Non-manufacturer Windows installs: How do they work?

[chronovore]

From the Durango thread:

Here's what I put together after a bit of messing around:

GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 660 OC DirectCU 1020MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 $199.99 after rebate
CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 640 $76.98
Mobo: ASUS M5A78L-M LX Plus mATX AM3+ DDR3 AMD 760G $54.99
RAM: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B Vengeance Blue 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 $49.99
PSU: Thermaltake TR2 600W Power Supply $39.99 after rebate
HD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 7200.12 1TB SATA 32MB Cache $67.99
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case Black, several case fans included $34.99 after rebate
Mouse/Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Desktop Keyboard and Mouse Combo USB $14.99
Blu-Ray Drive: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Reader $25.99
Webcam: HP HD-3110 Autofocus 720p 30FPS Widescreen Webcam $11.99
OS: Linux trololol (psst.. you can still run Windows like everyone else does, I won't tell anyone) $0.00

Total: $577.89

This is over the budget of $500, but it's a good system for the price. The CPU and GPU are very overclock friendly, and the PSU can handle it.

Downgrading to 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 500GB HD is about $45 cheaper, and getting rid of the blu-ray drive and webcam is $38 cheaper. The "cheaper" total is $494.91, under $500 for the same gaming performance provided the 4GB DDR3 doesn't come back to haunt you.

For an AMD GPU I'd look at trying to get a 7870 on sale for around $210-230.

Sorry to be stunningly naïve, but when people buy Linux-installed systems, and want to get Windows, from where are they buying their Windows OS? Is there some cheap deal, such as OEM versions of Windows on the cheap? Or are they pirating the OS and, if so, how are they getting around the security measures of Windows Update, which theoretically checks with the mothership for validity before updating?

Also, if I have older PC which shipped with Windows, can I transfer those licenses to a new machine, or am I SOL?

[MCD]

I think students in the US can get it for from msdn and the like.

As for deals, Windows 8 deals ended last month so your only choice is looking for cheap OEM deals for Windows 7 and maybe 8. You might also find people selling keys on ebay but they can be shady so you are on your own.

You can crack Vista and 7 (Windows Update won't affect it) pretty easily but 8 changed a lot of stuff regarding security so no pirated version for 8 unless you like botnet.

[benjipwns]

Yeah, you can sometimes get cheap OEM deals. Microsoft was giving away 7 Pro for $20 on Microsoft Student at one point. Or even retail ones, just check NewEgg or Amazon or wherever. OEM versions are usually like $80-110 regular price at any given time.

Technically you're not supposed to use the OEM if you're not an approved vendor or whatever but they don't actually care. You can't transfer the license and some other stuff but if you build a whole new PC every few years and install the newest Windows each time it doesn't really come up as a big issue.

If you do get blocked, you can contact them and be like "I had to change my motherboard and CPU" and they usually just let the key re-activate. That's the farthest I've ever seen it have to go in real life.

EDIT: Should add that I don't know if anything has changed significantly for 8.

[archnemesis]

I had a few old MSDNAA Windows 7 serial keys that I intended to use when I bought my Windows 8 upgrade. It turned out I didn't even have to use them. W8 can be pretty borked sometimes and I ended up having to change the registry manually in order to activate the product. I think most people pay for W8 (even though some get student discounts) and then just don't mention it in these comparisons. They also exclude shipping since that would also ruin the point they're trying to make.

[pilonv1]

I reused the W7 oem I got with my old system 3years ago on a total new build and it activated fine

[Fifstar]

I can get one key each for W7 32/64 and Win 8 for free via my university, that what I used when I built my pc last year. Probably gonna use the Win 8 key sometime in the future.

[mjemirzian]

You could get a full Windows 8 license for $40 by buying an upgrade and applying it to the developer preview. Not sure if that is still valid.

They also exclude shipping since that would also ruin the point they're trying to make.

That the best ya got?

[Stoney Mason]

No really related but I had a weird issue with my computer a couple of days ago. Its a new one I go a few weeks ago and it was working fine but then suddenly I got a blue screen of death and the system wouldn't boot properly. It would try to boot into windows, get another blue screen of death and just keep looping that process.

I eventually had to use the reset computer option in the advanced options of windows 8 and lose everything although since it was a new computer I didn't lose anything important. First time something like that has ever happened to me.

[Rusty Shackleford]

From the Durango thread:

Here's what I put together after a bit of messing around:

GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 660 OC DirectCU 1020MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 $199.99 after rebate
CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 640 $76.98
Mobo: ASUS M5A78L-M LX Plus mATX AM3+ DDR3 AMD 760G $54.99
RAM: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B Vengeance Blue 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 $49.99
PSU: Thermaltake TR2 600W Power Supply $39.99 after rebate
HD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 7200.12 1TB SATA 32MB Cache $67.99
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case Black, several case fans included $34.99 after rebate
Mouse/Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Desktop Keyboard and Mouse Combo USB $14.99
Blu-Ray Drive: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Reader $25.99
Webcam: HP HD-3110 Autofocus 720p 30FPS Widescreen Webcam $11.99
OS: Linux trololol (psst.. you can still run Windows like everyone else does, I won't tell anyone) $0.00

Total: $577.89

This is over the budget of $500, but it's a good system for the price. The CPU and GPU are very overclock friendly, and the PSU can handle it.

Downgrading to 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 500GB HD is about $45 cheaper, and getting rid of the blu-ray drive and webcam is $38 cheaper. The "cheaper" total is $494.91, under $500 for the same gaming performance provided the 4GB DDR3 doesn't come back to haunt you.

For an AMD GPU I'd look at trying to get a 7870 on sale for around $210-230.

Sorry to be stunningly naïve, but when people buy Linux-installed systems, and want to get Windows, from where are they buying their Windows OS? Is there some cheap deal, such as OEM versions of Windows on the cheap? Or are they pirating the OS and, if so, how are they getting around the security measures of Windows Update, which theoretically checks with the mothership for validity before updating?

Also, if I have older PC which shipped with Windows, can I transfer those licenses to a new machine, or am I SOL?

You're in Japan, right? MS used to have digital-purchase-and-download of Windows 7 from its store site; now it's just Windows 8. You can actually download ISOs of almost any version of Windows XP or 7 from their digital distribution partner (Digital River; do some searching on Google), but you need a valid key to activate the OS once installed.

If you can get Newegg (or a friend in the US) to ship to you, they might be the best choice for the easiest purchase. $140 for Windows 7 Professional.

As far as using the OEM product key that was on one of your old computers, I've heard that some installs check for a BIOS key to confirm that Windows is being installed on a computer from the same OEM. You may need to do some hacking.

OEM CD/DVD are different from retail CD/DVD; keys for one won't work with the other. You can edit a file in the ISO to change that - google it.

If you can, slipstream SP3 (for XP) or SP1 (for W7) into your install CD/DVD using nLite to save time after you install the OS. Much faster to incorporate the service packs into the installation media than wait for it to download. W7 may no longer allow you to slipstream, now that I think about it.

Not all MSDNAA/Dreamspark participant campuses have the option of getting free W7/8; some (like mine) require you to be a computer science major with special credentials before you can access that stuff. Otherwise, you have access only to developer tools (Visual Studio; Server 2008, etc...)

[chronovore]

Thanks, dudes.

Yeah, I'm in Japan. I was mainly wondering if I put a new system together, can I use one of the keys from my existing crapola ASUS or Gateway machines. The answer appears to be "maybe."

[Rusty Shackleford]

 Hope that helped. I did that same research myself about 2 weeks ago before biting the bullet and getting a new retail copy.

Note that you can't usually use recovery CDs on a different machine, if that's what you're planning to try; those almost always check for the appropriate BIOS string. You can use nLite to change an OEM install disc to a retail disc and vice versa, and then try using your old OEM keys.

Windows uses a hash/"magic number" derived from your hardware components; I suspect trying to complete activation with Windows 7 and Vista using an old OEM key may get flagged and require a phone call to MS. Maybe you can tell them you swapped out some defective parts in the old tower.

[chronovore]

It did, thanks!

I think I'll end up doing what you did, if I end up building a new box.