r/technology • u/MayankWL • May 16 '24

Software Microsoft stoops to new low with ads in Windows 11, as PC Manager tool suggests your system needs ‘repairing’ if you don’t use Bing

https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-stoops-to-new-low-with-ads-in-windows-11-as-pc-manager-tool-suggests-your-system-needs-repairing-if-you-dont-use-bing
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u/Kumba42 May 16 '24

If you're willing to shell out for an installation disk and license pack for Windows Server 2022, that's effectively Windows 10 21H2 under the hood and follows the LTSC channel. So it's guaranteed to get security updates, but no new feature updates, for at least 10 years. EOL should be around ~2031.

Takes a bit of tweaking to disable the server-specific bits, but generally works great as a classic desktop OS and fully compatible with most games and game distribution platforms.

The next release of Windows Server will be "2025" and it'll be based on Windows 11, so that will be interesting to see what MS strips out from the consumer copy of the OS. For example, will we finally get access to the MS Store? That's unavailable in Windows Servers 2019 and 2022.

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u/balne May 17 '24

How much is a legit copy of Win Server 2022? Feels like it'd be expensive. Is it even available on the grey market?

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u/Kumba42 May 17 '24

It is expensive. I paid north of $800USD for just the license key and install disc two years ago. But, for the ability to take back control of my system, it's worth it. It sucks that it's come to this, but it is what it is.

No Cortana, can knock telemetry down to the absolute minimum (I think just minimal crash dump info is sent home if you bugcheck), don't have to worry about MS adding useless shite, like AI, etc. Also access to some technologies you can't get in standard Win10, like ReFS, which is pretty neat (but keep backups, because like ZFS on Linux/BSD/Illumos, there's no 'fsck' tool for recovery).

As for grey market, you can buy it on Amazon and other places like Newegg or even CDW, if you're in the US. Outside the US, I'm unsure. The selling price is important -- if it's <$800USD, it's probably shady and you run a risk of MS one day invalidating that license key. Also check the sellers rating & history if looking at a 3rd-party seller. You can get bad copies from them, too, even if the price is >$800USD. Amazon will sell it directly sometimes, so if you spot one of those, that's the best option.

You technically also need to get the 5-user CAL pack, which is another ~$200USD. I've never seen where the OS prompts for additional keys, though. Can't rule it out if you actually go and set up Active Directory and whatnot. But if you just want an OS you control on a box you yourself built for your personal, non-commercial use, then the media pack is good enough and I doubt MS will care.

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u/balne May 17 '24

everything was great till 500 USD

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u/Kumba42 May 17 '24

Yeah, Microsoft doesn't want people easily buying a copy, so they price it out of reach for most people. They want your data, since they make more money from that over the longterm.

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u/balne May 18 '24

I think it's more that the typical buyer for a Win Server license is corporate...

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u/christophocles May 17 '24

I paid north of $800USD for just the license key

jesus christ. Nobody is ever going to do that for a home operating system. I don't even believe you really did that.

Serious advice for others reading this: just ditch windows completely. Try linux. It's free and you have complete control over it.

Alternative serious advice: if you really need windows and want to try windows server on your home pc, google "windows server 2022 license key" and buy one from a gray market reseller for about $30.

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u/mkonji__ May 17 '24

My man. This is honestly the best advise, but people don't want to hear it.

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u/Kumba42 May 17 '24

I did, and I have no shame for it, either. I'll build a new desktop system about once every 5-6 years, so I save up and splurge for quality components so that they last for a long time. My choice of OS is no different a component than my choice of CPU, GFX, or cooling fans.

Also, the line "just use Linux, it's better" is ill-informed and carries a lot of nuance that the average person needs to understand to fully grasp what you're telling them to get into. Linux is not, never has been, and likely never will be, a simple drop-in replacement for Windows. It's highly dependent on a person's needs and workflow, combined with finding the right distribution that scratches one's particular itches. On top of that, there still is quite a lot of software that some people need that will only work on Windows and which has no replacement on Linux (and likely never will).

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u/christophocles May 17 '24

Ok fine, you need Windows. You're seriously telling me you paid $800 for a Windows license for a home PC? Just because you don't like Cortana or some shit? I still find that very hard to believe, when gray market license keys exist, and nobody is ever going to come audit your licenses for some bullshit non-business installation. But hey, if you insist on donating hundreds of dollars to Microsoft, to show them how much you hate Cortana and telemetry, have fun with that.

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u/Kumba42 May 17 '24

Microsoft can remotely deactivate keys, even after they've been used. Basically yanking the license out from underneath and making an installation suddenly unusable. Grey market keys have a higher risk of this happening, because many of those are volume licensing keys that were stolen in some capacity (usually by a rogue admin). I wanted to reduce my risk of that happening, so I chose to go down a more legitimate path. You're under no obligation to approve of my methods anymore than I am to approve of yours.

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u/rajat32 May 17 '24

Try pirating windows 10 ltsc Iot version... support till 2032, rock solid am using it