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Windows "family" upgrade

N

ng_reader

Flightless Bird
If my heads been in the sand, forgive me, but visiting the MS website
the retail should be 149, but, Amazon has it for twice that, and, well

I know the Office Student version I purchased at Staples allowed
installation on 3 machines. But, where is that Win7 that allows 3
machines to be "upgraded"?

And, while we're on it, if I want to upgrade my hard disk to say
something over at terabyte, does Windows 7 have a utility that will
allow me to clone my disk to a new, *larger* disk?

Used to be a product called "ghost" that was purchased by Symantec, but,
I generally stay away from anything Symantec.

TIA

mr curious
 
A

Augustus

Flightless Bird
"ng_reader" <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hseh2k$h36$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> If my heads been in the sand, forgive me, but visiting the MS website the
> retail should be 149, but, Amazon has it for twice that, and, well


Market scarcity and desirabilty determine cost. MS discontined this 3 pack
retail upgrade months ago. It was described from the start as a limited time
offer. Lots of people bought them with the view of turning a tidy profit
down the road. The going rate from completed auctions on eBay is in the
$250-300 range. Which is still a whole lot less than buying 3 retail
upgrades.
 
C

Char Jackson

Flightless Bird
On Wed, 12 May 2010 11:22:19 -0400, ng_reader <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>If my heads been in the sand, forgive me, but visiting the MS website
>the retail should be 149, but, Amazon has it for twice that, and, well


Why are people still buying the Retail version? Hasn't everyone gotten
the word by now that the Upgrade version works just as well but comes
at a significantly lower cost?

>I know the Office Student version I purchased at Staples allowed
>installation on 3 machines. But, where is that Win7 that allows 3
>machines to be "upgraded"?
>
>And, while we're on it, if I want to upgrade my hard disk to say
>something over at terabyte, does Windows 7 have a utility that will
>allow me to clone my disk to a new, *larger* disk?


I don't know about internal utilities. I use Acronis True Image and
love it.

>Used to be a product called "ghost" that was purchased by Symantec, but,
>I generally stay away from anything Symantec.


Good advice to stay away from Symantec, but Ghost would be an
exception, IMO.
 
N

ng_reader

Flightless Bird
On 5/12/2010 12:37 PM, Augustus wrote:
> "ng_reader"<wilgrow_co@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:hseh2k$h36$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>> If my heads been in the sand, forgive me, but visiting the MS website the
>> retail should be 149, but, Amazon has it for twice that, and, well

>
> Market scarcity and desirabilty determine cost. MS discontined this 3 pack
> retail upgrade months ago. It was described from the start as a limited time
> offer. Lots of people bought them with the view of turning a tidy profit
> down the road. The going rate from completed auctions on eBay is in the
> $250-300 range. Which is still a whole lot less than buying 3 retail
> upgrades.
>
>


Wow.

I hope word of Hazar's "removewat" either version 2.2 or later doesn't
become too public.
 
D

Dominique

Flightless Bird
Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> écrivait
news:3imlu5thb4fcsuj9qhj1q76ib2jv511g3f@4ax.com:

> On Wed, 12 May 2010 11:22:19 -0400, ng_reader <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>


<snip>

>>
>>And, while we're on it, if I want to upgrade my hard disk to say
>>something over at terabyte, does Windows 7 have a utility that will
>>allow me to clone my disk to a new, *larger* disk?

>
> I don't know about internal utilities. I use Acronis True Image and
> love it.
>
>>Used to be a product called "ghost" that was purchased by Symantec, but,
>>I generally stay away from anything Symantec.

>
> Good advice to stay away from Symantec, but Ghost would be an
> exception, IMO.
>
>


Windows7 has an utility that allows to create disk images, so you create
the image, save it to an external HD, replace the internal HD, boot with
the CD you create at the same time than the image and restore the image on
the new HD.

Hard disk manufacturers have utilities available for free to clone HD. The
Western Digital program is a limited version of Acronis True Image, you
must have a WD hard disk to install it and it only allows to clone HDs or
create images, you cannot do incremental backups with it like you can with
the full version.

I am a Ghost user too and it's a good program (I use it with Windows XP),
it doesn't eat ressources like other Symantec programs might do but it's
more expensive than Acronis True Image and the free Western Digital version
of True Image is fine too if you don't need incremental backups. But as far
as images and backups are concerned, the Win7 utility does the job.

HTH
 
R

Robert Brereton

Flightless Bird
"Dominique" <me@domain.net> wrote in message
news:XnF9D76878138851doumdomainnet@69.16.185.252...
> Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> écrivait
> news:3imlu5thb4fcsuj9qhj1q76ib2jv511g3f@4ax.com:
>
>> On Wed, 12 May 2010 11:22:19 -0400, ng_reader <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>

>
> <snip>
>
>>>
>>>And, while we're on it, if I want to upgrade my hard disk to say
>>>something over at terabyte, does Windows 7 have a utility that will
>>>allow me to clone my disk to a new, *larger* disk?

>>
>> I don't know about internal utilities. I use Acronis True Image and
>> love it.
>>
>>>Used to be a product called "ghost" that was purchased by Symantec, but,
>>>I generally stay away from anything Symantec.

>>
>> Good advice to stay away from Symantec, but Ghost would be an
>> exception, IMO.
>>
>>

>
> Windows7 has an utility that allows to create disk images, so you create
> the image, save it to an external HD, replace the internal HD, boot with
> the CD you create at the same time than the image and restore the image on
> the new HD.
>
> Hard disk manufacturers have utilities available for free to clone HD. The
> Western Digital program is a limited version of Acronis True Image, you
> must have a WD hard disk to install it and it only allows to clone HDs or
> create images, you cannot do incremental backups with it like you can with
> the full version.
>
> I am a Ghost user too and it's a good program (I use it with Windows XP),
> it doesn't eat ressources like other Symantec programs might do but it's
> more expensive than Acronis True Image and the free Western Digital
> version
> of True Image is fine too if you don't need incremental backups. But as
> far
> as images and backups are concerned, the Win7 utility does the job.
>
> HTH


Using Ghost 15 here and it works fine on windows 7. Ghost 14 works as well
but is a bit 'fiddly' to install as initially it gives error messages during
the install, but if you click through them, the program installs and then
you can do a Live Update to get it running correctly.

Bob
 
S

SC Tom

Flightless Bird
*** reply in-line

"Dominique" <me@domain.net> wrote in message
news:XnF9D76878138851doumdomainnet@69.16.185.252...
> Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> écrivait
> news:3imlu5thb4fcsuj9qhj1q76ib2jv511g3f@4ax.com:
>
>> On Wed, 12 May 2010 11:22:19 -0400, ng_reader <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>

>
> <snip>
>
>>>
>>>And, while we're on it, if I want to upgrade my hard disk to say
>>>something over at terabyte, does Windows 7 have a utility that will
>>>allow me to clone my disk to a new, *larger* disk?

>>
>> I don't know about internal utilities. I use Acronis True Image and
>> love it.
>>
>>>Used to be a product called "ghost" that was purchased by Symantec, but,
>>>I generally stay away from anything Symantec.

>>
>> Good advice to stay away from Symantec, but Ghost would be an
>> exception, IMO.
>>
>>

>
> Windows7 has an utility that allows to create disk images, so you create
> the image, save it to an external HD, replace the internal HD, boot with
> the CD you create at the same time than the image and restore the image on
> the new HD.
>
> Hard disk manufacturers have utilities available for free to clone HD. The
> Western Digital program is a limited version of Acronis True Image, you
> must have a WD hard disk to install it and it only allows to clone HDs or
> create images, you cannot do incremental backups with it like you can with
> the full version.


*** Seagate/Maxtor also offers a free version as WD with the same
limitations. It's available here
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

It's called DiscWizard, but it's the basic True Image with no incremental
backup feature.
Personally, I find the full image creation to be plenty fast enough. By
creating and booting from the CD, I can make a full image of my HDD in about
an hour with it having 60GB used. I can start it in the morning when I get
up, and by the time I have breakfast, read the paper, and take a shower,
it's done.

Also, you don't necessarily need a WD or Seagate/Maxtor drive installed
internally. If you back up to an external drive, you can have a WD if using
the WD version, or a Seagate/Maxtor when using theirs. I use a WD My Book to
write my images to, and my internal drive in my notebook is a Hitachi. Works
just fine. There's a short pause while it looks for a "qualifying hard
drive" and then it starts the interface.

I have restored my notebook HDD, and one of my desktop's drive with the WD
version, and find it extrtemely painless and easy to use. I'm yet to use
anything that is as easy and reliable as True Image.
--
SC Tom


>
> I am a Ghost user too and it's a good program (I use it with Windows XP),
> it doesn't eat ressources like other Symantec programs might do but it's
> more expensive than Acronis True Image and the free Western Digital
> version
> of True Image is fine too if you don't need incremental backups. But as
> far
> as images and backups are concerned, the Win7 utility does the job.
>
> HTH
 
A

Augustus

Flightless Bird
> Why are people still buying the Retail version? Hasn't everyone gotten
> the word by now that the Upgrade version works just as well but comes
> at a significantly lower cost?


He is referring to the retail upgrade version. That's the only family pack
there ever was. The $250+ asking price on Amazon he's referring to is for 3
licenses of the retail upgrade for Win 7 Home Premium. I was available on
sale 4 months back for $119.99. Gone now.
 
A

Augustus

Flightless Bird
Oops..

"It was available on sale for $119.99 4 months back...."
 
N

ng_reader

Flightless Bird
On 5/12/2010 6:18 PM, Augustus wrote:
> Oops..
>
> "It was available on sale for $119.99 4 months back...."



Right. I understood that.

But MS might squeeze some more money out of the honey pot if they kept that?

Instead hackers will provide alternatives for the price of nothing.

I don't recall a decent hack like removewat since the days before there
was no such thing as on line activation....

Just sayin'
 
G

Gene E. Bloch

Flightless Bird
On Wed, 12 May 2010 22:18:10 GMT, Augustus wrote:

> Oops..
>
> "It was available on sale for $119.99 4 months back...."


I liked it better before you fixed the typo - or at least I would have if
you were Augusta :)

--
Gene E. Bloch
 
A

Augustus

Flightless Bird

> I don't recall a decent hack like removewat since the days before there
> was no such thing as on line activation....
>
> Just sayin'


A vast number of the bootleg copies of XP circulating were activation free
and circulated with illegally distributed Enterprise licensing keys. It's
the same issue with Office 2007 pirating. Windows 7 Enterprise is
different....there's two deployment methods (for smaller scale and larger
scale basically)but both require activation. Online with a purchased number
of Multiple Activation Keys from your MS Volume Licensing account, or
installing Windows 7 Enterprise on a larger scale network and using a KMS
server on a specific channel. Office 2010 Enterprise uses the same system,
or will when it's gold. Bootleg versions will no doubt be around, but not
flawlessly working ones direct from MS Volume Licensing. FWIW Vista
Enterprise was like this too, but I don't know of too many places that
actually deployed it.
 
N

ng_reader

Flightless Bird
On 5/12/2010 10:30 PM, Augustus wrote:
>
>> I don't recall a decent hack like removewat since the days before there
>> was no such thing as on line activation....
>>
>> Just sayin'

>
> A vast number of the bootleg copies of XP circulating were activation
> free and circulated with illegally distributed Enterprise licensing
> keys. It's the same issue with Office 2007 pirating. Windows 7
> Enterprise is different....there's two deployment methods (for smaller
> scale and larger scale basically)but both require activation. Online
> with a purchased number of Multiple Activation Keys from your MS Volume
> Licensing account, or installing Windows 7 Enterprise on a larger scale
> network and using a KMS server on a specific channel. Office 2010
> Enterprise uses the same system, or will when it's gold. Bootleg
> versions will no doubt be around, but not flawlessly working ones direct
> from MS Volume Licensing. FWIW Vista Enterprise was like this too, but I
> don't know of too many places that actually deployed it.



From what I read the "Windows Activation" that is removed using
"removewat" consists of a single *.dll file that has been reverse
engineered.

That's it, only one file. Fix that and you're home. Currently, the
office 2010 beta I am running appears to have a similar process.
However, that may change in June when Office 2010 is "officially" released.

Here's what I like about Office:

A word processor. But, I'd prefer a word processor and not the bloated
ap that Word has become...

And Outlook. Because it can sync contact with my cell phone. Or so I'm
told. See, even that I haven't tried.

Still, no one has prolly had more software "stolen" than MS, so, I can
*see* their position.
 
J

John B. Slocomb

Flightless Bird
On Fri, 14 May 2010 11:07:17 -0400, ng_reader <wilgrow_co@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>On 5/12/2010 10:30 PM, Augustus wrote:
>>
>>> I don't recall a decent hack like removewat since the days before there
>>> was no such thing as on line activation....
>>>
>>> Just sayin'

>>
>> A vast number of the bootleg copies of XP circulating were activation
>> free and circulated with illegally distributed Enterprise licensing
>> keys. It's the same issue with Office 2007 pirating. Windows 7
>> Enterprise is different....there's two deployment methods (for smaller
>> scale and larger scale basically)but both require activation. Online
>> with a purchased number of Multiple Activation Keys from your MS Volume
>> Licensing account, or installing Windows 7 Enterprise on a larger scale
>> network and using a KMS server on a specific channel. Office 2010
>> Enterprise uses the same system, or will when it's gold. Bootleg
>> versions will no doubt be around, but not flawlessly working ones direct
>> from MS Volume Licensing. FWIW Vista Enterprise was like this too, but I
>> don't know of too many places that actually deployed it.

>
>
> From what I read the "Windows Activation" that is removed using
>"removewat" consists of a single *.dll file that has been reverse
>engineered.
>
>That's it, only one file. Fix that and you're home. Currently, the
>office 2010 beta I am running appears to have a similar process.
>However, that may change in June when Office 2010 is "officially" released.
>
>Here's what I like about Office:
>
>A word processor. But, I'd prefer a word processor and not the bloated
>ap that Word has become...
>
>And Outlook. Because it can sync contact with my cell phone. Or so I'm
>told. See, even that I haven't tried.
>
>Still, no one has prolly had more software "stolen" than MS, so, I can
>*see* their position.



Hardly rare. I saw pirate copies of Win 7 beta before the final
version was released for market and within days of MS releasing W-7
there were pirate copies of it in the shops.

John B. Slocomb
(johnbslocombatgmaildotcom)
 
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