'Windows license will expire soon'- Help please

NiftyDigits

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

I'm a Microsoft Certified IT Professional against the Server 2008 platform, a Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist, and also hold numerous MCTS, MCP, MSCA qualifications for both server and desktop OSs.

Infact, just 6-7 months ago I designed an automated OS deployment solution for the managed service provider where I lead our technical department that automates the building of multiple different operating systems across multiple vendors.

The reason it is much easier with Windows 8 is because in my fifteen years experience of actually working IT, it's the first iteration that works reliably across multiple vendors; especially when it comes to activation of the OS.

You shouldn't assume to know people on the internet who you truly have no idea about.

I didn't assume anything.

Firstly, let us go back to what you actually wrote:

I despise Windows 8, but in its defence it's actually much easier in Windows 8. The licensing information and activation process when on a branded machine (Toshiba/Dell/HP etc) is actually stored in the BIOS. When Windows goes through its initial install process, it pulls the key out of the BIOS and activates automatically.

For more techie users who want to read into this, it's referred to as OEM Activation 3.0.

In fact this could describe all of the iterations back to SLP 1.0...but not OEM Activation 3.0.

OEM Activation 3.0 is an online activation system.

Your qualifications are out of date.

Backed up by the fact that with all of your qualifications, you were not able to provide a solution for the OP. So less of the name calling, as you will just end up with egg on your face. I refer you to post #20.

We are not writing from Microsoft's point of view here, but the average user.
I would hesitate to suggest that OEM Activation 3.0 is easier for the average user.

Trinitrotoluene

I didn't assume anything.

copied from an article that you've read

Assumption (and wrong)

I suspect that your experience is limited to plagiarising articles from the web and posting them as your opinion.

Assumption - and also wrong again.

In fact this could describe all of the iterations back to SLP 1.0...but not OEM Activation 3.0.

OEM Activation 3.0 is an online activation system.

I didn't say it wasn't an online activation system? Does OA 3.0 still not store its key in the "BIOS"?! Does it still not activate as part of its install process?

Your qualifications are out of date.

Thanks for letting me know this, I forgot you have access to my Microsoft transcript! I'll get on the blower to Satya Nadella and express my disappointment that random people on the internet are able to access my MCP portal and Microsoft Partner site so they can tell me my certs are out of date!

I would hesitate to suggest that OEM Activation 3.0 is easier for the average user.

You ever tried reinstalling a none Windows 8/8.1 laptop where the key has worn off/peeled off, the hard disk is dead and recovery media is nowhere to be found? Unless you can find recovery media for that laptop, you're pretty much !!!! out of luck. Having the product key embedded in UEFI on OEM machines makes at least retrieving the key a possibility. This is primarily why I believe this process is much better in Windows 8. I could be wrong, but I'd hazard a guess that you have zero commercial experience of actually going through this process time and time again, or you would likely understand.

NiftyDigits

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

Assumption (and wrong)


Assumption - and also wrong again.



I didn't say it wasn't an online activation system? Does OA 3.0 still not store its key in the "BIOS"?! Does it still not activate as part of its install process?

You wrote that it automatically activates...without mention of that you need to have Internet access. This is/was not necessary for earlier iterations. Hardly easier for the end user


Thanks for letting me know this, I forgot you have access to my Microsoft transcript! I'll get on the blower to Satya Nadella and express my disappointment that random people on the internet are able to access my MCP portal and Microsoft Partner site so they can tell me my certs are out of date!

You know only what Microsoft wants you to know...which isn't much


You ever tried reinstalling a none Windows 8/8.1 laptop where the key has worn off/peeled off, the hard disk is dead and recovery media is nowhere to be found? Unless you can find recovery media for that laptop, you're pretty much !!!! out of luck. Having the product key embedded in UEFI on OEM machines makes at least retrieving the key a possibility. This is primarily why I believe this process is much better in Windows 8. I could be wrong, but I'd hazard a guess that you have zero commercial experience of actually going through this process time and time again, or you would likely understand.

This is where your knowledge falls down badly. I do exactly this on a daily basis for people on this board and beyond. No charge. The fact that you have problems with this, shows the lack of depth to your knowledge.

On the flip side, what if the same thing happened for someone who has Windows 8.1 with BING? What would be your advice?

As I pointed out earlier, despite your qualifications, your knowledge is likely limited to what Microsoft tells you.
I could ask you again...if you are as highly qualified as you seem to think, why did you not prepare a simple solution to the OP?
The fact is that OEM Activation 3.0 may be easier for people like you, rather than the average user.
I have absolutely no problem at all restoring machines with any of the iterations. As many on this board can attest.
I won't go as far as to suggest that if you were any good in the first place, perhaps you wouldn't have had problems with the earlier iterations, simply because you only know what Microsoft wants you to know. So it's not necessarily your fault.

Trinitrotoluene

NiftyDigits wrote: »

As I pointed out earlier, despite your qualifications, your knowledge is likely limited to what Microsoft tells you.

Not really, it's based on actual experience as opposed to conjecture.

You wrote that it automatically activates...without mention of that you need to have Internet access. This is/was not necessary for earlier iterations. Hardly easier for the end user

There was a lot of things I didn't mention, but it doesn't benefit a user facing forum - I try to make things as simple as possible so as to not over burden none technical users. Doesn't make it wrong!

This is where your knowledge falls down badly. I do exactly this on a daily basis for people on this board and beyond.

There is no way to legally activate Windows 7 when the following conditions are all true:
a) The OEM recovery partition/OEM recovery DVDs are missing/damaged and cannot be re-ordered or replaced
b) The product key is missing
c) The disk that was previously on the laptop is unreadable or dead and there is no backup of said disk

NiftyDigits

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

Not really, it's based on actual experience as opposed to conjecture.



There was a lot of things I didn't mention, but it doesn't benefit a user facing forum - I try to make things as simple as possible so as to not over burden none technical users. Doesn't make it wrong!



There is no way to legally activate Windows 7 when the following conditions are all true:
a) The OEM recovery partition/OEM recovery DVDs are missing/damaged and cannot be re-ordered or replaced
b) The product key is missing
c) The disk that was previously on the laptop is unreadable or dead and there is no backup of said disk

Are you still attempting to argue with adults?

You didn't answer my question about Windows 8 with BING. Trying to buy more time?

As to your assumption about Windows 7 activation... you are wrong. For the umpteenth time....your knowledge on this subject is poor.

Trinitrotoluene

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Are you still attempting to argue with adults?

Come on, you're better than stooping to that level!

You didn't answer my question about Windows 8 with BING. Trying to buy more time?

I didn't see it. It depends on what the problem is. Are you referring to a situation that is the same as the OPs just limited to 8.1 with Bing?

As to your assumption about Windows 7 activation... you are wrong. For the umpteenth time....your knowledge on this subject is poor.

Unless you have the Digital OEM Certificate for every OEM saved (and that subsequently matches the info in the SLIC table) then there is no way for you to legally reactivate without purchasing another license given the conditions listed above.

NiftyDigits

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

Come on, you're better than stooping to that level!

You mean like you experience and conjecture comment? The are certainly more people on this board who can testify as to my experience than to yours



I didn't see it. It depends on what the problem is. Are you referring to a situation that is the same as the OPs just limited to 8.1 with Bing?

The criteria that you gave will do; "You ever tried reinstalling a none Windows 8/8.1 laptop where the key has worn off/peeled off, the hard disk is dead and recovery media is nowhere to be found?"

I'll wait up another five minutes for your reply...showing it to be easier than the other iterations


Unless you have the Digital OEM Certificate for every OEM saved (and that subsequently matches the info in the SLIC table) then there is no way for you to legally reactivate without purchasing another license given the conditions listed above.

Now that's not quite what you stated in your previous post. You modify your statements and then claim that you were simplifying..... you don't need to simplify it for me.

So how about you stop stalling and just answer the question in the first instance? Instead of giving muddled info and then modifying it after a bit of reading.

Trinitrotoluene

Given my own criteria the device is likely to be a tablet - if the disk is dead in that it is going back to the manufacturer to change the disk first.

NiftyDigits

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

Given my own criteria the device is likely to be a tablet - if the disk is dead in that it is going back to the manufacturer to change the disk first.

??

What are you saying??

Windows 8.1 with BING is supplied with PCs and laptops!

You were supposed to illustrate how the process, given your criteria, would be easier for the end user than the other iterations.

The truth is that it isn't. It's just easier for the likes of you and perhaps Microsoft.

I don't need to argue with you on a forum to know it. Contrary to your conjecture, I have been dealing practically with these processes on a daily basis, so I know what I'm talking about.
I don't need to scuttle off to do a bit of a refresher before posting.
The truth is that you simply don't know how to deal with such a situation until Microsoft tells you.

The answer is simple for me and perhaps for you, eventually. But the end user will likely be stuck. I'm here to help them out...whilst you just talk shop without actually doing anything.
A perfect example is this thread.
Anyway...time for me to go to sleep.

Trinitrotoluene

Indeed it is - given the limitation to low cost devices though for it, the primary market is low cost tablets.

In that particular instance, it is exceptionally difficult to re-activate anything when the disk is dead!

You might think you know it, but that is your opinion - as my opinion is mine. When I do this kind of job commercially, I have to follow by the terms set down by Microsoft. It's much easier to deal with when you are given completely free reign and don't have to follow by the rules. Windows 8/8.1 made activation easier by removing the step of having to store/ensure you still have a physical product key incase you lose or have no access to recovery media or a backup. This also helped stopped widespread abuse on 2.1 and below.

To be honest, I really don't give a !!!! about Microsoft Activation. When someone buys a product they shouldn't have to mess about to activate it at any point. It should never be easier to pirate something than to actually buy it and activate it, and Microsoft make a mockery of that idea. Just this week actually I am liaising with a senior engineer at Microsoft because on 2012 R2 RDSH using User Profile Disks and Office 365 ProPlus, Shared Activation doesn't work rendering Office completely unusable. I have multiple users paying top whack for the Enterprise E3 plan and the feature doesn't even work with their own completely unmodified OS; a feature the clients are paying hundreds of pounds a month for when you take into account all their users. Could I activate it using alternate methods? Yes, quite easily. Could I do it without breaking our partner agreement with MS? No.

The point I am trying to make here is to think carefully before you accuse people of plagiarism and question their "experience" because you have no idea of their background and they may just know more than you were expecting. You clearly give a lot of help in this forum (and for that you deserve credit). I also give help in other forums, mostly on another site (granted not so much recently) but that does not make you (or me!) infallible or above the rules of the forum.

Please be nice to all MoneySavers. That’s the forum motto. Remember, the prime aim is to help provide info and resources. If you don’t like someone, their situation, their question or feel they’re intruding on ‘your board’ then please bite the bullet and think of the bigger issue.

With that said, I wish you a good night sleep; I've wasted too much time on this thread this evening! I was planning on an early night! I feel I've made my point, I have no interest in replying to anything else about this in this thread and waste any more of both of our time.