Comment on My writing laptop just died
SidewaysSquid@lemmy.world 20 hours agoI know I’m summoning a horde, but even a new HDD needs an OS and I’m not a Linux person. Not sure I can find the license for Windows 10, because this old brick won’t take 11.
Are you able to physically replace the HDD (preferably with an SSD)? If so, you can use the (Win10) Media Creation Tool to create a USB installer.
When it prompts for a key, just skip it. If you have an OEM mass activation laptop (i.e. anything from a major brand), it’ll activate automatically after. If, for whatever reason it still doesn’t activate, you’ll have a nag screen telling you to activate. It won’t significantly limit what you do.
Horde here. If you get any Linux OS with KDE plasma as desktop it’ll feel pretty much the same as Windows, if you’re not a computer person you’ll likely not even notice the difference. Install the KDE version of EndeavorOS for example. Horde end
I’m not a Linux person.
[X] doubt
Linux - if all you need is to write in a word processor Linux can do that easy. If you want to custom everything it's harder
You can also just not activate it. There’s nothing stopping you from using the computer with the water mark. It’s not like XP which was super picky and would legit lock you out. Vista + just makes it kinda ugly but it works.
wander1236@sh.itjust.works 10 hours ago
It’s super easy to activate Windows for free, and Microsoft doesn’t care: massgrave.dev.
If you were logged in with your Microsoft account before, that should also restore your real previous activation.
datavoid@lemmy.ml 10 hours ago
You don’t even have to feel bad about it either! As Microsoft once said, Windows 10 is the last windows operating system. Sounds like you already owned that, so you’re good.
I’ve even contacted MS support before telling them I wasn’t going to buy windows 11 as I paid for 10 and they said that was the last version. They gave me a new key no questions asked.
wander1236@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
I thought 10 keys worked for 11 anyway. I’m pretty sure you can still use 7 keys if you try hard enough