Win 7 - Long Term Plan?

On Sun, 1 Nov 2015 21:11:56 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane asked:

For a fresh install of Win 7 in the future, I'm wondering if there is
a way (and if it's practical and makes sense) to make a list of the
updates I would want to install and find them in the form of
executable files. I'd then save them to DVD's or whatever, to be
used if and when I need them.

WSUSoffline

Build your own update repository. Use after a fresh install to apply
all the updates, or those you want, without having to download them all
again from Microsoft. Have them on hand even after Microsoft
discontinues support. Doesn't require an install. Put in any folder
you want after unzip. I usually unzip under a WSUSoffline_version
folder because I keep older versions that retrieved updates for old
products that newer versions of WSUSoffline no longer supports.

http://www.wsusoffline.net/docs/
Don't bother with his home page unless you can read German. The other
pages are in English.

He has forums to ask for help on using it; however, my recollection is
that he somewhat expects you know how Microsoft's WSUS servers work, so
do some homework and research before asking.

Obviously not smart to put the wsusoffline folder in the same partition
(drive) as the OS since you'll be wiping that partition to do a fresh
[re]install. Although the initial interface is graphical for selecting
what repositories you want to build, the program runs as a console-mode
process (i.e., in a DOS window). This is similar to how many graphics
converter or media player software works: they present a graphical front
end but issue background calls to FFmpeg. When you click Start in
WSUSoffline's GUI, it opens a command shell within which it runs its
commands.

In its config, you might want to include CRTs (C runtimes) and .NET
frameworks and updates so you don't end up having to retrieve those from
Microsoft to updat a fresh install. I think service packs are included
by default. If you tell it to create .iso images of each product, it
will create ISO images in addition to (not instead of) its update
repository. Those are handy to burn to optical disc media so you have
them on hand if the disk fails where you have the WSUSoffline
repositories, or to tote to other computers where you are doing a fresh
install of Windows or Office.

It takes a long for WSUSoffline to download the updates as it would for
you; however, you can use your idle time to update the WSUSoffline
repositories to get a full first set of repositories and then
incrementally update them later. Obviously the more products you select
for it to retrieve updates, and creating ISOs, means it takes longer to
finish the selected tasks.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'll save if but would prefer not
having to learn another program,

DC

DennyCrane wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane asked:

For a fresh install of Win 7 in the future, I'm wondering if there is
a way (and if it's practical and makes sense) to make a list of the
updates I would want to install and find them in the form of
executable files. I'd then save them to DVD's or whatever, to be
used if and when I need them.

WSUSoffline

Build your own update repository. Use after a fresh install to
apply all the updates, or those you want, without having to download
them all again from Microsoft.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'll save if but would prefer not
having to learn another program,

Then you are stuck using the WU client built into Windows which has you
retrieve the updates by connecting via the Internet and then apply them.
WSUSoffline does what the WU client does when connecting to the
Microsoft's WSUS server but instead creates a repository of the updates
so they are available, ahem, offline. You want to do something OTHER
than Windows provides so you'll be using a program OTHER than what
Microsoft gave you by default.

One suggestion was to slipstream the updates into the Win7 image you
burn onto new installation media. Okay, but that means that media will
not allow you to start with a fresh install of only Windows 7. My
suggestion is you still have/create the installation media of only
Windows 7 and have separate media to let you apply just the updates you
select or all of them if you want to blindly update Windows 7.

Doesn't take much learning to use the program unless you start delving
into its options. Just run it, select the programs for which you want
to retrieve updates, and click Start.

I mentioned the option of creating ISO images because hard disks do
fail. Burning the .iso to a disc means I still have the offline copy of
updates even if the hard disk fails which is one reason why I might be
installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 although I tend to rely on image
backups for restores.

I don't see your original proposal (not available as a Windows feature)
or those from others about slipstreaming are any more difficult than
running a program where you select what products you want to retrieve
their updates and let it run. For the many years that I've been using
Windows, WSUSoffline is about as easy as I've found for creating an
offline repository of updates and later applying them against a fresh
install of Windows. If you are looking for a solution from Microsoft
already included in Windows, you will be disappointed. I haven't found
anything easier than WSUSoffline to retrieve and store updates for
Windows and/or Office. You WILL have to learn something more to do what
you asked. If you need help with WSUSoffline, there are forums where
you can ask for help.

The hardest task in using WSUSoffline is remembering to run it
occasionally to retrieve any new updates. Just like the WU client that
uses a catalog to remember what it already retrieved and applied,
WSUSoffline will also perform incremental update retrievals. The next
time you run WSUSoffline, it will take a lot less time since it is
retrieving only updates that are new since the last time it ran.

Of course, having to do a fresh install of Windows 7 followed by
applying all [allowed] updates takes awhile even if you don't have to
spend the time downloading them (assuming Microsoft still has them
available for a discontinued product). You do schedule periodic image
backups so you can restore quickly, right?

On Mon, 2 Nov 2015 15:04:38 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane asked:

For a fresh install of Win 7 in the future, I'm wondering if there is
a way (and if it's practical and makes sense) to make a list of the
updates I would want to install and find them in the form of
executable files. I'd then save them to DVD's or whatever, to be
used if and when I need them.

WSUSoffline

Build your own update repository. Use after a fresh install to
apply all the updates, or those you want, without having to download
them all again from Microsoft.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'll save if but would prefer not
having to learn another program,

Then you are stuck using the WU client built into Windows which has you
retrieve the updates by connecting via the Internet and then apply them.
WSUSoffline does what the WU client does when connecting to the
Microsoft's WSUS server but instead creates a repository of the updates
so they are available, ahem, offline. You want to do something OTHER
than Windows provides so you'll be using a program OTHER than what
Microsoft gave you by default.

One suggestion was to slipstream the updates into the Win7 image you
burn onto new installation media. Okay, but that means that media will
not allow you to start with a fresh install of only Windows 7. My
suggestion is you still have/create the installation media of only
Windows 7 and have separate media to let you apply just the updates you
select or all of them if you want to blindly update Windows 7.

Doesn't take much learning to use the program unless you start delving
into its options. Just run it, select the programs for which you want
to retrieve updates, and click Start.

I mentioned the option of creating ISO images because hard disks do
fail. Burning the .iso to a disc means I still have the offline copy of
updates even if the hard disk fails which is one reason why I might be
installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 although I tend to rely on image
backups for restores.

I don't see your original proposal (not available as a Windows feature)
or those from others about slipstreaming are any more difficult than
running a program where you select what products you want to retrieve
their updates and let it run. For the many years that I've been using
Windows, WSUSoffline is about as easy as I've found for creating an
offline repository of updates and later applying them against a fresh
install of Windows. If you are looking for a solution from Microsoft
already included in Windows, you will be disappointed. I haven't found
anything easier than WSUSoffline to retrieve and store updates for
Windows and/or Office. You WILL have to learn something more to do what
you asked. If you need help with WSUSoffline, there are forums where
you can ask for help.

The hardest task in using WSUSoffline is remembering to run it
occasionally to retrieve any new updates. Just like the WU client that
uses a catalog to remember what it already retrieved and applied,
WSUSoffline will also perform incremental update retrievals. The next
time you run WSUSoffline, it will take a lot less time since it is
retrieving only updates that are new since the last time it ran.

Of course, having to do a fresh install of Windows 7 followed by
applying all [allowed] updates takes awhile even if you don't have to
spend the time downloading them (assuming Microsoft still has them
available for a discontinued product). You do schedule periodic image
backups so you can restore quickly, right?

My idea was to make a list of the updates I have already installed,
and download files for each of them, to be used later, if needed. But
that may be a harder way than I thought.

I'll take a look at WSUSoflline again, now that I have a better idea
what it can do. Your experience with it sounds like it might be the
right way go.

Thanks for your explanation.

DC

wrote:

On Mon, 2 Nov 2015 15:04:38 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane asked:

For a fresh install of Win 7 in the future, I'm wondering if there is
a way (and if it's practical and makes sense) to make a list of the
updates I would want to install and find them in the form of
executable files. I'd then save them to DVD's or whatever, to be
used if and when I need them.

WSUSoffline

Build your own update repository. Use after a fresh install to
apply all the updates, or those you want, without having to download
them all again from Microsoft.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'll save if but would prefer not
having to learn another program,

Then you are stuck using the WU client built into Windows which has you
retrieve the updates by connecting via the Internet and then apply them.
WSUSoffline does what the WU client does when connecting to the
Microsoft's WSUS server but instead creates a repository of the updates
so they are available, ahem, offline. You want to do something OTHER
than Windows provides so you'll be using a program OTHER than what
Microsoft gave you by default.

One suggestion was to slipstream the updates into the Win7 image you
burn onto new installation media. Okay, but that means that media will
not allow you to start with a fresh install of only Windows 7. My
suggestion is you still have/create the installation media of only
Windows 7 and have separate media to let you apply just the updates you
select or all of them if you want to blindly update Windows 7.

Doesn't take much learning to use the program unless you start delving
into its options. Just run it, select the programs for which you want
to retrieve updates, and click Start.

I mentioned the option of creating ISO images because hard disks do
fail. Burning the .iso to a disc means I still have the offline copy of
updates even if the hard disk fails which is one reason why I might be
installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 although I tend to rely on image
backups for restores.

I don't see your original proposal (not available as a Windows feature)
or those from others about slipstreaming are any more difficult than
running a program where you select what products you want to retrieve
their updates and let it run. For the many years that I've been using
Windows, WSUSoffline is about as easy as I've found for creating an
offline repository of updates and later applying them against a fresh
install of Windows. If you are looking for a solution from Microsoft
already included in Windows, you will be disappointed. I haven't found
anything easier than WSUSoffline to retrieve and store updates for
Windows and/or Office. You WILL have to learn something more to do what
you asked. If you need help with WSUSoffline, there are forums where
you can ask for help.

The hardest task in using WSUSoffline is remembering to run it
occasionally to retrieve any new updates. Just like the WU client that
uses a catalog to remember what it already retrieved and applied,
WSUSoffline will also perform incremental update retrievals. The next
time you run WSUSoffline, it will take a lot less time since it is
retrieving only updates that are new since the last time it ran.

Of course, having to do a fresh install of Windows 7 followed by
applying all [allowed] updates takes awhile even if you don't have to
spend the time downloading them (assuming Microsoft still has them
available for a discontinued product). You do schedule periodic image
backups so you can restore quickly, right?

My idea was to make a list of the updates I have already installed,
and download files for each of them, to be used later, if needed. But
that may be a harder way than I thought.

WSUSoffline starts with an empty repository that it fills with all
currently available new updates. At start, all updates are new. Later
WSUSoffline only retrieves new updates since it last updated its
repository.

After WSUSoffline is done with retrieval, you can get at the update
files; however, many are .cab files so I'm not sure what you are going
to do with them. It's not like you can point the WU client in Windows
at a .cab file to have it install the update within. There are manifest
files inside the .cab file telling the WU client what files to install
or replace but there is no .exe that runs by itself to install the files
inside the .cab file. Not all updates are executable files.

WSUSoffline does the download of the updates. That's one of your
criteria. It will also install those updates which meets your other
criteria. What it may not do is let you select which retrieved updates
from its repository to install. Since you have the updates locally
stored, you could apply them by themselves. Obviously the .exe updates
will run by themselves but what to do with the .cab update files?
There's no .exe inside to run. For those, you have to use pkgmgr.exe
that comes with Windows. For .cab files, read:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/how-to...le-on-windows/
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/...=ws.10%29.aspx

Yep, more software to learn if you want to be individual control over
which retrieved updates to install.

....winston wrote:
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per ...winston:
Getting harder and harder to find a full version retail edition of Win7
on disk. Newegg.com only has Win7 Home or Pro full retail on USB or
download ($120, $199 respectively)

I just paid eighty bucks on Amazon last week, and now I see it's down to
$49.... go figu http://tinyurl.com/nf6r9ds



Apple to orange.
- you linked to an OEM version. OEM is not retail full version that
was recommended elsewhere.
OEM is one DVD per pack (32 or 64 bit)
Retail full IS 2 DVD's (32 and 64 bit)

AAMOI if my PC with OEM version of Windows 7 is lost, and I restore its
files to a new PC from an image backup, could I then use another virgin
Windows 7 licence to legitimise my restored system without having to go
through a clean OS install etc? And if that's possible, would it matter
whether the new licence was retail or OEM?

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

| This is not a problem. Advanced Tokens Manager (free software) can
| save and restore your activation data, even if you've changed some
| hardware. I've used it and it works.
|

It might. But I'm guesing it won't work if
you install to a new machine with a new
motherboard. As I understand it, all it does
is to back up your activation data so that
you don't have to contact MS when doing
a re-install. That won't affect the functionality
that checks your hardware and invalidates
your activation if the hardware is changed.
That functionality *will* allow a certain
amount of hardware changing, but will probably
complain with a new motherboard.

| AAMOI if my PC with OEM version of Windows 7 is lost, and I restore its
| files to a new PC from an image backup, could I then use another virgin
| Windows 7 licence to legitimise my restored system without having to go
| through a clean OS install etc? And if that's possible, would it matter
| whether the new licence was retail or OEM?
|

That should be fine if the license is the same
type. (Though Winston is probably more knowledgeable
about those detail than anyone else here.)
One thing to be aware of, though: If you
put your image onto a new machine you'll
have all the drivers for the old machine. I've
never tried moving Win7 in that way, but I know
that XP will bluescreen unless one first uninstalls
the IDE drivers.

It might be wise to prepare a
movable version now rather than taking a
chance later. Or else try a test move to see
if it will work. XP can be salvaged by booting
from a repair disk and running a Registry tool
to edit the Registry, but it's a pain in the neck,
and again, I don't know whether that works
on Win7.

If you remove the drivers and
shut down, then make an image before rebooting,
Windows should find the drivers again without
trouble when you reboot, but they won't be
installed in your image. (This assumes you're
using bootable disk image software and not just
doing it from within Windows.)
You'll need the motherboard
drivers for the new machine when you install the
image (not only for the board itself but also for any
onboard video, audio, etc), but Windows can use
generic drivers to get started.

I don't know whether SATA or SSD affects that
scenario. I'm currently running XP on SATA but
emulating ATA.

Mayayana wrote:
| AAMOI if my PC with OEM version of Windows 7 is lost, and I restore its
| files to a new PC from an image backup, could I then use another virgin
| Windows 7 licence to legitimise my restored system without having to go
| through a clean OS install etc? And if that's possible, would it matter
| whether the new licence was retail or OEM?
|

That should be fine if the license is the same
type. (Though Winston is probably more knowledgeable
about those detail than anyone else here.)
One thing to be aware of, though: If you
put your image onto a new machine you'll
have all the drivers for the old machine. I've
never tried moving Win7 in that way, but I know
that XP will bluescreen unless one first uninstalls
the IDE drivers.

It might be wise to prepare a
movable version now rather than taking a
chance later. Or else try a test move to see
if it will work. XP can be salvaged by booting
from a repair disk and running a Registry tool
to edit the Registry, but it's a pain in the neck,
and again, I don't know whether that works
on Win7.

If you remove the drivers and
shut down, then make an image before rebooting,
Windows should find the drivers again without
trouble when you reboot, but they won't be
installed in your image. (This assumes you're
using bootable disk image software and not just
doing it from within Windows.)
You'll need the motherboard
drivers for the new machine when you install the
image (not only for the board itself but also for any
onboard video, audio, etc), but Windows can use
generic drivers to get started.

I don't know whether SATA or SSD affects that
scenario. I'm currently running XP on SATA but
emulating ATA.

Thank you for your advice, which is encouraging. I use Macrium Reflect
(non-free) which is apparently designed to facilitate a bare metal
restore, taking driver incompatibilities into account. I don't have any
significantly different hardware to do a trial restore. One of these
days, Real Soon Now, I will try restoring it to a VirtualBox VM, just to
see how well that works. Ideally I would make the VM look as different
as possible from the underlying hardware, but I have yet to look into
what's possible in that regard.

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

On Tue, 3 Nov 2015 09:21:24 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

| This is not a problem. Advanced Tokens Manager (free software) can
| save and restore your activation data, even if you've changed some
| hardware. I've used it and it works.
|

It might. But I'm guesing it won't work if
you install to a new machine with a new
motherboard. As I understand it, all it does
is to back up your activation data so that
you don't have to contact MS when doing
a re-install. That won't affect the functionality
that checks your hardware and invalidates
your activation if the hardware is changed.
That functionality *will* allow a certain
amount of hardware changing, but will probably
complain with a new motherboard.



Interesting. I'm always amazed at how little I know once I get into a
discussion with others. Guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore.

This link (from earlier in this thread) http://tinyurl.com/nf6r9ds is
called a "Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit (OEM) System Builder DVD 1
Pack (For Refurbished PC Installation)".

The "Refurbished" is not something I've seen before. It sounds like
it's a one-time fix for a refurbished (repaired) PC, which might be
usable on a new PC.

Wonder if I should buy one of these for a possible repair/replacement
situation in the future.

What's your take on this?

DC

On Tue, 03 Nov 2015 04:47:23 +0000, Mandy Liefbowitz
wrote:

On Mon, 02 Nov 2015 16:05:56 -0600, wrote:

On Mon, 2 Nov 2015 15:04:38 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

DennyCrane asked:

For a fresh install of Win 7 in the future, I'm wondering if there is
a way (and if it's practical and makes sense) to make a list of the
updates I would want to install and find them in the form of
executable files. I'd then save them to DVD's or whatever, to be
used if and when I need them.

WSUSoffline

Build your own update repository. Use after a fresh install to
apply all the updates, or those you want, without having to download
them all again from Microsoft.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'll save if but would prefer not
having to learn another program,

Then you are stuck using the WU client built into Windows which has you
retrieve the updates by connecting via the Internet and then apply them.
WSUSoffline does what the WU client does when connecting to the
Microsoft's WSUS server but instead creates a repository of the updates
so they are available, ahem, offline. You want to do something OTHER
than Windows provides so you'll be using a program OTHER than what
Microsoft gave you by default.

One suggestion was to slipstream the updates into the Win7 image you
burn onto new installation media. Okay, but that means that media will
not allow you to start with a fresh install of only Windows 7. My
suggestion is you still have/create the installation media of only
Windows 7 and have separate media to let you apply just the updates you
select or all of them if you want to blindly update Windows 7.

Doesn't take much learning to use the program unless you start delving
into its options. Just run it, select the programs for which you want
to retrieve updates, and click Start.

I mentioned the option of creating ISO images because hard disks do
fail. Burning the .iso to a disc means I still have the offline copy of
updates even if the hard disk fails which is one reason why I might be
installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 although I tend to rely on image
backups for restores.

I don't see your original proposal (not available as a Windows feature)
or those from others about slipstreaming are any more difficult than
running a program where you select what products you want to retrieve
their updates and let it run. For the many years that I've been using
Windows, WSUSoffline is about as easy as I've found for creating an
offline repository of updates and later applying them against a fresh
install of Windows. If you are looking for a solution from Microsoft
already included in Windows, you will be disappointed. I haven't found
anything easier than WSUSoffline to retrieve and store updates for
Windows and/or Office. You WILL have to learn something more to do what
you asked. If you need help with WSUSoffline, there are forums where
you can ask for help.

The hardest task in using WSUSoffline is remembering to run it
occasionally to retrieve any new updates. Just like the WU client that
uses a catalog to remember what it already retrieved and applied,
WSUSoffline will also perform incremental update retrievals. The next
time you run WSUSoffline, it will take a lot less time since it is
retrieving only updates that are new since the last time it ran.

Of course, having to do a fresh install of Windows 7 followed by
applying all [allowed] updates takes awhile even if you don't have to
spend the time downloading them (assuming Microsoft still has them
available for a discontinued product). You do schedule periodic image
backups so you can restore quickly, right?

My idea was to make a list of the updates I have already installed,
and download files for each of them, to be used later, if needed. But
that may be a harder way than I thought.

Belarc Advisor will do this. It produces a web-page-like report of
everything in your machine, including what it calls "hotfixes" or
updates.
It also tells you if you are missing any.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
It's one of the first things I load onto a new box, along with
IrfanView and some others.
Mand.


I had Belarc Advisor but forgot about this feature. It could be
helpful. Thanks Mandy.

DC

| This link (from earlier in this thread) http://tinyurl.com/nf6r9ds is
| called a "Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit (OEM) System Builder DVD 1
| Pack (For Refurbished PC Installation)".
|
| The "Refurbished" is not something I've seen before. It sounds like
| it's a one-time fix for a refurbished (repaired) PC, which might be
| usable on a new PC.
|
| Wonder if I should buy one of these for a possible repair/replacement
| situation in the future.
|
| What's your take on this?
|

That looks like the same link Pete Cresswell
posted. It's OEM, which means it can be used
on one motherboard. I think the "refurbished"
part is just politics. Microsoft claims their OEM
license is only for commercial system builders.
They've changed their position at various times
in the past. But the basic deal is that a full
version license costs about $100 more than OEM
(original equipment manufacturer), gets support
from MS, and can be installed on any number of
PCs, as long as it's only one at a time. OEM
licensing supposedly requires that hardware be
sold with the disk, can only go one one PC and
gets support from the OEM themselves. So if you
buy an OEM disk they'll often send a small piece
of metal junk with it, to fulfill the license requirement.
Once installed, you're the OEM, so you have to
provide your own support.

So.... saying it's for a refurbished PC is a bit
less in Microsoft's face. It's pretending that a
retail OEM disk would only be relevant for an
official refurbishing job.

I've never heard of anyone having trouble with
OEM. But as has been noted here, you take a
chance with the one-PC limitation. Essentially,
you're betting that your PC will never burn out in
any serious way. (Motherboard/CPU) If it never
does you might save $100. If it does burn out
you're faced with buying another disk for the next
install. If you buy that OEM disk you'll have insurance
for one more install on a new machine, but if the
power supply then overloads on that machine and
blows out the motherboard -- whether after 1 day
or after 10 years -- your license will be lost.

The licensing is rather odd all around. Microsoft
[sometimes] claims you can't use OEM legally
yourself. They also claim Windows is licensed to
the motherboard, which constitutes an absurd
claim to have a contract with a piece of plastic.
With WinME update disks, at one point, the fine
print said it was licensed to you *and* the
motherboard -- so you and a piece of plastic
are defined as a single legal entity. They also
claim that full version Windows can only be resold
once. (At least the last time I looked.) All of that
is at odds with basic fair use law. But it hasn't
been challenged as far as I know. Rather than testing
their mickey mouse licensing in court, Microsoft takes
a passive approach that's far less acrimonious and
confrontational. They just rig Windows to break if
you don't conform to their licensing limitations. As a
result, they manage to get people to pay over and
over for the same Windows license, whereas with
Win9x/NT4/2000 one actually bought a copy of
Windows to use as needed. Now, every time a PC
breaks most people will usually just buy a new PC,
thereby buying the same Windows license again.

Corporate Windows, however, is another kettle of fish.
They charge more for that and provide a non-crippled
version that doesn't need activation. In exchange they
reserve the right to send their Business Software
Alliance (BSA) enforcers in at any time, without notice,
to check on licensing. There was a very interesting
case a few years ago. Interestingly, it's been scrubbed
from the Web, but archive.org still has a copy of the
news:

http://web.archive.org/web/200907071...3-5065859.html


So, if you don't mind spending $50-70 you might
be able to buy Win7 insurance for one more PC.
If you find the cheapest possible price on a full
version license you'll get endless insurance. But
even then, Microsoft has made no promises. They'll
stop selling Pro 7 in one year. When support ends they
might very well decide to shut down their activation
server and say, "Win7 is out of date, but we're
such nice guys we'll let you have Windows Spyware
Edition for free in lieu of the Win7 activation." I don't
know of any legal reason they can't do that. When
Product Activation first came out with XP there were
doubts. The Microsoft yes men all said, "Don't worry.
If they ever deactivate the servers they say they'll
probably publish a generic activation code for XP."
But to my knowledge Microsoft never actually said
that, and now years after XP has gone off support
Microsoft has still not published a free code. They
likely never will. It would be awkward for them if people
then went back to XP en masse and all chipped in
to add driver support for new hardware. For now,
XP can still be activated, but I don't assume that will
be the case until the last person stops using XP.

On Tue, 3 Nov 2015 09:34:05 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

| AAMOI if my PC with OEM version of Windows 7 is lost, and I restore its
| files to a new PC from an image backup, could I then use another virgin
| Windows 7 licence to legitimise my restored system without having to go
| through a clean OS install etc? And if that's possible, would it matter
| whether the new licence was retail or OEM?
|

That should be fine if the license is the same
type. (Though Winston is probably more knowledgeable
about those detail than anyone else here.)
One thing to be aware of, though: If you
put your image onto a new machine you'll
have all the drivers for the old machine. I've
never tried moving Win7 in that way, but I know
that XP will bluescreen unless one first uninstalls
the IDE drivers.

I did just that when my motherboard died a few years ago -- bought a
new computer with bigger hard drives and restored from Acronis to
drive C: on Disk 0 and D, E, F and G on Disk 1.

Then used the accompanying disk to load new drivers, and updated them
from the Internet.

I had to phone Microsoft to verify it for the new hardware, otherwise
it threatened to stop working in 30 days.

I'm wondering if that would still be possible, now that MS no longer
support XP, but dread having to reinstall all apps etc.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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On Mon, 02 Nov 2015 14:03:15 -0600, wrote:

This is not a problem. Advanced Tokens Manager (free software) can
save and restore your activation data, even if you've changed some
hardware. I've used it and it works.

Ah, that sounds as though it is just the thing I need, if I ever have
to replace my XP machine.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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| I had to phone Microsoft to verify it for the new hardware, otherwise
| it threatened to stop working in 30 days.
|
| I'm wondering if that would still be possible, now that MS no longer
| support XP, but dread having to reinstall all apps etc.
|

As I understand it, the activation servers
are still active, but there's no way of knowing
how long they'll stay that way, much less
how long one will be able to talk to a real
person if the activation doesn't work.

Adobe put universal activation codes for
CS2/PS/Acrobat online awhile back, along with
full installs of the software. All it said at the
links was that the software was only valid to
use if one had obtained it from Adobe. Well,
it was on the Adobe server, so they were
basically saying that all their old software
was being given away for free, no strings,
apparently because they didn't want to keep
running the activation server. Later I think
they began requiring that people sign up for
the download.

My theory is that Adobe did that for marketing
purposes: Anyone who liked the software might
then upgrade to a newer version. Anyone who
didn't want to pay Adobe's expensive prices for
newer than CS2 would probably never be an Adobe
customer anyway. So, no loss. But I can't see
Microsoft doing that. If they issue a universal XP
activation they risk creating a sort of open source
XP community of people who don't want Win10.

On 01/11/2015 21:22, wrote:
I'm getting too old for the kind of BS
and trauma MS creates.


Don't worry about any BS and trauma you are facing because Microsoft
will continue supporting Windows 7 until 14th January 2020 but its
servers will be online for many years after that just like Windows XP
servers which are still online and people are still getting updates and
telephone activations if necessary.

If you are getting old then you really need to stop thinking for more
than 1 year because statistically you are going to die by the time you
have reached your 82nd birth-date. Very few people live up to the age
of 88. Tom Graveney dies aged 88 but he was healthier than you are.

Tom Graveney http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/34716024

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