Laptop Hell

[rthonpm]

Re: Laptop Hell

I buy my Windows 10 Pro Key from KINGUIN for $20.

Just a moment...

Not a good choice. You're buying illegitimate keys that can be blocked by Microsoft at any time.

If the price is too good to be true...

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Laptop Hell

Not a good choice. You're buying illegitimate keys that can be blocked by Microsoft at any time.

If the price is too good to be true...

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

Yeah, I thought about that. I learned of KINGUIN from a website called Tom's Hardware. Here's what they said about KINGUIN.

If you don’t have any way to get a Windows 10 or 11 product key for free and you don’t want to live with the drawbacks of an unactivated copy of Windows, there are some third-party sellers that offer keys starting at around $20. At the time of writing, Kinguin, a popular key marketplace, was selling Windows 10 Home for as little as $20.81 or Windows 11 Home for $26.76. Windows 10 Pro started at $24.28 and Windows 11 Pro was $29.70.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room. While we can't vouch for all of them, websites selling cheap Windows 10 or 11 keys are likely offering legitimate codes. Kinguin has more than three dozen merchants worldwide selling Windows keys. Mark Jordan, Kinguin’s VP of communications, told Tom's Hardware in 2019 that Kinguin's merchants acquire the codes from wholesalers who have surplus copies of Windows they don't need

I don't know if that's true. It could come back to bite me in the ass.


How to Get Windows 11 or Windows 10 for Free (or Under $20) | Tom's Hardware

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Laptop Hell

Yeah, I thought about that. I learned of KINGUIN from a website called Tom's Hardware. Here's what they said about KINGUIN.




I don't know if that's true. It could come back to bite me in the ass.


How to Get Windows 11 or Windows 10 for Free (or Under $20) | Tom's Hardware

Yes, I'm gonna respond to my own post.

I'm been in sales in some capacity for my entire adult life. I always hear about customers getting swindled by some scam that seem very obvious. Well, here I am as living proof that "a good deal" can make us believe just about anything. My inner-voice is telling me that this deal is too good to be true. But the devil sitting on the other shoulder has convinced me that it sounds legit. The truth is that I have no idea. And that sould have been enough to stay away.

[rthonpm]

Re: Laptop Hell

There's a pile of these companies bilking people.

What they do is buy a Volume License key, which allows multiple activations. VLK allow you to use the same key on multiple machines and to activate Windows off it up to a maximum number of activations. Keep in mind, your number of licenses and your number of activations aren't always the same. You can buy a single VLK license, which covers a single machine but you can rebuild that computer or replace it and activate Windows on it up to the maximum number of activations you have. You're not licensed in this example to have two computers using that license at the same time, even though the second one will activate. Microsoft audits its activation servers and if a key is in use beyond the number of licenses (with a grace period of some time to account for dead computers, etc) they can block that key from activating.

They may also be buying liquidated equipment and pulling the keys from them to re-sell. Either way, you're running a risk of ending up with a dead instance of Windows, or exposing a customer (if they're a business) to a license audit by Microsoft.

So all these companies do is abuse the activation servers to sell you an activation, without legally licensing you. If you run slmgr.vbs /dli on one of the machines you bought the key from you'll see that it's a Volume License Key, not a retail key.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Laptop Hell

There's a pile of these companies bilking people.

What they do is buy a Volume License key, which allows multiple activations. VLK allow you to use the same key on multiple machines and to activate Windows off it up to a maximum number of activations. Keep in mind, your number of licenses and your number of activations aren't always the same. You can buy a single VLK license, which covers a single machine but you can rebuild that computer or replace it and activate Windows on it up to the maximum number of activations you have. You're not licensed in this example to have two computers using that license at the same time, even though the second one will activate. Microsoft audits its activation servers and if a key is in use beyond the number of licenses (with a grace period of some time to account for dead computers, etc) they can block that key from activating.

So all these companies do is abuse the activation servers to sell you an activation, without legally licensing you. If you run slmgr.vbs /dli on one of the machines you bought the key from you'll see that it's a Volume License Key, not a retail key.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

I believe you. On another note, it's amazing the stuff that I pick up from you. slmgr.vbs /dli. I like it.

[rthonpm]

Re: Laptop Hell

Just updated the quoted post too.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Laptop Hell

This is off topic. Over a period of time, I have discussed a broad range of computer topics with rthonpm - PC repair, servers, Sharepoint, ect, ect. It blows my mind the knowledge this guy has. How does he remember all of this shit? I'm very grateful that he's so willing to share his knowledge but at times it's very disheartening because it makes me realize that I'm a dummy on this stuff compared to him.

[rthonpm]

Re: Laptop Hell

I remember it because I deal with it every day. I've hit the tipping point where I've supported computers longer than printers. At this point with business, printers are more just a way to keep my hardware skills going.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[Tricky]

Re: Laptop Hell

I buy my Windows 10 Pro Key from KINGUIN for $20.

Just a moment...

In the future google company name Trustpilot, it may help.

[tsbservice]

Re: Laptop Hell

This is off topic. Over a period of time, I have discussed a broad range of computer topics with rthonpm - PC repair, servers, Sharepoint, ect, ect. It blows my mind the knowledge this guy has. How does he remember all of this shit? I'm very grateful that he's so willing to share his knowledge but at times it's very disheartening because it makes me realize that I'm a dummy on this stuff compared to him.

Nevertheless this only makes us humble and willing to know more!
Our IT guy is more than competent and that helps me being better big time

[techsxge]

Re: Laptop Hell

My Boss once told me "If you can get Microsoft Products for cheaper than microsoft sells them for, it is most likely not a legal product"

[tonerhead]

Re: Laptop Hell

My Boss once told me "If you can get Microsoft Products for cheaper than microsoft sells them for, it is most likely not a legal product"

It's funny. 15 years ago I had 3 boys in college. I needed microsoft office for each of them. I think it was office 2007. I went to a site called something with winds in the name. They offered a 3 license of office for students for $99. I think even Best Buy was in on the deal too. I downloaded and installed it on the boy's laptops. It registered just fine at Microsoft, no issues and they used it through college. Fast forward about 10 years later, I get a letter in the mail from some legal class action lawsuit stating that I was sold illegal software and am entitled to participate in the class action suit. It just made me laugh and I threw it in the trash. Whether legal or not, laptops were long replaced and software was obsolete. One of my boys was in graduate school at the time of the letter. Graduate school discouraged Microsoft Office and encouraged LibreOffice as cost savings for students. Going back to 97 when my wife was in grad school. She was forced to purchase office 97. It was a flippin huge expense ( I think it was $297). Our computer was running windows 95 with a 800MB hdd. That bloatware used up half of the hdd once installed. Still have the old cd after all I paid for it. I should toss it, but it brings back memories of how quickly things have changed. It's right along side of my w95, w98, xp,w7,w8, w10 disks. Why do I save this crap??

[slimslob]

Re: Laptop Hell

It's funny. 15 years ago I had 3 boys in college. I needed microsoft office for each of them. I think it was office 2007. I went to a site called something with winds in the name. They offered a 3 license of office for students for $99. I think even Best Buy was in on the deal too. I downloaded and installed it on the boy's laptops. It registered just fine at Microsoft, no issues and they used it through college. Fast forward about 10 years later, I get a letter in the mail from some legal class action lawsuit stating that I was sold illegal software and am entitled to participate in the class action suit. It just made me laugh and I threw it in the trash. Whether legal or not, laptops were long replaced and software was obsolete. One of my boys was in graduate school at the time of the letter. Graduate school discouraged Microsoft Office and encouraged LibreOffice as cost savings for students. Going back to 97 when my wife was in grad school. She was forced to purchase office 97. It was a flippin huge expense ( I think it was $297). Our computer was running windows 95 with a 800MB hdd. That bloatware used up half of the hdd once installed. Still have the old cd after all I paid for it. I should toss it, but it brings back memories of how quickly things have changed. It's right along side of my w95, w98, xp,w7,w8, w10 disks. Why do I save this crap??

You may have been over charged for Office. The Student/Teacher/Military version should have been available through the student store for, if I remember correct, ether $79 or $89 for a 3 user license. Microsoft wants University/College graduates to be used to using their product.

[Samir]

Re: Laptop Hell

Late to the party since the laptops are already imaged, but what I usually do is boot Clonezilla to RAM to make my image and save it on a network drive. Then I will boot up each laptop to clonezilla to RAM to write the image off that network drive. So then it's just boot clonezilla to RAM and image off the network drive in parallel. And as they finish, I can reboot them into windows and activate them, change their network name, etc, while I set others to start their image. It becomes and assembly line.

[techsxge]

Re: Laptop Hell

Late to the party since the laptops are already imaged, but what I usually do is boot Clonezilla to RAM to make my image and save it on a network drive. Then I will boot up each laptop to clonezilla to RAM to write the image off that network drive. So then it's just boot clonezilla to RAM and image off the network drive in parallel. And as they finish, I can reboot them into windows and activate them, change their network name, etc, while I set others to start their image. It becomes and assembly line.

that is basically what i suggested here. Just with another programm.