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How to run Windows 7 after support ends on 14 January 2020

Swarfendor437

Sat Nov 16, 2019 10:41:57 pm

[UPDATED 26.11.2019]

If you have a notebook with Windows 7 on it, more than likely you did not receive any media. Before it disappears altogether, download a copy before M$ removes it:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softwar ... d/windows7

You will need your product key - on notebooks this should be on the CoA (Certificate of Authenticity) usually affixed on the underside of the Notebook, if not on the outer case, on some notebooks it is underneath the case where the battery is located, i.e., remove the battery to see the CoA (this is the case for some Dell Notebooks), and on some Netbooks, removing the case will have the CoA buried inside somewhere! (e.g., HP Mini 110, but that only ever came with Windows 7 starter edition.

A simpler way is to run a script in this way:

1. Open up Notepad from Accessories.

2. Copy and paste the following:

Code:
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))

Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Do
Cur = 0
x = 14
Do
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24) And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1) Then
i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End If
Loop While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
End Function


3. Save the file as 'productkey.vbs' NOT .txt or it won't work, to your desktop. Run it, and be amazed! (Acknowledgement to: https://www.howtogeek.com/206329/how-to ... duct-keys/)

Don't forget to download SP1 for Windows 7 as you won't get any updates!

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hel ... pack-1-sp1

and Service Pack 2:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... e1e883051e

Next, ensure that your Zorin system is up-to-date.

Next install Virtual Box (if not already installed), and preferably the latest one from the Oracle Website:

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

You need to click on the link for Ubuntu 18.04 / 18.10 / 19.04 link.

You should also download the extension pack:

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Once installed, you need to create a virtual hard disk using the .iso you downloaded - be sure to back this up for future use if needed.

Once you have created and installed Windows 7 as a Virtual Machine and installed all the apps you can't live without / won't run on GNU/Linux, copy the .vhd file to an external device so if your Windows 7 VM ever did get hacked you can simply drag and drop the .vhd file back into your Zorin!

[Comment: Another member of the City Forum that I occasionally frequent here in the UK has had enough of Microsoft messing him about and he is a business user. He uses Fedora and has never looked back using specialist software that will only run on Windows XP - using a Virtual Machine of various flavours of Windows, his dedicated software continues to perform its specialised functions (Computer Aided Design that only works with certain Windows and drivers for a machine tool that needs Windows - it can be done!]

mdiemer

Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:54:57 am

Excellent, Sir Swarf. I would add that any Windows 7 installation disc, preferably one with SP1, will also work, provided of course you do have your key. Also, if your key is for an OEM copy of Windows, it will only work on the computer it is tied to. A retail key will work on any machine. My Windows 7 installs will pretty much be archives, except for my music computer, which is a necessity for my music creation software. Fortunately, I have kept that install pretty barebones, and it is also a Pro edition, on an i7 with 32 GB ram, so it works very well and should do so for the foreseeable future.

Swarfendor437

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:33:45 am

Thanks for the additional input mdiemer. ;) :D

AvgWinNoob

Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:41:45 am

In Windows (any version)
Download and install : Belarc Advisor (very handy little prog to have in your toolkit)
This will give you detailed system info.. including the Activation Key registered to your system...
Hope this helps.. :-)

Handy progs for Windows are:
Belarc Adviser
CPU-Z

Swarfendor437

Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:26:41 pm

Hi, I had to de-activate some old Windows on family members machine and Belarc was useless giving totally the wrong information - the best way is a .vbs script which I can't find what I did with! I'm sure the links I posted were not the ones I came across in the past though! :D

Swarfendor437

Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:06:16 pm

Found the .vbs script and updated original posting accordingly! :D

AlbertoBN

Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:46:08 pm

And then you have to keep using Windows because your elder parent drives you nuts with Windows 7 as it is and will have a stroke without Outlook.... Soooo if your machine can handle Win10 (but probably won't run all your software so be weary) use this post for a free and completely legit windows upgrade https://lifehacker.com/quickly-upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10-for-free-with-t-1840843214

Tried it yetserday on my mom's ageing Acer laptop with dual core AMD Athlon and 3 GB of RAM and it works... And it was a remote (over TeamViewer) installation at that...

Swarfendor437

Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:26:39 pm

AlbertoBN wrote:And then you have to keep using Windows because your elder parent drives you nuts with Windows 7 as it is and will have a stroke without Outlook.... Soooo if your machine can handle Win10 (but probably won't run all your software so be weary) use this post for a free and completely legit windows upgrade https://lifehacker.com/quickly-upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10-for-free-with-t-1840843214

Tried it yetserday on my mom's ageing Acer laptop with dual core AMD Athlon and 3 GB of RAM and it works... And it was a remote (over TeamViewer) installation at that...


Will never run Windows 10 at home and never use TeamViewer again - only used it once to help a work colleagues family member to install Comodo Internet Security - they now keep pestering me for money! You have been warned!

AlbertoBN

Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:19:56 am

It is my mom... She is in Greece, I am in Israel... every weird message is a disaster. Believe me I know LOL. On my kids machines however I have lubuntu and I am switching them to Zorin Education with TimeKeeper this weekend. Another ageing laptop is getting ZorinLite