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  • Here we go again!

    I do apologize for my IT crises.

    I bought a secondhand PC today. It was quite a deal - a low price for a 2-year-old PC with Windows 10.

    Ah, if only it were that simple. Turns out, this thing is protected by a password, and the seller didn't give me said password. I also have the strong feeling that certain websites are blocked, since I can't access Facebook or YouTube. (I think these PCs came from an office, because they were selling a lot of them, along with monitors and keyboards and such.)

    So I can't download Skype. I tried, but it wouldn't install, because the fucking computer wanted its goddamned password. There are other programs I haven't been able to install.

    What's my best option? I can live without Windows 10, and I'm thinking seriously of reformatting the whole damned hard drive so I can eliminate this shit.

  • #2
    To follow up, I also thought of putting the hard drive from my old computer into the new one. Is this a very complicated process?

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    • #3
      A reformat and reinstall would be the best course of action. Most likely using your old Windows 7 install media(if you have 64-bit one still). Putting a pre-built operating system into new hardware has some, shall we say interesting results.

      If you want to go with Windows 10 and you have the product key it is an option. I personally wouldn't trust the one you have though even if it's legit. The reason is because if it's from an office it could be through a site license and if the key isn't released it can be flagged as a pirated copy.
      I AM the evil bastard!
      A+ Certified IT Technician

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      • #4
        Transferring HDDs doesn't usually take anything more than a screwdriver anymore. Most machines have SATA interfaces, which makes life so very much easy. There's plugs that can only go in one way, and they're real flexible when it comes to plugging them into the motherboard. Pretty much, if the cable can fit, it's supposed to go there 99.9% of the time.

        As to moving things over, I'd disconnect the existing drive and plug yours in using that cable. Fire it up, let windows figure out all the new toys it now has to play with. A number of restarts may be in order here. After you're all switched over, shut down and plug in the win10 drive. Fire up again. You'll probably want to go into BIOS (F2 or DEL, depending on mobo, just after turning on) and go into 'Boot Priority' and select your Win7 drive as the first HDD to look at. Save and Restart. Figure out what you want to do with the crap on the Win10 drive.

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        • #5
          I'm going to talk to an acquaintance today who works in IT. He knows a lot about these things - at least, I think he does.

          I want to thank you all for your input, on this issue as on so many others. The new computer runs quietly and quickly; it just has this post-office issues of a password and certain sites being blocked (I'm still unsure how to tackle THAT one). The hard drive also has only half the memory of the one in my old computer, which I am using now because I got so fed up last night with the new one.

          Maybe I'll just have a new one built, using certain parts from the one I bought over the weekend. It's all very up in the air.

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          • #6
            As long as you have the key, you can download a new copy of Win10. If there is not a sticker on the outside of the case, you would want to see if you can get the key from windows before you format the hard drive.

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            • #7
              One piece of good news: I contacted the guy who sold it to me, and he gave me the password. I'm back to using my old computer until I can mess with the new one a little more.

              As to the Windows 10 key, that sticker was removed (there's some adhesive on the case where it must have been). The computer originally had Windows 7, and that sticker - with the key - is still on the case. So if 10 disappeared, I've read that using the product key from 7 can still get you an upgrade.

              One other thing - this computer is an HP Compaq 8100, and I read that it only has 4 GB of RAM. How much more can I add to that?

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              • #8
                That one looks like it'll take up to 4 sticks of 4GB each, for a total of 16GB RAM
                https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02030592

                It looks like the 8100 series has been going for a while, based on the processor options listed there, as well as at one time shipping with WinXP.

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                • #9
                  I have used Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to find out what key the installed OS is using when the sticker is unreadable, it should give you your win10 key

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                  • #10
                    Well, wow. What a MESS.

                    Now I really understand why I've seen so many messages of hate for Windows 10. I had NO idea that such sites as Facebook and YouTube are now apps, and that although they're free, you have to download them and they'll only be installed when linked to a Microsoft account.

                    Bastards.

                    Is there any way to access them through a web browser?

                    Oh, I jumped ahead of myself. I got the password, the password worked, I deleted that user account from the computer, and I can now download various things.

                    But this also means I've discovered the ugly truth about Windows 10.

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                    • #11
                      It's even worse than I thought.

                      I deleted the Administrator account. This was a mistake. Now, there are certain things I can't install, because the program will open a window asking me if I want the program to make changes to my computer - and the only option I can click is "No". There is no "Yes" option.

                      I've tried and tried and TRIED to put back the Administrator account. I've tried using cmd. I've tried using secpol.msc. I've tried using netplwiz. And that other one, lusrmgr.msc. Nothing works. I keep getting blocked at every turn.

                      I don't know whether I should cry first, or scream, or both.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Eireann View Post

                        Is there any way to access them through a web browser?
                        You should be able to enter the address as you did before. I've been on Win10 for four years and I've never used any of those apps.
                        Sometimes life is altered.
                        Break from the ropes your hands are tied.
                        Uneasy with confrontation.
                        Won't turn out right. Can't turn out right

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                        • #13
                          It occurred to me last night that, at the computer I use at work, I've been able to access both sites. It must be a block inserted by the office that used to own the computer.

                          The only thing I can think of now (short of destroying this hard drive and using the old one) is to do a system restore. At this point, I don't think it can hurt.

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                          • #14
                            Yup, just enter the web address in a browser, same as before.
                            The apps are fancy, integrated little things that... you may be happier without.

                            And as for Win10... well, at least it's not 8 or Vista. (now where's my torch and pitchfork...)

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                            • #15
                              Quoth Buzzard View Post
                              And as for Win10... well, at least it's not 8 or Vista. (now where's my torch and pitchfork...)
                              or windows ME
                              This is a drama-free zone; violators will be slapped. -Irving Patrick Freleigh
                              my blog:http://steeledragon.wordpress.com/

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