Microsoft quietly rewrites its activation rules for Windows 10
zdnet.com
zdnet.com
That is probably only roughly true if you look at a small subset of the games market and limit it to the past few years.
Most of my toolchain exists in Linux, and much of it is developed and tested in Linux before anywhere else. WINE allows most windows programs to run, and do so well. WINE plus X allows x tunneling like Citrix, but over ssh.
And if I need a Windows VM, I can spin one up relatively easily. Admittedly, I just get a recent TPB Win10 install with activation removed/emulated, so I can do whatever meager testing I need to do.
I've currently got the technical preview on an old Macbook Pro. Only used it for flashing an SD card for IoT core insider preview. I've since discovered a better way [0] but I'll probably upgrade to the public release once it's bedded in a bit.
The hardest part was convincing Boot Camp that it would install fine. Took a bit of trickery. Can write up if anyone is interested?
[0] https://unop.uk/dev/windows-10-iot-core-public-release-for-r...
They used to have it on Digital River but it's been removed from there http://www.howtogeek.com/186775/how-to-download-windows-7-8-...
Someone here yesterday stated that only about 15% of Steam games run on Linux. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but honestly even as a casual gamer I couldn't imagine having access to that low a percentage of games. If I were running games on Linux I would have missed out on Rocket League which is now probably one of my all-time favorite games.
So, I guess I just don't see the point of using Linux for games at all. The phrase "cutting of your nose to spite your face" comes to mind because I can't think of one reason that isn't purely ideological.
Anyway, the info about the Windows 10 upgrade has been out for some time. I managed to cleanly upgrade all of the machines that I wanted to without hassle.
1395 it says, but i could be searching incorrectly. My main point though is that I don't want to miss any of them, so I run whatever I want instead of limiting myself to one platform for ideological reasons. I love Linux, but just not for games and desktop stuff.
2,629 games. You were searching incorrectly.
Further, despite your attempt to move the goalposts, my original statement still stands: 50% of current releases have a Linux port.
But the search links speak for themselves, thanks. Not sure who you're trying to convince here.
(Thanks for putting your spin on it though - it's always entertaining to watch people twist numbers so that they sound good for their argument. 50% of current releases (probably of mostly crappy indie games) certainly sounds much better than 20% of existing titles.)
I guess I'd also like some evidence for your 50% number, which nobody has seen yet. Anyway - enjoy having half the games that I do because of your fanatical ideology!
Reasons to use Linux for gaming:
- I save $100 by not buying Windows
- I don't have to worry about administering two OS's
- I don't have to ever wait for Windows updates. I boot into Windows so infrequently that it upgrades pretty much every time I do so.
- I don't have to shut down all my work programs and windows that I have open in Linux to reboot into Windows
Frankly, it's the last one that's the biggie. My computer often has virtual desktops, windows, editors, VM's and browsers open for 3-5 different projects, and it's just annoying to start those up again.
Even trickier: on a Mac using VMWare Fusion, you can have a Windows partition that you can both boot into and run as a VM within OS X.
What has been reported to work is to buy Windows 10 license and then you can use the machine on bootcamp as well as via VM.
More details here: https://communities.vmware.com/thread/516838
I got the same error you linked until the latest rollup fix (which put my install into a boot loop due to nvidia geforce creating a phantom user but that's a whole different problem).
Once I installed the rollup it gave a different error and then took a day or two for the activation servers to finally work and activate the install. I only run windows natively to play games so it only runs for 2-3 hours at a time.
It took until yesterday to get it all sorted out. I installed win10 within a few hours of the iso going up.
Thanks for the heads up.
If possible please also post this at the forum thread that I referred to.
But it was tricky to build that VM. I followed instructions from [0], but don't remember if I had any troubles. Even if Windows itself when running in the VM, MS Office complains that it's not registered - I guess MS Office uses a different method to determine if it runs on the same hardware. Was not worth to bother for me because I have to use Windows only short times from the VM - and if I have to use it over extended periods I boot directly to it. But it would have been slick if it worked 100%.
[0] http://geekery.amhill.net/2010/01/27/virtualbox-with-existin...
This means if you upgrade a retail copy of W7 uin a VBox and later clone, recreate or convert the hard drive image, you'll have to manually set the UUID.
So let's spoof our hardware so that Windows still believes.
I had already performed the Windows 10 upgrade once on the computer, so it was registered. I would guess if you're doing it for the first time you may have to activate the copy of Win 7/8 first, but maybe just having a valid product key is enough?
HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10058346
If true, the retail copies sound like a good deal. Especially while you can buy a retail copy of Windows 7 and upgrade it.
You have a Windows 7 Retail licence and what could be called a Windows 10 "OEM" licence. The Windows 7 Retail can be installed to completely changed hardware, but the Windows 10 "OEM" is bound to the hardware you made the upgrade on. After the free upgrade period is over, you can't upgrade some parts of your hardware without buying a real Windows 10 Retail for the full price.
4. Transfer. The provisions of this section do not apply if you acquired the software as a consumer in Germany or in any of the countries listed on this site (aka.ms/transfer), in which case any transfer of the software to a third party, and the right to use it, must comply with applicable law. a. Software preinstalled on device. If you acquired the software preinstalled on a device (and also if you upgraded from software preinstalled on a device), you may transfer the license to use the software directly to another user, only with the licensed device. The transfer must include the software and, if provided with the device, an authentic Windows label including the product key. Before any permitted transfer, the other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use of the software. b. Stand-alone software. If you acquired the software as stand-alone software (and also if you upgraded from software you acquired as stand-alone software), you may transfer the software to another device that belongs to you. You may also transfer the software to a device owned by someone else if (i) you are the first licensed user of the software and (ii) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Every time you transfer the software to a new device, you must remove the software from the prior device. You may not transfer the software to share licenses between devices.
Presumably this is reflected in the kind of key that's generated, but at worst, it's a phone call....
* Where that's possible. Ultimate becomes Pro so you lose, or Starter becomes Home and you win.
But how? Since you don't have the actual key, how does it work?
Which sounds like a good idea for a billion or so ordinary Windows users. Obviously there are plenty of geeks who will not like the idea of their PCs being remotely managed ;-)
Search for "windows update" and "blue screen" or "boot loop" or crashing for numerous examples.
If microsoft would actually spend money and time (real time and serious testing, not a few months of continuous integration testing) rather that using that "good enough to release" philosophy, maybe there would be fewer open hanger doors for malware to fly through.
Otherwise, I don't recall having a Windows Update problem recently -- certainly not this century -- and I haven't seen any malware either.
I'd be willing to bet that the malware problem will be significantly smaller with Microsoft doing the updating than it is at the moment, even though the majority of malware problems on Windows are down to human ignorance.
(I know I can run Windows 7 with no AV at all, and I'm certainly not the only one. I don't recommend it, but I have done it.)
I don't let MS do automatic anything on my windows box. I only use that box for a couple of apps, but when I need them, I really need them and can't afford to be blindsided by a box that won't boot.
I pick and choose the updates I apply and only then after they've been out in the wild for a month or so. I'm not going to let microsoft do any alpha/beta QA testing... errr... I meant "automatic updating," on my production box.
Refusing to install essential updates has cost some companies millions of dollars, conficker being just one example. I think it's better to install updates than not, and that someone who did the numbers could probably prove it.
Otherwise, real geeks keep backups that are tested as working. This is what separates the men from the boys.
It will only take marginally longer, and you can preserve the HDD in case it all goes awry
[0] Use ABR beta from http://directedge.us/content/abr-activation-backup-and-resto...
Activating is a one-time thing. Either you succeed or you can try again. But the ongoing check is IMO a serious problem. Basically the software can deactivate itself on a whim (not really, but it's magic unless you understand exactly what's happening).
Does anyone know if this is still enabled? Once Windows is activated does it declare itself "non genuine" unless it's able to phone home? (excluding Win 10 phoning home for spyware reasons, let's not discuss that again).
If so, that's a problem. A Windows computer can degrade its functionality any time it feels like?
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Genuine_Advantage#Spyw...
I apologize for being obtuse. I'm sure this info is in here somewhere, but I'm not feeling well today and I can't quite wrap my head around it.
It helped me to create a USB installer and start the upgrade from there.
I expect to sell that machine in a couple of months, so it's a better deal for the buyer, than it is for me.
Brings you to this page: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
It pulls your product key out of the registry for you.