Stupidity that goes with Windows and Proprietary Installations

 Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Stupidity that goes with Windows and Proprietary Installations

Stupidity that goes with Windows and Proprietary Installations
I will be brief.
Whether it is Microsoft or Linux Proprietary Installation, one is handicapped from day one.
It was true with SuSe installed as OEM on a netbook.
I got rid of SuSe Enterprise with the first opportunity I had.
I had to find a good alternative from my archived distributions and unfortunately I found only a few.

There is no excuse for me with Windows 7 starter pack.
I bought a  Microsoft Starter pack for Rs10,000/= in case my daughter´s netbook packs up (this was a netbook with OEM XP introduced sometime ago to counteract Linux popularity) but I never used it for that purpose.
So I had it on my laptop which I rarely use except to demonstrate Linux on workshops or to my friends.

 
My workhorse is old IBM desktop with various Linux installed.
 

I wanted to upgrade my laptop with new stuff and I did all that last night including downloading the packages I wanted which were missing with the iso.
Today I was busy preparing USB boot up hard disk with UnetBootIn and the USB creator pack of PCLinux and accidentally formatted the partition where windows was installed and another partition where Ubuntu/Super OS was installed.
This is something I do but never worry about it.
Since I can simply plug in a USB KEY with Live Linux or live CD to get the system running.
But, alas, not today.
I got my other Linux running and happily switched off the computer.
Since we are still on strike I attended to some gardening and came and switched on the computer.
It started up and got frozen  at the first page looking for Windows 7 and won´t  switch off the computer.
Won´t boot on with Live CD or the Live USB hard disk.
I was in a bit of a panic mode not knowing how to switch it off and thinking I have burned something by overcooking and overclocking the laptop.
Normally when I press hard on the on button for a few seconds it switches off but not today.
I removed all the USB sticks DVDs and waited for a while but it won´t switch off.
Well. I took the battery off as the last resort which was not a thing one should do in this type of situation.

 
Having  checked that nothing running, no kernel or init or hardware except the DVD ROM running, I did the unthinkable as the last rescue effort.
When I put the battery on, the above scenario repeated with no possibility of booting a Live Linux to repair the MBR I have willingly damaged.
I removed the battery again and had a complete survey of all the components and all of them were in good condition to my satisfaction and waited for one hour for the RAM to discharge and in the next time round put the windows DVD and switched on the computer on.
Presto!

 
It booted up and this is the trick Microsoft does to O.E.M if ever one boots a window´s starter.
 

This is the computer I bought while on a short holiday without an operating system and booted up while waiting in the airport lounge with Linux and used it till its battery went dead and I was coming home safely only a laptop as the hand luggage.
I tested it with a Puppy Linux pocket CD and a Live USB which I prepared while in transit, before buying it.
In my case I was prudent never to register with Microsoft, I could boot the DVD 100 times or more if there need be.
This is a dirty DOS Trick and with Windows 8 coming there will be much more dirty tricks up their sleeves and I won´t boot up Windows 8 even to have a  look.
O.E.M guys and girls BEWARE the DIRTY TRICKS!
 

Well yesterday, I did install my favorite but light weight Linux on a pocket and portable USB Hard Drive and copied the GRUB file to it and this will never happen again with Microsoft for sure.
One has to have a laptop that boots up with a USB Key.
There is a problem with the USB key.
Anybody can destroy the data with a USB key, unless you lock your laptop with a chain.
That is why I prefer a full blown operating system with root and user password.
Never leave a laptop unattended specially when abroad and on holidays.

 
Skinheads are there for your Money, Laptop, Master Cards and the Cellphones ( four digit passwords for your cards can be easily cracked).

 

 BEWARE.

 

This laptop which is heavy by any standard has Endless OS running with a 1GB hard disk.