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

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strep3241

strep3241

Senior member
Oct 3, 2010
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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.
 
strep3241

strep3241

Senior member
Oct 3, 2010
953
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That's the thing, systeminfo says Windows 8 xtreme.

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

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,212
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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.
 
postmortemIA

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
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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.
 
strep3241

strep3241

Senior member
Oct 3, 2010
953
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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.
 
Steltek

Steltek

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
3,309
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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.
 
Last edited:
JackMDS

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
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memory said:
So what kind of problems could he run into if he continues to use it?
Click to expand...

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.



:cool:
 
Last edited:
Steltek

Steltek

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
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JackMDS said:
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.


:cool:
Click to expand...

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

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
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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

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
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Steltek said:
or a legitimate OEM keycode from the original manufacturer attached to the laptop (check the manufacturer support website for location where it should be).
Click to expand...
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.
 
strep3241

strep3241

Senior member
Oct 3, 2010
953
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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.
 
T

The0ne

Senior member
Jan 3, 2006
454
0
0
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.
 
T

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,866
517
126
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.
 
strep3241

strep3241

Senior member
Oct 3, 2010
953
3
91
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

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,570
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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.)
 
strep3241

strep3241

Senior member
Oct 3, 2010
953
3
91
VirtualLarry said:
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.)
Click to expand...

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

Steltek

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
3,309
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136
memory said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
T

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,866
517
126
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.
 
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