Screw Microsoft:

twistedjeepster

twistedjeepster

Just another American with a gun!
Joined
May 25, 2009
Location
Kannapolis,NC
Well Microsoft and their keys for everything. I should be able to reload my machine without having to get a new key which means getting a new OS. I have left Winblows and gone to Ubuntu. Now I just have to learn how to use it and get all of my programs to run. Of course it really wouldn't be that big of deal if I didn't have to get a new video card because the one I have is old and is starting to lock up when I play my online games. I've never used this OS before so there is a learning curve and thank God for Google.

P.S. If anyone has any advise I'll be glad to hear it.
 
Call MS and get a new key. It's not a big deal.

Ubuntu is all right. I use it in a VM under Windows. I've been using it since Edgy, and... it is no replacement for Windows.
 
Windows does suck. Im running Debian now, its what Ubuntu is based off of. Personally I think Ubuntu is getting Windowsy

Google is your friend when it comes to Ubuntu/Debian. Be prepared to have to do a little work to make some things work, while others just work, and sometimes work better than on Windows

Wine is a good program to help with running windows programs in Linux

get sudo access and type "apt-get install wine" without the quotes

I had the same issue on my old laptop, 2 hours on hold just to say oh we cant help you since that CD key has been activated.

Also Linux runs a little better with Nvidia based graphics for some reason. Better driver support

Dont be afraid and use the Terminal, using the GUI can sometimes make things more difficult and actually take longer

Good luck and welcome to the awesome world of Linux
 
welcome!
I've been using Linux for several years now, I don't have anything in my house that runs windows-- it is DEFINITELY a replacement for windows. My wife uses it for everything that she does and she is not a techy or anything of the sort. There is almost certainly an open source alternative for whatever windows programs you use (and chances are it will be free as in beer).+

Ubuntu is cool, they smooth over the rough edges which is cool for "bringing linux to the masses" or whatever. Linux Mint is great too (now based on debian, used to be based on ubuntu).
i like debian a lot, but lately I have been using Fedora.

Google is definitely your friend! someone has always run into something before....and odds are blogged about it

1fox2go has it right. I like nvidia graphics cards, but Intel integrates the best I have seen.
 
if you have a VALID microsoft key for XP then it will still work..

I have the command code at home to activate the old XP keys.. when I get home I will post up what it is.
 
HA, linux is absolutely not a replacement. If you have to WORK to get your OS to work for you, then in what way is it a replacement. I ran ubuntu for a couple years, red hat for 6 months, and there is no way you could get me to use that crap full time. No freakin thanks. Apple is OK if you get use to the way it works, but I feel the hipsters have made it out to be the end all greatness to heaven (I used it for 4 years straight, for 6hrs a day...I have plenty of experience with it).

Getting your keys from M$ shouldn't be too big of an issue. Plus the sheer mind blowingly large amount of quality software at your fingertips compared to Linux and Apple is enough to get me to continue using evil M$ OS's. Yes, both other OS's have good/great software avail, but not the amount that M$ has.

Using Linux as a primary OS is like playing baseball with no bat or glove. Yeah you can still play, but its gonna be frustrating, its gonna hurt like hell, and I guarandamntee you're going to cuss more than a woman giving birth w/o drugs.
 
Hmm I use Debian for my work everyday and have no issues. Its free, I dont have to pay for any software, which is why I have to do a couple of google searches and copy paste a few lines of code in the terminal from time to time. Having to work a little to save some coin is perfectly fine with me

To each their own. Linux is actually surpassing Windows in the server industry in many markets

It is also not bloated and runs on older machines very well. Even with older hardware you can still get the same visual effects on a linux machine that the windows stuff has with more hardware

Each OS has their pros and cons. I actually prefer linux but thats just me. Its more secure, it works, it doesnt require a reboot all the time

However there are somethings that have to use windows. Even in Wine some programs dont work that great. But you have to remember that Linux is free. People develop the software on their own time for free.

Linux can be used as a replacement, the user just needs to understand that they will have to work a little bit in order to do so. This in return leads to some self satisfaction after they make something designed for use with windows run under a Linux environment.

As for Fedora, I used to not like it back in the day now its getting better, just like Debian, the new Debian 6 is rocking
 
The requirements for server operating systems vs desktop operating systems aren't similar enough to warrant comparisons.

The "Linux isn't bloated" justification stopped being true several years ago. Even before that, Ubuntu was famously bloated in comparison with other distros. Ubuntu releases since roughly 10.4 no longer run well on XP-era hardware. I even had problems with 9.04 filling the hard disc after about 6-8 mos of use (mainly with backup kernels... but, fawk... just wipe and reinstall).

Linux desktops are good for two things: interfacing with Linux servers and computers-for-Grandma. That's pretty much it. Oh, or if you want a new hobby called 'figuring out why the computer suddenly won't allow you to use your display's native resolution.' It's good for that, too.
 
You shouldn't need a new key. Sometimes you have to call in your key to activate it. What kind of problem are you having with your key?
 
Well I after I had worked on the stupid thing from the time I got off work to the time I went to bed I was pretty frustrated and just wanted to punt the whole thing out of the window. After sleeping on it I think I am going to figure out a way to get my windows working again and just dual boot Ubuntu. I know people have said that getting a key for windows from MS shouldn't be that hard to do but I know for experience that it can be a serious PITA. Every time I have had to do it was a big hassle and I would just rather not deal with that headache again.

I do feel that once I am proficient with Linux it will be replacing my windows. I don't mind working to get what I want especially since I work on computers all day doing it a little more when I have time won't faze me much.

GubNi said:
You shouldn't need a new key. Sometimes you have to call in your key to activate it. What kind of problem are you having with your key?
Click to expand...
When I bought 7 it was the OEM version and I used the 64bit install. Well I just found out that when you want/need to reinstall it that key will only load 32bit even if you use a 64bit disk ( like I now have ). I have enterprise editions of XP, Vista, and 7 ( all versions including servers ) that I use on a daily basis at work. I do have another disk that we call 48 in 1 that literally has all versions of windows 7 so I'm going to see if I can get it to reload the 64bit OS. So yeah the problem is not the activation it's the version that I am getting when I install it.
 
1fox2go said:
Hmm I use Debian for my work everyday and have no issues. Its free, I dont have to pay for any software, which is why I have to do a couple of google searches and copy paste a few lines of code in the terminal from time to time. Having to work a little to save some coin is perfectly fine with me

To each their own. Linux is actually surpassing Windows in the server industry in many markets

It is also not bloated and runs on older machines very well. Even with older hardware you can still get the same visual effects on a linux machine that the windows stuff has with more hardware

Each OS has their pros and cons. I actually prefer linux but thats just me. Its more secure, it works, it doesnt require a reboot all the time

However there are somethings that have to use windows. Even in Wine some programs dont work that great. But you have to remember that Linux is free. People develop the software on their own time for free.

Linux can be used as a replacement, the user just needs to understand that they will have to work a little bit in order to do so. This in return leads to some self satisfaction after they make something designed for use with windows run under a Linux environment.

As for Fedora, I used to not like it back in the day now its getting better, just like Debian, the new Debian 6 is rocking
Click to expand...

Amen! Also running Debian "Squeeze". Linux is my only operating system... has been for several years. I haven't found anything yet that Windows can do that I can't, other than maybe games which I don't play anyway. I have a secure system with no need for for an army of anti-virus & anti-spyware applications.

To each their own, but those who blast Linux obviously have very little knowledge of it, and apparently don't have the ambition of trying to learn something new.
 
Granny said:
Amen! Also running Debian "Squeeze". Linux is my only operating system... has been for several years. I haven't found anything yet that Windows can do that I can't, other than maybe games which I don't play anyway. I have a secure system with no need for for an army of anti-virus & anti-spyware applications.
To each their own, but those who blast Linux obviously have very little knowledge of it, and apparently don't have the ambition of trying to learn something new.
Click to expand...


if that is aimed at Shawn...ill let him defend himself but ill just say sadly mistaken.
 
:lol:

You can't watch Netflix on Linux.

You can't run any of Adobe's production tools. (GIMP? Ha... you get what you pay for)

You can't run anything Autodesk makes.

But you can surf the web and not worry too much about getting a virus. But that's not so much a reflection of any inherent security structures within the Linux distros as it is of the installed base -- the OSX installed base is 11x bigger than all the Linux distros combined. And OSX is tiny in comparison to Windows. It's simply a question of attack surface. I'm sure an Amiga makes for a virus-free web browsing platform... but that doesn't mean it's a very good one.

But shit... it ain't like I've ever compiled my own kernel or anything, so WTF do I know?

As to the OP, not sure exactly why it's giving you an issue. I've reinstalled 7 from 64bit OEM discs (purchased OEM disc, not OEM-supplied) and it worked just fine. That was due to a hard disc failure, so it was a complete re-do. I would be interested in finding out exactly what the solution is.
 
Here is the code to get it to activate..

just install XP with the disc and use the key given to you..

when you are done installing OS and you get to the main screen do this:

click on START, then click on RUN

type : oobe /msoobe /a

it will launch an activation window and if you have the original key it will work..

I have done this many times and never had an issue..
( it is a back door into activation that microsoft does not want you to know about )

hope it works for you
 
Right. Everybody has their opinion, and people can love Windows (and paying ~$200 for it) and I am not going to hate on them for it, but Linux does everything I need to do and does it well.

also :
I haven't had a problem with native resolutions or anything like that since like 2004.
GIMP is very good, I never looked back after I quit using Photoshop (this was back even before I started using Linux). Not to mention Inkscape! vector graphics FTW.
as for being bloated, there are many desktop environments besides the bloated gnome and kde (LXDE, XFCE, etc), and most distributions offer several.

the biggest suck these days is not being able to watch netflix. there's some alternatives in development, but it still does not work at all I don't think.


twistedjeeper: dual boot is a good solution until you get adept at how everything works. Be sure to install Windows first (if that is what you has to do) so it does not overwrite the boot record. Looks like BRUISER posted some activation code or something so hopefully all of that works out for you.
let us know how it goes
 
Shawn said:
The requirements for server operating systems vs desktop operating systems aren't similar enough to warrant comparisons.

The "Linux isn't bloated" justification stopped being true several years ago. Even before that, Ubuntu was famously bloated in comparison with other distros. Ubuntu releases since roughly 10.4 no longer run well on XP-era hardware. I even had problems with 9.04 filling the hard disc after about 6-8 mos of use (mainly with backup kernels... but, fawk... just wipe and reinstall).

Linux desktops are good for two things: interfacing with Linux servers and computers-for-Grandma. That's pretty much it. Oh, or if you want a new hobby called 'figuring out why the computer suddenly won't allow you to use your display's native resolution.' It's good for that, too.
Click to expand...

I agree with you with Ubuntu. I left Ubuntu for Debian for the reason that it is alwasy getting kernel updates and being bloated and "Windowsy"

The reason why people who try it and dont like is they have the mind set that an OS is and OS and it all works. But remember that linux is FREE, and people DONATE their time to help improve it, so expecting it to do everything windows does is not a good idea

For the average user Ubuntu is a good place to start and learn. For people who need more, IE photoshoping and things like that, try Debian. However OSX pretty much dominates the photoshop and video editing scene

However I have an old XP based Gateway running Ubuntu for my step dad to use and he likes it. For someone who is not tech savvy and does not know much about computers he is using Ubuntu quite well.

The point is to each their Own, and to the Original poster it looks like there are a few people on this forum that can help you with any issues you might have using Linux
 
I used my 48 in 1 windows 7 disk and used my key which fixed the OS right up which is one problem solved. Then I ran a few more test on it and found out that my cpu and video card are failing which was causing my BSOD. So I just have to rebuild the stupid thing. The real sucky thing is that 775 SLI boards are getting pretty scarce and a new cpu is cheaper than a replacement for the one I have. I'm still planning on the dual boot so I can learn Linux.

I wish I could get a better discount here at work because I would build the sandy bridge board we have here.

On a lighter note I got a 10% pay raise today, WOO HOO!
 
twistedjeepster said:
I used my 48 in 1 windows 7 disk and used my key which fixed the OS right up which is one problem solved. Then I ran a few more test on it and found out that my cpu and video card are failing which was causing my BSOD. So I just have to rebuild the stupid thing. The real sucky thing is that 775 SLI boards are getting pretty scarce and a new cpu is cheaper than a replacement for the one I have. I'm still planning on the dual boot so I can learn Linux.

I wish I could get a better discount here at work because I would build the sandy bridge board we have here.

On a lighter note I got a 10% pay raise today, WOO HOO!
Click to expand...

NICE! especially on the raise!

I ran into the same thing when my motherboard melted on my computer. I was looking around for parts and it was just about cheaper to replace everything and bring it up to date as it would be to replace the motherboard and such with used parts. So I just left it broken, I have too many computers anyway.
 
I've played around with Ubuntu. My son loves LMMS.
Gonna try Fedora witch also has LMMS in its repository. Less overhead than Ubuntu so it is supposed to run faster than Ubuntu.

Open Office is an excellent and free office suite.
 
I think I have found the culprit to my BSODs. I have been doing a TON of research on the ones that I was getting and on one of the forums it had mentioned SP1 for 7 64. So after doing some research on that I found that if you have an older machine, say 4-5 years, then it will BSOD with SP1. It has to do with outdated drivers. I sort of proved that theory last night before I read about the issue. I put an old video card in place of my 9800gt to see if it was a hardware issue and my pc BSOD right away and didn't even make it to windows. My Wife's comp is not BSOD because she basically has a brand new build (inexpensive parts but new none the less.). So once I finish with the two machines I have running right now the boss gave me the okay to work on my own and try my theory of not installing SP1 and see what happens.

I'll let you guys know.
 
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