Windows Licensing for donated PCs from NHQ?

Started by Eclipse, January 07, 2019, 02:42:24 AM

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Fester

Eclipse, I shot you a PM a few days ago.  I know notifications are taking forever, but would you mind checking for it?
1stLt, CAP
Squadron CC
Group CPO
Eaker - 1996

blombardo

Microsofts original 'free' upgrade path still exists and works as of a few weeks ago it can still be used.   You must have a valid (legit) windows OS license from a past version and you can use the official servers to get your free upgrade.

This info has not been taken down or hidden from microsoft; they simply choose to stop advertising it and instead offer to sell people a license...

Source #1  https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-download-windows-10-for-free-now-that-windows-7-is-dead/

Source #2  I'm an IT contractor and do this often for individuals.

*Point of contention = does national / Wing allow you to do this?  Thats the only thing you need to worry about.  If it is their machine listed in ORMS you had best be sure you are crossing T's and Dotting i's.

I'm a group level IT and have pointed this out to various people at wing; no one has *(yet) said 'no' to this.... for all those units 2014 and older that are not getting updated; this may be an option.

Sr Member Brian Lombardo, CAP
Squadron123, IT, PAO, Logistics
PA Group 6, Assistant IT
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Eclipse

Quote from: blombardo on May 09, 2020, 11:25:55 PMMicrosofts original 'free' upgrade path still exists and works as of a few weeks ago it can still be used.  You must have a valid (legit) windows OS license from a past version and you can use the official servers to get your free upgrade.

Yes, but it has to have been a license that was eligible for upgrade to Win10 (i.e. Win7 or Win8).
I've had good luck activating those, even with Sufaces (*blech*).  However in this case, at least 1/2 the machines were shipped w/o any OS as the respective former owners had activation through VLSC.

Quote from: blombardo on May 09, 2020, 11:25:55 PM*Point of contention = does national / Wing allow you to do this?  Thats the only thing you need to worry about.  If it is their machine listed in ORMS you had best be sure you are crossing T's and Dotting i's.

These machines are not CAP property and are not in ORMs, but a number were intended to be
permanently loaned to members for use only for CAP.

For..."reasons"..., CAP bought a significant number of notebooks that shipped with Windows 7 Enterprise,
however a lot of them have Win 7 Pro keys under the battery, and in those cases, while they can't be upgraded
in place, they can be scratched to Win10.  At the time there was all kinds of angst about upgrading to Win10
because "it may not support existing applications" (if anyone had an NHQ-sanctioned incompatible application
I'd sure be curious as to what it was), while the real reason was likely that there simply was no 
way the average CC in flyover Composite who isn't an IT guy could load the machine without potentially
bricking it. The result was these machines aged-over the Win7 sundown, even though they are perfectly
viable and servicable.

The other non-trivial issue was that once scratched, there was no easy way to reload MS Office, and many
poor souls were still pretending you needed it for "something" instead of just using GSuites or Office Online,
and, at least at the time, getting a key for Office from NHQ was simple "not done".

Anyway, this issue long since passed.  Thanks to 'Ronaworld...

1 - I / we have no need for the machines since there are no activities to use them at (for?).

2 - I drove through the pile, had about a 50% hit rate on activation, combined some others,
moved keys between broken and functional machines, and have been able to put machines in the hands of
a few people, both members and non-members, who found themselves stuck at home with only
"my kids' gaming machine" to work from home with.

"That Others May Zoom"