Some Windows 10 news items

[Eindhoven]

2 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Be careful with those upgrade keys.  I bought one on eBay earlier this year.  It promised to upgrade from Windows 10 home to Pro without the loss of data and installed software.   However, when I received it via an email, they wanted me to reinstall Windows from a link in the email.  Using the link, it installed the home edition by default (I could see no way to change this), and then once done wouldn't accept the key to upgrade to Pro.  Maybe if I was starting from scratch, and didn't mind reinstalling all my software again, it would have worked, but was useless for what I wanted it to do.  Although it only cost few bucks, and I still want to do the upgrade, I'm loath to buy another cheap key unless knowing it will do what I want - be able to go into the Activation section of Settings and enter a key under "Change product key" to upgrade to Pro without the loss of any software.  Anyone got any tips?

 

Perhaps you misunderstood the instruction. There was no need to download Windows from the link. You just had to add a Generic key to your original install in order to change the edition to Pro and then use the Pro key to activate the Pro edition.

You can still do so.

[ballpoint]

1 hour ago, Eindhoven said:

 

Perhaps you misunderstood the instruction. There was no need to download Windows from the link. You just had to add a Generic key to your original install in order to change the edition to Pro and then use the Pro key to activate the Pro edition.

You can still do so.

Thanks for your reply.

 

This is from the email:

 

My Windows 10 came from an upgrade of Win 7, which was preinstalled on the computer, and says it's "activated with a digital licence linked to your Microsoft account".

 

You're saying that I should enter a generic Pro key here to get it to upgrade, and, once that's all done, enter the one that was sent in order to activate it?

Thanks.

[ravip]

4 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Be careful with those upgrade keys.  I bought one on eBay earlier this year.  It promised to upgrade from Windows 10 home to Pro without the loss of data and installed software.   However, when I received it via an email, they wanted me to reinstall Windows from a link in the email.  Using the link, it installed the home edition by default (I could see no way to change this), and then once done wouldn't accept the key to upgrade to Pro.  Maybe if I was starting from scratch, and didn't mind reinstalling all my software again, it would have worked, but was useless for what I wanted it to do.  Although it only cost few bucks, and I still want to do the upgrade, I'm loath to buy another cheap key unless knowing it will do what I want - be able to go into the Activation section of Settings and enter a key under "Change product key" to upgrade to Pro without the loss of any software.  Anyone got any tips?

Did you try any of these methods?

(if possible, a clean install would be the best)

 

Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro

Before upgrading to Windows 10 Pro, make sure your device is up to date and running the most recent version of Windows 10 Home.

For more info about how to keep your PC updated, see Windows Update: FAQ.

To upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro and activate your device, you'll need a valid product key or a digital license for Windows 10 Pro.

 

[ballpoint]

1 hour ago, ravip said:

Did you try any of these methods?

(if possible, a clean install would be the best)

 

Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro

Before upgrading to Windows 10 Pro, make sure your device is up to date and running the most recent version of Windows 10 Home.

For more info about how to keep your PC updated, see Windows Update: FAQ.

To upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro and activate your device, you'll need a valid product key or a digital license for Windows 10 Pro.

 

Yes, all updates were applied before attempting it, but it just gave a message about an invalid key.  I'll try entering a generic key tomorrow and see how that goes. 

[Eindhoven]

15 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Thanks for your reply.

 

This is from the email:

 

My Windows 10 came from an upgrade of Win 7, which was preinstalled on the computer, and says it's "activated with a digital licence linked to your Microsoft account".

 

You're saying that I should enter a generic Pro key here to get it to upgrade, and, once that's all done, enter the one that was sent in order to activate it?

Thanks.

 

Yes.

Here is the generic key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Eindhoven

[petermik]

8 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

 

Yes.

Here is the generic key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

 

Will this key legally upgrade to pro on any win 10 home pc,s?

[Eindhoven]

8 minutes ago, petermik said:

Will this key legally upgrade to pro on any win 10 home pc,s?

 

Yes; but you'll still need a Pro key for activation. The generic key just changes the edition; it doesn't activate the Pro version.

[Eindhoven]

14 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Yes, all updates were applied before attempting it, but it just gave a message about an invalid key.  I'll try entering a generic key tomorrow and see how that goes. 

 

It won't hurt to disconnect from the Internet before you apply the generic key. Once applied and you have rebooted(if necessary), you can check the version is correct, then reconnect and apply the key that you purchased to activate with the Pro key that you purchased.

[ravip]

Here you will find a wee bit more information.

 

Open a command prompt and enter 

slmgr /xpr

That tell's you the expiration date or if you are "Permanently Activated"

Permanently activated means your 10240 (this might show a newer version)  has been updated to final and you have your free Windows 10 to keep using forever.

 

Also you could try this too.

Open a command prompt and enter

slmgr.vbs -dli and hit Enter.

 

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by ravip

[thaibeachlovers]

I now little about how a computer works and no desire to learn. Everything I have read on these three pages makes me hate microsoft even more than I did before.

 

My windows 7 computer does everything I want and is easier to use than Windows 10, but of course they don't support it to force people like me to buy their inferior product.

[ravip]

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I now little about how a computer works and no desire to learn. Everything I have read on these three pages makes me hate microsoft even more than I did before.

 

My windows 7 computer does everything I want and is easier to use than Windows 10, but of course they don't support it to force people like me to buy their inferior product.

I quite understand your frustrations. Unfortunately, today, whatever device you use, it requires a bit of 'insider knowledge' from the user.

Don't blame Microsoft, it is same all over! Don't you have an IT savvy friend who could give you a hand?

I myself help many of my friends, as much as I can... and enjoy doing it!

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, ravip said:

I quite understand your frustrations. Unfortunately, today, whatever device you use, it requires a bit of 'insider knowledge' from the user.

Don't blame Microsoft, it is same all over! Don't you have an IT savvy friend who could give you a hand?

I myself help many of my friends, as much as I can... and enjoy doing it!

I pay my "IT savvy" friend that sold me my computer to help me.

Point is that I should not have to. A computer for the vast majority of people should be as easy to use as a DVD player, and require no more "upgrades" than one.

I go on TVF and e mail, download my photos and sort them, and use the edit function on W10 ( the only thing better than 7 ) and the slide show. Not everyone wants a computer sophisticated enough to reach Mars with, or do gaming.

If someone invented a machine that did that and used the tv for a screen ( just like a DVD player ), they'll be multi billionaires from all us oldies that only want a simple machine, not something that costs large, requires upgrades ( that stop happening ) and breaks after a few years.

[ravip]

11 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I pay my "IT savvy" friend that sold me my computer to help me.

Point is that I should not have to. A computer for the vast majority of people should be as easy to use as a DVD player, and require no more "upgrades" than one.

I go on TVF and e mail, download my photos and sort them, and use the edit function on W10 ( the only thing better than 7 ) and the slide show. Not everyone wants a computer sophisticated enough to reach Mars with, or do gaming.

If someone invented a machine that did that and used the tv for a screen ( just like a DVD player ), they'll be multi billionaires from all us oldies that only want a simple machine, not something that costs large, requires upgrades ( that stop happening ) and breaks after a few years.

Try to investigate the Chrome Book. It seems to be more of the type of machine you are looking for. But, please do find a user and try it out firsthand, before deciding.

 

Edit

No, a Computer will never be easy to use as a DVD player for the moment - if ever... I think that is impossible! - Even TV's are slowly 'heading' towards Computers, I feel.

Edited November 16, 2020 by ravip

[thaibeachlovers]

16 minutes ago, ravip said:

Try to investigate the Chrome Book. It seems to be more of the type of machine you are looking for. But, please do find a user and try it out firsthand, before deciding.

 

Edit

No, a Computer will never be easy to use as a DVD player for the moment - if ever... I think that is impossible! - Even TV's are slowly 'heading' towards Computers, I feel.

Thank you for your helpful reply. I'll check it out.

[Jai Dee]

A couple of unnecessary argumentative troll posts as well as replies have been removed. 

[BigStar]

On 11/15/2020 at 2:04 PM, ravip said:

A bit strange. Once you sign into Aliexpress the amount changes (OK. Still cheap)

 

Ha. What a bait-and-switch. Before it also offered a choice of number of devices, 1, 3, or 5. Oh well. Back to Lazada and Ebay.

[briley]

 

 

Deleted - not applicable

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by briley

[ravip]

Windows 10 users may soon be targeted by a barrage of full-screen adverts unless they ditch Google Chrome and switch to Microsoft's Edge browser instead. It's no secret that Microsoft wants more Windows users to move over to its internet-browsing software but this latest drive could be its most aggressive to date.

Full article

[KhunHeineken]

On 11/14/2020 at 5:57 PM, teacherclaire said:

At older machines, yes. There do not seem to be drivers for bluetooth and other applications. 

Not so much a problem for me, but I do have an old laptop that I use as a media player. 

 

It appears in the not so distant future people of poorer nations, and perhaps the elderly, will have vulnerable software, because their hardware can not support the latest version of W10, and support has ceased for the previous version they are using.  

[ravip]

On 11/14/2020 at 12:43 PM, teacherclaire said:

Yep, I do. No way to find a Bluetooth driver for my 10 to 11 year old DELL Inspiron 1440. 

I was one of the first who upgraded the existing W 7 to W 10 Pro. And there were already problems with the right Bluetooth driver a long time ago. But I could find a Lenovo driver that worked well.

 

Now, I gave up on it. 

 

One more issue we have at school is that the giant board with an Android and also running W 10 Pro now, there's no way to find the right sound driver.

 

It's got its own OS and speakers work when connected via HDMI. I did all possible troubleshooting and even a MS guy took over, but i could see him doing the same steps i had already tried.

 

I am using a HP ProBook 4530s which is about 8 years old. Today, it is running Windows 10 Pro Version 20H2 (OS Build 19042.630) which is the latest version available.

Everything works fine. Yes, most of the time, some drivers not installed automatically  can be found on the internet.

As a last resort, if you feel you cannot find a working driver for your Bluetooth to work, you can use a cheap adapter such as this.

If you are happy with your old PC's performance, it is always possible to find a workaround to solve these driver hiccups!

(At the moment, what drivers are missing?)

 

Edit

 ... giant board with an Android and also running W 10 Pro now - it is running both Android and also running W 10 Pro? Not very clear...

Edited November 25, 2020 by ravip
Add

[BigStar]

4 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Not so much a problem for me, but I do have an old laptop that I use as a media player. 

 

It appears in the not so distant future people of poorer nations, and perhaps the elderly, will have vulnerable software, because their hardware can not support the latest version of W10, and support has ceased for the previous version they are using.  

Security vulnerabilities w/ older versions of Windows can be mitigated well enough w/ a bit more security, if one takes the trouble. Usually PLBKAC.

 

Anyway Linux generally runs well enough on old hardware and has a sufficient suite of software for the most uses. If Win programs are absolutely required, as they usually really aren't, they can often be run virtually under Linux.

 

Finally, much of the world is learning to rely only on Android via phones & tablets, not to mention Chrome OS:

 

Oct 13, 2020 · Though Gartner doesn’t include Chromebook shipments along with traditional PC (Windows/Mac/Linux) market results, they did report that Chromebooks sales grew by approximately 90% in Q3 of 2020...

    --https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebook-market-share-sales-growth-q3-2020

Edited November 25, 2020 by BigStar

[KhunHeineken]

3 hours ago, BigStar said:

Security vulnerabilities w/ older versions of Windows can be mitigated well enough w/ a bit more security, if one takes the trouble. Usually PLBKAC.

 

Anyway Linux generally runs well enough on old hardware and has a sufficient suite of software for the most uses. If Win programs are absolutely required, as they usually really aren't, they can often be run virtually under Linux.

 

Finally, much of the world is learning to rely only on Android via phones & tablets, not to mention Chrome OS:

 

Oct 13, 2020 · Though Gartner doesn’t include Chromebook shipments along with traditional PC (Windows/Mac/Linux) market results, they did report that Chromebooks sales grew by approximately 90% in Q3 of 2020...

    --https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebook-market-share-sales-growth-q3-2020

I run some free antivirus on the old laptop media player.  It's currently running W10 Version 2004 and seems to be doing ok.  I gather one of the W10 feature updates will knock it out of the game eventually.  Not sure what happens to W10 updates that the hardware can no longer handle.  

 

I've never used a Chromebook.  I might go to a shop and have a play on a display model.  From what I see on Youtube, they are fast and easy on the battery, and everything just works, including updates.  They appear to me to just be a big android phone.  Would this be correct?  

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

Not sure what happens to W10 updates that the hardware can no longer handle.  

They don't get installed.

 

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

I've never used a Chromebook.  I might go to a shop and have a play on a display model.  From what I see on Youtube, they are fast and easy on the battery, and everything just works, including updates.  They appear to me to just be a big android phone.  Would this be correct?  

Chrome OS isn't Android but a special version of Linux for Chromebooks. It has a limited set of its own apps, far fewer than Android (no comparison, really).

 

The idea of a Chromebook is mainly to use the browser to (cough) browse and do things with online apps. Lots of those around, of course. It has little storage capacity, expecting you to use online storage, though of course you can add an external drive. So it's quite limited but still light, cheap, and useful.

 

Sometimes a version of real Linux can be installed on a Chromebook. Gallium OS is optimized for that purpose and been around for awhile.

[KhunHeineken]

On 11/25/2020 at 9:09 PM, BigStar said:

Chrome OS isn't Android but a special version of Linux for Chromebooks. It has a limited set of its own apps, far fewer than Android (no comparison, really).

The Youtube clips I have watched about Chromebooks say all the apps from the Google Play Store can be installed on a Chromebook.  The Google Play Store apps run on the Chrome OS. 

 

I see the onboard storage is small, so it's more like a netbook rather than a laptop, but these days you can get USB stick with huge storage, that that's no problem.  

 

On the clips I have watched they give tips on mouse clicks and scrolling.  Is that different on a Chromebook?  If it is, that would take some getting used to.   

 

 I'll play with one in a shop when I get a chance.  

[ravip]

Today there as an update and the version now is...

 

[Stocky]

30 minutes ago, ravip said:

Today there as an update and the version now is...

I defer feature updates for at least six months, no desire to play guinea-pig for Microsoft

[ravip]

21 minutes ago, Stocky said:

I defer feature updates for at least six months, no desire to play guinea-pig for Microsoft

TBH I've never had any issues with MS updates (any versions, starting form 3.1)up-to now, hence take the risk

[BigStar]

On 12/1/2020 at 7:13 AM, KhunHeineken said:

The Youtube clips I have watched about Chromebooks say all the apps from the Google Play Store can be installed on a Chromebook.  The Google Play Store apps run on the Chrome OS. 

 

I see the onboard storage is small, so it's more like a netbook rather than a laptop, but these days you can get USB stick with huge storage, that that's no problem.  

 

On the clips I have watched they give tips on mouse clicks and scrolling.  Is that different on a Chromebook?  If it is, that would take some getting used to.   

 

 I'll play with one in a shop when I get a chance.  

Been some years since I looked at Chromebooks. Nowadays some Chomebooks will allow Android apps and so I'd guess all of them will in the future. So that's a good thing.  

[ravip]

On 11/25/2020 at 8:31 AM, ravip said:

I am using a HP ProBook 4530s which is about 8 years old. Today, it is running Windows 10 Pro Version 20H2 (OS Build 19042.630) which is the latest version available.

Everything works fine. Yes, most of the time, some drivers not installed automatically  can be found on the internet.

As a last resort, if you feel you cannot find a working driver for your Bluetooth to work, you can use a cheap adapter such as this.

If you are happy with your old PC's performance, it is always possible to find a workaround to solve these driver hiccups!

(At the moment, what drivers are missing?)

 

Edit

 ... giant board with an Android and also running W 10 Pro now - it is running both Android and also running W 10 Pro? Not very clear...

Sorry, the link provided in my former post is only for audio.

Here is a Link showing a normal Bluetooth adapter.

[ballpoint]

On 11/15/2020 at 7:36 PM, ballpoint said:

Yes, all updates were applied before attempting it, but it just gave a message about an invalid key.  I'll try entering a generic key tomorrow and see how that goes. 

It's been a while, but since this thread has surfaced again, here's an update.

I entered the generic Win10 Pro key, and the computer upgraded itself with no issues.

Then I tried entering the key I purchased earlier on ebay for $2.00.  No good, it wouldn't activate.

I lived with the little "Windows is not activated, blah blah blah" message on my desktop for a week or so, then decided to buy a key on Lazada for 79 baht.  It was sent via a message in the Lazada App/website.

Entered that key and activation happened.  All is good in the PC world.