Windows 10 on a new computer

[Dave Hounddriver]

Edit:  This may may all be a non-issue now as the store manager called me within 2 hours of making this thread, and that's only about 10 days from the original complaint.  Interesting.  Power of communication!

I am not a fan of Windows 10 but it comes with a new laptop in most cases.

So I bought a laptop at Visions in Canada to bring back to Philippines with me.  I am happy with it, for the most part, but when I try to "Activate" Windows 10 I find out the key is invalid.

A long chat with Microsoft Support leads to them telling me I must contact the vendor for a valid key.  Visions is not commenting.  Not their customer support and not the store manager. Their "Facebook" chatter directs me to either of those two opportunities for remedy.

My question is, to anyone else who has bought a laptop lately; Does a new laptop that advertises Windows 10 come with ability to activate?  I searched online and found out that Windows 10 works well without activating it, at this time, so I wonder if Visions lack of attention to this detail is common practice?

My next question is:  Would it be fraud to sell an unlicensed Windows 10 app with the laptop?  Or is this just including a "trial copy" as is done with so much other crappy software. I ask because I am reviewing my options here.  If I have to buy an official copy of Windows I will apply to MasterCard to reverse the transaction until I get reimbursed for that expense.  But I hesitate to do that until I am sure that other laptops come with a legit copy.

Comments?  Other remedies or suggestions?  Remember that this transaction takes place in Canada, not Philippines, but I want to bring the computer with me so I better sort this out quick.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver

[OnMyWay]

Visions is not commenting?  How is that possible?  What brand is the laptop and does it have windows 10 stickers on the top and/or bottom?  Was it advertised as including windows 10?

[Dave Hounddriver]

17 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Visions is not commenting?  How is that possible?  What brand is the laptop and does it have windows 10 stickers on the top and/or bottom?  Was it advertised as including windows 10?

It was advertised as including Windows 10 but I can no longer find the sale ad.  It has been a week with no further comments from Visions.  It is an Acer laptop with no stickers.  It was a display model (last one in stock at sale price) that the salespeople reformatted for me. There are no stickers on it for Windows.  The Microsoft support helped me find the key embedded in the machine and they did not tell me it was pirated, just that I had to contact Visions who are not helping.  I just can't figure out if its normal for Visions to sell a Windows app that is only good as a demo.

 

Edit:  I sent a link to thread, via email, to Visions customer service.  Perhaps they will join and respond so we can hear their point of view from the horse's mouth, so to speak, and not just my perception of it.  One can hope.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver

[OnMyWay]

 Why would it need to be reformatted?  I'm not understanding why they would not rectify the problem unless they are hiding something.

I am fairly certain Acer only sells units with full operating systems.

[Dave Hounddriver]

Within an hour of posting this thread on this forum, and telling Visions customer service about it, I got a phone call from the branch manager of the store I bought the laptop at.

He apologized for not getting an email reply to me and promised to get the problem resolved very soon.  I am not sure if the timing is coincidence but I am happy to see some action.

This is a level of service that seldom happens in Philippines so I am glad I bought the unit here in Canada.

[AlwaysRt]

Not sure how strong you are willing to push, after almost two weeks of something that should take two minutes I would be tempted to take it back to the store and tell the manager I am not leaving without an official key. If that means they lost it so they have to give you a new copy of Windows off the wall then so be it (no cost to you). I would tell them if they don't want to fix it now I am calling the police to report fraud and theft (they took your money) so you can explain to the police, there in the sore in front of other customers, how the store took your money and didn't provide a working laptop. It would be easier and cheaper for the manager to comply than have customers posting videos of the incident on Youtube.

[robert k]

If I understand correctly, w-10 doesn't use a key per se, Microsoft records the electronic "noise" from your motherboard to identify your computer. If your computer had been online for more than the allowed registration period without registering, it might not appear to be a "new" machine? If so, I don't know how they are going to get around that.

They may have wiped the electronic registration "certificate" if they reformatted without having activated first.

I'd say take it back and have it registered or get your money back before leaving the store...unless you bought it "as is", in which case it's caveat emptor, sad to say. 

 

[Mr. Bobo]

7 hours ago, robert k said:

If I understand correctly, w-10 doesn't use a key per se, Microsoft records the electronic "noise" from your motherboard to identify your computer

Windows 10 does have a product key. It is stored in the BIOS by the PC vendor. I have a Windows 10 laptop that I bought here in the Philippines. It came with a licensed copy of Windows 10 already activated so there shouldn't be a need to "activate" a Windows 10 laptop after buying it.  It is unlikely that the original PC manufacturer delivered a PC with a pirated copy on Windows 10 as that would be outright fraud. This almost sounds like someone has installed a pirated copy of Windows 10 after the PC was delivered to the vendor which is really strange. I have a utility that will actually go into the BIOS and extract the Windows 10 product key. I can email the OP the tool to extract the Windows 10 product key if it will help. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

7 hours ago, Mr. Bobo said:

 I have a utility that will actually go into the BIOS and extract the Windows 10 product key

Thanks but I suspect it will produce the same result as ProduKey which I have used to extract the key and Microsoft has told me the key is invalid.  I am currently waiting for the store manager to work it out with Microsoft and so long as he does not procrastinate too long I have hopes for a great result.  I'll keep people informed as this progresses

[Dave Hounddriver]

Just an update to this thread.  I keep getting phone calls and emails from the Visions store manager to tell me they are still working on getting me a working "product key" but no solution yet.  In the meantime, Windows 10 works without activating it.  C'est la vie.