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Buying Windows 7



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 5th 18, 06:36 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Ed Cryer
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Posts: 2,621
Default Buying Windows 7

I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed
  #2  
Old July 5th 18, 09:28 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Big Al[_5_]
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Posts: 1,588
Default Buying Windows 7

On 07/05/2018 01:36 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed

Do you own a copy of Windows 7 already but don't have the CD? The ISO
is readily available for free, all you need is the CD Key from your old
windows 7. You never gave any info how you got win 10, I'm guessing an
upgrade from 7 or you got the machine that way.

One big issue with going from 10 to 7 on a preloaded machine is drivers.
Investigate that first. No drivers=No workie!

Me personally, I'm not secure with these sites selling $10 copies of
OSs. They could be valid from trashed PCs.

I always shop places like Newegg.com in the US.

  #3  
Old July 5th 18, 09:37 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Big Al[_5_]
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Posts: 1,588
Default Buying Windows 7

On 07/05/2018 04:28 PM, Big Al wrote:
On 07/05/2018 01:36 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed

Do you own a copy of Windows 7 already but don't have the CD?Â* The ISO
is readily available for free, all you need is the CD Key from your old
windows 7.Â*Â* You never gave any info how you got win 10, I'm guessing an
upgrade from 7 or you got the machine that way.

One big issue with going from 10 to 7 on a preloaded machine is drivers.
Â*Investigate that first.Â*Â* No drivers=No workie!

Me personally, I'm not secure with these sites selling $10 copies of
OSs.Â* They could be valid from trashed PCs.

I always shop places like Newegg.com in the US.

Ebay has a lot of them. I question a few of them after reading them,
they may be OEM and from one experience with OEM, it only works on the
PC it was installed on. Moving to another PC does not work as it looks
at the motherboard and verifies it's on the right machine. Dell is
famous for that.


  #4  
Old July 5th 18, 10:10 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Ken Blake[_5_]
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Posts: 2,221
Default Buying Windows 7

On Thu, 5 Jul 2018 16:37:00 -0400, Big Al wrote:

On 07/05/2018 04:28 PM, Big Al wrote:
On 07/05/2018 01:36 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed

Do you own a copy of Windows 7 already but don't have the CD?Â* The ISO
is readily available for free, all you need is the CD Key from your old
windows 7.Â*Â* You never gave any info how you got win 10, I'm guessing an
upgrade from 7 or you got the machine that way.

One big issue with going from 10 to 7 on a preloaded machine is drivers.
Â*Investigate that first.Â*Â* No drivers=No workie!

Me personally, I'm not secure with these sites selling $10 copies of
OSs.Â* They could be valid from trashed PCs.

I always shop places like Newegg.com in the US.

Ebay has a lot of them. I question a few of them after reading them,
they may be OEM and from one experience with OEM, it only works on the
PC it was installed on. Moving to another PC does not work as it looks
at the motherboard and verifies it's on the right machine. Dell is
famous for that.




It's not just one experience and it's not just Dell. That's
Microsoft's rule. An OEM copy is licensed for use only on the
original computer it was installed on, and it may not be moved to
another one. And Microsoft considers that if you change the
motherboard, it's a different computer.

One might argue that since the OEM sticker with the product key is
affixed to the computer's case, it's the case that defines the
original computer, and you should be able to continue to use the OEM
copy if you change everything within the case, as long as you keep the
case. But I wouldn't want to fight Microsoft in court.
  #5  
Old July 5th 18, 10:42 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default Buying Windows 7

Big Al wrote:

On 07/05/2018 04:28 PM, Big Al wrote:
On 07/05/2018 01:36 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed

Do you own a copy of Windows 7 already but don't have the CD?* The ISO
is readily available for free, all you need is the CD Key from your old
windows 7.** You never gave any info how you got win 10, I'm guessing an
upgrade from 7 or you got the machine that way.

One big issue with going from 10 to 7 on a preloaded machine is drivers.
*Investigate that first.** No drivers=No workie!

Me personally, I'm not secure with these sites selling $10 copies of
OSs.* They could be valid from trashed PCs.

I always shop places like Newegg.com in the US.

Ebay has a lot of them. I question a few of them after reading them,
they may be OEM and from one experience with OEM, it only works on the
PC it was installed on. Moving to another PC does not work as it looks
at the motherboard and verifies it's on the right machine. Dell is
famous for that.


A lot of those at eBay are Dell restore CDs. They're invalid for use on
anything other than a Dell but the sellers don't care and don't ask on
what computer those Dell-only restore CDs (OEM installs) will get used.
The usual excuse by the seller is they are selling media, not a license.
You still need a valid license to use the restore media. However, a
restore CD that notes "Dell Only" likely has usage restrictions from
Dell that it can only be used to restore a Dell computer, not just any
computer.

How do you know you want Windows 7 unless you have used Windows 7? Are
you going *back* to Windows 7? If so, where's your old license key for
Windows 7?

The product key shown on a sticker on the case is for a volume image of
the OS that gets copied onto thousands of computers by the OEM'er. They
don't validate every computer they manufacture. They copy an image
(fixed) onto each computer. They get to use the volume license. You do
not, so the product key shown on the sticker may not be valid for use by
you. Use something like Magic Jellybean or Belarc Advisor to get the
Windows 7 license key out of that instance of an install. That's the
one you get to reuse. You don't get to change from Home to Pro with
that license key. You'll have to get the same edition when getting the
install media as for what is applicable for the license.

Some eBay sellers are selling just the installation media (CD). That
means you still need a license key to use the OS. Some are selling just
the key and you must already have the installation media.

At one time, Microsoft had their own site to download the install ISO
files (that you burned onto a CD). I think Digital River was hosting
the ISO downloads. That's why anyone can distribute the installation
media; however, for the privilege you get to pay them for the
installation media or image when it used to be free from Microsoft.
This is like those places that will sell you gov't information that you
can get for free from the gov't.

Ooh, look what I found (as a URL link when I got the ISO image from
Microsoft):

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...nload/windows7

You'll still need a legitimate product/license key. It is unclear if
you want to go back to Windows 7 you had before or you would be going to
a new OS that happens to be an older version of what you got stuck with
on a new pre-built (Windows 10).
  #6  
Old July 6th 18, 05:20 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Char Jackson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,449
Default Buying Windows 7

On Thu, 5 Jul 2018 16:42:10 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

The product key shown on a sticker on the case is for a volume image of
the OS that gets copied onto thousands of computers by the OEM'er. They
don't validate every computer they manufacture. They copy an image
(fixed) onto each computer. They get to use the volume license. You do
not, so the product key shown on the sticker may not be valid for use by
you. Use something like Magic Jellybean or Belarc Advisor to get the
Windows 7 license key out of that instance of an install. That's the
one you get to reuse.


My Dell laptop was the other way around. The Windows key on the sticker
was my unique key. Belarc reported the generic Dell key.

--

Char Jackson
  #7  
Old July 7th 18, 08:17 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default Buying Windows 7

Char Jackson wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

The product key shown on a sticker on the case is for a volume image of
the OS that gets copied onto thousands of computers by the OEM'er. They
don't validate every computer they manufacture. They copy an image
(fixed) onto each computer. They get to use the volume license. You do
not, so the product key shown on the sticker may not be valid for use by
you. Use something like Magic Jellybean or Belarc Advisor to get the
Windows 7 license key out of that instance of an install. That's the
one you get to reuse.


My Dell laptop was the other way around. The Windows key on the sticker
was my unique key. Belarc reported the generic Dell key.


Oops, yep, the other way around. The image is the same that gets puts
on thousands of computers so it has the pre-validated volume key. The
stickers get printed with different keys on them. The sticker won't
match the key in the image.

I need stronger coffee, or less interruptions.
  #8  
Old July 5th 18, 10:15 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default Buying Windows 7

Big Al wrote:


One big issue with going from 10 to 7 on a preloaded machine is drivers.
Investigate that first. No drivers=No workie!


That's a good point.

If the box had a Skylake processor, chances are there
won't be a problem getting the core drivers.

Microsoft may try to disable Windows Update if the
box uses Kaby Lake processor. Someone made a workaround
for that. It's not clear whether the Microsoft trick
is consistent with Coffee Lake or not.

With the OS installed but not activated, you have
a 30 day grace period to work with, so could do your
testing and tweaking before committing to a license key.

Paul
  #9  
Old July 5th 18, 09:56 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default Buying Windows 7

Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed


So that outfit just sends you a key ?

Can you chop up an MSDN Subscription and make
license keys that cheaply ? That's what we'd
want to know. There has to be some lower limit
where they stop making money.

The license keys might be "valid", but the usage
of the keys in this way might violate the terms
of usage. It's just hard to police.

And since there's hardly any web-based means
of vetting keys, you can't even enter the key
you buy, and have it tell you "MSDN Key"
or the like. No way to tell the parentage.

The key likely isn't a VLK (Volume License Key).

And I don't know of a way to make license keys,
other than MSDN Subscription. It's the most
credible mechanism I've heard of. If a
corporation receives a Dell at shipping and receiving,
there's no license they can recycle there. It's
not like these somehow derive from installing
corporate images on bulk-purchase PCs.

And you know these license keys never started
life in boxed software. As the proprietor would
lose their shirt if doing it that way. They'd be
selling well below their cost.

Paul
  #10  
Old July 5th 18, 11:17 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
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Posts: 6,438
Default Buying Windows 7

"Paul" wrote
| Can you chop up an MSDN Subscription and make
| license keys that cheaply ? That's what we'd
| want to know. There has to be some lower limit
| where they stop making money.

MSDN license is not valid. It technically only
gives one the right to test software.

The page says the keys are coming from
"decommissioned PCs". That's also not valid
except with the full license. Not with OEM.
In other words, a full license can be resold but
OEM cannot.

It can be valid if it's an unused/unsold key.
Dell, HP, etc have always sold leftover disks/
licenses and that's perfectly legal. It gets a bit
sticky as to whether you have a right to act as
an OEM. I think they officially made that legal at
one point and then reneged. But I've never heard
of them acting on any claim that it's not legal.

This Amazon ad is selling Pro OEM for $200.

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Profe.../dp/B00H09BOXQ

I'd expect Home to be maybe $100 or $120 in that
case. (Pro really is a waste of money.)
Maybe there are cheaper options, but $15
pounds sounds fishy to me.


  #11  
Old July 6th 18, 12:43 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default Buying Windows 7

Mayayana wrote:
"Paul" wrote
| Can you chop up an MSDN Subscription and make
| license keys that cheaply ? That's what we'd
| want to know. There has to be some lower limit
| where they stop making money.

MSDN license is not valid. It technically only
gives one the right to test software.

The page says the keys are coming from
"decommissioned PCs". That's also not valid
except with the full license. Not with OEM.
In other words, a full license can be resold but
OEM cannot.

It can be valid if it's an unused/unsold key.
Dell, HP, etc have always sold leftover disks/
licenses and that's perfectly legal. It gets a bit
sticky as to whether you have a right to act as
an OEM. I think they officially made that legal at
one point and then reneged. But I've never heard
of them acting on any claim that it's not legal.

This Amazon ad is selling Pro OEM for $200.

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Profe.../dp/B00H09BOXQ

I'd expect Home to be maybe $100 or $120 in that
case. (Pro really is a waste of money.)
Maybe there are cheaper options, but $15
pounds sounds fishy to me.


On Windows 7, you buy Pro for the memory license.

More modern Windows SKUs aren't as much of a problem.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...mits_windows_7

Version x86 x64

Windows 7 Ultimate 4 GB 192 GB
Windows 7 Enterprise 4 GB 192 GB
Windows 7 Professional 4 GB 192 GB
Windows 7 Home Premium 4 GB 16 GB === 32GB machine needs better license
Windows 7 Home Basic 4 GB 8 GB
Windows 7 Starter 2 GB 2 GB

It's still relatively difficult to get 128GB on
a so-called desktop or workstation. ThreadRipper
could have supported 1TB, but they dumbed it down
to 8x16GB as far as I know. This prevents desktop
motherboards from encroaching on lucrative server
motherboard space.

Paul
  #12  
Old July 6th 18, 01:21 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,438
Default Buying Windows 7

"Paul" wrote

| On Windows 7, you buy Pro for the memory license.
|
Maybe you do. I have Win7-64 that I've used a couple
of times for audio editing, but I think even that only
has 8 GB RAM, and it's been fine. I normally do fine
with 4 GB and can't imagine why I'd ever need 16.

I do actually have 16 on my XP box because that
was what was available, but of course there's only
about 3.4 GB accessible. The only time I come close
to the limit is with something like numerous levels
of undo when editing a very big image.


  #13  
Old July 5th 18, 11:23 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul in Houston TX[_2_]
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Posts: 999
Default Buying Windows 7

Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed


Real cd's and keys are going for ~$200 USD from reputable sites.
Fake ones usually go for a lot less.

  #14  
Old July 5th 18, 11:59 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default Buying Windows 7

Paul in Houston TX wrote:
Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed


Real cd's and keys are going for ~$200 USD from reputable sites.
Fake ones usually go for a lot less.


The cheapest key is "Daz Loader" :-\

Paul
  #15  
Old July 6th 18, 12:20 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul in Houston TX[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 999
Default Buying Windows 7

Paul wrote:
Paul in Houston TX wrote:
Ed Cryer wrote:
I'm fed up with Windows 10 on a machine I bought.
I want Win7! I want Win7!

This site offers Win7 Pro for 13.99 GBP.
https://goo.gl/rBddg4

Has anybody bought this? Or does anyone know a better place?

Ed


Real cd's and keys are going for ~$200 USD from reputable sites.
Fake ones usually go for a lot less.


The cheapest key is "Daz Loader" :-\

Paul



 




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