Steps to easily save the Windows license when buying your new laptop:
Introduction
8 years ago I bought a clone laptop without Windows pre-installed to install GNU / Linux without paying any fees to Microsoft, although it continues to work, I already had to buy a new laptop. The problem is that now they practically do not sell clone laptops, they are all branded and with Windows pre-installed.
On some website I have seen that some people got the Windows tax refund, in a simple way with the Asus brand: http://rocknlinux.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/devolucion-de-la-licencia-windows.html
The savings are not trivial, they are 42 euros for Windows 8 that depending on the cost of the laptop can be a discount of 10%:
- Laptop Cost in Store: Windows Return Discount Percentage
- 400 euro laptop: 42/400 = 10,5%
- 500 euro laptop: 8,4%
- 600 euro laptop: 7%
The return must also serve for all those who bought a laptop that has been broken, they can reinstall Windows using their previous license as long as it is not OEM (specific to the computer with which it is purchased), and return to Microsoft the Windows license of the new computer, for which they would simply need to get an installation CD or USB of the same version of Windows they have (normally 64-bit Home Edition) in order to enter their license code.
Precaution
In any case, they should not turn on the new computer in order not to accept the license agreement that appears for the first time; as a button to cancel does not appear, it only remains to turn off the equipment:
Before proceeding to return the Windows license, it is better to boot a GNU / Linux system from a CD or USB in Live mode so that you can see if all the devices (hardware) work without incompatibilities: graphics card, sound, webcam ( webcam), USB or Wi-Fi printer, scanner, etc. Otherwise they can always return the computer to the store within 7 days from the date of the purchase invoice.
Process followed: Steps
As I mentioned, after searching the internet I saw that Asus was the one that put the least obstacles in the return of Windows, and that's how it was: after several emails and a three-week wait, I already have 42 euros in my account. Here I leave the messages, dates and documents that they asked me in the process:
Start by sending a message via the Asus website: https://vip.asus.com/VIP2/Services/QuestionForm?lang=en-us&_ga=1.125266755.850080518.1425564409#
My message on April 21, 2015 was (personal data changed):
Email address: abcd@abcd.es
City: My city
Country: Spain [Spain] [Product information] Product type: Notebook
Product model: F554LA
Product serial number: EXX000000XX1
Place of purchase: PCBox Córdoba
Date of purchase: 2015/04/21
Operating system: Win2008 64bit [Problem description] I want to return the Windows license because I am going to install GNU/Linux
Clearly impossible, his automatic response did not take long to arrive that same day (21/04/15 19:49 PM) with a link to see his response in the next 48 hours:
Thank you very much for your preference in ASUS products.
The incident number is the WXXX20150422000000000
We have received your email and we are analyzing it. We will try to answer you within a maximum period of 48 hours (working). Our services are available from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 18 p.m. If you do not receive a response within this period of time, please check the inbox in your ASUS account or check through the link below. Thank you for contacting ASUS Ibérica.
https://vip.asus.com/VIP2/Services/MailStatus/WXXX20150422000000000
(Please see their technical answer in the link above.)
ASUSTeK Customer Service Center
To enter this answer you must register on its website (21/04/15 19:53 PM):
Dear Friend,
Thank you for creating an ASUS user account. In order to verify the correct functioning of the email address provided (abcd@abcd.es), please follow the instructions below:
- Click here to complete the registration
- If the above link doesn't work, please copy and paste the following web address into your browser's address bar and complete the verification process.
https://account.asus.com/signup_final.aspx?lang=es-es&otp=x0000xxxxx0
The answer came to me by email the next day. Surely the whole license return process can be started directly by following these instructions:
Send :
2015-04-22 11:12:09
Dear customer, for the Windows license return, we need you to send us the email: acib_callcenter2@asus.com (indicate in the subject of the email the serial number of your equipment):
Invoice
Windows sticker photo
Photo of the serial number sticker located on the back of the equipment.
Photo of the serial number sticker located on the warranty card.
Thank you for your contact with ASUS Ibérica.
The documents were sent as seen in the scanned images: invoice, warranty with serial number, rear photos with serial number and Windows 8 sticker
A new email informs me the day after receipt of the documents and their communication to the corresponding department (23/04/15 09:34), I am waiting:
we have received the requested documentation correctly, we have passed communication to the corresponding department.
We will contact you as soon as possible unless we have any other communication about it.
Thank you for your contact with ASUS Ibérica.
In the following message from Asus (23/04/15 11:18 AM), they sent me two attachments to fill out and sign, one for the bank details where to receive the transfer for the return, and another for the return of the license to Microsoft ; They asked me again for the photos of the warranty with the serial number and the invoice.
Dear Customer,
The documentation regarding the return of the Microsoft OS / Office license is attached. Please read it carefully and complete the two forms with the information required in them.
Once completed and verified, you will have to send these signed documents by email, if you have the OS Recovery DVDs, attach them and send them to the address indicated below.
In the case of having the Windows 8 operating system, send the supplemented documentation, scanned and signed by computer via email.
Delivery address:
ASUS Ibérica SL - Att. ASUS TSD
C / Plomo, 5-7, 4th floor
08038 - Barcelona
Any questions you can contact the support line at 902 889 688 or acib_callcenter@asus.com o acib_callcenter2@asus.com
Important: -You will have to send all the documents printed and duly completed because if one is missing or there is some information that is not correct, said document will be returned.
-Remember also that the name of the invoice must be the same as the one used to complete the forms.
Sincerely,
ASUS Iberian TSD
The document for the bank transfer:
And the form for the license refund:
After three weeks I received the bank transfer with the money, without having to call by phone:
Legal information
Finally, tied selling is not prohibited per se, but it is prohibited to restrict competition.
1. Any agreement is prohibited, collective decision or recommendation, or concerted or consciously parallel practice that has as its object, produces or may produce the effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition in all or part of the national market and, in particular, those consisting of:
d) The application, in the commercial or service relationships, with unequal conditions for equivalent services that place some competitors at a disadvantage compared to others.
And in the second article:
Article 2. Abuse of dominant position.
1. Abusive exploitation by one or more companies of its dominant position is prohibited in all or part of the national market.
2. The abuse may consist of in particular, in:
c) The unjustified refusal to satisfy the demands to purchase products or to provide services.
Therefore, if Microsoft does not allow the license to be returned, it would be violating this law, and the computer brands that do not allow said return do not comply either. However, between refusing or not refusing, there may be practices to make the client desist, such as forcing you to send the computer to their headquarters in Madrid or Barcelona for them to erase the operating system, or forcing you to send them the documents by certified mail, which carries a high cost.
However, since it is a small amount, the trial has no cost for the consumer, and three copies of a written claim against Microsoft may be presented to the Court of First Instance.
Although having Asus, I recommend avoiding going to trial.
Interesting, but Dell for a long time has been selling laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed, and from HP to Toshiba they are selling laptops that come without an OS so you can install the GNU / Linux distro of your choice.
I don't know how it will be in Spain, but in Peru, the sale of laptops without Windows pre-installed is already a reality.
The computers that until now I had seen from Dell or other brands that let you choose without Windows, not only did not mean a saving by going without Windows but they were also more expensive. When it was commented on some blogs on the subject, there were a few who said that the brands paid part of the computer for advertising by bringing their pre-installed software: for example, the antivirus that comes pre-installed would pay for some of the equipment. Or at the same price, the computer with GNU / Linux was cut in hardware, so it was better to buy and pay for the computer with a Windows license even if you later formatted.
Good that it worked for you, although it still reads somewhat cumbersome. I wonder if something similar can be done in Chile ... although I don't have much hope.
At least here Asus still sells several models without OS or with Ubuntu.
Greetings.
If the model they sell you without an operating system has the same hardware as the one with Windows (they don't cut anything) and the price difference (cheaper the one without software) is approximately half that of buying an OEM license (when you buy a desktop computer and you ask for a Windows license that is sold pre-installed on the computer), then buy the Linux one.
In Spain, when they sell a laptop without an operating system or with GNU / Linux pre-installed, either there are few hardware options, or they are very expensive.
In my case. Before it was of that criterion (Linux only linux). Today I coexist with any operating system. In fact, I bought the Windows 8.1 license and installed the system on my desktop computer. I treasure that license because it allows me to use Windows legitimately. I enjoy Windows and have come to find it excellent for productivity. I do office work and Windows has excellent compatibility with all the hardware and peripherals I have and could buy. I use Linux today for my abundant web life, it's more secure, more reliable, and I really like it.
Secondly, I consider a very good deal to acquire a Windows license for only € 40. In my case, I bought my license for USD $ 92.00 and it increased to almost a hundred dollars with some added expenses. It may be that Windows pre-installed on laptops and desktops is cheaper. It's the only thing I can think of. However, I consider it highly useful for all Linux users to have a Windows license, in some cases it may be indispensable.
If you need MS Windows for certain applications of your work, and there are no quality alternatives, then good for you. But if the need is only due to the imposition of the Public Administrations, it is obvious that you have no choice but to pay for the license but you should make a complaint form to your Administration so that they comply with the standards because they restrict competition. And you, don't you protest against absurd impositions?
What I said in my previous message: I have stopped being an ultra-Linux, to be a completely pragmatic and FREE user. I have the Windows license, I use an iPhone as a mobile phone, and I surf the web on my Linux computers. Each of these platforms offers me some advantage as a user. Windows does not outperform Linux in security. In usability, stability, speed and quality (in my opinion) Android still does not exceed Apple. In terms of hardware / software compatibility when building a workstation with many peripherals and some specialized professional software, Linux cannot be compared to that, nor does it reach Windows in the field of Desktop-OS.
There is a stage in which one is convinced of free software. A stage in which one gets angry at these "impositions" of the market and the system. A stage in which one not only wants to use only free solutions or Open Source, but one strives to use only free software or Open Source. Then one calms down, and one lands. In my case, I was fortunate that the person with the most knowledge of Unix and Linux that I have met (Someone trained by Red Hat) is an individual who goes from a Linux PC to a Windows 7 laptop without any problem, and uses the two platforms without any prejudice, although with deep admiration for the Linux developers.
If you look at it carefully, and you are not an agent of any clandestine organization, exchanging computer use between various platforms allows you to access the best of each one, which, far from limiting you, broadens your possibilities as a user. It's what I've done. Using only Linux (without perceiving a solid economic or social benefit) limits you.
I'm just as pragmatic as you, and using Windows or Mac is no problem for me if I need to. But I want to leave a better world for future generations, that's why the only thing that differentiates me from you is that I put the complaint or suggestion sheets when something worse is artificially imposed on us. The Public Administration must be neutral, obviously if it is not, I use what they impose on me, but I protest. If instead of just me protesting, everyone protested, the world would change for the better for future generations. Protesting today, filling out forms online costs nothing more than 5 minutes of your time. They are not incompatible positions: pragmatism and fighting for a better world.
Surely you have not tried Android Lollipop on a Nexus 5 or 6. I have tested it on the new Galaxy 6 Edge, and if you look at the HW specifications compared to the Nexus 5, the system is not as fine as in the Nexus 5.
YES, it is easier not to have ethical judgment about things. It is easier not to think about homicide, war, slavery, environmental pollution or economic inequality. At the end of the day life is like that and nothing will change, I better keep my comfort, it's easier (sarcasm).
By the way, you are not adequately comparing freedom of choice with freedom of software, because they are under different conditions.
It's cheaper because of the windows home crapware. Let's be objective: Office, connect with RedHat? it does not have to manage computers, groups or network users, nor does it include domain capability. I wish in my country the equivalent of 40 euros could be returned. Some of us can access licenses for university or work. Even Microsoft gives away licenses through MSDNAA / Dreamspark if you have a project for their technology.
My brother recently bought a laptop and the label it brings says that it was certified for linpus linux cost him 1.200.000 Colombian pesos and I thought it was cheap because due to the characteristics it brings, it is worth more or less 1.600.000 because it is a core i5 fifth generation ram of 8 gb and disk of a tera obviously that he had him install windows 7 of all, here in Colombia there are stores that offer computers with linux or with windows like this for example
http://www.pcmadrigal.com/t_pcm/por_categoria.asp?cod_cate=84124&estado=inicio
Excellent that you share your experience, and hopefully this testimony serves to put an end to the erroneous ideas that it is not possible to demand that they not sell us by force something that we do not ask for, and that if you remove Windows your computer loses the guarantee.
Some extra tips that can save some steps is to contact the company before making the purchase and buy with companies that have direct representation in your city.
Congratulations to the author of the article.
Hello, you should know that it is not illegal to sell you products linked to others even if you do not ask for them, if you buy accepting you will have to put up with it. The problem here is that in parallel all the companies in the market link you to the same product and therefore you are not free to choose another. Although here in Spain there are specially regulated sectors where the linked sale of some products is prohibited: imposition of home insurance from the same bank where you request the mortgage, imposition of a specific funeral home in the city for your funeral insurance.
I think I did not explain well. When I say: "sell BY FORCE something we don't ask for" I mean that they sell it to you even if you don't accept it, if you accept it, it is no longer by force.
I understand you perfectly, I clarify it to avoid misunderstandings to future readers.
I want to congratulate you and also thank you for sharing this information, I had no idea that such a thing could be done. Knowing our rights is a way of being free, for those at the top, what is least convenient for them is informed people, this is what gives us back power.
I was amazed with the comments, it seems that not all of us understand this as a philosophy for a better quality of life no matter how much you have or who you are.
True, most of them are like that, they accept that they lead the way without question. I understand that by imposing the purchase of a license to be able to work with the Administration or in the market, then you have no choice; but defend that purchase instead of being outraged and protesting against totally artificial absurd impositions, nope. But there are many others that the vast majority accept and even defend: Imposition of the English language as an international language instead of using Esperanto (see report Grin - Professor of Language Economics - on the economic savings that Esperanto would bring only in the EU: 25000 billion euros per year). The human being is a gregarious animal with fixed habits.
If that could be done in El Salvador it would be good, but if you want to make the SO change in a little more formal way
IMPORTANT QUESTION: Does ASUS give you a warranty for your laptop by installing an operating system other than Microsoft Windows?
Very interesting, thanks for the article.
Let's see, nobody can take away your hardware warranty for changing your software as long as the software is not the one that affects the hardware. What happens is that you have to know enough to be able to verify that if something fails, it is really the fault of the hardware and not that your software does not work correctly: for example, if the webcam does not work, it is not the fault of the driver but really of the webcam. Another thing is that in Europe the manufacturer's warranty only really lasts 6 months (assuming that the fault is manufacturing), and beyond 6 months in principle it is assumed that it is the fault of the consumer unless they prove otherwise. So if you change the system and some of the hardware breaks before 6 months and you know that it is a hardware problem and not a software problem, you have the guarantee absolutely intact.
Very good article.
It is honestly interesting to see the process you have followed to return the Windows license.
In my case, my laptop came with Windows 7 pre-installed. But after a while I changed it to a GNU / Linux distribution. Well, to be honest, I prefer the distro I work with on a daily basis. To an operating system that I have not used for a long time.
Greetings:
Interesting article and very useful. I am also thinking of buying an ASUS laptop to put aside my desktop. Could you comment or write a series of articles about what you have, what you have installed and how it behaves? Thanks a lot.
It is not necessary, I have been using GNU / Linux for 15 years and for my work as a teacher I do not need much: intel graphics card to avoid having to deal with proprietary drivers from ATI or Nvidia, for class presentations I use LibreOffice Impress. I pass them to presentation PDF with the ExpandAnimations plugin to which I added a function to finish fixing an error (https://raw.github.com/gmolledaj/ExpandAnimations/master/dist/ExpandAnimations-0.5.oxt), now it is even better than PowePoint because the PDF format is the most universal and compatible between programs and versions. I have installed all three flavors of Ubuntu (Ubuntu and Kubuntu to teach them and Lubuntu because right now for me it is the best to work with). It has an Intel processor finished in a U (two cores, not valid for power of games or 3D images) but it is an i7, I did not like that the battery is integrated (not removable) it seems that being made of polymers it lasts longer even without removing it , we'll see. Nor that the transformer cable is so thin and the transformer connects directly to the plug (it does not have another cable from the plug to the transformer, which makes it difficult to connect if there are more cables plugged in.
I am also a teacher and in class I have Lubuntu 14.04 connected to a monitor all the time. I use aRandr to extend the monitor. For a couple of years, the presenter-console has not worked for me in Lubuntu (it does in other * buntus and also in other LXDEs like PCLinuxOS). It still didn't work for me a few months ago, because since then I haven't tried it again, and now I don't have the computer with me to test. Could you tell me if it works for you? What does work for me is the PDF-presenter-console, but not the LibreOffice-presenter-console.
I have not yet tried the dual or extended screen, in the classrooms there is already a computer with WinXP connected to the projector. That's why I was saying how good it is to convert the impress presentation to a PDF that looks like a full screen presentation. I'll see tomorrow that I have class if I can connect it to the projector and see how it goes. What you are telling me seems to be more of a specific incompatibility, perhaps with a certain kernel and that this is the one that your Ubuntu has, and maybe it is an error that only occurs with your model of graphics card, mine is intel HD 4400. I'll try tomorrow.
In Lubuntu, the dual screen works well for me on the second monitor, activating it with the Preferences - Monitor Settings menu program.
The problem is that they appear cloned, you see the same in both. If you see that either of the two does not look good you can change its resolution, but the desktop does not extend.
The solution to put the extended desktop is to install the arandr program, they explain it perfectly and I have checked it in:
http://www.comoinstalarlinux.com/como-configurar-2-pantallas-en-linux-mint-xfce15/
I also bought an ASUS laptop less than a month ago but since I have already spent the money, I don't care. Windows lasted less than two days on the computer but I backed up Windows to USB just in case. I don't like having two OSs on the same computer, I also tried them and the fans were listening more.
Hello Ruben.
To make a backup of windows on a USB, how many GB of memory does a USB need? I want to install linux on the main machine, I don't like having two systems installed at the same time on the laptop, and in case a case gives problems ... I need to make that backup.
Spending such a large expense in the purchase of a computer and returning the Windows license to save you 40 or 50 dollars, does not seem to me the most practical solution. Since I have made such a large expense, the best thing I could do is take on Windows and accept the imposition, albeit reluctantly. The worst of all comes later and it is nothing other than the difficulties that the Windows people impose on their machines (machines whose hardware has been tested solely and exclusively for Windows, to the detriment of GNU / Linux) for a normal user and You may find all sorts of obstacles and difficulties in installing whatever system you want on your computer.
I think the best thing, at least for me, is to buy a computer whose operating system, beforehand, has already been installed as GNU / Linux called Ubuntu or any other Linux.
It is not so much about being more or less money, it is about ensuring that consumer freedom is respected, because the one who has to decide that is me, and not impose a company on me. What you say about buying a laptop directly with GNU / Linux would be very good if that existed in Spain, if you could tell me a store in Córdoba (Spain) to buy more or less the one that I have bought, and from what brand to ensure parts spare in the future, I have it in mind for the next. I anticipate that it does not exist (at least here).
Well, you are not really right, but you must bear in mind that we live in a capitalist system, where what comes first is money and not the needs of the user. Right here, right now, I edit from a clone PC. I bought all the hardware separately, and once everything was mounted on a sheet metal box, I put the GNU / Linux that I wanted and there it is watching the time pass. I gave myself the pleasure, if the pleasure, I underline it, of giving the slip to Uncle Bill's license, for many reasons that it is not worth commenting now. In a more or less distant future I will do the same again.
Regarding laptops, there is not much offer with GNU / Linux systems installed, but there are some. It is a matter of searching the market.
You should not search the entire market, you have to search the local market, the stores in your city, I'll tell you why: during the warranty if it breaks due to factory failure, in the EU you have to take the computer to the seller and the seller has the obligation to take it to the manufacturer. If you buy the computer in another city or online, if you need to make use of the guarantee, the cost of the transport is done by you and it is expensive. That's why I buy things that are expensive in the store. All thought.
I was really unaware of this possibility, I would love to read some experience of a compatriot of mine (Argentina) with some other brand. A real pity not to have found out before, since a few months ago I bought an Asus notebook 😛 Excellent information 😉
Dell is one of the most important providers of Ubuntu-powered hardware, and the company has just released a new laptop called the Inspiron 15 3000 Series Laptop Ubuntu Edition.
Companies like Dell or IBM have helped to make Ubuntu much more popular because they sell a lot of hardware, and they are shipping that hardware with Ubuntu preinstalled. It might not seem like a big deal. After all, you can always install something else, but many customers don't switch to a different OS and Ubuntu remains installed.
It also helps the fact that Dell, despite its big name, still has some very affordable laptops and netbooks. Because they ship with Ubuntu and not Windows the price of the device is lower, making these versions a very good choice.
Inspiron 15 3000 is not a powerhouse
There is a very good reason Inspiron 15 3000 is a rather cheap laptop. The price starts at $ 250 (€ 224), but it goes up when you change the hardware configuration. If you just need something for office and Internet browsing, you won't be disappointed by the results.
The cheapest configuration features an Intel Celeron® Processor (Dual Core), 4GB of RAM, and 500GB HDD. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Intel Pentium Processor (Quad Core), 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, and two years of warranty (instead of one). This version costs $ 350 (€ 313). It's also worth mentioning that all versions come with a 15.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) Truelife LED-Backlit display.
«Get exactly what you want with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, the popular OS including Google Chrome browser, five years of free security and maintenance updates. The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Series Laptop is equipped with the latest processors from Intel, with responsive performance for all your tasks from surfing the web, writing a term paper, editing video or doing web chats, »reads the official website.
More details about the Inspiron 15 3000 series can be found on the website.
Good morning gmolleda:
The experience you have published is very good, more than 20 days ago I acquired an «asus» laptop with windows installed, according to the seller says that ... the manufacturers do not give the backup package of the «drivers» and neither a backup CD of windows, to top it all the windows "Produ Key" sticker is not attached to any physical part of the computer that can be seen, only the "windows type logo" is seen. What is the reason for this? According to the vendor ... it says that both the drivers and the windows backup already come inside the equipment, that is ... in a "backup" for the moment the equipment fails they can simply choose that "backup manager "and re-install the system without having to ask for the" SERIAL ", remaining as factory default.
What you have done… is very complicated here in (Spain), since it is more than 21 days that it acquired, and I doubt that the equipment can be returned. Disable the UEFI secure boot, I was able to try a Linux Mint Live ISO, and everything works great, but when testing the "wireless network connection service" does not detect all the hardware, so I still I refrain from installing linux on the main machine. The bad thing about windows is that they all restrict them to the use of their system (windows) without being able to make an adequate configuration, with telling you that neither an email or a link to a page (youtube) does not allow you to open with "firefox" and the abundant programs of publicity that comes standard installed in said "backup" of the machine, any advice that you can give me ?.
That they do not come with CD / DVD is better because that way it is easier to return the license, if the equipment came with those CD / DVD we would have to send them by certified mail and bear the costs.
In Windows 8 there is no sticker on the back, so if you don't make a backup and your hard drive breaks, you won't be able to reinstall it. Until now, if you downloaded the Windows XP / Vista / 7 Home Premium installation DVD from the internet, you could install it with your own license and activate it. However, there are programs that tell you the license of the Windows installed: produkey.
If you want to return the Windows license, it is important that you know that you should not have activated it, in fact you should not have accepted the license or entered Windows at any time, but I suppose that if you have not activated that nobody knows. If you have not activated it and want to return it, try writing to the email that I have given in the return steps, send the photos of your serial number, receipt or purchase invoice and warranty sheet and wait to see what they tell you.
Regarding to return the license or the complete equipment, the law in the EU only gives you the right to do it for 7 days, I don't know if 15 but I think not. Although it also depends on the store and as long as you return it without activating Windows and without having used it (if you have made a backup and return everything as factory).
Thanks for the reply gmolleda.
…. There are programs that tell you the license of the Windows installed: produkey?
What would be those programs that do not contain spyware tools to be able to know which is the «Produ Key» of windows 8.1? It is that with the windows 8 programs ... it does not show in windows 8.1 and only an error appears.
Si quieres devolver la licencia de Windows, es importante que sepas que no debes haberlo activado?.
When I released the equipment at home, the windows was already activated, as the large commercial chains put one or another new equipment for public display, as I said before, it is more than 21 days since I acquired the equipment and I doubt that it can be returned.
…… .if you have made a backup and return everything as factory?
Why should I make a backup copy?…. If the internal computer is said to have a standard "backup manager" as a system backup and everything returns as factory, I don't understand why they insist on making more backup copies as a backup.
My question is, are you using a Linux system and how did you do it to solve the wireless network management? If you have any other advice, can you give me, I don't know how to get a windows 8.1 CD to do a clean installation and remove how much publicity programs installed as standard in said backup, and that would do it… .if in case the computer with linux system is installed… it does not detect the basic hardware.
If they have spyware or not, you can't know if they don't give you the source code and compile it yourself (it must be free software for it) and you can also read it (you know how to program). The first thing is not to download from softonic or any such site, go directly to the developers: http://www.nirsoft.net/x64_download_package.html
I don't know if it works in windows 8, in 7 it does, but I don't have windows 8 anywhere, I have returned it without having used it.
I can't tell you about backup copies, each one will know what they have and what they already have in another place copied.
In linux I have not had any problem with my wifi, it takes it the first time. It is important before using linux that you try to boot with a pendrive in live mode to test if all your hardware works (at least the important ones such as sound, graphics and wifi).
On Windows 8 CD, ask Microsoft, they should attend you after charging you 42 euros, I don't have any Windows 8. On linux, the first thing is to start in live mode, without installing it, so you can know if all your hardware works before deleting windows. You can also shrink the Windows partition from Windows itself (ask Microsoft that I don't know) and install linux in a dual way. A tip is that the installation is carried out by someone you know who knows about partitions and others because you can erase all the information and lose windows completely.
Well, how lucky you are with that situation, I was asking with several providers in my country and the truth is, EVERYONE told me that there was no problem installing Linux since it is not a pirated system BUT they told me that for warranty reasons with the provider if I wanted To help me I had to go with the OPERATING SYSTEM ALREADY INSTALLED and it could not be another. As in my country they do not sell generic laptops and those of recognized brand well, they already know the case, I have no choice but to either have it dual boot or risk it and take everything away and lose the warranty in the process; I'll see what I do when the situation arises again
(sorry for the chaps, I wanted to emphasize the matter)
Suppliers do not help, comply with warranty laws. If your hardware is broken from the factory, no matter what software you have, they will have to fix the hardware. If my DVD player or RAM memory breaks under warranty, then I take out the hard disk and have the computer fixed, I say that the disk has personal data that I do not intend to share and I have the right to my privacy. Issue settled, they have no idea what system I have on my disk. Anyway, if you give them the disk, they will surely erase it, so you better not give it to them.
Hi Guillermo,
Just thank you that in your article you cite my blog as a source.
Greetings, thank you, and congratulations for having also won this 'battle'.
Thanks to you, I owe you a drink for giving the track of the company that returns the money without major problem.
Hi. I have requested the return of the license, just like you, but they tell me in the call center that I must activate winodws first and take a screenshot of My System to send it to them.
Can this be normal?
I have read your article and others on the same subject, and no one is asked to accept a license that they do NOT want.
Not to do.
Thank you.
regards
They told me exactly this.
Dear Customer,
We inform you that you have 30 days from the date of purchase to request the return of the license and that the operating system must be activated.
You will need to send us a photo of the key in System Properties and a photo of the serial number on the warranty certificate.
Thank you for your contact with ASUS Ibérica.
I have installed an SSD disk with Ubuntu and everything goes from mother.
But now to unmount the disk again, put the original one, activate windows, etc. It's a pain in the ass, because this laptop is one of those that you have to disassemble everything to access the disk.
Don't even think about activating it, as long as you accept it, you won't return it.
Do not call on the phone, many of those who are on the phone have no idea and they mess with you, and since there is nothing in writing then they wash their hands. And even if they are not washed, then there is no one who returns anything.
Write directly as I say in the article (the spelling mistakes due to lack of accents in number are from the Asus mail that I copy and paste as is):
You can surely start the whole license return process directly by following these instructions:
Dear customer, for the Windows license return, we need you to send us the email: acib_callcenter2@asus.com(indicate in the subject of the email the serial number of your equipment):
Invoice
Windows sticker photo
Photo of the serial number sticker located on the back of the equipment.
Photo of the serial number sticker located on the warranty card.
Thank you for your contact with ASUS Ibérica.
Greetings.
Just in case, send them the photos and emails in less than 7 days because that is the return period according to the law. The 30 days for returns already depends on each company, do not trust, do it in 7 days maximum just in case.
Greetings.
I activated it and in principle they only have to enter the money, I wrote emails and called and for windows 8 it is the only way since it does not have a sticker.
I have also returned Windows 8, I have not had to accept any license and I simply had to send the photos that I have commented on in the article, the warranty sheet and the back of the computer. Now you are more in their hands because you accepted the license, but if they already sent you instructions for the return by mail because you have proof and I would continue to wait for you, in summer the activity of all companies is slowed down, imagine that we are talking about money and It would not be strange if a specific person is the one who signs the transfer and if he goes on vacation, then the logical thing is that it takes you 1 extra month: in total 1 month and 3 weeks, and more because the work of that month accumulates and then he will have to give it out little by little at the same work schedule. Patience. Total, while you have your computer with linux and marching.
I am still waiting for the 42 euros from ASUS, they made me accept the license and it seems that they are not in a hurry, but at least they have told me that everything was correct
Hey.
In the end I did not accept the license. I put on edge and they sent me the two forms. I sent them the next day, and now…. waiting. I think it has been more than 3 weeks and they have not returned my money.
We'll see how this ends.
Saudos
You do not have to put an edge, because you are in their hands and that does not help anything. The best thing is to clearly explain what you want to do, and based on current regulations tell them that you are not obliged to accept Microsoft's conditions for buying a computer, that you do not want the MS Windows product and that is why you return it, and there you tell them that according to article 1 of the competition law it is illegal for them to make you buy a certain product without the possibility of returning it to put a different one. And since all this is done within 7 days of purchase, otherwise you return the complete laptop to the store.
Once you receive the email with the forms to fill out, you already have proof of acceptance of the return and simply continue with the procedures. It is normal that in summer everything is delayed a lot, that happens in all companies due to the vacations of a full month of their employees.
Hello partners.
In the end they paid me on Friday. What happens is that or I was looking at another account and I did not notice to look at the one I put in the form.
I have to say that I am very happy with ASUS in this regard by religiously complying with the EU standards.
That is if the laptop is not convincing me much ... the battery is integrated and lasts very little, about 3 hours. To remove the hard drive you have to disassemble everything, and this bothers me a lot. On my old Dell, just removing a screw took the hard drive straight out.
I have Ubuntu 15.04 installed and the truth is that everything is perfect.
There are no problems with the BIOS. Of course, I do not like the fact that the OS is embedded in the BIOS.
I got edge, because I told them that the information they gave me was contradictory. I also had 8.1, and they asked me to activate the license. I resolutely refused, I explained what I was going to use, Ubuntu, and I asked them to please send me the forms that they sent to other users to request a refund.
They did not explain to me that because it was w 8.1 I should activate it and not in others. In the end I refused, filled out the forms, sent them and they have returned it to me.
I hope that the user who has accepted the license will also get it back.
Today I will format the original disk and we will see if I will sell it or keep it for backups, because I only use SSD.
Auqneu in my case to remove the disc I have lost the warranty. I know. But I'd rather take the risk and have an SSD than use an HD. Since I tried these discs, I no longer use another one.
Greetings and thanks for the tips
Roberto ?, why do you use the SDD memory card…. Instead of the HDD ?, I do not understand any of that, excuse me ignorance, you say you have an Asus laptop, which you have removed the Hard Drive and in its replacement you are using the SDD.
What advantages and disadvantages does the SDD have compared to the HDD? How did you do the hardware connection or do you use some other external device that this was the pc?
How did they force you to accept the license? That cannot be, be careful because all companies hire people who have no idea to pay them the minimum wage or less. You should never have accepted the license, it would be more. In any case, the law allows you to return the product within 7 days of purchase.
In any case, think that it took me 3 weeks in May, now all companies have much fewer workers because they have to rotate them for the summer holidays, so it would be logical that it would take you twice as long if half of the workforce were to spend the summer. in July and the other half in August, or less if they rotate between June 15 and September 15 for 3 months.
I did not like at all how handcuffed Microsoft has to its users with the factory pre-installed system windows 8.1 OEM 64-bit in Asus, they restrict everything to the exclusive use of windows, and on top of it they fill with advertising, many pages hang because they do not have security certificate.
After a month and a half I called the manufacturer to reimburse me for the value of the windows license, and they said that they could do up to 30 days, after that period they could not do anything, tonce I said to give me a copy or the information of the ProduKey of the windows license (it does not come in any physical part of the computer) and they said that they did not know anything, that in any case said "key" is randomly installed in the UEFI / BIOS sharing information with the motherboard ... the disk hard and the same system. Also find out about the warranty, and they said the warranty only covers as they sent the installed software and any technical failure (but it has to be paid for), otherwise it did not cover anything if in case the hardware has been tampered with or anomalies like another system in the laptop. Who activated windows? This laptop was at the public display in a commercial store, as they told me there was no more left, tonce I said that they lost the equipment to know in what conditions it is, I suppose that at that moment they activated the windows »Because when I got home and turned on the computer, the windows were already activated.
After a few months of research, risking the warranty, I decided to try Linux Mint with UEFI secure boot enabled by default, doing a clean install of a single system and formatting the entire hard drive, it worked like a charm.
Hello,
I would like to comment that I just got a refund a few days ago (December 2015) for an ASUS laptop with windows 8.1, and they did ask me to activate it. That is, accept the license terms and then activate windows through the internet. The explanation they gave me is that this is necessary to be able to obtain a Windows "key", since now it is not necessary to send the sticker or any other physical indicator, since the product key resides in the BIOS of the computer.
After filling out the two forms that were sent to me by email, I got the 42 euros within days. A 10 for ASUS in this regard.
They did not ask me, but in that case, comment that this key can be obtained by booting from a GNU / Linux Live from a USB or CD with the following command from the terminal:
sudo cat / sys / firmware / acpi / tables / MSDM
You would get the key with this format where the YYYY… are the product key you are looking for:
Msdmum_asus_notebookasusaaaaaaaaaa -aaaaaaa
He did not remember where he got the order from but looking again for the source is http://www.sysadmit.com/2015/07/windows-uefi-bios-ver-clave-guardada.html and they give other commands to see it:
sudo cat / sys / firmware / acpi / tables / MSDM
sudo xxd / sys / firmware / acpi / tables / MSDM
sudo hd / sys / firmware / acpi / tables / MSDM
All have worked perfectly for me but the second two better because in the first one the first letter of the password was overlapped with a strange character.