new laptop, is it Windows 7 or Windows 8 xtreme?

[memory]

A family member just bought a new laptop and was told it has Windows 8 xtreme on it. He had me look at it just to check it out and do some other things and upon startup, it says Windows 7 Ultimate. But under system information, it said Windows 8 xtreme. I also installed the service pack for it and it was for Windows 7.

Which one does he have? It looks pretty similar to Windows 7. Some of the things are named different like the control panel is called xtreme panel.

[corkyg]

Something very phishy here. There's no such thing as Win 8 Xtreme. Go to SystemInfo and accept what it says. Sounds like the system has a 3rd party overlay. Take it back!

It is indeed a hacked version of Windows 7 - not by Microsoft.

https://www.google.com/search?source...ndows+8+Xtreme

[masteryoda34]

It's not legit. Where did they buy it?

[memory]

That's the thing, systeminfo says Windows 8 xtreme.

Doesn't Windows 8 look totally different than Windows 7?

[lxskllr]

Looking at corkyg's link, it looks like an addon pack for Win7 that includes tweaks, and modified themes. If this machine was supposed to be new, it isn't. Someone modified the proper Win7 O/S. If it's used, it's understandable, but I wouldn't run something like that from a computer I bought. I'd zero fill the HD, and do a clean genuine install. No telling what's in there.

[JackMDS]

LOL - Win 8 Extreme.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Windo...reme.&ie=UTF-8

[postmortemIA]

a laptop without genuine windows? unless it is some barebone model, it is harder to not have genuine license than to have it - something fishy there.

[memory]

If it is not a legit Windows, then how is it able to receive updates?

I will let him know about this next time I see him. He isn't going to be happy.

[corkyg]

I suspect that the Windows 7 is legit, but the Win 8 Extreme is a 3rd party overlay and should never be sold installed on a new machine. The Win 7 legitimacy can be proven by visiting Microsoft's website and running the Genuine Windows program.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/downl...alidation.aspx

[memory]

So what kind of problems could he run into if he continues to use it?

[Steltek]

It is more of a security issue. Even if the Windows license key is legitimate, since the OS has been modified you have no clue what kind of malware might be hidden in there. It is one thing to modify your own OS when you do it yourself and also know what you are doing, but something else entirely to allow an unknown 3rd party free rein to do that sort of thing. . . .

If he decides to keep the machine (I wouldn't, but that is just me), he would be wise at minimum to reimage to a standard Windows 7 install using a downloaded ISO from Digital River.

[JackMDS]

Originally Posted by memory

So what kind of problems could he run into if he continues to use it?

There are thousands of Addon themes to Windows.

Many of themes are harmless and work OK.

This is the most known main stream site for these thingies - http://www.askvg.com/category/windows-seven/

However some of the generally available addons might causes crashes at best, or and have malware embedded at worse

If the user does not care about the theme, or and is Not sophisticated enough the deal with it.

Extract the Win 7 Key from the installation.

Get a general Win 7 ISO, reinstall and use the key.

If the key does not work, than the whole thing is a pirated version of Win 7 and you have to buy a new legitimate copy of Win 7, or and deal with the seller.

[Steltek]

Originally Posted by JackMDS

If the key does not work, than the whole thing is a pirated version of Win 7 and you have to buy a new legitimate copy of Win 7, or and deal with the seller.

I'd be especially wary if the laptop didn't come with genuine Microsoft recovery media or a legitimate OEM keycode from the original manufacturer attached to the laptop (check the manufacturer support website for location where it should be). There are too many folks out there selling Windows product keys obtained from MSDNAA and Technet accounts which start off reading as genuine but later get blacklisted as Microsoft finds and deactivates them.

[VirtualLarry]

I feel strongly that it is likely to be an illegitimate copy of Windows. Most OEM factory laptops do not ship with Win7 Ultimate. Generally, they ship with Home Premium, and some business-oriented versions ship with Pro.

Having Ultimate on there, along with everything else you've told me, is a red flag.

[VirtualLarry]

Originally Posted by Steltek

or a legitimate OEM keycode from the original manufacturer attached to the laptop (check the manufacturer support website for location where it should be).

This. If there is a legit OEM product-key sticker on the laptop, then obtain media and re-install. If there isn't, then seek a refund for the laptop. Unless it was such a good deal, that is is still affordable to purchase and install a legit self-purchased OEM copy from Newegg. But if it was such a great deal, along with everything else, then I would worry about it being stolen.

[memory]

I believe he paid $125 and of course, it does not have any re installation disks, come to think about it, it does not even have a cd drive. I am not sure if what he has is considered a netbook but it is a smaller version of a laptop. It is pretty decent as far as speed goes.

I will let him know about all this when I see him again.

[The0ne]

Extreme is a pirated Windows version. There are many versions out there that are basically just tweaked with Nlite or RTLite. You do have to be careful though because they can add backdoors and such to the installation. To be safe, put a genuine OS on it and tweak it yourself.

[aaksheytalwar]

Windows 8 extreme was an fake ahem version for win 7 ultimate.

[tcsenter]

Even if its a legitimate license for Windows 7 Ultimate with some third party add-on pack, there is still the thing about falsely representing or claiming its some version of Windows 8 when its not.

[memory]

I think it is a genuine Windows because he is able to get Windows updates, of course I could be wrong. Is this one of those things that after 30 days, Windows will start telling you it is a non genuine Windows?

I told him he might want to have a talk with the guy that he bought it from. He really didn't say much about it. It was not sold as new as I originally thought.

He bought it from a guy at a flea market and the way he talks, he knows everything about computers.

[VirtualLarry]

Is it still a good deal, if the person who bought it, buys Win7 Pro OEM from Newegg for $120, and does a fresh install? Because that is what I would do, if I bought a dodgy laptop. (Which I wouldn't do in the first place, really.)

[memory]

Originally Posted by VirtualLarry

Is it still a good deal, if the person who bought it, buys Win7 Pro OEM from Newegg for $120, and does a fresh install? Because that is what I would do, if I bought a dodgy laptop. (Which I wouldn't do in the first place, really.)

The problem is the laptop does not have a dvd drive. So I guess he would have to download Windows. Can this be done legally and if so, where can it be downloaded? I searched Microsoft's site but could not find anything.

[Steltek]

Originally Posted by memory

The problem is the laptop does not have a dvd drive. So I guess he would have to download Windows. Can this be done legally and if so, where can it be downloaded? I searched Microsoft's site but could not find anything.

You can install from a bootable flash drive if you have one big enough to hold the installation files. The laptop may also have a factory restore partition - check the user manual (it is on the manufacturer website if you don't have it) for instructions on how to trigger a restore operation.

[tcsenter]

There are a lot of modded BIOS out there that add-in an SLIC code for OEM SLP activation, whether or not the laptop came with Windows 7 (or the installed edition). I suspect the laptop probably came with a lesser edition of Windows 7 (e.g. Home Premium) and the seller installed an MS-XRM cert file and product key for Ultimate Edition. If its using a non-modded OEM BIOS, its probably going to go unnoticed by Microsoft. But if its using a modded OEM BIOS, Microsoft could release a new patch at any time that might detect it and break its activation.

BTW, during the 30-day trial period of Windows Vista through Windows 8, there is no restriction on downloading or receiving Windows Updates, even if the OS isn't activated, no product key is even required during this time.

[jaydeee]

I've seen something like this before and I looks like another hacking thing. I would definitely uninstall it before it do some damage to you.