Unfortunately, this deal has expired 9 August 2017.
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1581°
Posted 28 March 2016
Windows 8.1 Pro (can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro) £16.07 @ play - Asia
Shared by
Garble
Joined in 2014
40
354
About this deal
This deal is expired. Here are some options that might interest you:
Customs duty may be charged on top of the headline price, usually on items costing more than £135 Information
1) Buy a Windows 8.1 Pro Key at Play-Asia.
2) Download the Windows 10 install via USB drive from Microsoft website and install on USB drive.
3) Install Windows 10 Pro via USB drive using Windows 8.1 Pro Key to activate 10 Pro.
You can install Windows 10 Pro directly without having to upgrade from 8.1 Pro first.
2) Download the Windows 10 install via USB drive from Microsoft website and install on USB drive.
3) Install Windows 10 Pro via USB drive using Windows 8.1 Pro Key to activate 10 Pro.
You can install Windows 10 Pro directly without having to upgrade from 8.1 Pro first.
More details at Community Updates
426 Comments
sorted byAnyone looking to install a fresh copy of Windows 7SP1, it no longer works 'out of the box' you need to manually download and install KB3102810 (An Update to Windows Update), otherwise it will endlessly check for updates.
There are two newer versions of this update, (Feb2016) KB3135445, and (March2016) KB3138612, but these seem to break image restores of Windows 7SP1, i.e. restores from Paragon HDM 2015 or Acronis. The restored image of Windows 7SP1 works, but Windows Update won't - it will endlessly search for updates/fail to find updates quickly. KB3102810 is still working at this time. Feedback on your experience would be useful on this.
If Windows Update is working properly, it should take 7 minutes maximum to find all 200+ updates after a fresh install of Windows 7SP1 on a SSD (From a clean Digital River or other Microsoft sourced ISO, in an activated or unactivated state, it doesn't matter)
It seems Microsoft don't won't you imaging up your system prior to installing Windows 10 and activating, then restoring Windows 7SP1 (i.e. to take advantage of the free Win10 offer, but carry on using Windows 7 for now). They want it to be a 'one way path'.
If you are thinking of upgrading to Windows 10, its actually better to do this from a fresh install, if you intend to carry on using your current Windows 7/8 installation or potentially go back to it. i.e. using your current install, to update to Windows10, the DNA of your current Win7 install seems to get recorded in the Microsoft Cloud Services, so if you then revert to it (outside of using MS Win10 tools, which reverts by deactivating Win10) by restoring a previous image manually, Windows Update is confused, as the version of Windows 7SP1 'shouldn't exist'.
Restoring Disk Images
If you do get a problem after restoring a disk image (Paragon, Acronis etc) of Windows 7SP1 and it starts endlessly checking for updates again, uninstall KB3102810 (assuming the backup had it installed) and then reinstall it. (but only if you get this, you shouldn't)
Just to add:
The above is only important if you intend to use the 'Reserve your copy' of Windows 10, so need to fully update Windows 7SP1 to 'current' or want to manually install KB Patches to date to avoid the Windows 10 Nagware and Telemetry patches, so you can just run Windows 7SP1, going forward, and not upgrade to Windows 10 (or be nagged about it)
If you intend to go directly to Windows 10, just download the latest build 1511 ISO, do a clean install of Windows 10 over the top of a clean install of Windows 7SP1 without even running Win7's Windows Update. This way you can avoid Win7's Windows Update all together and avoid the above problem.
The minimum requirement for installing Windows 10 from downloaded ISO/USB install is a fresh install of Win7SP1.
Make sure you like this post if it was helpful/saved you time. Thanks.
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So says the misinformed or just plain ignorant
There's an app for that. In fact, there are several
I hate these "I know better than you posts". Just saying.
Point
missed
Completely
I remember when they said exactly the same about 8.1
And about 7.
And Vista.
Get a grip.
Yep and i'd say thats a better deal
This is no longer the case from October Windows 10 update. The new ISO files downloaded with the Media creation tool allows you to do a clean Windows 10 install with an existing previous Windows 7/8.x key. It'll automatically get a digital entitlement license as part of the install.
I haven't been able to receive the verification sms despite re-requesting it and haven't received a code yet. Anyone else in the same situation? What did you do? Thanks.
The lack of Windows 10 drivers for that nforce chipset would cause Windows 10 compatibility to fail. Its Possible you could try to force install by using downloaded Windows 10 ISO and use older Vista/Win7 nforce drivers to update the unknown hardware. I've updated a HP machine using an Athon 64 X2 Processor, with nforce chipset, but it had better NVidia graphics - the ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 hasn't been supported since Vista.
Linux Mint 17.3 is your best hope, just boot a live USB (which doesn't change anything on your current system) and see if it runs (graphics etc), if it does - install it. (or stick with XP, and use Malware Bytes 'Anti-Malware' Free Edtion). Linux Mint 17.3 will install in under 12 minutes to fully updated on a system with an SSD (for anyone thinking of giving it a go)
Its just getting out of the mindset that you must have Windows to browse the internet. If you use Linux Mint 17.3 for more than 10 minutes you'll forget what OS you are using, because Firefox and Chrome are identical to how they run in Windows. Linux Mint 17.3 is very user friendly in terms of the Graphical UI and stable.
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Adjust the privacy settings on Netscape navigator and disconnect your dial-up modem and no one will know your secrets
That's a fab price.
End July 2016
Er, yes you can, as I've also done it
If you install Windows 10 using the default 'Express settings' it gives Microsoft complete access to your system, simply put - everything. You need to select 'Custom install' and deselect every single option (there are a lot), then you need to go into privacy settings and do the same. Also recommend using a local account rather than creating a MIcrosoft Live account if Privacy is your main concern.
(edited)
thing is, i'm barely able to feed myself, never mind, start d!cking around with iso's and safe modes'n'stuff. so, anyone care to suggest a direction?
(edited)
Surely with the stuff going on around the world these days, we all ought to be taking care to hide any personal information ?
Do you really want a total stranger poking into your business and private life, then be able if they so desire, to publish details of everything you do, bank accounts etc?
I personally don't even want anyone to know what I eat for breakfast unless I tell them myself, so if I knew how to, I would ensure every key stroke I make is private.
I doubt you'll be taken too seriously now then as I'm not alone in thinking Windows 7 has been great. Many on here are loving Windows 10 too as it apparently puts right a lot that went wrong in Windows 8.
Just saying
Android and iOS are mobile phone OS's #justsayin
I second this. Windows 10 bricked my main storage HDD
This article explains how to get ISO images for Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 straight from Microsoft, so they are 100% clean and legit.
raymond.cc/blo…er/
The last Windows 7 ISO is from 2011, 8.1 from late 2014 and 10 from Feb 2016.
NOBODY CARES!!!
That's not being helpful. It's being an inflammatory pain in the ****.
You may not like the most popular workstation OS on the planet but most people do.
Err, hasn't anyone bothered reading the product info:
In summary:
1. You are buying an OEM System Builder License
2. This license is ONLY intended for manufacturers or system builders to use with "newly built" machines (which, funnily enough, is why it's a System Builder License, lol)
3. This license will LOCK your Windows to your motherboard using the motherboard's unique serial number. This means you CAN'T transfer the license to a different machine, and if you ever need to replace the motherboard your Windows software license will become VOID and will STOP working (the "Will not allow for a change to a different motherboard model once installed" bit above)
This is the reason why System Builder Licenses are so cheap.
HTH
If you have a tablet, or touch screen 8.1 was better.
8.1 was also more stable, and it took less clicks to get some things done. Connecting to a VPN in 10 opens excess windows.
Pulling OneDrive placeholders was annoying.
10 has the potential to be decent, but its needs more time.
(edited)
Why is there a chance they won't work in the future? Nonsense.
Was just going to post the same a lot of people don't realise how much info they collect with express settings, choose custom and then read exactly what they want you to agree to, opens your eyes.
(edited)
youtube.com/wat…2xw
(edited)
Or you could download the ISO here
microsoft.com/en-…nch
8.1 is the best version of 8. Windows 10 is just a crossover of Windows 7/8.1. There was no need to release 8 or 10 Microsoft could have easily kept updating Windows 7, but they chose to go after the mobile app market, way too late and ended up with bodged operating systems which both Windows 8.x and 10 are. Windows 10 is still a mess, I encounter bugs with it regularly which eventually get patched, but they can be as serious as not seeing your NAS devices which was only recently patched. Windows 10 was released too early and already has a bad rep for being unstable.
I sell refurbished computers it's taken some 6+ months for people to begrudgingly accept Windows 10 is just about OK now, the only reason to use Windows 10 is because of DX12. A very small amount of people actually use the Windows Store apps, in terms of what Microsoft wanted to achieve Windows 8 and 10 are massive failures.
Windows 10 is due Redstone updates this year. It's not that I think Windows 10 is bad (it was truly terrible when it first came out though), but that it's not the most stable version of Windows and is still a work in progress. Many people will disagree with me I'm sure, I use this system every day and sell lots of computers with it installed and I have a fair amount of experience with the system. Microsoft just never learn, they will eventually fade if that's the right word to cloud computing which is becoming their strength now.
Personally I hope that Windows dies off now and for that to happen Vulkan API has to come in to effect, that's still some way off yet. I can see Linux gaining strength if Vulkan takes off, however Linux is a whole different story.
Windows does what it does best, jack of all trades, master of some.
He probably heard it wrong, as they might have said river aka 'Digital River'.
(edited)
There's no reason to change if Windows 7 works for you.
If most people truly hated it then it wouldn't still exist. I hear a lot about supposed monopolistic practice's by Microsoft but those same policies have never helped the fate of windows mobile or the Xbox platform outside of the US, UK and Canada.
It sells because it works. Linux is still too complicated for the average user and has far too little support to be used as the primary platform in a corporate environment and osx requires a large bespoke hardware investment and is also garbage.