- How to be a Legal Pirate Vista News Discuss - How to be a Legal Pirate in the Windows Vista forums; Originally Posted by airman I do not know for sure but do you thing what you have been talking about is a gray area as far as MS is concerned ...

[Snuffy]

Originally Posted by airman

I do not know for sure but do you thing what you have been talking about is a gray area as far as MS is concerned and when you do this upgrade procedure do you usually have to call for a new install code key or whatever they call the 45 digit code they give you.

Since I'm using a Download copy of Vista, and install w/o a Key, then (secret) way to activate by adding the correct Key then click Activate. This I'm not sure if GREY to Manufacture or Microsoft or Both..
No I DO not call support. remember folks I can not talk. in 1999 I lost my Vocal Cords to cancer...so I do not use the "Call some TechSupport" that does not speak english, nor have the customer attempt this..most of my customers are not that computer savy.. they are farmers, ranches, and widows, who say either it works or it does not work...I charge $35.00 while the computer shop charges $75.00 an hour and usually keeps the system for 3 or 4 days.

Originally Posted by ZNOD

It seems to me your customer ends up with a product key that he or she did not purchase from a maker or upgrader of a computer system, a computer manufacturer, a retailer, or Microsoft. I don't understand how the individual cannot be considered to be a pirate. Help me here.

I use a 3rd party program to find the KEY and use the KEY furnished by the Manufacture under BIOS Activated OEM. I do install the exact version they have...

Originally Posted by felix8406

Snuffy, what about XP? I have an XP OEM CD from Dell and it's full a garbage. Is it possible to remove all uneeded stuff and create a clean DVD.

Yes, since the KEY will only work on the correct version.. I (being a Pirate) have a bootable CD with every version of XP on it... I simply insert the customer KEY for the correct version of XP. (Winbeta does make CLEAN versions of every know version of XP). You have to make sure it is by WinBeta and not 3rd party added ISO.
I use the Original XP version. RTM - then I have slipstreamed the original SP1 then SP2 and SP3 into the original CD...
method noted can be found on Microsoft site how to slipstream! This is my version.

Originally Posted by Snuffy

<drive>:\<what1> -s:<to drive>:\<what2> uncompressed. What1 is the ripped original version what2 is what you want the new version to be named..=WinXP_SP3. if the -s = upgrade does not work then use -x = extract to <drive>:\<what1> -x:<to drive>:\<what2> uncompressed.

This is using CMD=command prompt or for the old timers DOS.
The easiest way to upgrade is 1. Original copy of XP 2. upgrade or extract SP3 to that version... test with ISO Buster or Untra ISO and insure it is bootable - burn slowly ...

[Znod]

I see now. Yes, they use their own OEM key. Seems OK to me. The OEM probably would not provide software support if they realize the original software is not installed, but no big deal. The only EULA problem is likely to be the use of the downloaded program.

[Snuffy]

Originally Posted by Znod

I see now. Yes, they use their own OEM key. Seems OK to me. The OEM probably would not provide software support if they realize the original software is not installed, but no big deal. The only EULA problem is likely to be the use of the downloaded program.

I agree since the Download is a TRUE fully accredited download from Microsoft. Any way I feel good that I know it is not loaded with Malware, spyware or 3rd party Crapware..

They get a good clean install, they use their KEY.

[Znod]

Whatever, I applaud your result. I wonder if one could do a repair install using the same technique. Actually, I can't remember if repair installs require use of a product key or not. Do you recall? One problem with OEM's that don't provide a Vista disk is that repair installs sometimes are not possible.

[Buster]

if you do an install from the manufacturers disc and remove all of the crap you don't want you can burn a backup using acronis or discwizard from Seagate its quicker to re-install a fresh copy with this and there is no question of legality and you are re-installing the original registration code if you make a bootable disc from within the program this can be done on a clean hard drive all you have to do is format it first and as far as Microsoft is concerned you have only ever registered your copy once

[Znod]

Yes, I agree strongly. My new HP didn't come with much extra installed--also with no Vista disk. So, I deleted what I didn't want, installed my software, and created an image with Acronis. I am not sure if using this procedure is any less clean than Snuffy's. He seems to believe in his though, and I respect his judgment. One also could do a registry clean up before running Acronis--if he or she trusts cleaners enough. I trust them as much as MS--at least the good ones--since every time I install Vista I have virtually immediate, in not immediate, registry errors (usually quite a few).

[Buster]

yes I agree with you snuffy way does work for him and with what he appears to be doing fresh installs for people making a backup with acronis after that would make a permanent copy that can be restored continuously using the bootable disc that is made from within acronis.
Its what I do for family and friends also saves me hrs of work on there computers I just talk them through restoring once or twice and then there on there own and I get more time for other things

snuffy if you make a backup with acronis and record to DVD you could keep it yourself and repair there computers much quicker the average is twenty minutes with restore I have a box full of such copies I keep to do just that all I do outside of that is connect there hard drive to an old computer to save there files if possible thats if they haven't totally buggered it before I get it

[Snuffy]

snuffy if you make a backup with acronis and record to DVD you could keep it yourself and repair there computers much quicker the average is twenty minutes with restore I have a box full of such copies I keep to do just that all I do outside of that is connect there hard drive to an old computer to save there files if possible thats if they haven't totally buggered it before I get it

What is the average size of a Clean Install DVD using Acronis?
I have not tried that... !
I have from Vista Basic to Ultimate on different systems... I have seen everything except Starter.

If this restore using Acronis is that much faster (for customers) and If a 10 year old could do it, then I might try this ....
Do the customers have to own Acronis or by doing this does it make them a Pirate .. 99.9% want to be sure they are 100% legit .. I say yes, due to your using your LEGIT Key to install with...and the Copy of the DVD - is directly from Microsoft .. and since their OEM Manufacture never included a RESTORE Disk, that is all I'm doing...and since you can "Clean Install from a Upgrade Disk" Legally, That is what I furnish them ..

My Customers are friends but they are still customers... and I treat them accordingly .. customers when I work on they system, friends at the coffee shop.

[Vistanoob]

Last fall my son and I got matching Toshipba laptops running Media Center and we were both pleasantly surprised by the lack of bloatware, especially lately when my son had to do a complete reformat and reinstall off the restore disks supplied with our laptops.
My first computer came loaded with bloatware and I know it is still a problem with some companies so the info from Snuffy will come handy to lots of buyers. I see it in lots of new systems still.

[Znod]

Originally Posted by Snuffy

What is the average size of a Clean Install DVD using Acronis?
I have not tried that... !
I have from Vista Basic to Ultimate on different systems... I have seen everything except Starter.

If this restore using Acronis is that much faster (for customers) and If a 10 year old could do it, then I might try this ....
Do the customers have to own Acronis or by doing this does it make them a Pirate .. 99.9% want to be sure they are 100% legit .. I say yes, due to your using your LEGIT Key to install with...and the Copy of the DVD - is directly from Microsoft .. and since their OEM Manufacture never included a RESTORE Disk, that is all I'm doing...and since you can "Clean Install from a Upgrade Disk" Legally, That is what I furnish them ..

My Customers are friends but they are still customers... and I treat them accordingly .. customers when I work on they system, friends at the coffee shop.

Acronis is very quick--but, of course, the faster the machine the faster Acronis. My desktop backs up and restores each in less than 30 minutes--with all my software installed. Things are way faster still if doing only an incremental backup. But, I always do a full--speculating that this procedure is the safer of the two.

Acronis is supposed to be installed on only one machine. As I recall, I once had to start from the Acronis CD to do a restore. But, I am not close to certain on my recollection. I am not sure if there is anything in the Acronis EULA about using the CD to support others.

The default compression is not very heavy. So, the size of a backup is not much smaller than that of the install itself. I am away from my backup drives now so I can't just look. I have never even tried to set the compression, but I assume that I could do so.