Tech Corner

[jaylach]

Now this seems odd. I just did an upgrade to Windows 11 on the Windows side of my MacBook Air dual boot. All is fine and it shows as activated with a digital license even though Windows 11 has never been on the system.

Not supposed to be able to do this but I did...

Two systems down and two to go. I don't expect any real issue with my main system but wonder what will happen with my second desktop that is like 12 years old...

 

[MaloK]

I'm jealous... Microsoft never gave me anything...

Your second machine should be good too... My TV and music box is 14 years old on W11 and it runs video in 4k with 24 bit 192khz sound without breaking a sweat. It's a i7-3770 with 16go ram.

Instead of replacing it a couple months ago, I maxed out the ram and cpu. Replaced the video card and the hdd for a ssd.

A third life for that MB that is practically new in reality.

 

[jaylach]

I'm jealous... Microsoft never gave me anything...

Shoot, MS gave me a LOT of free stuff including ten free Windows 7 Ultimate licenses. That was when I was getting my Microsoft MVP awards. All their software, except games, was free. In 2008 I went to the Microsoft Global Summit in Redmond WA and all I had to pay was airfare. Lodging and food was all free. Lodging wasn't cheap either as they put me up in a Weston hotel which, at the time, was like $200.00 USD a night, awesome room. Stopped getting the awards in 2009 when I closed my business.

Actually I was/am quite proud of those awards as I'm 100% self taught. Here is my favorite award thing...

 

[MaloK]

Isn't it beautiful ?

 

[jaylach]

Just curious... What do you use for system security and backups?

For security I use a router with a hardware firewall, Windows Defender and the paid real time version of Malware Bytes. I like Malware Bytes a lot especially the fact that it parses web sites for malicious code.

For backups I use GoodSync for data backups. 100% of my main system's data drive goes to my second desktop along with partial data backed up to other systems along with an external drive that also gets a full backup.

For system backups I use EaseUS Todo to do clones of my system drive. I used to do Acronis True Image but they changed my license from lifetime to a subscription. Also Acronis wants to do too much and goes too deep in the OS. Shoot, I'd install for like 10 minutes to make a Linux based boot disk and uninstall. Problem there is that I could not use a system while doing a clone. With Todo it just does what it is supposed to do and I can leave installed. This allows me to do my backups while still using the system. I also do images to external and internal drives but do clones much more often. I just prefer doing clones as, if my system drive fails, I just change the boot order to the clone, replace the failed drive and clone back. The result is that I'm down less than a minute. One may ask why not just setup a mirror RAID array but that, in my opinion, is a bad idea and I prefer to clone manually. Problem with a mirror array is that, if an infection gets through my security, both drives are affected. I also cover an infection affecting the clone drive by using Disk Management to take the clone drove off-line so the system does not even know it is there... Well, it does know it is there but it can't be accessed. When I'm going to do a clone I, first, do full scans with my security then put the clone drive back on-line until the clone is done. I can honestly say that I have never had an infection on a machine and I've been doing this since the 1980's.

 

[MaloK]

For network security I use a Mikrotik RouterBoard hap³ with my special set of rules to detect and blacklist automatically all irregular ip activities, port scans, Ddos, Frakle, Syn, Fin, Rst, Null, XMas... I also block dns traversal and direct all request to my DNS server that uses Cisco umbrella DNS security. I block all vpn trafic, so joining a dangerous site is an exploit in itself. loll. I also block all chinese and russian media from the application layer.

On the machines I use Windows Defender as resident AV and use also Clam and Malwarebyte on demand when I suspect something.

For backup I use Macrium Reflect to backup operating systems and unstopable copier to backup files, I keep it simple and do it manually, then I unplug the drives completely.

I have one copy of everything and soon will have 2 + the live one are going on a raid 6 on the new machine.

I'm setting up the trueNAS vm atm and probably hit another restriction and that one is easy to fix but I'll have to restart everything again.

As soon as I'm going to change the PERC controller from RAID to HBA, I'm going to lose the boot drive, ProxMox and all the VMs. Loll.

But I want native ZFS.

 

[anewbie]

For security i never use browser, email or pretty much anything but games under windows

Those ultimate 7 licenses are good for windows 11 - their keys will work to active windows 10 and 11. Oh well may one day ms go bankrupt and rest in well some place down south.

 

[jaylach]

For security i never use browser, email or pretty much anything but games under windows

Those ultimate 7 licenses are good for windows 11 - their keys will work to active windows 10 and 11. Oh well may one day ms go bankrupt and rest in well some place down south.

The ability to use a Windows 7 license ended a couple of years ago if I read right. However, there ARE scripts that will force a fake activation but I won't post links to such. I DID try one and it worked but wiped the system and re-did legit. Did a clean install of either 10 or 11, can't re,member which, and used a script and it then showed as activated as an Enterprise edition.

Sigh, I know many hate Microsoft but I hope they never go under as there is no other OS with the variety and quality of apps. Sure, Libre Office is great and free but it just won't give as good quality as MS Office in such things as visual graphs. Even Excel is better able to display visuals than Libre.

I consider GIMP as probably the best free image app but even it does not match Paint Shop Pro.

 

[anewbie]

The ability to use a Windows 7 license ended a couple of years ago if I read right. However, there ARE scripts that will force a fake activation but I won't post links to such. I DID try one and it worked but wiped the system and re-did legit. Did a clean install of either 10 or 11, can't re,member which, and used a script and it then showed as activated as an Enterprise edition.

Sigh, I know many hate Microsoft but I hope they never go under as there is no other OS with the variety and quality of apps. Sure, Libre Office is great and free but it just won't give as good quality as MS Office in such things as visual graphs. Even Excel is better able to display visuals than Libre.

I consider GIMP as probably the best free image app but even it does not match Paint Shop Pro.

Are you sure about the license; when i moved 2 years ago (and replaced the motherboard on my windows 10 machine which was an upgrade from windows 7) i had to enter a license; support told me to use the windows 7 license # to active windows 10. This made perfect sense since you are allowed to upgrade from windows 7 to 10 to 11. So in theory you can download windows 10 or 11 install it and then enter your windows 7 license.

 

[jaylach]

Are you sure about the license; when i moved 2 years ago (and replaced the motherboard on my windows 10 machine which was an upgrade from windows 7) i had to enter a license; support told me to use the windows 7 license # to active windows 10. This made perfect sense since you are allowed to upgrade from windows 7 to 10 to 11. So in theory you can download windows 10 or 11 install it and then enter your windows 7 license.

I can't say that I have recently tried the Windows 7 code upgrade but, supposedly, that stopped a couple of years ago.

 

[anewbie]

I can't say that I have recently tried the Windows 7 code upgrade but, supposedly, that stopped a couple of years ago.

The upgrade officially stop but if you make changes to your windows 10 machine or has to reinstall it then a license is required for re-activation

 

[jaylach]

The upgrade officially stop but if you make changes to your windows 10 machine or has to reinstall it then a license is required for re-activation

That depends on the changes made. Yes, when you install Windows 11 and activate it creates a digital license. Wipe the system and install again the digital license is still active and the system will activate. This DOES have limits as there is a limit to changes that can be made and still have the digital license still be active.

 

[anewbie]

That depends on the changes made. Yes, when you install Windows 11 and activate it creates a digital license. Wipe the system and install again the digital license is still active and the system will activate. This DOES have limits as there is a limit to changes that can be made and still have the digital license still be active.

I know that but you are missing my point which is that there are legit reasons why a person who did legal upgrade might have to reactivate and then the only license # they have is the original license 7 #

 

[jaylach]

I know that but you are missing my point which is that there are legit reasons why a person who did legal upgrade might have to reactivate and then the only license # they have is the original license 7 #

Oh, I understand what you are saying but the thing is that every system has a unique identifying chip. Once the system is activated a digital license is issued. Even if you do a clean install the identifying chip automatically activates the system via the digital license. The Windows 7 code is then no longer a factor.

 

[anewbie]

Oh, I understand what you are saying but the thing is that every system has a unique identifying chip. Once the system is activated a digital license is issued. Even if you do a clean install the identifying chip automatically activates the system via the digital license. The Windows 7 code is then no longer a factor.

Not if you replace your cpu and mb