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Category: Dual Boot (Page 3 of 4)

Transfer Windows 8 licence to a new machine (Dual Boot Saga)

2015-08-18 / / 0 Comments
This is the third episode of the Dual Boot Saga. In the last two episodes we talked about installing Windows 8 and restoring the Grub menu so we can actually dual boot.
In this episode we will be covering the most important aspect of the whole saga, Transferring Windows license. 


What was the situation at the time?

I was informed that the key was installed on an another computer (Which is something I already know!) but the old HDD was “fried” and the laptop is thrown on some dusty shelve somewhere! How to let Microsoft know that? I was given an activation ID and was instructed to call my local Microsoft support number. No response.
I Googled half a dozen of local support numbers (Libyan) and none of them even replied. The last one said that the license cannot be transferred. And started giving me pricing and offers. I wasn’t going to give up just yet (Which is true if the license was OEM, mine was PRO which I got separately).

 

I wasn’t about to give up just yet!

I read on the Microsoft answers site that if you call the support center and provide the installation ID. (You will see it in the Activation settings when your Windows is not activated) They will give you an activation code you use to activate your Windows. I looked up the nearest support number and it was in Kuwait! And the minute prices were high! I couldn’t call them via any VoIP service  like Viber or Skype. And Windows was still not activated!

This is how the actual call went

I called a good friend of mine who worked in a call shop who said he can help me. I went to him and I was surprised he moved business. And took me to a shop across the street to a friend of his! The guy was so nice. He took the number and gave me a decent working phone (most of the phones were dirty and smashed) I called the number and it was an automated response. I navigated through the options until I reached the most important part. I entered the ID with shaking fingers on the phone. Then the machine dictated a number sequences. I entered that to the computer. And Windows was activated!! The guy won’t take a penny for a 10 minute call to Kuwait! God bless him!

 

This is what a callshop looks like

 

Finally!!

I drove home so happy! I had activated Windows and proven the local salesmen wrong (the customer is always right? Not in Libya that is!!)
I had a good idea about the call process because I read this tutorial before going there, it would save you some time and money to do so!

Now that I had my Windows running side by side with Linux. I had one more thing to do before ending this saga, and that is to update Windows 8.1
But this will have to wait for the next episode of our Dual Boot Saga!!
How are you liking these posts so far? Let me know in the comments below!

Restoring Linux boot (Dual Boot Saga)

2015-08-11 / / 0 Comments

After I installed Windows. I have lost Linux in the boot menu, in fact there wasn’t a boot menu at all!
As soon I boot the computer Windows would come up and take the boot from there?!

I wanted to have Windows, not for Windows to be all I have!!
I had to restore booting to Linux, not only I liked it so much, my data and programs were there (Windows can’t “see” the Linux partition).
At first I tried installing BCD Boot to create a boot menu, it failed on a daily biases for me!
I had to try a better solution, and what better solution that the Linux terminal? <3
I booted to Linux from a live disk (you can create one by following the steps in here).
After it boots go into the terminal and enter the following command:

 

sudo fdisk -l

This command will show you all the partitions on your HDD, you have to know which partition your Linux distro is installed on (Gparted can be a great help in that).

Use gparted to see where is Linux installed

and enter this command:

 

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt

then this command:

 

sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev

then this command

 

sudo chroot /mnt

then this command

 

 grub-install /dev/sda 

 

then this command

update-grub 

If the computer boots directly into Ubuntu (or whatever Linux distro you have)
go to the terminal and enter:

 

sudo update-grub

Finally reboot and you will have the grub menu with Both Linux and Windows!

If you have an issue mounting you should use this command

Sudo touch /cow

The purpose of these commands is to install Grub (The boot manager) so you can dual boot easily from the menu.
If you want to customize grub for example the names of the systems and the list order you need to download Grub Customizer. I think I’ll post about it sometime later 🙂

Windows 8 Installation and Activation (Dual Boot Saga)

2015-08-05 / / 0 Comments
I freshly installed Windows 8 Pro on an old friend’s laptop that soon collapsed. So I had to do something so I don’t lose the Pro license!
That laptop has been acting off for quite some time.

It was time to replace the 4+  year old laptop with a new one. (The old one came with Windows 7 so I got it a new HDD and installed Windows 7 on it.)  But what will happen with the original Windows 8 pro that was installed on it? I decided not to let that code go to waste! I had Linux running on my computer and I decided to dual boot (I don’t like having two laptops).

The step process was pretty straight forward and there was nothing to write home about.

Creating the partition table

I used Gparted to create a new partition on my computer (after I backed up all the data of course!).
This is the drive after I used Gparted to create a Partition to install Windows
You must use Gparted with care. This link doesn’t show the exact steps but it’s very close!
I used this tutorial to put a Windows 8 Pro ISO on a USB drive.  It’s faster to install from a USB. So I went for it.

Then I entered my install media USB chose the newly created partition and installed Windows, This is a link from Microsoft showing how to “clean install” Windows.

Now we come to the Activation part

Upon activation I couldn’t activate the key I had! It won’t activate!
It took the key but didn’t activate..

A quick Googlesearch and I was good to go!

Check the link for the steps.

I was glad at this point. I installed Windows and activated it. but at this point I had two major problems!

These major problems were:

  1. Installing Windows 8 ruined the boot settings! I can’t see Linux anymore!
  2. I needed to transfer the Windows from the old laptop to mine.

There were some minor things I solved right away!

  • There was a minor nuisance of Incorrect Clock Settings in Windows when dual booting. I fixed easily following this tutorial
  • I wanted to Enable .Net Framework 3.5 without downloading it. it was an easy fix and you can check it out from here.
  • Windows 8 has the Fast boot feature that makes the disk unaccessible from Linux if Windows 8 was shutdown unexpectedly. This is why you need to disable it. And this is how!

I’ll be getting to those major problems in the second and third part of our saga! Stay tuned!!

Make sure to leave your comments and suggestions in the comments section below.

I’ve decided to rewrite the (Dual Boot Saga)

2015-06-30 / / 0 Comments

 Going back I felt that the posts weren’t really coherent and didn’t have that much information to be a guide to anyone!!
So I decided to rewrite it with greater detail and a lot of references.
I will code name it dual boot saga instead!
And instead of three parts this saga is composed of four parts. I’ll be linking them here for easy reference.
I will publish it sometime later so Stay tuned!

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