Question about Windows licenses

[Howard_Casto]

I picked up a dual core duo 2.33 ghz for a project and it came with Vista (ugh) .... 32 bit Vista (double ugh). 

It was my understanding that 64 and 32 bit licenses were interchangeable, is this still the case?  It's an OEM license and I know things are kind of iffy with those.  I'd really like to put a 64 bit OS on here but I don't want to have to re-install because the license won't work. 

[JDFan]

Yep -- 32 bit and 64 bit are interchangeable -- you just need the proper install disk or files - the license key will work with either version as long as it is the same OS (ie. business, home, pro)

That said you will have to reinstall from scratch as 64 bit and 32 bit can not be interchanged through upgrades you have to do a complete reinstall. (pretty sure you know that but wasn't sure what you meant by the "but I don't want to have to re-install because the license won't work."

IF you have a spare HDD sitting around you could remove the existing one and keep it and install the 64 bit on a different HDD just in case there is a problem with activating - that way you'd still have the old HDD to reswap in if you run into problems (shouldn't but you never know !!)

[Howard_Casto]

Well it will be painfully tedious, but the plan is to first upgrade it to 64bit vista, then buy a cheap vista 2 win 7 upgrade key off the net.... THEN update to win 10 so it's current and that way I can stream from my xbox one.

[Wired203]

Ok then why upgrade to 64 bit,  you can have any windows 10 edition you want once you get win7 in place.  Win7 keys are the same for 32 or 64 bit. Here's what I would do.  Leave it be and get a Win7 upgrade license,  upgrade to 7 then reserve your copy of 10.  Do a in place upgrade to 10 which now makes your 7 key a proper 10 key.  And since you did so many jacked upgrades,  do a fresh clean install of Windows 10 with your 7 key that is now upgraded.

[JDFan]

Ok then why upgrade to 64 bit,  you can have any windows 10 edition you want once you get win7 in place.  Win7 keys are the same for 32 or 64 bit. Here's what I would do.  Leave it be and get a Win7 upgrade license,  upgrade to 7 then reserve your copy of 10.  Do a in place upgrade to 10 which now makes your 7 key a proper 10 key.  And since you did so many jacked upgrades,  do a fresh clean install of Windows 10 with your 7 key that is now upgraded.

THat would also work but is going to be the same number of installs anyway !!

1- from win vista 32 bit to 64 bit (requires full system wipe to change from 32 to 64 bit)
2- from win vista 64 bit to win 7 64 bit
3 - upgrade to win 10 64 bit

or
1- from win vista 32 bit to win 7 32 bit
2- from win 7 32 bit to win 10 (will upgrade to 32 bit since it is currently 32 bit)
3- from win 10 32 bit to win 10 64 bit (requires full wipe to go from 32 bit to 64 bit)

So really doesn't matter which way he does it the result is 3 installs and the end result is having windows 10 64 bit.  (Only difference is the original method means your final build is an upgrade instead of a clean install but since it is being done off a fresh install of win 7 shouldn't create any problems with remnants from the upgrade process. )

Easier method would be to use an OEM windows 7 license rather than an upgrade from Vista to 7 (OEM 7 systems licenses can be found for about the same cost or cheaper than the Upgrade from Vista to 7  ) - that would cut it to 2 installs

1- Fresh install win 7 64 bit
2- Upgrade to win 10 64 bit
 

[BadMouth]

then buy a cheap vista 2 win 7 upgrade key off the net....

How cheap?  It would be nice to move my cab to 7, but I hate sinking more money into an old budget PC.

[Howard_Casto]

I was thinking for an oem key it was 15-20 bucks.  I haven't looked in a few weeks though.

[Slippyblade]

Not unless you know something I don't, Howard...  which is quite possible.  According to Microsoft, the "Key only" sales aren't legit.  I'd have no problem paying $30 for Win7 though.   8, not so much. 

[Howard_Casto]

Hmm.... let me see if I can find a link.

[JDFan]

Not unless you know something I don't, Howard...  which is quite possible.  According to Microsoft, the "Key only" sales aren't legit.  I'd have no problem paying $30 for Win7 though.   8, not so much.

The key only sales are not 100% legit but the way the vendors work around that is the sale is a key from an old system that includes the system (if you want to pay additional shipping to get the non working system MOBO or go to their place of business to pick it up) -- So they are actually selling keys that are from defective units which per MS's EULA are technically able to be transferred to a new system. In most cases they will activate fine and never have a problem the only time you run into problems with them is if the original owner (usually a business that leased the systems) ever actually reloaded the OS and used the COA key to reinstall rather than the OEM activation that was used initially by DELL, HP, etc. (since when originally installed the system BIOS automatically activates the license with the OEM master key - but that key can not reactivate it thus the COA sticker placed on each system then needs to be used ) In most instances that COA key has never actually been entered and thus is just like a brand new unused key and will activate fine on any system since the activation server has never assigned it to a system. But MS tries to keep people from using them in this manner and will warn that you might have problems even though in 90%+ percent of the time it will activate fine and the key is then tied to the new system you used it for and will reactivate on that system for ever without problems. THe only time problems arise is if either the end user entered that key tying it to the original MOBO or someone copied the license code down and used it on another system (people do this on work systems at times and use the code on their home systems)

Most of the online vendors that have been selling for a while realize this happens at times and if you notify them of a problem after purchase they will usually give you another code and it will work fine.(figure they buy the old used systems in bulk for pennies to resell the parts and the license keys so sending a new one to replace a non working one is not a big deal to them !!)

[Howard_Casto]

It looks like they've went up again, but I found a few on bonanza.com

http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Microsoft-Windows-7-Professional-1PC-32-64-bit-Full-Version/284911647?gpid=76984451581&gpkwd=&goog_pla=1&gclid=CPG3_6P5ksgCFYVAaQod4uEM-w

They have full versions and upgrade versions.

Maybe they aren't legit, I didn't look much into it, but they were shown on the google shop and I figured win7 is ancient at this point.

Like JDFan said though, I assumed these are used keys sold from dead units, which is a common practice for IT companies (or at least it was back in my day). 

[JDFan]

HEre's an Ebay listing for Win 7 Pro for $33.88 ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Windows-7-Professional-Product-Key-COA-for-64-32-bit-Pro-Dell-PC-/121770079424?hash=item1c5a0ff4c0 )

Which does like I said the listing is for the system with a $60 pick up fee if you want the system but the key ships free (they do this to get around the MS and Ebay policies which allow the selling of the key with a system but not just the key.)

Local pickup fee for Dell Optiplex Computer is $59.95.  Product Key ships free.

Computer includes a fully functional motherboard and case only. No processor, memory or hard drive.
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Full Version Product Key


You will receive (1) unused Windows 7 Professional Product Key

[knave]

You can always but a PC for cheap that comes with a new OEM win 7 key (and sometimes the original OEM key as well) Cheapest desktop on Arrow direct is $60 with OS.

Still if the above link works for $25 that is hard to beat.

EDIT: code extra10 makes it $48.73 with free shipping for:
HP COMPAQ NA DC7700 1.9GHZ CORE 2 DUO 80GB 2048GB: Windows 7 Home Premium (32 Bit)

If anything you get the OS, 2gb ram 80gb HD and a powersupply to use. all for under $50

[pbj]

Can't you just torrent it?

[knave]

Can't you just torrent it?

I'm pretty sure any of the users here are savy enough to grab an enterprise key to win 7. The question is...will they?

[Howard_Casto]

Well, I don't want to get into a debate about piracy and all that nonsense, mostly because it isn't nearly as big an issue as companies want you to believe but...

Years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth and we were all running some form of windows 9x, it was quite easy to "acquire" a key and put it on a machine because they didn't dial home to check.  The Xp/2000 era still had piracy but it was limited because the internet was officially a thing and if you wanted to use the internet with a pirated version of xp you had to use a valid, yet flagged key and hope the machine never gets found or install a cracked dll that could potentially have a virus and most certainly slowed your system. 

From vista onward, things got significantly more complex and now that we are in the present... if you want a machine that has a current OS on it.... eh it's just less of a headache to buy a copy and go legit.  I'm not saying it's impossible for you fledgling pirates out there, it's just no longer worth the effort. 

[BadMouth]

Ssme here.  System builder copies on sale for a reasonable price ($70-80) made it not worth the bother, even for a locally sourced enterprise key.  Now if I could just update the old pc in my cab from vista to one version newer for $20-30, I'd be good.  I know right now that would include the possibility of getting the most current OS for nothing more, but I have no interest in doing that.  Maybe that's why the Vista updates are selling for more than usual.

[Howard_Casto]

Well ebay and amazon as well as slightly shadier sites have an oem upgrade key for around that price.  If you order it from ebay or amazon they have protection plans in place, so if the sellers send you a bogus one and try to be a jerk about it, you can eventually get your money back. 

If you get a key, my suggestion is even if you don't want 10 now... go ahead and upgrade and then uninstall.  If I understand the program right, once you install 10 you have the license from now on... so if you ever wanted to upgrade in the future you could.  Someone more familiar with the license program could clarify. 

[_Iz-]

I would encourage you to go to mydigitallife dot net and read through their forums regarding oem activatioms for windows 7.

Its easy to upgrade from that to win10. I've done a couple myself and they activate as genuine.

[SavannahLion]

Is Windows 10 the goto OS now? I'm sitting on two activations right now and delayed because of the whole Microsoft-is-watching-us business.

[JDFan]

Is Windows 10 the goto OS now? I'm sitting on two activations right now and delayed because of the whole Microsoft-is-watching-us business.

I'm pretty much sticking with 7 for now will see around the end of the 1 year period for free upgrades and decide whether to upgrade then but 7 is working fine right now and don't want to bother going through the upgrade and resetting every program up quite yet.

[Slippyblade]

Stick with 7 if you have the choice.  8 is an abortion as far as usability goes.  10 is better, but Microsoft has effectively turned their OS into ad/spyware.  Even jumping through all the hoops to shut the data collection/transmission off doesn't work - some of the switches are only temporary and turn themselves back on (the dialogs actually state that).

[SavannahLion]

Sadly, I have the abortions. My XP laptop was so beat, I ended up hacking part of the power supply into it to sidestep the annoying Hardware Rights Managements (HRM?) built into it. I think it was well past the ten year mark.

I bought the new laptops just before XP was "shut off" and you couldn't get a new laptop with 7 at the time... or at least I couldn't. Long story.

What's the tool(s) of choice for disabling the spy/adware?

[Slippyblade]

There isn't a tool per se.  There are about dozen different system settings related to data collection and transmission scattered around in various dialogs. 

I made the mistake of actually buying 8 when I built a new machine.  Hated every moment of using it.  Then upgraded to 10...  I've used, in some form or another, every version of Windows since 3.1.  8 and then 10 finally pushed the right buttons and I've dumped Windows.  I'm now running Linux and have no urge to go back.

[knave]

If you are not in a specific user group who "need" windows I had/have a great experience with the new flavors of Ubuntu. Easy to install, lots of support info to get it configured to do what you want...solid and controllable. Even some gaming potential. And free.

There are other good distributions too...I just like the support available for Ubuntu.

[jennifer]

    Ive been nothing but disappointed with their constant, problematic, updates, and shutting my computer down in the middle of a big project, Win/8 actually made me angry,(still in the closet mostly unused) and now win/10? I don't think so.... I just ordered a new Mac,

[yotsuya]

Jen just needs to learn how to computer more better.

 

[pbj]

Upgrading from Windows 8 to 10 fixed a multitude of weird issues for me.  Kades work again.  Bluetooth works.  Probably should have never jumped that thing from 7 to 8 in the first place but thus far so good.

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah I don't know what all these Windows haters are complaining about.  Windows 7 is the closest thing we've gotten to a perfect OS in decades and while 8 was a bit of a clunker (and that is an understatement), 10 seems to have fixed all the weirdness and again, for the first time in decades, added some features and apps I actually want to use. 

Call me crazy, but for me and OS really only has to do two things:

1.  Not crash
2.  Run the majority of apps and games available, and allow me to write software for it. 

Linux and Mac have no problem with #1, but it's #2 where they fall apart.  Face it, if you want to do more than surf the web and run photoshop, you kind of need a pc.  You can't complain about windows being buggy because I haven't seen a BSD since windows XP before service pack 2 came out. 

[yotsuya]

Yeah, I love how 10 copies files and stuff like that. No issues.

[jennifer]

Yeah I don't know what all these Windows haters are complaining about.  Windows 7 is the closest thing we've gotten to a perfect OS in decades and while 8 was a bit of a clunker (and that is an understatement), 10 seems to have fixed all the weirdness and again, for the first time in decades, added some features and apps I actually want to use. 

Call me crazy, but for me and OS really only has to do two things:

1.  Not crash
2.  Run the majority of apps and games available, and allow me to write software for it. 

Linux and Mac have no problem with #1, but it's #2 where they fall apart.  Face it, if you want to do more than surf the web and run photoshop, you kind of need a pc.  You can't complain about windows being buggy because I haven't seen a BSD since windows XP before service pack 2 came out.

I do realize you guys are skirting around the 10 conspiracy thing, and probably for the best, But seems to me writing software could relate to unlicensed software depending on what your doing, But that is all just speculation at this point and the smart bomb feature may not apply (for a multitude of reasons)... #3 on your list should be PRIVACY, it is your computer after all.

[SavannahLion]

Yeah, the software thing is headed in an interesting direction. Microsoft seems to be trying to pull Windows into the iOS and Android business model. I don't not like that business model but I don't particularly care for Windows going in that direction. Anything as interesting as a token file opener seems to work fine but as soon as you try to do anything remotely interesting, Microsoft sticks their  up your ass and demands a token certificate for no small amount of money.

On XP, I had a lot of leeway with where I sent my code. Nothing like 95/98 but the loss was negligible. With 8, I had my hands tied as soon as I installed the first IDE. I had to jump through hoops just to attach my code and hardware to the Windows stock port drivers. I dread seeing where MS has taken their DirectX layers.

I'm not overly eager to have to jump through more crap just to develop anything for Windows 10 AND have Microsoft asshats watching over my shoulder while I do it.

I've got something going for Android but I don't like the torture pretending to be Java and the new OS updates are a pain in the ---smurfing--- ass. I get why they're doing it, but no amou t of lube will make it easier having their  shoved up your ass. I'm seriously considering dropping Android and using an embeded Linux for my new cab.

[yotsuya]

I do realize you guys are skirting around the 10 conspiracy thing, and probably for the best, But seems to me writing software could relate to unlicensed software depending on what your doing, But that is all just speculation at this point and the smart bomb feature may not apply (for a multitude of reasons)... #3 on your list should be PRIVACY, it is your computer after all.

Yots, you won't notice the extra spyware.  It's because Windows is background harvesting nearly EVERYTHING and then uploading it.  Like Howard said, it is used with Cortana a lot, but I guarantee you that Microsoft will be selling data bundles as well.  Not to mention that Windows now uses a background torrent client to stream updates out to other users thus eating your bandwidth...  I thought that was rather genius, and dubious as hell.

I turned the automatic background torrent client off. One click.

I don't use Cortana.

If they're harvesting info on me, someone at M$ is going to sift through a pile of arcade stuff and chunky chick pr0n. :

But my computer works just fine.

[jennifer]

    That does create quite a interesting problem for the future of MAME, even with a good workaround, the bloat is still in place by design, apparently even torrent clients are banning win/10 users.

[ark_ader]

Just use TinyXP for arcade stuff. 

[Locke141]

You never hear people complain about a release of OSX being an abortion. Many Linux distributions, particularly most Ubuntu and many other Debian based ones are quite user-friendly now.

It seems to me a lot of people who prefer windows mostly do so because they learned or are more familiar on them. There are huge communities of developers for OSX, Linux, BSD and other UNIX based systems. Microsofts business model has always seemed to be force people to use there products. There is no reason why Microsoft Word doesn't support any other major word processing programs file formats. Pages can use open office files, open office can use Google docs files, and all can open word docs.

With modern seamless VM clients and with Intel processors now having dedicated hardware to improve virtualization, 99% of users just don't need windows as there mane OS.


That said to each there own.

[pbj]

Yeah, Linux, man.  Took me 4 hours to find the option to disable single click open. 

[Locke141]

Yeah, Linux, man.  Took me 4 hours to find the option to disable single click open.

It took you 4 Hr to google "How to disable single click open in ubuntu" it was the first thing that came up.

http://askubuntu.com/questions/299048/how-to-open-on-single-mouse-click

Any way that definitely falls under not used to it. If you want simple logical user interface you can beat a mac.

[pbj]

Getting a little salty in Nepal, bro.

I'm using Crunch Bang.  The guides, forum posts, and tutorials were all out of date and referenced options and settings that weren't present.  My recollection was that it was buried somewhere in the GUI theme settings and I kick myself for not writing it on the disc.  Oh well.

[Locke141]

Getting a little salty in Nepal, bro.

I'm using Crunch Bang.  The guides, forum posts, and tutorials were all out of date and referenced options and settings that weren't present.  My recollection was that it was buried somewhere in the GUI theme settings and I kick myself for not writing it on the disc.  Oh well.

Sorry not my intent.

Linux distributions are like jigsaw puzzles. There are endless combinations of GUI's, Repositories, and every other other pieces of an OS (including different versions of the API) that you could put together to make a distribution. If you just look at GUI options, you would have quit a long list.

I bereave Crunch Bang is discontinued. The community has moved on and started a new distro. If you want something quick, light, and with long term support  I would recommend Lubuntu. They striped out the slower aspects of Ubuntu, like there GUI (plasma) and replaced it faster lighter options, like the GUI LXDE. It keeps the ubuntu repositories and other key aspects of the OS, which means you can still use "ask ubuntu" pages as a resource.