IT Thread

[stonehenge]

saw this on reddit, I lol'd

[Chevrolet Fanatic]

Let me ask you guys a question. Some of these new laptops with Windows 8/8.1 and 10 no longer have the Windows serial key sticker on them anywhere. That's not a problem with 99% of the stuff I work on, because you can just use the restore partition, but what if the hard drive is fucked and I have to do a fresh install from a disk after installing a new hard drive? What do you do then, is there anything you can even do now?

It's not like you can use keyfinder software or find it using a VBScript when the hard drive is fucked.

---------- Post added at 01:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:58 PM ----------

Need dat help for nailz computer hoar solutions.

[stonehenge]

Have been spoiled with the shared key at work and haven't had to deal with it for the few side jerbs I've done.

---------- Post added at 11:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 AM ----------

oh, what about contacting the manufacturer of the laptop and seeing if they can send you recovery discs?

---------- Post added at 11:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 AM ----------

hmm, check this out: http://superuser.com/questions/53830...h-embedded-key

[Chevrolet Fanatic]

THE ACTUAL SOLUTION:

Get your hands on some clean installation media. If an official vendor will not give it to you, torrent it. We merely need to get Windows installed onto the machine with the NEW drive you have. The BIOS will at least tell us which version of Windows 8 it is. (If not, assume non-pro for consumer, and pro for business).

Click "skip" when the installer asks for the installation key when prompted. On the next screen, you'll hit CTRL + SHIFT + F3 to get to the "I'm an Admin, let me set up this computer for first time use" mode.

Download RWeverything (this reads the key out of the BIOS on Win8 Machines -- see this thread on how to use it) http://rweverything.com/download/ Then, hit the start button and open up Windows Activation (not the Win8 tile app, there should be a different one that shoots you back to the desktop). It will have an "activate" button. Click it and let it fail activation the first time. Then, it will ask if you want to try with a new key.

Insert key you found with RWeverything. Activate. SUCCESS.

Interesting, will have to try this. I need to download a installation disk for 8. I have one for 7, Vista, and uh even XP still lol. I'll just have it on standby.

I didn't really need it today because the persons laptop was under warranty still yet and they are sending it in to get repaired by HP. I always like to know for the future though.

Still got dat moniez for mah animu waifus though for checking it out, all that matters.

[stonehenge]

I think there's a place where you can get images of every version of the OS straight from MS for free, you just need to have your own key obviously. Let me see if I can find it.

---------- Post added at 12:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------

It was called digital river and it looks like they took it down. Now you need to enter your key to download the image. And it only works with retail copies so even if you knew it, it wouldn't work since your copy would be OEM. you'll have to find the image elsewhere (torrent)

[Chevrolet Fanatic]

Yeah I remember digital river. I actually had it bookmarked.

Why must they make everything so fucking difficult for people who work on the computers that their shitty OS is installed on?

I swear, each fucking year they seem to be getting worse and worse.

[VmaxEngage]

MS lets you create your own bootable media for any version, then all you need is boot from USB and your key then you is good to go.


Fucking last day at shitty tech support job. So glad im not there anymore and am actually moving on up!

Starting Equifax on the 24th, I am headed to the beach for a week

[Cez★]

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by stonehenge

saw this on reddit, I lol'd

Originally Posted by Chevrolet Fanatic

Let me ask you guys a question. Some of these new laptops with Windows 8/8.1 and 10 no longer have the Windows serial key sticker on them anywhere. That's not a problem with 99% of the stuff I work on, because you can just use the restore partition, but what if the hard drive is fucked and I have to do a fresh install from a disk after installing a new hard drive? What do you do then, is there anything you can even do now?

It's not like you can use keyfinder software or find it using a VBScript when the hard drive is fucked.

---------- Post added at 01:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:58 PM ----------

Need dat help for nailz computer hoar solutions.

This used to be a daily thing before it became common to put a key sticker on computers. Before activation was a thing, for customers we liked and trusted we'd use a pirated key or just one of our own keys...and strangers or shitty customers would be told they had to keep looking for the key or buy a new copy of Windows.

Originally Posted by Chevrolet Fanatic

I must be spoiled by volume licensing and/or server editions. I can't remember the last time I was prompted for a key during installation, unless it was XP or Server 2003. Pretty sure since Vista/2008 it's been keyless install, then it nags about activation later and you have to enter the key before it will activate.

Originally Posted by race2c

Are LAN/cat5 cables susceptible to failing?

Yes, absolutely. I deal with flaky cables fairly often. Like any wire, the metal core is susceptible to fatigue; plus the connectors can be kinda delicate despite their seeming strength of being a near-solid block of plastic, and the manufacturer (or schmoe crimping cables on-site) can do a shitty job of crimping it, with the wire barely inserted far enough or the cable-piercing barb having bent off to the side, and after X amount of times moving it around it finally starts to quit.

If that happens, it won't affect just one port or function; you'll pretty much have all-or-nothing connectivity, or general flakiness in connectivity, but it's not discriminate by port. However, I suppose some protocol might not take kindly to flaky connectivity.

[race2c]

Cao - Based on that information, all my internet works on computer so it must not be the cable.

Considering the LAN connections work, remote WOL works via LAN and ports 7/9 both open on computer, I think it has to do with firewall of DD-WRT.

[race2c]

Welp, I may have finally figured out why the WAN works on/off, and it has to do with the deep sleep function of the MOBO.

In the realtek driver configuration "power management tab" there are 3 choices. One being waking on magic packets, allow NIC to wake computer, and then another to allow the computer to completely shut off power to NIC. Based upon testing, everytime you shut down the computer, even with unchecking the "shut down complete power", the mobo/computer resets the tick marks/choices.

This is an older article talking about windows 7/NICs, but believe this may be the case. https://adeelejaz.com/blog/realteks-...ep-mode-issue/

[stonehenge]

That's a handy feature

[race2c]

Tell me about it.

[race2c]

anyone want a good deal on a like new motherboard if i am not able to get a warranty claim? its a msi h97m-g43.

thinking about selling mine to get something that is more reliable for WOL.

[stonehenge]

Hmm how much?

[race2c]

Let me look at what I would need as to other mATX motherboards cost-wise. By no means will I want to recoup the whole costs considering its used now.

I don't have the original box, but have all the manuals/software/etc if thats okay.

[stonehenge]

Ive been wanting to build a new machine for a while but we'll see. Money is tight as usual.

[race2c]

How about you tell me what you are comfortable paying and we go from there.

I think a new mobo with what I would like is going to be $90-120ish....depending on deals.

[race2c]

@Stonehenge - Any thoughts to the above comment?

[stonehenge]

Don't worry about it, I probably won't be able to spend any money any time soon.

[VmaxEngage]

sell dat shit on reddit.com/r/hardwareswap cam

[race2c]

Here is whats weird. I can get Wake on WAN to work when close to computer (or within 10-15miles), but any further and nothing works. Any thoughts?

Thinking about updating BIOS tonight to see if that has any effects.

[stonehenge]

wtf distance shouldn't matter unless you're using wifi and then losing signal

[race2c]

Yeop.

[VmaxEngage]

wtf? 10-15 miles from casa?


Started the new jerb yesterday

Gonna be using Roscoe and TSO on z/os mainframes.