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  • This Computer Slices, Dices, and Does it ‘All’ [Humorous Retro Video]

    - by Asian Angel
    Sit back and enjoy this entertaining retro computer ad as Rich DuLaney from the OS/2 Multimedia Presentation Manager/2 team jumps into ‘super salesman mode’ to sell you the Ultimedia M57SLC computer for only $3,395! It slices, It dices [via MUO] 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7 HTG Explains: Why It’s Good That Your Computer’s RAM Is Full 10 Awesome Improvements For Desktop Users in Windows 8

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  • Talk About OEM Vender Crapware Overkill! [Humorous Image]

    - by Asian Angel
    It is natural to expect some company-branded crapware on OEM computers, but this is just a bit much! View the Full-Size Version of the Image Getting a new laptop ready for a customer…my god Toshiba, WTF? [via Reddit - Tech Support Gore] Our Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 is Now Available Everywhere How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode HTG Explains: Does Your Android Phone Need an Antivirus?

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  • Difference between OEM install and custom Ubuntu image

    - by Suman
    I'm looking into the best way to deploy a customized Ubuntu image and it looks like I have two options: To make an "OEM install" version To make a custom Ubuntu image Could someone help me understand the difference between these two methods of customizing a Ubuntu install? It appears to me that both these methods allow for elaborate customization of the image while allowing the user to enter their own end-user details (time zone, username, password, etc.)

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  • Can you upgrade OEM Office with an OEM Upgrade

    - by LuckyLindy
    We have a bunch of computers at work that have OEM Office 2000. We have all the material, CDs, etc., and amazingly the computers still work well (they were top of the line when purchased in 2002). However, we'd like to upgrade to Office 2003, our corporate standard. We've found OEM Office 2003 upgrade software online for ~$60 apiece, which would save us thousands over installing retail upgrades or volume licenses. But can we do this? I haven't been able to get a clear answer from Microsoft or anyone else if OEM Upgrades can be applied by non-System Builders to OEM Office.

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  • Windows OEM vs retail difference

    - by tjameson
    My laptop has an OEM version of Vista Home Premium 32-bit. I need to reinstall Windows, and I've made sure that disk I have downloaded is the same as the one on my system (32-bit Home Premium). Is the retail version the same as the OEM? I only have a retail copy but I have an OEM license. Will I have any problems reactivating my copy of windows? Note, my HW hasn't changed. Note: I saw this post already, but I don't have an OEM disk: Installing XP with out manufacturers original XP restore disk, possiable with OEM disk?

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  • Windows 7 - Ubuntu 10.10 Dual Boot Partitioning Recommendation for HP Laptop OEM

    - by Denja
    Hi Linux Community, After been temporary impressed with the newb Windows 7 and after intensly using it I find my self struggling with the ever slow and buggy windows OS once again. It's Time to go with the Ubuntu/Linux way for a better and faster tomorrow. Unfortunately in my country most Users/Business use Windows based Systems. As a Computer technician i want to learn and use both Systems and possibly introduce New users to more affordable Linux Based Systems. For now I want to create dual-boot or even triple boot layouts on my laptop machine Here's the layout in use now: * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 284,89GB (Primary,Boot,Pagefile,Dump) * HP_TOOLS system partition FAT32 - 99MB (Primary) * (D:) RECOVERY partition NTFS - 12,90GB (Primary) * SYSTEM partition NTFS 199MB (Primary) Here's the layout I want to make. * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 60GB (Primary) (sda1) * (D:) Windows data partition (user files) NTFS - 60GB(Extended or Primary)(sda2);wanna share with Linux * Linux root Ext4 - 10GB (Primary)(sda3) * Linux swap swap- RAM size, 3GB (sda4) * Linux home Ext4- 164,9GB (Extended)(sda5) Question 1: Is the layout that i want to make correct as the Primary and Extended Partition concerns ? Question 2: Can I definitely get rid of SYSTEM Boot loader of windows? Question 3: If I get rid of HP_TOOLS and RECOVERY partition will it be a problem? Question 4: Based on my layout what is your suggestion for a Triple Boot layout for OSX or Puppy Linux? Thank you in advance for your advises and suggestions.

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  • Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in 4.0 Released for OEM 11g (11.1.0.1)

    - by Steven Chan
    [Feb. 25, 12:40 PM Update: Removed incorrect references to RHEL 3, SLES 9, HP-UX 11.11, Solaris 8]We're very pleased to announce the release of Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in 4.0, an integral part of Application Management Suite for Oracle E-Business Suite.The management suite combines features in the standalone Application Management Pack (AMP) for Oracle E-Business Suite and Application Change Management Pack (ACMP) for Oracle E-Business Suite with Oracle's real user monitoring and configuration management capabilities.  The features that were available in the standalone Application Management Pack and Application Change Management Pack for Oracle E-Business Suite are now packaged into the Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in 4.0.  The Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in 4.0 is now fully certified with Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Grid Control.  This latest plug-in extends Grid Control with E-Business Suite specific management capabilities and features enhanced change management support.  The Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in is released via patch 8333939.  For the AMP and ACMP 4.0 installation guide, see:Getting Started with Oracle E-Business Suite Plug-in Release 4.0 (Note 1224313.1)General AMP & ACMP improvementsOracle Enterprise Manager 11g Grid Control SupportApplication Management Pack 4.0 and Application Change Management Pack 4.0 for Oracle E-Business Suite are certified with Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Grid Control Release 1 (11.1.0.1.0).Built-in Diagnostic Ability Release 4.0 has numerous major enhancements that provide the necessary intelligence to determine if the product has been installed and configured correctly. There are diagnostics for Discovery, Cloning, and User Monitoring that will validate if the appropriate patches, privileges, setups, and profile options have been configured. This feature improves the setup and configuration process.

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  • Windows 7/Ubuntu 10.10 Dual-Triple Boot Partitioning Recommendation for HP Laptop OEM

    - by Denja
    Hi Linux Community, I find my self struggling with the ever slow and buggy windows OS once again. It's Time for me to go with the Ubuntu/Linux way for a better and faster Operating System. As a Computer technician i want to learn and use both Systems but possibly introduce New users to more affordable Linux Based Systems. For now, Im in the process of creating dual-boot or even triple boot layouts on my laptop machine Here's the layout in use now: * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 284,89GB (Primary,Boot,Pagefile,Dump) * HP_TOOLS system partition FAT32 - 99MB (Primary) * (D:) RECOVERY partition NTFS - 12,90GB (Primary) * SYSTEM partition NTFS 199MB (Primary) Here's the layout I want to make. * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 60GB (Primary) (sda1) * (D:) Windows data partition (user files) NTFS - 60GB(Extended or Primary)(sda2);wanna share with Linux * Linux root Ext4 - 10GB (Primary)(sda3) * Linux swap swap- RAM size, 3GB (sda4) * Linux home Ext4- 164,9GB (Extended)(sda5) Question 1: Based on my layout what is your suggestion for a Triple Boot layout for an additional Linux OS (Like Puppy)? Thank you in advance for your advises and suggestions.

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  • OEM Office 2010 without media - how to reinstall?

    - by Bryan
    I have recently purchased a new office desktop PC from Dell with OEM version of Windows 7 Pro and Office 2010 Pro. One of the reasons I always use Dell is that they always supply installation media CDs or DVDs, unlike some other companies that just give you ISO images on the hard disk that you have to burn yourself. This is the first PC I have purchased with Office 2010 Pro (OEM), and I was disappointed to see that Dell don't ship out any installation media for office 2010, they just supply a piece of card with the office pro product key printed on it. If the HDD fails completely and I have to perform a clean installation, how can I re-install office? Can I download the trial version of Office 2010 and install that, then offer it my product key? Bearing in mind that the product key is an OEM product, not a retail product, would this work?

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  • Installing Windows 8 to another computer with an OEM product Key

    - by user180671
    Questions come up after reading the article about the new method Microsoft uses to License windows 8 computers. Let say I bought a Brand new laptop with windows 8 preloaded. Not like the old way, there is no OEM sticker in the back of the computer which can be used for reloading system.(new product key is stored in BIOS as mentioned in the article, the key can be pulled out by using a software anyway). Is it possible to install windows 8 on another computer with that particular key in case the computer is totally damaged? Here is what i tried: First, I extracted the key with a software name "windows 8 key viewer". using the windows 8 upgrade tool to determine what copy of windows 8 I should download for the installation. The tool did correctly recognized the key as a legitimate one. but it claims that key can not be installed with a retail media (Since it is an oem key). Does this mean the only way to do it is to use an OEM CD from the manufacturer? Will ISO from MSDN source do? or it is just not possible??

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  • Does OEM partition stores Windows 7 serial key ?

    - by Mahesha999
    Does OEM partition stores the serial key which is grabbed by the Win 7 setup done from the disk provided with laptop. I realized that when you install clean system from Windows 7 disk you get with laptop, it grabs the serial key or it doesn't ask one. So from where it gets that serial key. Is it the OEM partition or anything else? Or the recovery partition stores the key? What all the things these two partitions do store in them?

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  • Moving the Windows 7 Pro OEM image to computer with the same hardware

    - by SWin
    We bought 8 clean computers (even without HDD) with the same hardware and bought eight Windows 7 Pro OEM disks. Now I prepare one Win7 installation without activation but with all required programs, settings, etc. Then I'm going to clone the image to other computers even without sysprepping. I'm going to change the product key to legal number at COA sticker on each computer and make the activation through the Internet. Will this scenario work? I know that OEM's license agreement forbids the image cloning and the actions I'm going to do breaks the agreement. According the license agreement I should make the manual clean install of Win7 on each computer. But how Microsoft and other viewers can determine the cloning fact? All computers are the same and license Win7 DVDs are also the same. However in my case the installation time also will the same (and may be kind of installation code or something else) and this is not good. Will the Win7 activation work? Can I be sure that activation will not damage after some time? Can Microsoft determine the cloning fact during the activation process? Thank you.

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  • Imaging Dell OEM Windows 7 install onto other Dell laptops purchased

    - by lolkjmz
    We have ordered 70 dell laptops directly from dell. We are wondering if we can take the existing OEM install of windows on one of the laptops, add some files and then deploy that image to the rest of the laptops. We are trying to avoid making an image from the ground up. I would imagine since we have purchased 70 laptops that the same install would work on all 70 - I am not sure though. I have imaged three laptops with this image and attached them all onto the domain with no problems. They are also all activated. Updates ran fine as well. We are using this to duplicate drives http://www.startech.com/HDD/Duplicators/4-Bay-USB-3-0-eSATA-to-SATA-Standalone-1-3-HDD-Hard-Drive-Duplicator-Dock~SATDOCK4U3RE Will this method work or is there potential for problems in the future?

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  • How to Virtualize an OEM windows install.

    - by jumentous
    I've bought a new computer and like always it comes with windows 7 pre-installed. I'm a linux user by default but i still keep a virtual windows installation around. Is it possible to install my linux distribution, and use the OEM license that came with the computer to create the virtual instance? I have no intention of moving the license off the physical machine so i'm sure i could argue that i'm not violating the license but i don't expect that this would work and activate without great legal battles. So in the event that this doesn't work what other options do i have? Can i shrink the physical partition and have Qemu boot it? My thoughts are that windows would detect the change in hardware and fail. What can i do with this windows install as a linux user?

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  • How to reinstall OEM Windows 98 SE?

    - by Sammy
    I'm trying to install Windows 98 SE on an old PC and it's not going well. I run into this problem. Searching for Boot Record from Floppy..OK Starting Windows 98... TOSHIBA Enhanced-IDE CD/DVD-ROM Device Driver (ATAPI) Version 2.24 (C)Copyright Toshiba Corp. 1995-1999. All rights reserved. Device Name : TOSCD001 Number of units : 1 MSCDEX Version 2.25 Copyright (C) MIcrosoft Corp. 1986-1995. All rights reserved. Drive Z: = Driver TOSCD001 unit 0 TOSHIBA MACHINE Invalid drive specification Path not found - C:\TOOLS\CDROMDRV.SYS Invalid drive specification Invalid drive specification After that last line, it leaves me at a bitmap image displaying instructions to reboot with Ctrl+Alt+Del. It doesn't say why I have to reboot, and it doesn't state any error type, it just want's me to reboot for no apparent reason. After reboot, it just boots up from Floppy again and it cycles through the same thing all over again. The computer has been restored to original specification. Original system recovery "CD-ROM" discs are available and they are not scratched or anything, they are in very good condition. It's a set of 3 CDs, and the first disc labeled "1/3" should be the one holding the OEM version of Windows 98 SE. There is also a boot disk for Windows 98. I'm not sure what the other two discs are for. This computer came with three language support, so those could be holding different language versions or additional OEM discs. But I'm quite sure that the first disc holds the main operating system. BIOS has been set to optimized defaults. Boot priority is as follows; Floppy, IDE-0, CD-ROM. Under Standard CMOS settings, BIOS scans and autoconfigures both the hard drive and the CD/DVD drive. On POST it finds them both, and it finds the DOS bootdisk and starts preparing for installation, as you can see above. So what's this "invalid drive specification" about? Why isn't the installation starting? Updates Update 1 Booting from CD disc 2 In desperation I tried booting from the second CD. Boot order was; Floppy, CD-ROM, IDE-0. It boots normally from floppy disk, just like above, but then returns following. File not found - Z:\3LNGINST\TOOLS\PARTINFO.TXT I accidentally pressed some key on the keyboard, and before I knew it, the following screen showed up. Create Primary DOS Partition Current fixed disk drive: 1 Verifying drive integrity, 16% complete. After completion another screen showed up. Create Primary DOS Partition Current fixed disk drive: 1 Do you wish to use the maximum available size for a Primary DOS Partition and make the partition active (Y/N)?....................? [Y] Verifying drive integrity, 7% complete. I didn't choose Yes, it was set automatically. After completion the computer was automatically rebooted. Then I got a new screen. This is in Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish. Here's the message in Swedish. Hårddisken är inte klar för återställning av programvara. Installationsprogrammet måste skapa nya partitioner (C:, D:, ...). VARNING! ALLT INNEHÅLL PÅ HÅRDDISKEN KOMMER ATT RADERAS! Tryck på en tangent om du vill fortsätta (eller CTRL-C för att avbryta). Let me translate that. Hard drive is not ready for restoring the software. Setup program has to create new partitions (C:, D:, ...). WARNING! ALL CONTENTS ON THE HARD DRIVE WILL BE ERASED! Press any key to continue (or CTRL-C to cancel). I pressed Enter and it started formatting the hard drive. WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE c: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?y Formatting 14,67.53M 1 percent completed. It automatically sets the "y" option and starts formatting. Rebooting with CD disc 1 After completing this operation it rebooted automatically. I inserted CD disc 1 and there was no issue with "invalid drive specification" anymore. Instead, a bitmap menu was displayed where it asked me to choose a language. And I thought I had it there for a while but it didn't work out. After choosing the language, another menu was displayed asking me to choose a type of recovery (restore pre-installed software OR restore hard drive partitions and pre-installed software). I opted for the second option. Then a data destruction warning showed up where I just pressed 1 to Continue. It did something and then just rebooted and the same formatting screen shows up as before. So something is not right. Am I doing it wrong? I seem to have come past the CD-ROM driver issue at least. But now I'm stuck with this problem... it seems to have something to do with the hard drive. Like... why is is it always trying to format it? Isn't it enough to format it once? By the way, it needs to be formatted as FAT32, right? Windows 98 doesn't support NTFS? I think FDISK should have taken care of this already. I know this is an old hard drive, but I connected to my main computer and it was able to read and write to it without a problem. It does have bad sectors though, but it's expected on an old hard drive like this. Any ideas?.. Update 2 I seem to be repeatedly getting stuck at the format screen where it asks to press any key to continue. So tried to cancel it this time with Ctrl+C. This leaves me at: A:\TOOLS> I can do DIR and CD and I tried to change to Z: drive. I tried running "setup" but there is no such thing. Z:\>setup Bad command or file name Update 3 Floppy structure Here's the file/folder structure of the floppy disk. A:\>dir /s Volume in drive A has no label. Volume Serial Number is 1700-1069 Directory of A:\ 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> BMP 1998-05-11 22:01 93 880 COMMAND.COM 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> factory 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> lang 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> TOOLS 2000-05-19 15:32 339 CONFIG.SYS 1999-10-26 13:38 0 BOOTLOG.TXT 2000-06-08 08:32 3 691 AUTOEXEC.BAT 4 File(s) 97 910 bytes Directory of A:\BMP 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> . 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> .. 0 File(s) 0 bytes Directory of A:\factory 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> . 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> .. 2000-06-08 13:09 2 662 3LNGINSF.BAT 1 File(s) 2 662 bytes Directory of A:\lang 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> . 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> .. 1998-11-24 08:02 49 575 FORMAT.COM 1998-11-24 08:02 63 900 FDISK.EXE 2 File(s) 113 475 bytes Directory of A:\TOOLS 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> . 1999-10-11 10:44 <DIR> .. 1998-05-06 22:01 49 575 FORMAT.COM 1995-10-27 20:29 28 164 BMPVIEW.EXE 1999-01-26 15:54 15 MAKEPA32.TXT 1998-05-06 22:01 3 878 XCOPY.EXE 1998-05-06 22:01 41 472 XCOPY32.MOD 1998-05-06 22:01 33 191 HIMEM.SYS 1998-05-06 22:01 125 495 EMM386.EXE 1998-05-06 22:01 18 967 SYS.COM 1996-01-31 21:55 18 CLK.COM 1994-04-02 08:20 22 HARDBOOT.COM 1999-02-03 15:46 15 MAKEPA16.TXT 1999-04-14 16:36 7 840 PARTFO32.EXE 2000-05-19 15:01 1 169 PARTFORM.BAT 1996-10-02 01:47 1 642 MBRCLR.COM 1999-07-01 11:58 8 175 BIOSCHKN.EXE 1998-06-23 08:55 5 904 PAR-TYPE.EXE 1998-11-24 08:02 29 271 MODE.COM 1998-11-24 08:02 15 252 ATTRIB.EXE 1998-11-24 08:02 19 083 DELTREE.EXE 1999-04-21 15:01 23 304 NTBB.EXE 1997-05-07 14:19 1 SYS.TXT 1999-07-01 12:23 61 566 F3DCHK.EXE 1998-05-11 20:01 34 566 KEYBOARD.SYS 1998-05-11 20:01 19 927 KEYB.COM 1999-10-26 14:31 910 partinfo.txt 1998-06-16 15:58 5 936 CHKDRVAC.EXE 1998-05-06 22:01 63 900 FDISK.EXE 1998-05-06 22:01 45 379 SMARTDRV.EXE 1992-12-03 19:48 10 695 SCISET.EXE 1997-06-25 15:49 6 YENT 1998-05-06 22:01 25 473 MSCDEX.EXE 1998-05-06 22:01 5 239 CHOICE.COM 1997-07-18 17:41 6 876 MBR.COM 1997-07-01 15:01 6 545 CHK2GB.COM 1998-06-10 20:04 8 128 PARTFORM.EXE 1990-01-04 02:09 19 MAKEPAR2.TXT 1990-01-04 01:00 27 MAKEPAR3.TXT 1990-01-04 01:00 27 MAKEPAR4.TXT 1998-02-13 13:47 15 MAKEPART.TXT 1999-04-14 13:47 5 200 DISKSIZE.EXE 1999-05-06 14:56 7 856 PARTFO16.EXE 1999-01-13 11:13 13 720 CDROMDRV.SYS 42 File(s) 734 463 bytes Total Files Listed: 49 File(s) 948 510 bytes 12 Dir(s) 268 800 bytes free A:\> CONFIG.SYS contents Here's the content of CONFIG.SYS. DEVICE=A:\TOOLS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF REM I=B000-B7ff for Desktop BIOSes rem DEVICE=A:\TOOLS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7ff x=C000-D000 DEVICE=A:\TOOLS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS x=C000-D000 DEVICE=A:\TOOLS\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:TOSCD001 BUFFERS=10 FILES=69 DOS=HIGH,UMB STACKS=9,256 LASTDRIVE=Z SWITCHES=/F SHELL=A:\COMMAND.COM /P /E:2048 AUTOEXEC.BAT contents :BEGIN @ECHO OFF PATH=A:\;A:\TOOLS; MSCDEX /D:TOSCD001 /L:Z /M:10 smartdrv 1024 128 SET TOOLS=A:\TOOLS SET COMSPEC=A:\COMMAND.COM SET EXITDRIVE=C: SET EXITPATH=\ CALL Z:\SETENV.BAT > NUL :TOSHCHK BIOSChkN IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 goto C_ACCESS BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\BMP\NO_TOSP3.bmp /X=120 /Y=80 PAUSE > NUL SET EXITDRIVE=A: GOTO END :C_ACCESS CALL PARTFORM.BAT :C_EMPTY IF EXIST C:\*.* GOTO C_NOTEMPTY call z:\setenv.bat>nul goto PREPDU :C_NOTEMPTY REM ------------------MENU------------------------ :STARTMENU CLS BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\BMP\LANGSELC.BMP /X=120 /Y=120 CLK CHOICE /C:123 /N >NUL REM L is the language that is selected IF ERRORLEVEL 1 SET L=%LNG1% IF ERRORLEVEL 2 SET L=%LNG2% IF ERRORLEVEL 3 SET L=%LNG3% SET BMP=BMP%L% BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\HDDMENU.BMP /X=72 /Y=82 CLK CHOICE /C:129F /N > NUL IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO FACTORY_MENU IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO EXIT_MENU IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO PARTFORM_MENU IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO FORMAT_MENU GOTO END :FACTORY_MENU BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\qformat.bmp /X=120 /Y=140 CLK choice /c:12 /N >nul IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO STARTMENU IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO FORMATF GOTO END :EXIT_MENU BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\9.bmp /XC /X=96 /Y=267 choice /C:1pause /T:1,01 >nul SET EXITDRIVE=A: SET EXITPATH=\lang cls mode mono rem keyb xx>nul cls GOTO END :PARTFORM_MENU BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\2.bmp /XC /X=96 /Y=216 choice /C:1pause /T:1,01 >nul BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\partform.bmp /X=120 /Y=140 CLK choice /c:12 /N >nul IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO STARTMENU IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO PART_FORM SET EXITDRIVE=A: GOTO END :FORMAT_MENU BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\1.bmp /XC /X=96 /Y=165 choice /C:1pause /T:1,01 >nul BMPVIEW Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\qformat.bmp /X=120 /Y=140 CLK choice /c:12 /N >nul IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO STARTMENU IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO FORMAT SET EXITDRIVE=A: GOTO END REM ------------------ MENU END ------------------------ :FORMAT bmpview Z:\3LNGINST\%bmp%\1.bmp /XC /X=145 /Y=235 choice /C:1pause /T:1,01 >nul CLS IF (%QFORMAT%)==(NO) GOTO FULLFO FORMAT C: /Q /V:"" <A:\TOOLS\YENT >NUL call z:\setenv.bat>nul goto PREPDU :FULLFO FORMAT C: /V:"" <A:\TOOLS\YENT call z:\setenv.bat>nul goto PREPDU :FORMATF CLS IF (%QFORMAT%)==(NO) GOTO FULLFO_F FORMAT C: /Q /V:"" <A:\TOOLS\YENT >NUL call z:\setenv.bat>nul goto PREPDU_F :FULLFO_F FORMAT C: /V:"" <A:\TOOLS\YENT call z:\setenv.bat>nul goto PREPDU_F :PART_FORM bmpview Z:\3LNGINST\bmp\1.bmp /XC /X=145 /Y=235 choice /C:1pause /T:1,01 >nul MBR /! HARDBOOT REM ====================== Triple Select ====================== :PREPDU XCOPY z:\3LNGINST\*.* C:\*.* /E /S /V >NUL ATTRIB -H -R -S C:\TOOLS\CDROMDRV.SYS COPY A:\TOOLS\CDROMDRV.SYS C:\TOOLS /Y SYS C: >NUL goto REBOOT :PREPDU_F copy A:\TOOLS\SMARTDRV.EXE C:\ /Y ATTRIB -H -R -S C:\SMARTDRV.EXE copy A:\FACTORY\3LNGINSF.bat c:\ c:\3LNGINSF.bat cls REM ====================== Dual Select END ====================== REM --------------- END ------------------ :REBOOT SMARTDRV.EXE /C bmpview Z:\3LNGINST\BMP\reboot3.bmp /X=120 /Y=140 :FOREVER pause >nul goto FOREVER :END SMARTDRV.EXE /C %EXITDRIVE% cd %EXITPATH% echo on CD structure S:\>dir /s Volume in drive S is T3ELK4SC Volume Serial Number is 2042-5BC9 Directory of S:\ 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> 3LNGINSF 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> 3LNGINST 2000-06-15 15:57 <DIR> CRC 2000-06-15 12:04 387 667 767 T310C1NO.W98 2000-09-07 15:36 273 setenv.BAT 2 File(s) 387 668 040 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINSF 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1999-10-27 10:51 1 806 AUTOEXEC.BAT 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> BMP 2000-05-19 15:29 265 CONFIG.SYS 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> POSTINST 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> TOOLS 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> WIN98SYS 2 File(s) 2 071 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINSF\BMP 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1997-04-22 09:43 718 1.BMP 1997-04-22 09:44 718 2.BMP 1999-01-04 02:38 718 3.BMP 2000-07-05 11:22 60 118 Cdchg2.bmp 2000-07-05 11:22 60 118 Cdchg3.bmp 2000-07-05 13:37 60 118 Fin.bmp 2000-07-06 14:18 120 118 Menu.bmp 2000-07-05 13:34 60 118 Nor.bmp 2000-07-05 11:53 35 318 Progress.bmp 2000-07-05 13:40 60 118 Swe.bmp 2000-07-05 12:09 84 118 Wrongcd2.bmp 2000-07-05 12:09 84 118 Wrongcd3.bmp 12 File(s) 626 416 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINSF\POSTINST 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 2000-05-19 09:15 33 POSTINST.BAT 1 File(s) 33 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINSF\TOOLS 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 2000-07-06 14:49 3 593 3LNGINST.BAT 1998-11-24 08:02 15 252 ATTRIB.EXE 1995-10-27 18:29 28 164 BMPVIEW.EXE 1999-01-13 11:13 13 720 CDROMDRV.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 5 239 CHOICE.COM 1996-01-31 19:55 18 CLK.COM 1998-11-24 08:02 19 083 DELTREE.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 125 495 EMM386.EXE 1999-07-01 12:23 61 566 F3DCHK.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 49 575 FORMAT.COM 1994-04-02 06:20 22 HARDBOOT.COM 1998-05-06 20:01 33 191 HIMEM.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 25 473 MSCDEX.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 12 663 RAMDRIVE.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 45 379 SMARTDRV.EXE 1997-05-07 14:19 1 SYS.TXT 1995-09-27 14:25 6 813 VOLCHECK.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 3 878 XCOPY.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 41 472 XCOPY32.MOD 1997-06-25 13:49 6 YENT 20 File(s) 490 603 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINSF\WIN98SYS 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1998-12-04 20:00 222 390 IO.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 18 967 SYS.COM 1998-05-06 20:01 93 880 command.com 3 File(s) 335 237 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1999-05-31 09:51 1 576 AUTOEXEC.BAT 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> BMP 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> Bmpfin 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> Bmpnor 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> Bmpswe 2000-05-19 15:30 265 CONFIG.SYS 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> POSTINST 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> TOOLS 2000-08-22 14:14 <DIR> WIN98SYS 2 File(s) 1 841 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\BMP 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1997-04-22 09:43 718 1.BMP 1997-04-22 09:44 718 2.BMP 1999-01-04 02:38 718 3.BMP 2000-07-05 11:22 60 118 Cdchg2.bmp 2000-07-05 11:22 60 118 Cdchg3.bmp 2000-07-05 13:37 60 118 Fin.bmp 2000-07-06 14:18 120 118 Menu.bmp 2000-07-05 13:34 60 118 Nor.bmp 2000-07-05 11:53 35 318 Progress.bmp 2000-07-06 14:08 40 518 Reboot3.bmp 2000-07-05 13:40 60 118 Swe.bmp 2000-07-05 12:09 84 118 Wrongcd2.bmp 2000-07-05 12:09 84 118 Wrongcd3.bmp 2000-07-05 13:52 48 118 langselc.bmp 2000-07-05 11:47 57 318 no_tosp3.bmp 15 File(s) 772 370 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\Bmpfin 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1997-04-22 09:43 718 1.BMP 1997-04-22 09:44 718 2.BMP 1998-06-13 00:07 718 9.bmp 2000-03-08 15:02 78 486 Hddmenu.bmp 2000-03-08 15:31 25 318 No_tospc.bmp 2000-03-08 15:37 36 518 PARTFORM.BMP 2000-03-08 15:42 36 518 Qformat.bmp 7 File(s) 178 994 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\Bmpnor 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1997-04-22 09:43 718 1.BMP 1997-04-22 09:44 718 2.BMP 1998-06-13 00:07 718 9.bmp 1999-05-05 13:26 78 486 Hddmenu.bmp 1998-07-13 11:36 25 318 No_tospc.bmp 1998-07-13 11:41 36 518 PARTFORM.BMP 1998-07-13 11:45 36 518 Qformat.bmp 7 File(s) 178 994 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\Bmpswe 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1997-04-22 09:43 718 1.BMP 1997-04-22 09:44 718 2.BMP 1998-06-13 00:07 718 9.bmp 1999-05-06 08:14 78 486 Hddmenu.bmp 1998-07-10 16:25 25 318 No_tospc.bmp 1998-07-10 16:29 36 518 PARTFORM.BMP 1998-07-10 17:08 36 518 Qformat.bmp 7 File(s) 178 994 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\POSTINST 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 2000-05-19 09:15 33 POSTINST.BAT 1 File(s) 33 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\TOOLS 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 2000-05-19 14:52 3 898 3LNGINST.BAT 1995-10-27 18:29 28 164 BMPVIEW.EXE 1999-01-13 11:13 13 720 CDROMDRV.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 5 239 CHOICE.COM 1996-01-31 19:55 18 CLK.COM 1998-05-06 20:01 125 495 EMM386.EXE 1999-07-01 12:23 61 566 F3DCHK.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 49 575 FORMAT.COM 1994-04-02 06:20 22 HARDBOOT.COM 1998-05-06 20:01 33 191 HIMEM.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 25 473 MSCDEX.EXE 2000-07-06 14:41 910 PARTINFO.TXT 1998-05-06 20:01 12 663 RAMDRIVE.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 45 379 SMARTDRV.EXE 1997-05-07 14:19 1 SYS.TXT 1995-09-27 14:25 6 813 VOLCHECK.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 3 878 XCOPY.EXE 1998-05-06 20:01 41 472 XCOPY32.MOD 1997-06-25 13:49 6 YENT 19 File(s) 457 483 bytes Directory of S:\3LNGINST\WIN98SYS 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 1998-12-04 20:00 222 390 IO.SYS 1998-05-06 20:01 18 967 SYS.COM 1998-05-06 20:01 93 880 command.com 3 File(s) 335 237 bytes Directory of S:\CRC 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> . 1601-01-01 02:00 <DIR> .. 2000-06-15 12:07 181 422 T310C1NO.ALL 2000-06-15 12:09 215 427 T310C1NO.CRC 2000-06-15 12:07 2 157 T310C1NO.HID 3 File(s) 399 006 bytes Total Files Listed: 104 File(s) 391 625 352 bytes 42 Dir(s) 0 bytes free S:\> Now which line or lines need to be changed? Do I really have to change drive letter Z: to C:? Proposed solutions Solution #1 Ramhound proposed to change the boot order to following; CD-ROM, IDE-0, Floppy This didn't help. In fact, here is the result of it. Searching for Boot Record from CDROM..Not Found Searching for Boot Record from IDE-0.. OK Missing operating system Any other ideas?... Solution #2 Rik proposed to run Z:\setup. Now that I have found a way to drop to DOS prompt with Ctrl+C as described above (Update 2), I did try running setup but there is no such command or file in there. So that didn't work.

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  • how to prevent other computers from seeing our network computers through vpn

    - by Disco
    We have a local office domain consisting of Windows 7 and XP machines that is running on Windows Server 2008 R2. We also have users that connect via VPN into our network. My concern is that when a remote user opens up a folder, the Network section on the left side of the folder shows the remote user all the computer names in our local network. I would like to go about renaming our computers in the local network with more descriptive computer names, but I do not want the users off-site to be able to see these computer names by simply opening up a folder. (Granted, they can already do this, but our current naming scheme does not link computer names to users.) I would like to change our computer names so we can determine which computer belongs to which user more easily IF it can be done securely. How can I ensure that our local computer names are not showing up in the Network folder for remote, VPN-connected users? My online searches have turned up results where people are advised to turn off Network Sharing and Discovery, but that seems to only ensure that the local machine doesn't see other computer names. I want to prevent OUR computer names from showing up on OTHER computers, and I can't go into the VPN-connected computers and turn off THEIR Network Discovery settings. I would think there is a group policy that would control this but I have not found one yet and I don't know how I would apply it to VPN-connected computers. Thanks! EDIT: That's true, a Group Policy wouldn't run on users only connecting via VPN, good point. What about a VPN/router policy, then?

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  • What is the proper way to Windows 7/Ubuntu 10.10 Dual-Triple Boot Partitioning for Laptop OEM?

    - by Denja
    Hi Linux Community, I find my self struggling with the slowness of windows OS once again. It's Time to change with the Ubuntu 10.10 64bit for I like to use a faster Operating System. My Hard Disk laptop has a RECOVERY and HP_TOOLS partition they are both Primary. I Have the System Recovery DVD for Windows 64bit should anything bad happen. Here's the layout I used with windows before: * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 284,89GB (Primary,ad Boot,Pagefile,Dump) * HP_TOOLS system partition FAT32 - 99MB (Primary) * (D:) RECOVERY partition NTFS - 12,90GB (Primary) * SYSTEM partition NTFS 199MB (Primary) Here's the layout I wanted to make: * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 60GB (Primary) (sda1) * (D:) Windows DATA partition (user files) NTFS - 120GB(Primary)(sda2);wanna share with Linux * Linux root Ext4 - 10GB (Extended)(sda3) (Ubuntu 10.10 64bit) * Linux home Ext3 - 90GB (Extended)(sda4) (Ubuntu 10.10 64bit) * Linux swap swap- RAM size, 3GB (sda5) * Linux root Ext3- 18GB (Extended) (sda6) (OpenSuse or Puppy or kubuntu) Here is my New Ubuntu 10.10 64bit layout in use now: * SYSTEM partition NTFS 199MB (Primary) (sda1) * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 90GB (Primary) (sda2) * (D:) Windows 7 RECOVERY partition NTFS - 12,90GB (Primary) (sda3) * Linux system partition EXTENDED - 195,1GB (Logical) * Linux root Ext4- 10GB (Extended) (sda4) * Linux swap swap- RAMx2 size, 6,1GB (sda5) * Linux home Ext3- 179GB (Extended) (sda6) When I installed Ubuntu,I didn't know if I could wipe all previous partitions,because of the RECOVERY partition. So I just made the space for my extended partition with GParted by deleting the HP_TOOLS (Fat32). By doing this I managed somehow to install Ubuntu 64 with Success. And I also made the partitions for the swap or a third Linux OS as Jordan suggested. But I couldn't actually make the partitions for the shared NTFS.(no option!) Question 1: What is the proper way to Windows 7/Ubuntu 10.10 Dual-Triple Boot Partitioning for Laptop OEM?? Thank you in advance for your advises and suggestions and Happy New Year to All!!

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  • What is the right way to Windows 7/Ubuntu 10.10 Dual-Triple Boot Partitioning for Laptop OEM?

    - by Denja
    Hi Linux Community, I find my self struggling with the ever slow and buggy windoze OS once again. It's Time to change with the Ubuntu 10.10 64bit as a really faster Operating System. My Hard Disk laptop as a RECOVERY and HP_TOOLS partition they are both Primary. I Have the System Recovery DVD for Windows 64bit should anything happen. Here's the layout I used with windows before: * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 284,89GB (Primary,Boot,Pagefile,Dump) * HP_TOOLS system partition FAT32 - 99MB (Primary) * (D:) RECOVERY partition NTFS - 12,90GB (Primary) * SYSTEM partition NTFS 199MB (Primary) Here's the layout I want to make based on your answers * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 60GB (Primary) (sda1) * (D:) Windows DATA partition (user files) NTFS - 120GB(Primary)(sda2);wanna share with Linux * Linux root Ext4 - 100GB (Primary)(sda3) (Ubuntu 10.10 64bit) * Linux swap swap- RAM size, 3GB (sda4) * Linux root Ext3- 15,9GB (Extended)(sda5) (OpenSuse or Puppy) Here is my New Ubuntu 10.10 64bit layout in use now: * SYSTEM partition NTFS 199MB (Primary) (sda1) **Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.(?)** * (C:) Windows 7 system partition NTFS - 90GB (Primary) (sda2) * (D:) Windows 7 RECOVERY partition NTFS - 12,90GB (Primary) (sda3) * Linux system partition EXTENDED - 195GB (Logical) * Linux root Ext4- 10GB (Extended) (sda5) * Linux home Ext3- 185GB (Extended) (sda6) I didn't know if I could wipe all previous partitions when i installed Ubuntu because of the RECOVERY partition so I just made the space for my extended partition by deleting the HP_TOOLS (Fat32). By doing this I managed to make and successfully install Ubuntu 64 but I couldn't actually make the partition for the swap or a third Linux OS. Question 1: What is the right way to Windows 7/Ubuntu 10.10 Dual-Triple Boot Partitioning for Laptop OEM?? Thank you in advance for your advises and suggestions and Happy New Year to All!!

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  • Cannot reinstall Windows on Toughbook CF-19, OEM or upgrade issue?

    - by j03lar50n
    My Toughbook (CF-19) has a 'Windows Vista Business OEMAct, Panasonic' COA on the bottom of the unit. When I extracted the key before reformatting - it was a 'Windows XP Professional' Product Name and the Product ID code has 'OEM' in it...and I can confirm this upgrade was last OS installed (w/ Service Pack 3) - but there was the tablet functionality. This extracted product key isn't working with any version of Windows I try installing. XP Pro, XP Pro Tablet 2005 OEM, Tablet XP OEM. Any insights?

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  • Task-dedicated computers for the household?

    - by Matias Nino
    This question is to generate ideas for task-dedicated computers in a household. Here's mine: Personal Desktop - Gaming, working, office productivity, entertainment, CD/DVD burning General Server - backups, application hosting, mail server, file server, VM server, torrent seeding Personal Laptop - software development, mobile computing Media Center PC - Digital media playback, media file server, Gaming Photo PC - Digital photo management/archival. Nightstand Netbook - Bedtime surfing/reading Spare Laptop - general household use

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  • Can I use a Retail DVD media with an OEM key to install Windows Vista?

    - by Sammy
    I got a Fujitsu computer with OEM license key and Windows Vista. I would like to reinstall Windows on it. But I didn't get any Windows media with it. However, I do poses more than just one DVD installation disc from my Retail copies of Windows Vista that I use on other computers. Can I use this media instead? Or do I have to order a specialty OEM DVD media from the manufacturer or Microsoft? Update: I have found some partition called "EISA" configuration partition. It is a hidden partition that I found in Disk Management. How can I make use of this? Do I boot from it or do I mount it to a drive letter and access it inside Windows? Can this be used to restore the computer? It is about 11 GB in size.

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  • Network Your Computers & Devices: Step by Step

    - by The Geek
    If you’re looking for a great book to help you learn more about Windows home networking, there’s a new book on the market by our good friend Ciprian, and published by none other than Microsoft Press. Note: our friend Ciprian has been a guest contributor here on How-To Geek in the past, and he’s not only a geek that knows what he’s talking about, he’s also one of the more honest and decent people I’ve worked with. In his spare time, he runs the 7 Tutorials web site. The Book One of the great things about this book is that you aren’t limited to just Windows networking—it also explains how to connect Windows 7, XP, Vista, Mac OS X, and even Linux on the same network and share folders and devices between them. Everything in the book is written in a typical How-To Geek step-by-step format, with plenty of screenshots and pictures to help you through the process. Book Outline If you’re going to be spending some money on the book, you probably want to know what it’s all about, and since the Amazon page doesn’t give, well, much information at all, here’s the entire outline for you: Setting Up a Router and Devices Setting User Account on All Computers Setting Up Your Libraries on All Windows 7 Computers Creating the Network Customizing Network Sharing Settings in Windows 7 Creating the Homegroup and Joining Windows 7 Computers Sharing Libraries and Folders Sharing and Working with Devices Streaming Media Over the Network and the Internet Sharing Between Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Computers Sharing Between Mac OS X and Windows 7 Computers Sharing Between Ubuntu Linux and Windows 7 Computers Keeping the Network Secure Setting Up Parental Controls Troubleshooting Network and Internet Problems It’s a great book, with loads of information, and compared to most tech books isn’t very expensive—only $19.79 for the paperback and $9.99 for the Kindle version. Well worth it, and hey, it’s an official Microsoft Press book—written by a How-To Geek guest author. Network Your Computers & Devices Step by Step [Amazon] Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How To Boot 10 Different Live CDs From 1 USB Flash Drive The 20 Best How-To Geek Linux Articles of 2010 The 50 Best How-To Geek Windows Articles of 2010 The 20 Best How-To Geek Explainer Topics for 2010 How to Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista How to Use the Avira Rescue CD to Clean Your Infected PC 2011 International Space Station Calendar Available for Download (Free) Ultimate Elimination – Lego Black Ops [Video] BotSync Enables Secure FTP File Synchronization on Android Devices Enjoy Beautiful City Views with the Cityscape Theme for Windows 7 Luigi Installs Any OS on Google’s Cr-48 Notebook DIY iPad Stylus Offers Pen-Based Interaction on the Cheap

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  • Windows 8 Launch&ndash;Why OEM and Retailers Should STFU

    - by D'Arcy Lussier
    Microsoft has gotten a lot of flack for the Surface from OEM/hardware partners who create Windows-based devices and I’m sure, to an extent, retailers who normally stock and sell Windows-based devices. I mean we all know how this is supposed to work – Microsoft makes the OS, partners make the hardware, retailers sell the hardware. Now Microsoft is breaking the rules by not only offering their own hardware but selling them via online and through their Microsoft branded stores! The thought has been that Microsoft is trying to set a standard for the other hardware companies to reach for. Maybe. I hope, at some level, Microsoft may be covertly responding to frustrations associated with trusting the OEMs and Retailers to deliver on their part of the supply chain. I know as a consumer, I’m very frustrated with the Windows 8 launch. Aside from the Surface sales, there’s nothing happening at the retail level. Let me back up and explain. Over the weekend I visited a number of stores in hopes of trying out various Windows 8 devices. Out of three retailers (Staples, Best Buy, and Future Shop), not *one* met my expectations. Let me be honest with you Staples, I never really have high expectations from your computer department. If I need paper or pens, whatever, but computers – you’re not the top of my list for price or selection. Still, considering you flaunted Win 8 devices in your flyer I expected *something* – some sign of effort that you took the Windows 8 launch seriously. As I entered the 1910 Pembina Highway location in Winnipeg, there was nothing – no signage, no banners – nothing that would suggest Windows 8 had even launched. I made my way to the laptops. I had to play with each machine to determine which ones were running Windows 8. There wasn’t anything on the placards that made it obvious which were Windows 8 machines and which ones were Windows 7. Likewise, there was no easy way to identify the touch screen laptop (the HP model) from the others without physically touching the screen to verify. Horrible experience. In the same mall as the Staples I mentioned above, there’s a Future Shop. Surely they would be more on the ball. I walked in to the 1910 Pembina Highway location and immediately realized I would not get a better experience. Except for the sign by the front door mentioning Windows 8, there was *nothing* in the computer department pointing you to the Windows 8 devices. Like in Staples, the Win 8 laptops were mixed in with the Win 7 ones and there was nothing notable calling out which ones were running Win 8. I happened to hit up the St. James Street location today, thinking since its a busier store they must have more options. To their credit, they did have two staff members decked out in Windows 8 shirts and who were helping a customer understand Windows 8. But otherwise, there was nothing highlighting the Windows 8 devices and they were again mixed in with the rest of the Win 7 machines. Finally, we have the St. James Street Best Buy location here in Winnipeg. I’m sure Best Buy will have their act together. Nope, not even close. Same story as the others: minimal signage (there was a sign as you walked in with a link to this schedule of demo days), Windows 8 hardware mixed with the rest of the PC offerings, and no visible call-outs identifying which were Win 8 based. This meant that, like Future Shop and Staples, if you wanted to know which machine had Windows 8 you had to go and scrutinize each machine. Also, there was nothing identifying which ones were touch based and which were not. Just Another Day… To these retailers, it seemed that the Windows 8 launch was just another day, with another product to add to the showroom floor. Meanwhile, Apple has their dedicated areas *in all three stores*. It was dead simple to find where the Apple products were compared to the Windows 8 products. No wonder Microsoft is starting to push their own retail stores. No wonder Microsoft is trying to funnel orders through them instead of relying on these bloated retail big box stores who obviously can’t manage a product launch. It’s Not Just The Retailers… Remember when the Acer CEO, Founder, and President of Computer Global Operations all weighed in on how Microsoft releasing the Surface would have a “huge negative impact for the ecosystem and other brands may take a negative reaction”? Also remember the CEO stating “[making hardware] is not something you are good at so please think twice”? Well the launch day has come and gone, and so far Microsoft is the only one that delivered on having hardware available on the October 26th date. Oh sure, there are laptops running Windows 8 – but all in one desktop PCs? I’ve only seen one or two! And tablets are *non existent*, with some showing an early to late November availability on Best Buy’s website! So while the retailers could be doing more to make it easier to find Windows 8 devices, the manufacturers could help by *getting devices into stores*! That’s supposedly something that these companies are good at, according to the Acer CEO. So Here’s What the Retailers and Manufacturers Need To Do… Get Product Out The pivotal timeframe will be now to the end of November. We need to start seeing all these fantastic pieces of hardware ship – including the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro, the Acer Iconia, the Asus TAICHI 21, and the sexy Samsung Series 7 27” desktop. It’s not enough to see product announcements, we need to see actual devices. Make It Easy For Customers To Find Win8 Devices You want to make it easy to sell these things? Make it easy for people to find them! Have staff on hand that really know how these devices run and what can be done with them. Don’t just have a single demo day, have people who can demo it every day! Make It Easy to See the Features There’s touch screen desktops, touch screen laptops, tablets, non-touch laptops, etc. People need to easily find the features for each machine. If I’m looking for a touch-laptop, I shouldn’t need to sift through all the non-touch laptops to find them – at the least, I need to quickly be able to see which ones are touch. I feel silly even typing this because this should be retail 101 and I have no retail background (but I do have an extensive background as a customer). In Summary… Microsoft launching the Surface and selling them through their own channels isn’t slapping its OEM and retail partners in the face; its slapping them to wake the hell up and stop coasting through Windows launch events like they don’t matter. Unless I see some improvements from vendors and retailers in November, I may just hold onto my money for a Surface Pro even if I have to wait until early 2013. Your move OEM/Retailers. *Update – While my experience has been in Winnipeg, similar experiences have been voiced from colleagues in Calgary and Edmonton.

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