On 2/2/24 20:30, Paul wrote:

> You did see my sample picture, of me installing Win10 from my
> modified ISO. I didn't need a key. Just "skip" that section and "carry on".
> Windows 8 ISO would have stopped you. W10 and W11 won't stop you.
> I did that install in a VBOX VM.

I haven't gotten around to making a USB installer with a tool yet but I
have managed to install the w10.iso 'as downloaded' in vBox. My problem
here was a curve about clicking a default option for what looks like an
upgrade instead of a clean install, the former just kept cycling to the
previous dialogue without a key. It did have to get an email address and
an account with a password which is NOT required on the laptop. I got a
test set up and the gx-100 bundleware works on it, just like the Me-80
bundleware worked with w7 in vBox. This changes the game again, I might
just repartition the laptop for linux only with w10 in vBox. All this
intrigue with 4 partitions and UEFI will do just fine without me.

On 2/3/2024 7:32 PM, bad sector wrote:
> On 2/2/24 20:30, Paul wrote:
>
>>     You did see my sample picture, of me installing Win10 from my
>>     modified ISO. I didn't need a key. Just "skip" that section and "carry on".
>>     Windows 8 ISO would have stopped you. W10 and W11 won't stop you.
>>     I did that install in a VBOX VM.
>
>
> I haven't gotten around to making a USB installer with a tool yet but I have managed to install the w10.iso 'as downloaded' in vBox. My problem here was a curve about clicking a default option for what looks like an upgrade instead of a clean install, the former just kept cycling to the previous dialogue without a key. It did have to get an email address and an account with a password which is NOT required on the laptop. I got a test set up and the gx-100 bundleware works on it, just like the Me-80 bundleware worked with w7 in vBox. This changes the game again, I might just repartition the laptop for linux only with w10 in vBox. All this intrigue with 4 partitions and UEFI will do just fine without me.
>

There are ways to avoid the MSA thing.

Out of all the installs I've done, I only had one case, where
no matter what I did, the install was not going to advance
unless a valid email address was entered. Most of the time,
a series of tricks works. Pulling network cable, using
a@a.a as the email address, and so on. Or using 1234567890
as a password. It hates that.

Whether a VM works for you or not, could depend on how "smoothly"
it computes. Virtualbox has had a lot of trouble with that.
It used to work better at one time.

Paul

On 2/4/24 00:08, Paul wrote:
> On 2/3/2024 7:32 PM, bad sector wrote:
>> On 2/2/24 20:30, Paul wrote:
>>
>>>     You did see my sample picture, of me installing Win10 from my
>>>     modified ISO. I didn't need a key. Just "skip" that section and "carry on".
>>>     Windows 8 ISO would have stopped you. W10 and W11 won't stop you.
>>>     I did that install in a VBOX VM.
>>
>>
>> I haven't gotten around to making a USB installer with a tool yet but I have managed to install the w10.iso 'as downloaded' in vBox. My problem here was a curve about clicking a default option for what looks like an upgrade instead of a clean install, the former just kept cycling to the previous dialogue without a key. It did have to get an email address and an account with a password which is NOT required on the laptop. I got a test set up and the gx-100 bundleware works on it, just like the Me-80 bundleware worked with w7 in vBox. This changes the game again, I might just repartition the laptop for linux only with w10 in vBox. All this intrigue with 4 partitions and UEFI will do just fine without me.
>>
>
> There are ways to avoid the MSA thing.
>
> Out of all the installs I've done, I only had one case, where
> no matter what I did, the install was not going to advance
> unless a valid email address was entered. Most of the time,
> a series of tricks works. Pulling network cable, using
> a@a.a as the email address, and so on. Or using 1234567890
> as a password. It hates that.
>
> Whether a VM works for you or not, could depend on how "smoothly"
> it computes. Virtualbox has had a lot of trouble with that.
> It used to work better at one time.

I tried a dummy address but it wants to send you a one-shot verification
code to continue with. Not too exited since I can just delete it all and
make another one but it seems like a new angle, is MS trying to surf on
Google's coat-tails, getting into free windows against ads?

On 2/4/2024 7:24 AM, bad sector wrote:
> On 2/4/24 00:08, Paul wrote:
>> On 2/3/2024 7:32 PM, bad sector wrote:
>>> On 2/2/24 20:30, Paul wrote:
>>>
>>>>      You did see my sample picture, of me installing Win10 from my
>>>>      modified ISO. I didn't need a key. Just "skip" that section and "carry on".
>>>>      Windows 8 ISO would have stopped you. W10 and W11 won't stop you.
>>>>      I did that install in a VBOX VM.
>>>
>>>
>>> I haven't gotten around to making a USB installer with a tool yet but I have managed to install the w10.iso 'as downloaded' in vBox. My problem here was a curve about clicking a default option for what looks like an upgrade instead of a clean install, the former just kept cycling to the previous dialogue without a key. It did have to get an email address and an account with a password which is NOT required on the laptop. I got a test set up and the gx-100 bundleware works on it, just like the Me-80 bundleware worked with w7 in vBox. This changes the game again, I might just repartition the laptop for linux only with w10 in vBox. All this intrigue with 4 partitions and UEFI will do just fine without me.
>>>
>>
>> There are ways to avoid the MSA thing.
>>
>> Out of all the installs I've done, I only had one case, where
>> no matter what I did, the install was not going to advance
>> unless a valid email address was entered. Most of the time,
>> a series of tricks works. Pulling network cable, using
>> a@a.a as the email address, and so on. Or using 1234567890
>> as a password. It hates that.
>>
>> Whether a VM works for you or not, could depend on how "smoothly"
>> it computes. Virtualbox has had a lot of trouble with that.
>> It used to work better at one time.
>
> I tried a dummy address but it wants to send you a one-shot verification code to continue with. Not too exited since I can just delete it all and make another one but it seems like a new angle, is MS trying to surf on Google's coat-tails, getting into free windows against ads?

There are successively more intrusive ways of stopping that.
I don't have the detail to hand. Basically there is a
way of stopping the dialog, and bringing up some sort of
command line to tell it to get stuffed :-)

It's hard for me to memorize these, or even remember keywords. However,
I do place priority on answers based on "web page domain name" and this
one has it.

https://4sysops.com/archives/install-windows-10-11-22h2-without-microsoft-account/

When you see the Let's connect you to a network screen with the grayed-out
Next button, press Shift + F10. This launches a command prompt.
Now run the following command at the command prompt:

oobe\BypassNRO

Alternatively, you can run the following commands instead:

reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

shutdown /r /t 0

The Command Prompt in that example, would run as Administrator, and
it would not be able to edit TrustedInstaller-protected registry entries.
So some things are a little hard to do at that level.

What the alternative is doing, is pre-loading the virgin Registry
with a setting to bypass some portion of that step. Restarting the
OS at that point, starts the OOBE sequence again (Out Of Box Experience),
which is where you define account details and switch off a lot of stuff.

There is also some task sequence thing you can do. But that's all I remember,
and it's going to be another long search session to find it.

Paul

On 2/1/24 00:38, Paul wrote:

> This could have shown the key, except Windows Defender is set up
> to quarantine this download as "Hackerware". Something like MagicJellyBean
> could be used instead. The license key is 25 characters, but when
> stored in the Registry, it's a shorter sequence, and Produkey does
> the "decompression" (known pseudocode released in the WinXP USENET
> group eons ago).
>
> https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

got this one too, works as advertised, my T480 seems to have a real 25
character 'key' ...ending with RC2KC :-)

On 2/3/24 01:58, Paul wrote:

> Rufus can make a bootable USB stick for you.

Got this done too, boots fine on the T480, but not on the BIOS-Legacy
desktop.

On 2/4/2024 8:38 PM, bad sector wrote:
> On 2/3/24 01:58, Paul wrote:
>
>> Rufus can make a bootable USB stick for you.
>
> Got this done too, boots fine on the T480, but not on the BIOS-Legacy desktop.

Rufus is not dual boot.

It uses a SysLinux method, and it support either BIOS or UEFI mode,
but as far as I know, not both. See if there is a selector for the mode.

Whereas media made with MediaCreationTool22H2 likely supports both.
That's how my DVD drive has two entries in Popup Boot menu,
for the Win10 DVD.

Paul

On 2/4/2024 8:37 PM, bad sector wrote:
> On 2/1/24 00:38, Paul wrote:
>
>> This could have shown the key, except Windows Defender is set up
>> to quarantine this download as "Hackerware". Something like MagicJellyBean
>> could be used instead. The license key is 25 characters, but when
>> stored in the Registry, it's a shorter sequence, and Produkey does
>> the "decompression" (known pseudocode released in the WinXP USENET
>> group eons ago).
>>
>> https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
>
> got this one too, works as advertised, my T480 seems to have a real 25 character 'key' ...ending with RC2KC :-)

That could be the key that came with the Refurb Kit used
to prepare your T480.

My refurb key, I had to dig it out of the registry like you,
because they didn't even write it down on a piece of paper
or cardboard. I got a Hologram DVD with mine, but the refurb
kits don't have COA stickers. So you have to dig the damn
key out (since it is Windows 7 in that example, and you
do need the key in case a Clean Install is required).

You probably haven't dumped ACPI MSDM yet, but the key in that
should be different as well.

The key can at most, activate one OS at a time. You should be
using that on the laptop if possible. If you make Windows 10 copies
in virtual machines, skip the key during install, and don't activate
it, and the OS will continue to run. What will happen, is the Personalize
menu won't work, if the OS is not licensed and activated. Not a big
deal really. If you need to set the Win10 background image to a flat
color, make a graphics file with a single color in it, right-click
in Explorer and there is a menu option to "use image as background".

And the OS knows it is virtualized, it's not a mystery. It tests
for stuff at boot time, and it shuts off subsystem were the
hardware support is wrong. If the OS is virtualized, I don't
think it can use the Sandbox for executables.

One USENETter made the mistake of burning a license on a VM.
There was a technical issue with the VM, and the key would
no longer work. When he contacted technical support, they would
not help him. This is why you don't ever enter a key in a VM :-)
They'll just give you the middle finger if there is trouble.
Presumably there is a more robust method in Enterprise.
But I don't know what that is.

Paul

On 2/4/24 22:24, Paul wrote:
> On 2/4/2024 8:38 PM, bad sector wrote:
>> On 2/3/24 01:58, Paul wrote:
>>
>>> Rufus can make a bootable USB stick for you.
>>
>> Got this done too, boots fine on the T480, but not on the BIOS-Legacy desktop.
>
> Rufus is not dual boot.
>
> It uses a SysLinux method, and it support either BIOS or UEFI mode,
> but as far as I know, not both. See if there is a selector for the mode.
>
> Whereas media made with MediaCreationTool22H2 likely supports both.
> That's how my DVD drive has two entries in Popup Boot menu,
> for the Win10 DVD.
>
> Paul

I think it gave me only the EFI option, I thought it might be because
w10 installs only on EFI machines so I didn't give it another thought as
I was intending to test on the laptop anyway.

Remain your 20gb backup suggestions to work my way through, in a few
days :-)