you're planning to re-use older hardware, then you might have difficulties if the BIOS does not support booting from USB devices.
 
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Vittra

Airflow Optimizer
May 11, 2015
359
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Here's a post I made elsewhere at the very beginning of march regarding the situation of Windows 10, upgrades, and clean installs:

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru.../74522-fresh-win-10-install-2.html#post841709

Inputting the Windows 7/8.1 CD key into the Windows 10 installation may actually be seen and activated as a new device. I mention this because some people have been able to use their Windows 7 keys quite recently to install a fresh copy of windows on new hardware. Why is this still working as they stopped upgrades? Ask Microsoft.

Fresh install on a machine that previously had Windows 10:

1) Digital Entitlement. NO Microsoft Account associated. Reinstall Windows 10 and do not enter a key. It will activate via internet based on mobo/cpu ID. People encounter mixed results with this method.
2) Digital Entitlement. Microsoft account associated. You will see the device on your MS account. Reinstall Windows 10 and do not enter a key. It will activate via internet based on mobo/cpu ID once you have logged into your MS account again on the new installation.

Upgrading hardware on a machine that already has Windows 10

1) Install Windows 10 and enter the previous Windows 7/8.1 product key you have. This will create a new device ID/activation association. Mixed results reported on this method.
2) Digital Entitlement. Microsoft Account associated. Make sure your current device has a Microsoft Account logged in and associated. Upgrade hardware. If your device deactivates, you can go to the "Activation" section of Windows and migrate your Digital Entitlement over from your previous hardware setup to your new one.

Note - Logging in with a Microsoft Account will attach itself to the local account that is currently logged in. Do not do this if you use the built-in admin account. Create a separate local admin account first - but really, you shouldn't be using the built-in admin account anyway.

Alternatively, there's an interesting method another individual mentioned just below my post you can use to grab a particular file, clean install, and restore this file to gain your activation back. It was originally used prior to the Nov '15 update that allowed you to directly upgrade Win 7/8.1 to Windows 10, but it seems to still work if you'd like to reinstall a clean copy of Windows 10.

Note - It will only work if your hardware remains exactly the same:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials...10-directly-without-having-upgrade-first.html
 
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Soul_Est

SFF Guru
SFFn Staff
Feb 12, 2016
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So this is my first step back from Macdom after 10 years away.

Why is it so difficult to buy windows?

Just on ebuyer there is W10 OEM, W10 N whatever the hell that is W10 pro.

I will be starting again from nothing so I will need it to be on USB as I cannot do a download on another system... unless there is a way to complete that from within bios, EUFI, ESXI vauxhall Nova GSI... I am starting to think I should just buy a mac mini and be done with it :)

Can someone help me navigate the many tastes and flavours...
Or you could build a hackintosh. For the most part, Windows 10 Home is all you would ever need unless you want encryption and enterprise (remote device management, etc.) features.