quote:Originally posted by TSN: As for the Windows issue, I think the pre-installed OEM versions often (always?) are (license-wise, anyway) restricted to the computer they originally came with, aren't they?
I'd imagine so. However, in this case, while the OEM Vista was pre-installed by Dell (which is still probably lurking in a hidden partition) the Win7 upgrade disc was purchased from Amazon, so I'm hoping all the Dell stuff was expunged.
posted
Well, my point was that, as far as Microsoft is concerned, you're probably not allowed to install that copy of Vista on another computer. That being the case, I'm not sure that they would consider it okay to upgrade a copy of Windows that's not "legitimate" to begin with. But, then, this all depends upon whether you're concerned about following Microsoft's byzantine licensing procedures in the first place.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
At this point it looks like Microsoft are more interested in pushing Windows 8 than making sure everyone with a copy of Windows 7 hasn't managed sidestepped their frankly bonkers licence agreements.
I think I managed to get away with it because 1) the upgrade disc(s) are for both Vista and XP, the latter of which requires a fresh install (which is what I ended up doing) and 2) the previous upgrade/install was done with the 32 bit version, while here I've installed from the 64-bit disc.
I do vaguely recall something in the licence agreement about the product key being good for more than one activation, so what I've done may actually have been legit. Still, not sure what will happen if/when I have to do a full system reinstall a few years down the line. Hopefully they don't have that stupid limited number of installs policy like SecureRom. That'd suck.
By the by, I have to say going straight from XP to Win7 (never even touched Vista when it came out) feels surprisingly good. Especially since I was running XP in classic mode. Couldn't stand that plasticy green and blue look. Blech.
The weirdest thing though it having over 900GBs free space on my hard drive. Feels very empty...is it even possible to get agoraphobic with a digital storage device? Well it is now!
posted
Just to check, did you do a straight Windows 7 install, or install XP and then upgrade it? Because doing the second is...icky.
And yeah, you'll probably be fine. Technically you are almost certainly in violation of the licencing agreement (Tim is right, an OEM licence is only valid on the original hardware). Just because it has worked, doesn't mean it is legal. BUT, since it has worked, I wouldn't worry about it. Microsoft are rather unlikely to track you down. At worst you might find Windows becomes "unactivated" one day, and you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Likewise, I wouldn't worry about what you'll do with a full reinstall a few years down the line. You're unlikely to be reinstalling Windows 7 at that point.
And to be fair to Microsoft, they have many many many many horrendously confusing licencing things, but they mainly apply on the company side. For the home user, all you have to remember is:
OEM: Original equipment manufacturer licence. Only valid on the original hardware it was installed on. If you bought a PC, this is the licence that will be on it. If you buy an OEM Windows licence, it will be assigned to the first machine you install Windows on. It can't be reassigned.
Standalone: Can be installed on a machine and transfered to your heart's contect.
Upgrade licence: Can upgrade either of the above licences to a newer version of Windows. Original licence rules apply. (That is, if you upgrade a Vista OEM licence, you end up with a Windows 7 OEM licence.)
Congratulations though on finally getting rid of XP. Just don't make the classic new operating system mistake, which is trying to make it work like the old one. Embrace the new start menu, taskbar, and all that jazz. Going from XP to 7 it's pretty easy. Certainly easier than going from 7 to 8 (although even that isn't as bad as a lot of people make out.)
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: Just don't make the classic new operating system mistake, which is trying to make it work like the old one.
I resemble that remark. This is why my taskbar and Start button is always at the top of the screen . . . I have always gone "up" to do stuff since Windows 3.11 (or even the StupenDOS DOS shell) and by golly I like it that way and ain't changin', ya scallywags.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
When I started working at my current place of work, one of my first jobs was to streamline the installation of new computers by creating baseline images. It was 2006 so we were using XP. I asked how it was done in the other (German) sites. One of them apparently had a guy whose job was to install Windows 98 on a machine, which he then upgraded to Windows XP. I asked why, and was told that it was because that is what he had always done.
Germans are crazy.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Just to check, did you do a straight Windows 7 install, or install XP and then upgrade it? Because doing the second is...icky.
The former. You can't to a straight upgrade of XP like you can with Vista, you basically have to do a fresh install. Calling it an upgrade appears to just be a licence agreement technicality that still baffles me.
quote:Congratulations though on finally getting rid of XP. Just don't make the classic new operating system mistake, which is trying to make it work like the old one. Embrace the new start menu, taskbar, and all that jazz. Going from XP to 7 it's pretty easy. Certainly easier than going from 7 to 8 (although even that isn't as bad as a lot of people make out.)
XP has been very good to me over the years and I'd hold onto it if I could be the hardware has finally left it behind.
I'm not 100% up to date though, at least not on the gaming side of things. My GPU can't run Direct X 11 (or 10, I think) so if there are any games that won't run without it I'll be stuck. Haven't come across any yet though and from what I can tell, it's not worth worrying about for the time being.
quote:Germans are crazy.
Shh! Bernd might be lurking! But yeah, they can be a stuborn single minded bunch. I recall an incident in one of my old jobs; the manufacturer of one of out main products was a German subsidiary. At some point before my time a design fault was discovered in the internal modem and was causing issues, so they were instructed to cease installing that particular model in favor of a newer one that actually worked properly.
It takes a while to cycle through the stock so it was ages before anyone flagged up that the issue was still occurring with the new model. After testing & retesting the new component we couldn't reproduce the error and we double checked that the serial numbers that were having problems were the newer units...then someone finally cracked open one of them and discovered that the newer units...ALL of them...were still being fitted with the old faulty modems.
We assumed it was some clerical error at Germany's end (yeah, I know, we should have known better than assume *that*) but as it turned out they were well aware. When asked why they were intentionally installing components known to be faulty, the response that came back was something to the effect of "because we have so many of them left in stock and we need to make room." o_O
posted
..and the next question for the brain trust; anyone know anything about optimal airflow inside a pc case?
I ask because the case I got is one of those inverted ones with the PSU at the bottom and the access panel on the right hand side requiring the motherboard to be installed upside-down.
What's worrying me is that this means the GPU is also the wrong way up, with it's heatsink on top pulling air down and that I have an exhaust fan right above it pulling air up. I think I might be creating a hot spot but I'm not sure what to do about it.
The only two options I can think of are to flip one of the to top fans to blow fresh air directly onto the GPU heatsink or take the the rear fan which it pulling air out, flip it to an intake and mount it on the side panel right next to the GPU.
What worries me with either of those two options is that I may create a deadzone of air in the middle and actually increase the ambient temp.
posted
That's what I thought, but the bloody thing is about to start hovering as it is, plus I'd have to run a 3-pin Y-splitter off the CPU's radiator fan.
posted
Are you sure you haven't got the case upside down?
*cheeky*
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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