My free windows 8 license is too expensive

[anaconda]

I have one free and legal windows 8 pro license (came with the machine)

To do something with it I decided to install it in virtualbox. Because, hey, you never know, maybe I will need it someday..

Now it just annoys the hell out of me.
The "free" windows 8 is coming to be quite expensive.. Atleast if I give ANY value to my own time.
I have already done 8+ hours of work to get it installed , activated and updated. And now I just might have done about HALF of the work.

I cant believe how incredibly bad it is!
Nothing is easy.
- 1 hout to download the install DVD from microsoft.
- 1,5 hours to install it. (pretty much what I expected so far)
- 0,5 hours to activate windows (refused to activate first)-
- 5+ hours trying to update that piece of s**t.

The updating continues. It is incredibly slow. I have a fast internet connection, but updates download (and install) super slowly. And I have to boot the virtualbox every now and then.
Haven't even been able to install windows 8.1 yet, because the machine needs to be updated first.
I assume it will sill take atleast 10 hours to get it updated !!!

Quite expensive "free" windows, if I give any value to my own time...
How is it that Ubuntu installs and updates so easily and quickly?

I already regret installing it and just want to forget this and newer go to windows land again.

PS. sorry for the rant. Just had to went myself a little, so that the smoke can get out from my head...

[RichardET]

I have one free and legal windows 8 pro license (came with the machine)

To do something with it I decided to install it in virtualbox. Because, hey, you never know, maybe I will need it someday..

Now it just annoys the hell out of me.
The "free" windows 8 is coming to be quite expensive.. Atleast if I give ANY value to my own time.
I have already done 8+ hours of work to get it installed , activated and updated. And now I just might have done about HALF of the work.

I cant believe how incredibly bad it is!
Nothing is easy.
- 1 hout to download the install DVD from microsoft.
- 1,5 hours to install it. (pretty much what I expected so far)
- 0,5 hours to activate windows (refused to activate first)-
- 5+ hours trying to update that piece of s**t.

The updating continues. It is incredibly slow. I have a fast internet connection, but updates download (and install) super slowly. And I have to boot the virtualbox every now and then.
Haven't even been able to install windows 8.1 yet, because the machine needs to be updated first.
I assume it will sill take atleast 10 hours to get it updated !!!

Quite expensive "free" windows, if I give any value to my own time...
How is it that Ubuntu installs and updates so easily and quickly?

I already regret installing it and just want to forget this and newer go to windows land again.

PS. sorry for the rant. Just had to went myself a little, so that the smoke can get out from my head...

I appreciate Ubuntu as well - it is the main OS on one of my Lenovo laptops - the B590. But Win. 8.1 is the main OS on my other two Lenovo's - the W530 and the V470, mainly for the convenience. The V470 is used by a family member who needs Windows, and the W530 has a NVIDIA km1000 video card which performs best with the Windows driver for it. But I can use VMware and still run Ubuntu on the W530!

[WogBoy]

Have you got to the bit where you download 257 updates about 300 gazilion meg, Then the 5 hours for it to install, only to find that update kbwhateverXXXX needed to be installed before kbwhocaresXXX and therefore 123 of the updates you just downloaded are trashed and need to be re downloaded and re installed again? Twice? Yes.
Then when all that is done and after the 1gazilionth reboot you find that there are more updates? Thats if your PC hasnt BSOD'ed
Been there done that.

[Warren Hill]

If I could convince my sat nav to update its maps without Windows I wouldn't have a Windows PC at home.

I still use Windows at work however but only because my IT manager insists I have to.

[PondPuppy]

;) Yes, well, there is the update and antivirus thing. I too must use Windows at work and as dual-boot at home (Win 7, not 8) and it's a stable and well-behaved OS. I also need Win for a few things -- Basecamp, Moodle, and .net programming, mostly. I have to use what works, as so many on the forum say. I've been frustrated by some Linux distros, too, but overall, Ubuntu and some of its sisters are about the easiest OS ever.

[pqwoerituytrueiwoq]

you think 5 hours is bad for updates, try i stared at ~4pm and got done around 4 am
my windows 7 exp, should also mention sp1 failed to install and un-installed itself, that took a hour alone
i had to disconnect the other 2 internal disk drives to get sp1 to install work

[RichardET]

I have had some of these issues in the past with Windows, but if you keep the system up to date, then usually updates are a breeze. Updates are not always such a breeze on Linux either, especially when it is a kernel change. Suddenly old applications no longer work, or drivers no longer work, etc. Then what do you do?

[monkeybrain20122]

Updates are not always such a breeze on Linux either, especially when it is a kernel change. Suddenly old applications no longer work, or drivers no longer work, etc. Then what do you do?

Actually that is the easiest. Just boot into the previous kernel and delete the new one. That's why you are advised to keep at least one previous kernel just in case

Edited: Admittedly Ubuntu does make the process difficult for new users by hiding the boot menu when it is the only OS, so you have to press shift at boot to see it. I don't understand the reason behind it, you don't hide useful info for the sake of looking good.

[RichardET]

yes thats a good tip

[jon43]

Windows 8 is a disaster. I know Windows 7 inside and out, and I couldn't even figure out how to shut down Windows 8 or get to the control panel to do anything useful. They basically took Windows 7, hid all the advanced controls deep within some menu, and removed the Start menu in favor of tiles so if you happen to have a touch-screen, it's easier to use.

I do think that some of what they are doing is because of the abuse of the license agreement that Windows 7 got. Being able to download it, install it, then run it for up to six months (by tweaking one thing in command prompt) without a license key was pretty bad.

[estamets]

Everyone is forgetting on major issue.. All of what you're saying is true. However, that's just Windows. So, you install Office 2007 or whatever. There's another 45 minutes or better. Install Flash.. From the web, 2 days later, get another update (Better uncheck the Symantec linksafe or whatever it is before install). Install AV? Gotta download it AND get the definitions upgraded and there's a good chance you'll get a startup scan too.

I just upgraded our last three Win machines at work before XP got dumped. I went through three rounds of updates.

Oh yeah, one more thing.. You better open up some of the apps you just installed to agree to the terms otherwise you'll get users calling asking about a box that popped up and they don't know what to do.

[RichardET]

Everyone is forgetting on major issue.. All of what you're saying is true. However, that's just Windows. So, you install Office 2007 or whatever. There's another 45 minutes or better. Install Flash.. From the web, 2 days later, get another update (Better uncheck the Symantec linksafe or whatever it is before install). Install AV? Gotta download it AND get the definitions upgraded and there's a good chance you'll get a startup scan too.

I just upgraded our last three Win machines at work before XP got dumped. I went through three rounds of updates.

Oh yeah, one more thing.. You better open up some of the apps you just installed to agree to the terms otherwise you'll get users calling asking about a box that popped up and they don't know what to do.


basic users drive me crazy.

[sammiev]

To install and fully update a new install of Linux with AV, VPN and all my programs. Hmmm 1 hour max. :popcorn:

[fkkroundabout]

basic users drive me crazy.

i formatted a guy's laptop recently and he didn't know his wifi password or where/what the box even was ! he started swearing in indian after he couldn't access wifi. i never expected that

but personally i find any OS can easily take a whole day to download, install, tweak apprearance, install applications, and then ghost image to save having ti do it all again

[jon43]

Spekaing of basic users... I'm slowly trying to get my fiance over to Linux. Or at least a safe windows setup. She's running an admin account right now, with no password. When I asked if she had any security software, she asked how she was supposed to know. ](*,)

[monkeybrain20122]

There is ONE basic user who absolutely drives me nuts. He had no laptop so I got him a few old ones and installed lubuntu on them, a few because he broke every one of them after a few months. When guy got frustrated he started pushing buttons randomly and pulling hardware parts out and then complained that things didn't work any more. I bet you have never met a "basic user" who would rip out the keyboard because certain hot keys don't work. :confused:One laptop met its demise because he fell down the stairs with it. Finally I told him no more freebies, if he wanted a laptop he had to pay for it,--even for a small price,-- that way he would be more cautious. :)

He is still keeping my wifi dongle, I asked him to bring it back and he said he wanted to keep it because he thought the wifi would be twice as fast if he used that AND his internal wifi together. :o

[jon43]

He is still keeping my wifi dongle, I asked him to bring it back and he said he wanted to keep it because he thought the wifi would be twice as fast if he used that AND his internal wifi together. :o

Wait.... that doesn't work??? ;)

[fkkroundabout]

I bet you have never met a "basic user" who would rip out the keyboard because certain hot keys don't work. :confused:One laptop met its demise because he fell down the stairs with it. Finally I told him no more freebies, if he wanted a laptop he had to pay for it,--even for a small price,-- that way he would be more cautious. :)

He is still keeping my wifi dongle, I asked him to bring it back and he said he wanted to keep it because he thought the wifi would be twice as fast if he used that AND his internal wifi together. :o


man sounds scary, you should stop giving him free things !

[WogBoy]

Spekaing of basic users... I'm slowly trying to get my fiance over to Linux. Or at least a safe windows setup. She's running an admin account right now, with no password. When I asked if she had any security software, she asked how she was supposed to know. ](*,)
Didnt you know that's your job? Same as taking out the trash and killing spiders.

[jon43]

Didnt you know that's your job? Same as taking out the trash and killing spiders.



:lolflag:

So last night I tried to create a new admin account and make hers a standard user. I have NEVER, EVER seen an OS so terrible to navigate as Windows 8. I mean, just WOW was that painful. I'm even more thankful for my linux now!

[HermanAB]

"basic users drive me crazy" Hey come on! I know BASIC is 50 years old already, but it was the first programming language I learned. With Punch cards. On a mainframe.
;)

[3rdalbum]

Spekaing of basic users... I'm slowly trying to get my fiance over to Linux. Or at least a safe windows setup. She's running an admin account right now, with no password. When I asked if she had any security software, she asked how she was supposed to know. ](*,)

Mine currently has 611 unread messages in her inbox. She's given her e-mail address to just about every shop in the city and every one of these "daily deals" and "scoopon" sites operating in the whole country. Today she found an e-mail she swore on Tuesday that she never received.

Oh, and on Yahoo Mail she forgot how to mark e-mails as spam (I have showed her) and instead she was just clicking the "Send To" button and then selecting "Trash" from the menu. The button to mark as spam is literally the one next to it.

I don't think she will be my fiance much longer. I don't have the rest of my life to show her how to do absolutely everything on the computer, just because she can't be bothered to read what's on the screen and find out for herself.

[bapoumba]

So, is this turning into a fiance feast ?

[PondPuppy]

Fiancee comments: Urk. Well, I daresay most of us on this forum are very comfortable finding info on computer screens. Not so for all people. Read on the wall of a college dorm: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." (Attributed variously to Plato, Philo of Alexandria, or Ian Maclaren.)

[bapoumba]

I guess we wont get out of it. Sorry, but closing here.