Author Topic: Setting up a new Windows 10 computer (Read 2129 times)

zxcvbob · « **on:** December 11, 2019, 12:12:34 AM »

Refurbished Dell 3020 SFF computer got here today. i5-4570 processor (4 cores), 500GB HDD, and 4GB of memory. I'm setting it up now; it has Win 10 Home preloaded.

The initial setup *insists* on entering (or creating) a Microsoft account, and then you have to set up a PIN in "Windows Hello". I couldn't find a way to get past that and just create a local administrator account. Is that something new? I've upgraded several computers from 7 to 10 without having to do that. Supposedly I can go into the Settings menu now and change the login to use a local account instead of phoning the mothership every time (what happens with Hello if I don't have a network connection?) Ultimately I will probably be donating this to the church and don't want my MS account associated with it, and don't want the church to need an account.

The PC has a little sticker on it with a product key -- the first few letters of the first quintet are covered with a scratchoff sticker -- and the sticker says it's a Windows license for refurbished PC only with no retail value. I was planning to try different OS's on here (especially W10 32-bit) but make sure I can get back to the original configuration without having to buy another license. The Settings->System->About page just says Windows 10 Home. (doesn't mention anything about refurbished or enterprise) I started a PowerShell and ran wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey to get the license key, and it gave me a different key than what's on the sticker. I assume this is the key that I enter if I ever have to do a clean install of W10 Home, and there's no difference between OEM and Retail like there was with previous versions?

I like that it doesn't have a bunch of crapware preinstalled. Looks like just some Office 365 trial software that I don't want [ETA: and Candy Crush games]. That's easy enough to ignore or remove.

I may keep this one and get one of the i3-4130 PC's with no operating system (but otherwise just like this one) for the church; use our Win 7 Pro license to install and activate 10 and retire the old machine. It would be about $100 cheaper, and that's supposed to be a pretty fast processor for business apps.

That's all for now...

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #1 on:** December 11, 2019, 09:03:09 AM »

Detcord.

lee n. field · « **Reply #2 on:** December 11, 2019, 09:42:14 AM »

disconnect network cable, don't let it connect to a network. then it will let you create an offline account. Or you could creat an offline account once logged in with the MS thing.

brimic · « **Reply #3 on:** December 11, 2019, 09:44:47 AM »

I set up an old laptop to run my CNC programs this last summer. I started with a copy of with a copy of windows 7 (I had a disk laying around), I bought a license for windows 7 off ebay for $4, registered it, then did the windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft states that they no longer do the free windows 10 upgrade, but they actually do, if you dig for it.

Ben · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2019, 09:45:42 AM »

Quote from: lee n. field on December 11, 2019, 09:42:14 AM

disconnect network cable, don't let it connect to a network. then it will let you create an offline account. Or you could creat an offline account once logged in with the MS thing.

Is that a change? I thought for sure that when I set up my travel laptop, I guess 4 or so years ago now, that there was a teeny tiny, need a magnifying glass to see it, button in the account setup window that let you go straight to setting up a local account.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2019, 09:47:54 AM »

Quote from: lee n. field on December 11, 2019, 09:42:14 AM

disconnect network cable, don't let it connect to a network. then it will let you create an offline account. Or you could creat an offline account once logged in with the MS thing.

Thanks, I was wondering about that. Next I'll see if there's a reinstall partition; there's a good bit of HDD capacity that's missing, just enough for something like that.

K Frame · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2019, 10:11:21 AM »

Quote from: brimic on December 11, 2019, 09:44:47 AM

I set up an old laptop to run my CNC programs this last summer. I started with a copy of with a copy of windows 7 (I had a disk laying around), I bought a license for windows 7 off ebay for $4, registered it, then did the windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft states that they no longer do the free windows 10 upgrade, but they actually do, if you dig for it.

I'm getting the notifications on my Windows 7 machine that 7 is aging out very soon. I switched to 10 last year or the year before and within 2 hours switched back because it was not doing what I needed it to do, including an XP virtual machine that would run my freaking printer/scanner.

I'm not looking forward to being forced to make the switch. I don't use the printer or scanner much, but I may try setting it up again on W10 after I move everything off the XP virtual machine.

If that doesn't work, I have my Mom's old Dell that I'll set up and try to get it to work with the printer. If that still doesn't work, maybe I'll just *expletive deleted*it can the printer and get something new. They're cheap enough.

BobR · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2019, 11:17:12 AM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on December 11, 2019, 10:11:21 AM

If that still doesn't work, maybe I'll just *expletive deleted*it can the printer and get something new. They're cheap enough.

I just did that, I upgraded to Win 10 and my flatbed scanner and separate printer I used back on XP finally could not be found. No drivers, nothing. So I replaced with an all in one Canon (Scanner, printer, fax) that ran about 90 dollars at Best Buy. As a bonus going to all in one freed up some shelf room.

bob

K Frame · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2019, 11:25:44 AM »

I have a Canon all in one laser that I bought some years ago specifically because it said it would work with Windows 7.

Those lying whores!

Actually, I managed to finally figure out how to get it to print on Windows 7, but I've not been able to get it to scan. Every time I try it tells me that there's a TWAIN issue. I've tried reading to it from Innocents Abroad and Huckleberry Finn, but nothing solves that TWAIN issue.

Calumus · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2019, 01:43:47 PM »

Quote from: Ben on December 11, 2019, 09:45:42 AM

Is that a change? I thought for sure that when I set up my travel laptop, I guess 4 or so years ago now, that there was a teeny tiny, need a magnifying glass to see it, button in the account setup window that let you go straight to setting up a local account.

They removed that option in either 1809, or 1903 I believe. No internet initially is the only way to go now.

Ben · « **Reply #10 on:** December 11, 2019, 06:51:02 PM »

Quote from: Calumus on December 11, 2019, 01:43:47 PM

They removed that option in either 1809, or 1903 I believe. No internet initially is the only way to go now.

Nuts. Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'm gonna make the move from 7 in the next couple of months.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2019, 08:25:01 PM »

I just started a "Reset this PC", and I unplugged the wifi adapter (afraid it might remember the network settings and connect automatically.) Will see if I can set it up w/o a Microsoft account, or if I have to boot to the hidden restore partition for that.

Calumus · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2019, 09:43:06 PM »

Quote from: zxcvbob on December 11, 2019, 08:25:01 PM

I just started a "Reset this PC", and I unplugged the wifi adapter (afraid it might remember the network settings and connect automatically.) Will see if I can set it up w/o a Microsoft account, or if I have to boot to the hidden restore partition for that.

It will say Continue with limited set up. That's the new name for offline account. After you're into Windows with the Wi-Fi enabled, it'll give you another chance to make your account online. Just say no.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2019, 10:56:18 PM »

That worked just fine. It's up and running now with just a local user and password. Thanks, guys.

Then I tried to figure out how I would boot directly from the hidden recovery partition. I couldn't find it. So I went into the Disk Manager, and sure enough there are 3 partitions on the disk (one of them is tiny) but it looks like the middle-sized recovery partition is empty.

Or does Windows manage that now? What it looks like is they took Dell HDD's and formatted them and installed the OS without repartitioning the disk. Don't think I want to pursue that because I don't know what I'm doing. The 400 GB usable disk partition is plenty. I will download ISOs from Microsoft.

If i hopelessly screw things up, I have some old Win 7 Pro laptop licenses that I'm not using. But I think I'm okay with the new W10 digital license.

Calumus · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2019, 06:33:36 AM »

Once that PC has been activated on Windows 10 once, it'll reactivate automatically without a key if you have to do a reinstall. Barring major hardware changes anyway. Save the Windows 7 keys for something else.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2019, 10:04:14 AM »

I just ran the Media Creation Tool to create an install DVD for Windows 10 32-bit to upgrade the church computer (the church has slow Internet) The tool never asked me whether I wanted the Home or Pro edition. Do they install from the same media? (I wouldn't think so, but it's possible) I ran the tool on a machine with Windows 10 64-bit Enterprise edition, and I told it I was creating media for a different machine. What I want is Pro, and that's probably what it would default to after feeling-up the machine where I ran the tool.

lee n. field · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2019, 10:35:42 AM »

Quote from: zxcvbob on December 12, 2019, 10:04:14 AM

I just ran the Media Creation Tool to create an install DVD for Windows 10 32-bit to upgrade the church computer (the church has slow Internet) The tool never asked me whether I wanted the Home or Pro edition. Do they install from the same media? (I wouldn't think so, but it's possible) I ran the tool on a machine with Windows 10 64-bit Enterprise edition, and I told it I was creating media for a different machine. What I want is Pro, and that's probably what it would default to after feeling-up the machine where I ran the tool.

Yes, same media.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2019, 09:11:51 AM »

How do I install Windows 10 Home? I just installed from the media I created yesterday, and it never asked which edition and it installed Pro. (which I shouldn't have a license for) I haven't tried to activate it yet, nor connected to the Internet.

The install went well, and Pro is what I want for the church's computer so that's good.

ETA: I've been message-boarding with a product expert at microsoft.com. He confirms Windows 10 Home and Pro have common media. He thinks it should detect which edition at activation time and revert from Pro to Home. I connected to the Internet and went to the activation screen and it says Windows is activated with a digital license. It's still the Pro version. I guess I have Pro now. :) (and I reported this as a bug but told them I'm fine with the free upgrade) Maybe this PC at some point had Windows 7 or 8 Pro installed?

WLJ · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2019, 10:21:50 AM »

Whether Home or Pro should be based on the key so if you used a Pro key it should install Pro

WLJ · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2019, 10:32:11 AM »

Getting ready to reinstall 10 on my desktop, got a M.2 PCIe SSD rated at 6x faster read/write speed than a SATA SSD on the way.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #20 on:** December 13, 2019, 11:38:52 AM »

I think I figured it out. There's a worn Windows 7 Pro sticker on the PC case. That's probably the digital license that activated, from the computer's previous life. I never entered anything. If I change the key and give it this one I extracted with WMIC, it might switch to the home edition. (don't think I'll test that)

zxcvbob · « **Reply #21 on:** December 13, 2019, 03:59:49 PM »

Another question: the church has a laptop (a pretty good one, actually) that we use for powerpoints and occasional videos during the worship service. It has Windows 10, but for some reason it's still on build 1803. I ran Windows Update on it last week, but WU didn't really do anything except tell me I'm behind. (I knew that already) We have pretty slow Internet, maybe that's why it hasn't updated.

If I burn a 1909 install DVD -- 64-bit this time -- I can use that to update a system already on '10 but several builds back, right?

lee n. field · « **Reply #22 on:** December 13, 2019, 05:43:51 PM »

Quote from: zxcvbob on December 13, 2019, 03:59:49 PM

Another question: the church has a laptop (a pretty good one, actually) that we use for powerpoints and occasional videos during the worship service. It has Windows 10, but for some reason it's still on build 1803. I ran Windows Update on it last week, but WU didn't really do anything except tell me I'm behind. (I knew that already) We have pretty slow Internet, maybe that's why it hasn't updated.

If I burn a 1909 install DVD -- 64-bit this time -- I can use that to update a system already on '10 but several builds back, right?

yes.

Wipe and re-do is actually not to much of a bother, either, with 10.

Phantom Warrior · « **Reply #23 on:** December 15, 2019, 06:16:25 PM »

Quote from: zxcvbob on December 13, 2019, 03:59:49 PM

Another question: the church has a laptop (a pretty good one, actually) that we use for powerpoints and occasional videos during the worship service. It has Windows 10, but for some reason it's still on build 1803. I ran Windows Update on it last week, but WU didn't really do anything except tell me I'm behind. (I knew that already) We have pretty slow Internet, maybe that's why it hasn't updated.

If I burn a 1909 install DVD -- 64-bit this time -- I can use that to update a system already on '10 but several builds back, right?

Like lee n. field said, yes. We do exactly this all the time at work.

Calumus · « **Reply #24 on:** December 15, 2019, 09:23:29 PM »

Quote from: lee n. field on December 13, 2019, 05:43:51 PM

yes.
Wipe and re-do is actually not to much of a bother, either, with 10.

An in place upgrade is easy too. Just drop the files from the install disk to a new folder on the desktop. Open the folder, and run the set up exe. I would suggest turning off your antivirus before you start though.

News:

Author Topic: Setting up a new Windows 10 computer (Read 2129 times)