Vista Goes RTM

[mogster]

If you haven't already noticed, the release-to-manufacture versions of Vista have been let loose all over torrent sites. These versions are pretty much final, despite there being two months until it's official release.

Infact, there's already four patches, one that makes your 30-day no-serial install extend until 2079 (or however high your BIOS date will go) and another that lets you use those RC1 serials that a lot of you got. These will probably be patched through update, or on the final release date...

I'm gonna be wiping and going to Vista myself soon, seeing as I've got a file-system error. Though I'm gonna wait until the Catalyst drivers are out of uber-nasty beta. I might also go to x64 if the Speedtouch drivers come out. Hopefully Vista will come with generic SATA support, or I'll have to find ICH7DH storage controller drivers for x64, which won't be easy.

My friend is on RC1, and he says the interface is a lot faster (w00). Not that I needed to, but I checked my PC with the upgrade advisor. If any of you are doing a direct-upgrade without a format, run this first. It tells you what programs and drivers will crap their pants on upgrade. However, you should do a clean install, I've never done it myself, but upgrading windows sounds a bit messy.

..Any comments?

This post is in no way supporting piracy, if you don't like it, PM me before you give me an infraction.

[Player-X]

I recommend against it for now, there are still no good drivers for Vista and most apps work far better in XP.

Microsoft has announced that they will have a "countermeasure" to disable computers with the pirated Vistas, you might want to wait and see what M$ is going to do first, the "countermeasure" would seem to be a massive security hole granting people the ability to disable other Vista computers.

[mogster]

Multi-boot?
If Vista ****s itself then I can use XP, maybe even to kick the working crap back into Vista ^_^
I suppose I could keep XP and install Vista as a secondary OS, but the problem is, I'm left with the file system error. I can, however, back up the files on D:\ (my documents drive) and just wipe that and copy everything back. But I think there's file system problems with C:\ too. XP works fine, it's just defrag never completes. My HDD is fine, everything is in very good order according to SpeedFan's HDD report, and there's no bad sectors. I think some indexes just got mashed cus the PC didn't shutdown a few times and Azureus crapped out on me a few times...

[FLaRe85]

Vista's been RTM since early November. We already have to buy XP licenses as "downgradable" Vista licenses.

[mogster]

...How exactly do I create a multi-boot?
I'm gonna install Ubuntu and Vista. (Ubuntu for when Vista craps out).
I'd prefer if it went straight into Vista, but only into ubuntu if I hold down F8 and select it...

[Player-X]

Install the OSes In this order: XP->Vista->Ubuntu on separate partitions and then set up the Ubuntu bootloader.

[mogster]

What about on the same partition?
Vista+Something else

[darth sephiroth]

then first install your windows version. then install your linux with the option "use free disk space"
if you want to install two windows' then you can install them to the same partition without problem.

[Hard core Rikki]

Originally Posted by mogster

What about on the same partition?
Vista+Something else

Super NOT recommended. It'd be possible to use 2 SAME OSes on a single partition, but Vista+XP on one is just asking for trouble.

[mogster]

k, I've got a free copy of Ubuntu coming through, I'll install that after I've installed Vista.

[Coolsvilleman]

Hey I've been wanting to do this for awhile now. But I find if program files is not on c: for winxp then some programs get confused, is it the same for vista? Obviously that means you install winxp on c: vista and linux distro on D: E: right or will vista get confused?

[Silenus]

Hey I want to do this too.
Can I make another partition on my harddrive without formatting.
I have xp but I want to install vista on it too, so I'll need another partition for that.
Which software should I use, partition manager???

[darth sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Coolsvilleman

Hey I've been wanting to do this for awhile now. But I find if program files is not on c: for winxp then some programs get confused, is it the same for vista? Obviously that means you install winxp on c: vista and linux distro on D: E: right or will vista get confused?

that sounds stupid. I for one don't see how windows can get anything confused unless you've moved program files after installing the confused programs/OS.
Lucky windows hasn't sunken as low as guessing the app-path instead of looking it up in the registry.

[mogster]

Hey I want to do this too.
Can I make another partition on my harddrive without formatting.

Partition Magic can do evil things, also, it doesn't work on XP.

I think you might be able to use your free space to make a new partition with the XP setup CD, but I might be wrong. Try this:
Partioning Hard Drives in Windows XP

Make sure you backup important stuff first before you do ANYTHING.

Also, there's not that much Vista software around yet.

[Silenus]

ok.
So when is Vista going to be released.

[Player-X]

Pirates Hack Vista's Registration Features

Hackers are distributing a file that they say lets users of the corporate version of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system get around the software's anti-piracy mechanisms.
Windows Vista must be "activated," or authorized by Microsoft, before it will work on a particular machine. To simplify the task of activating many copies of Vista, Microsoft offers corporate users special tools, among them Key Management Service (KMS), which allows a company to run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy.
The software Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates lets users spoof that KMS process, allowing them to activate copies of the enterprise editions of Vista, its creators say. The hacked download is available online on sites including The Pirate Bay and other file sharing sites.
MelindaGates Hack

Microsoft's official KMS offering is available to customers with 25 or more computers running Vista. The machines activate the software by connecting to the KMS server, and must reactivate every six months.
KMS is not the only option that enterprises have for volume activation of Vista: they can also call Microsoft by phone or connect over the Internet to activate the software.
The MelindaGates hack allows users to download a VMware image of a KMS server which activates Windows Vista Business/Enterprise edition, its creators claim.
Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment on the hack.
Aimed At Reduced Piracy

Vista is the first Windows operating system that requires volume users to activate each product. The new activation processes are aimed at reducing piracy.
While one security expert said he isn't surprised that KMS has been cracked, he said the MelindaGates hack offers some insight into piracy.
"This also shows how piracy is not just about kids swapping games," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of F-Secure. "The only parties that would need a KMS crack would be corporations with volume licensing."

Need I say more?

On a separate note:

For some reason I think a pirated copy of Vista will be more secure compared to an original copy as the anti piracy measures will have already been disabled and so not as vulnerable to hacks that exploit it.

[darth sephiroth]

yep. whatever the anti piracy measure is, it will ONLY lead to a lessened quality product.

[Hard core Rikki]

Originally Posted by darth sephiroth

yep. whatever the anti piracy measure is, it will ONLY lead to a lessened quality product.

Some leaked versions come bundled with premium quality spyware preinstalled, for free. Easy to do too.

[darth sephiroth]

Depends on what p2p you used to get it. Torrents are always clean unless you get it from a shady register-to-download dump.