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Can't delete HDD partitions!
Comments
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NiftyDigits wrote: »You can preserve or re-create OEM activation. It is not an issue. No need to contemplate piracy.
Ironically the easiest way to do this is with a certain piracy tool. You just skip the last part where it installs a fake BIOS and you end up with a 100% legit identical OEM install that can activate against your real BIOS with no dodgy cracks involved.
Not sure if it's kosher to post the link here though.0 -
their *IS*a way to fully wipe and entire disk in Linux.
it's a bit daunting as it removes everything (including the entire boot sector and any hidden partitions ) and it takes a long time to run >_<
If you have a "recovery" or "restore" disk and have a backup of ALL data I can walk you through the commands required.Laters
Sol
"Have you found the secrets of the universe? Asked Zebade "I'm sure I left them here somewhere"0 -
I believe that's how the OEM's do it as one image is mirrored onto thousands of PC's. So if piracy methods are a dirty, dirty thing to you the OEM partition is not for you.
Huh?
Its piracy because its illegal, not because it works the same way.
But looks like I'm just gonna have to nuke the drive an start from scratch anyway.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0 -
The key on the laptop will be a volume key license anyway and won't work with retail or OEM media.
Only true for XP. Microsoft did away with VLK vs Retail vs OEM after that. Windows 7 DVDs will work with all three types of key.
Vista and 7 use a different activation method for OEM installs however. The key on the sticker will activate normally on any install and is used for when the end user reinstalls.
The OEM installs use 3 parts. A product key that is shared across all (say) Dell Windows 7 Home installations worldwide, a digital certificate stuck in the windows install, and finally a part of the key, called a SLIC is burnt into the BIOS.
If you have all these three things then the install will activate.
The tool I refer to will install the appropriate key and digital certificate and then it installs a driver that fakes the SLIC in the BIOS meaning you can make your self-built PC pretend to be a generic Dell box and activate using Dell's key.
If you don't install that dodgy driver, just the key and cert, then the install is identical to an OEM install, minus the drivers and bloatware and you are left with no piracy tools or dodgy cracks on your machine.
With Microsoft, they consider piracy to be be simply using Windows without a valid licence. They don't care where your DVD came from. They even make Windows 7 DVDs freely available for download, and post MD5 checksums so you can make sure the one you download hasn't been tampered with.
Hell, if they do catch you using a dodgy product key or crack, they don't ask you to reinstall Windows, they'll sell you a new product key online and let you keep on using your existing install.
Edit: As an analogy. My GF owns a set of lockpicks, something that can be used as a burglary tool. If she loses her house keys and instead chooses to pick the front door lock, she is breaking no laws by doing so, even if it does look a bit dodgy while you're doing it.0 -
I was coming from the view of not trusting a pirated copy, in the same way you wouldn't want to trust the OEM partition as you don't know what's been done to it.
This.. If the virus is that stubborn about being removed it's quite likely that it's already infected the restore partition ready to re-establish itself when you wipe your system.0 -
Dban has failed.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0
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I was coming from the view of not trusting a pirated copy, in the same way you wouldn't want to trust the OEM partition as you don't know what's been done to it.
Oh, I see. No, that wasn't my issue. I'm pretty confident with the ISOs I have already - working just fine on my machines for over a year now.
I just don't like putting pirated stuff on other people's if I can help it.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0 -
How did it fail?
"completed with non fatal errors"
rebooted and all data is still completely intact.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0 -
Card readers can cause this problem, ever since dban included USB support. Try using version 1.0.7
Ran it from CD...?
That was using the 'quick' as someone suggested. Tried again with 'auto'; completed one pass with no errors...Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0
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