Poll of the Day > When you finally managed to make Windows 10 look like Windows 7...

(+) Yeah! (+)

Feels great.
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If I wanted Windows 7 I'd be using Windows 7.
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You don't get that choice when W10 is pre-installed.
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that's not true at all

go buy windows 7

install it
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you can actually downgrade windows for free, so if your computer came with a windows 10 license, it's legal to install windows 7 on it (without purchase... though you have to have access to an OEM disc and windows 7 key in order to do so; also there may be some technicalities regarding specific versions, like you can never downgrade to windows 7 ultimate)

that said, obviously making windows 10 look like windows 7 is not at all the same thing as installing windows 7.
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uh, there would be no illegalities in downgrading or upgrading, so long as you have keys to everything you're trying to do.

like literally 0.
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helly posted...

uh, there would be no illegalities in downgrading or upgrading, so long as you have keys to everything you're trying to do.

no, to upgrade you need to purchase an upgrade. 1 purchase for every single upgrade.

to downgrade, you need an OEM disc with a key (however you obtain it), and can legally downgrade as many installations of windows as you want with that one disc, no purchase necessary besides somehow obtaining the disc and key.
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No disc drive on my laptop.
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uh.

no.

no you absolutely do not.

all you need is a disc of whatever version of windows, and the required key for it. with that, you can install whatever version as many times as you want. like, this isn't a hard concept to understand, nor is it even a new thing. it's been this way with every single version of windows

no disc drive? then a flashdrive with the contents of the windows disc on the root of the flash drive and the required key.
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helly posted...

all you need is a disc of whatever version of windows, and the required key for it. with that, you can install whatever version as many times as you want. like, this isn't a hard concept to understand, nor is it even a new thing. it's been this way with every single version of windows

no... you need 1 license per computer that you do this to.

you can't (legally) take a windows 10 disc and install windows 10 on a dozen windows 7 computers. that would be illegal without purchasing licenses for windows 10 for each of those computers. (yes I'm aware that you can still do it illegally.)

however, you *can* take a windows 7 disc and install windows 7 on a dozen windows 10 computers. that is perfectly legal even without purchasing licenses for windows 7 as long as the computers already have windows 10 licenses. this is called downgrading windows, and doesn't work for every combination of windows versions. you can see the details here:

https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/9/68964284-864d-4a6d-aed9-f2c1f8f23e14/downgrade_rights.pdf
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FinalXemnas posted...

No disc drive on my laptop.

you should buy an external dvd drive
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Sahuagin posted...

helly posted...

all you need is a disc of whatever version of windows, and the required key for it. with that, you can install whatever version as many times as you want. like, this isn't a hard concept to understand, nor is it even a new thing. it's been this way with every single version of windows

no... you need 1 license per computer that you do this to.

you can't (legally) take a windows 10 disc and install windows 10 on a dozen windows 7 computers. that would be illegal without purchasing licenses for windows 10 for each of those computers. (yes I'm aware that you can still do it illegally.)

however, you *can* take a windows 7 disc and install windows 7 on a dozen windows 10 computers. that is perfectly legal even without purchasing licenses for windows 7 as long as the computers already have windows 10 licenses. this is called downgrading windows, and doesn't work for every combination of windows versions. you can see the details here:

https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/9/68964284-864d-4a6d-aed9-f2c1f8f23e14/downgrade_rights.pdf

or

format drive, install away.

really damn simple dude
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helly posted...

or format drive, install away. really damn simple dude

...what are you even talking about? "format drive, install away"? what does that mean? how does that have anything to do with what I'm saying?
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Sahuagin posted...

...what are you even talking about? "format drive, install away"? what does that mean? how does that have anything to do with what I'm saying?

>you can't just do this willy nilly

is what you're essentially saying, correct?

and you'd be right, sort of. except that, again, if you have all the required discs and keys, you can literally install them as many times as you want. that's never going to change.

going through windows to do it, however, wont work. you have to format your drive and install it clean.

for windows 10, specifically, all you need to do is call them to have then unassociate your key so it can be used again. i've done it myself a few times. takes a couple minutes is all.
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you're talking about reinstalling windows on a machine that already has a license for it. that is not an upgrade or a downgrade so I don't know what that has to do with what I'm talking about.

if you want to upgrade windows, you need to purchase a new license.

if you want to downgrade windows, you can do it without purchase, provided you have access to a disc and key.

so, for example, if you bought a computer that came with windows 10 you can borrow your friend's OEM windows 7 disc and install windows 7 on your new computer instead. the reverse of this is not true. you cannot borrow your friend's windows 10 disc and install windows 10 on your new windows 7 computer. (you can, but it's not legal without purchasing a windows 10 license.)
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Sahuagin posted...

that is not an upgrade or a downgrade so I don't know what that has to do with what I'm talking about.

uh

everything?

you keep on saying you have to go through all these hoops do go up or down a version of windows, when i've proven that that isn't the case at all.

if you have the disc and your key, you can do it whenever you want.
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Wow, everyone should download Classicshell. I missed my functional start menu.

Now I want it to look like Windows 95 or XP just because.
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helly posted...

uh everything?

you keep on saying you have to go through all these hoops do go up or down a version of windows, when i've proven that that isn't the case at all. if you have the disc and your key, you can do it whenever you want.

I don't know what the hell you're talking about. either you're trolling me or you don't speak english.
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put in windows 7 disc.

format hard drive.

install windows 7. enter your license key.

done.

put in windows 10 disc

format hard drive

install windows 10, enter your license key

done

this is not a hard concept to fucking understand dude.

hell, if you wanted to, you could partition your HDD, or just use separate drives and just have however many versions of windows you want.
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what the hell are you talking about?

are you saying that if you have paid for both a windows 10 disc and a windows 7 disc that you can repeatedly "downgrade" and "upgrade" the same computer over and over indefinitely?

why on earth would that need pointing out?

and you would still need to have *purchased* the windows 10 license to do this legally (you cannot have borrowed your friends disc). whereas you could have NOT purchased the windows 7 disc and still downgraded legally (you *could have* borrowed your friends disc).

helIy posted...

hell, if you wanted to, you could partition your HDD, or just use separate drives and just have however many versions of windows you want.

not legally as far as I know. even installing it to a VM legally requires a separate license.
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That's just a clean install though helly, it's not an upgrade or a downgrade. "Upgrade" and "downgrade" have specific meanings in this context.
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helIy posted...

put in windows 7 disc.

format hard drive.

install windows 7. enter your license key.

done.

put in windows 10 disc

format hard drive

install windows 10, enter your license key

done

this is not a hard concept to fucking understand dude.

hell, if you wanted to, you could partition your HDD, or just use separate drives and just have however many versions of windows you want.

holy shit do you ever understand anything? it's actually insane how often you don't understand simple concepts; this is not what the other guy is talking about in the slightest
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Kana posted...

That's just a clean install though helly, it's not an upgrade or a downgrade. "Upgrade" and "downgrade" have specific meanings in this context.

honestly in this context it's entirely subjective

Lorthremar posted...

this is not what the other guy is talking about in the slightest

http://www.hookedonphonix.com

i will buy you a subscription dude, because you need it
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helIy posted...

honestly in this context it's entirely subjective

so you are just being dense intentionally then...? I'll have to keep this in mind; it isn't the first time you've done this.
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If you install Windows 7 multiple times on different hardware configurations with the same key eventually Microsoft will mark the key as invalid and it will no longer activate. For a legal install at that point you'd either need to complain to Microsoft or get a new key.

So unless you're installing Windows 7 multiple times on the exact same computer, you may not be able to install Windows 7 as many times as you like with the same key (I think it's more forgiving for some hardware changes than others, and if you're using entirely different PCs you'd definitely get marked eventually).

sveksii posted...

If you install Windows 7 multiple times on different hardware configurations with the same key eventually Microsoft will mark the key as invalid and it will no longer activate. For a legal install at that point you'd either need to complain to Microsoft or get a new key.

yes, sometimes this happens, and you need to phone a telephone number to reactivate the key.
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Sahuagin posted...

so you are just being dense intentionally then...? I'll have to keep this in mind; it isn't the first time you've done this.

the only dense person here is you, since you kept going on and on about a stupid method and couldn't quite understand the better method until i explicitly spelled it out to you.

saggles: "you can't do this because you have to do this"
helly: "no, because you just do it this better way"

it's not my fault you're being intentionally obtuse.

sveksii posted...

If you install Windows 7 multiple times on different hardware configurations with the same key eventually Microsoft will mark the key as invalid and it will no longer activate. For a legal install at that point you'd either need to complain to Microsoft or get a new key.

So unless you're installing Windows 7 multiple times on the exact same computer, you may not be able to install Windows 7 as many times as you like with the same key (I think it's more forgiving for some hardware changes than others, and if you're using entirely different PCs you'd definitely get marked eventually).

as long as you can prove you bought it, you'll always be fine.

this generally means buying it directly from microsoft, though.
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Use Gentoo Linux.
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helIy posted...

about a stupid method and couldn't quite understand the better method

wtf are you talking about? what "method"? god, I'm not starting this again... you have a problem with reading or something, or you're just a massive troll.

helly posted...

saggles: "you can't do this because you have to do this"
helly: "no, because you just do it this better way"

the only way what you're saying can possibly make any sense is if you mean that the "better way" is the illegal way, but can't say that explicitly.
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helIy posted...

honestly in this context it's entirely subjective

It super isn't though
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Like surely you remember that they had a program when Windows 10 came out when you could upgrade your copy of 7 or 8 for free right?
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Sahuagin posted...

the only way what you're saying can possible make any sense is if you mean that the "better way" is the illegal way, but can't say that explicitly.

...what?

nothing i've said even once implied doing it an illegal way.

how have you still not gotten it even after i spelled it out for you (multiple times)

Sahuagin posted...

wtf are you talking about? what "method"?

are you just selectively reading whatever you can to further your agenda

here, once more, with feeling

helIy posted...

put in windows 7 disc.

format hard drive.

install windows 7. enter your license key.

done.

put in windows 10 disc

format hard drive

install windows 10, enter your license key

done

this is not a hard concept to fucking understand dude.

hell, if you wanted to, you could partition your HDD, or just use separate drives and just have however many versions of windows you want.

you keep bringing up keys, which...i've not only addressed, but you keep thinking you need to buy a license per every install you make, apparently. as long as you have bought the license to use a version of windows, that is it. you can install it more times than you would ever realistically need or want to

Sahuagin posted...

and you would still need to have *purchased* the windows 10 license to do this legally (you cannot have borrowed your friends disc). whereas you could have NOT purchased the windows 7 disc and still downgraded legally (you *could have* borrowed your friends disc).

and you keep bringing this up for entirely no reason since it's not even important to anything here since it's already addressed.
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Kana posted...

Like surely you remember that they had a program when Windows 10 came out when you could upgrade your copy of 7 or 8 for free right?

yes, and this doesn't relate to anything here, so i don't really know why you brought it up.

if saggy wants to use his archaic method of downgrading and upgrading programs, he's more than welcome to.

whereas if you wanted to not waste time and effort, you'd use mine, which has next to unlimited uses than his.

you have the license keys, because we're assuming you bought the version you want to use. even if you used the free upgrade promotion to go to 10, you still have a usable license key for it you can use over and over and over. you might need to call microsoft up and have them either reset your uses, or give you more, but that takes about 4 minutes to do. and you don't even have to call them, they have online chat.
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Sahuagin posted...

not legally as far as I know. even installing it to a VM legally requires a separate license.

also, this needs addressing as well.

there is no legal ramifications for having more than one installation of windows on your computer.

none.

well, if they're illegally obtained, sure. but, again, you're the ONLY one in this entire topic to even assume an illegal version was used. if you bought the licenses to use X version of windows, you can use X version of windows.

for some reason this is the second time you've brought up the legality of something:
Sahuagin posted...

it's legal to install windows 7 on it (without purchase... though you have to have access to an OEM disc and windows 7 key in order to do so

how does one get access to a windows 7 key without purchasing it. either someone gives it to you, or you purchase it. either way, it's getting purchased.

>you can download and install for free!!! as long as you fucking buy it.
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k you obviously have some kind of problem, I'm not going to continue contributing to this.
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thanks for admitting defeat


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http://btb2.free.fr/temp/win7hacks.jpg

When you finally manage to get Win7 to not look like ass.
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helIy posted...

thanks for admitting defeat

Idk man

Looks like you're the one that lost