Botherations, You’ll need a Microsoft account to set up future versions of Windows 11 Pro

[Bombastinator]

18 hours ago, Bitter said:

Maybe this was covered in the past 8 pages, but there has to be a work around for this for large corporations using 11 pro on machines deployed across offices using imaged installs, they're not going to have every employee signed into their own account and they're not going to have every employee signed into a corporate MS account? There has to be a way to do local accounts or your own like domain inside a company for accounts.

The work around as I understand it is enterprise.  The one that costs thousands of dollars and that you can’t buy but has to be offered to you.  Everyone else is meat except a few corporations that are big enough to dictate terms.  I was told ability to avoid that was in the new update and hadn’t been there previously.  I take it it is as I feared and it is not true though.

[Guest]

16 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

The work around as I understand it is enterprise.  The one that costs thousands of dollars and that you can’t buy but has to be offered to you.  Everyone else is meat except a few corporations that are big enough to dictate terms.  I was told ability to avoid that was in the new update and hadn’t been there previously.  I take it it is as I feared and it is not true though.

Not quite true - Win10 Enterprise is available to any business that subscribes to Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or Windows 10 Enterprise E3/E5 as well as via Volume Licensing. For those via VL, they'll generally have a customised Win10 Ent image that they deploy to hardware. However, for those with cloud based subscriptions, this is normally done as an upgrade to the OS. E.g. user signs into a Win10 Pro device with their 365 credentials and a policy is applied to upgrade the OS.

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, Windspeed36 said:

Not quite true - Win10 Enterprise is available to any business that subscribes to Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or Windows 10 Enterprise E3/E5 as well as via Volume Licensing. For those via VL, they'll generally have a customised Win10 Ent image that they deploy to hardware. However, for those with cloud based subscriptions, this is normally done as an upgrade to the OS. E.g. user signs into a Win10 Pro device with their 365 credentials and a policy is applied to upgrade the OS.

I.e “you can’t have it, you’re not rich enough. it’s for large deployments where we have a previous relationship.  We only treat the people big enough to be able to leave with any respect.  You are a mere peon whom we will do with as we please..  we COULD do it.  We have the technology.   We just don’t.”  It makes a pretty strong argument for “screw windows” Ferrari does this too.  

[leadeater]

54 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I.e “you can’t have it, you’re not rich enough. it’s for large deployments where we have a previous relationship.  We only treat the people big enough to be able to leave with any respect.  You are a mere peon whom we will do with as we please..  we COULD do it.  We have the technology.   We just don’t.”  It makes a pretty strong argument for “screw windows” Ferrari does this too.  

Basically anyone can sign up for and pay for a Volume License Agreement. Only have 5 computers or users, no problem.

 

https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/F/5/1F5357DD-F7C8-4CC8-8C5F-7F6B1569ECF0/Transactional_Licensing_Comparison_Chart.pdf

[Bitter]

12 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Basically anyone can sign up for and pay for a Volume License Agreement. Only have 5 computers or users, no problem.

 

https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/F/5/1F5357DD-F7C8-4CC8-8C5F-7F6B1569ECF0/Transactional_Licensing_Comparison_Chart.pdf

Ok, lets all make a pact to make a LTT forum volume license pool

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, leadeater said:

Basically anyone can sign up for and pay for a Volume License Agreement. Only have 5 computers or users, no problem.

 

https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/F/5/1F5357DD-F7C8-4CC8-8C5F-7F6B1569ECF0/Transactional_Licensing_Comparison_Chart.pdf

So what does real windows cost then? Since home and pro apparently aren’t anymore?  I notice it’s not even offered most places.  The only choices are home and pro.  Is it more than the upkeep cost (assuming you pay someone) for running win7 inside a VM? if so it starts to explain why there are so many win7 instances still around.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Bombastinator

[RejZoR]

On 4/2/2022 at 1:18 PM, Bombastinator said:

I was told today that Microsoft was removing that feature and allowing local install again, making 11 no longer more sucky than 7 I have no confirmation though

How reliable is this info? The accounts requirement is so stupid, especially since I block all Microsoft connectons on network level it makes it even bigger chore when it requires it, but then fails if you try doing it.

[Bombastinator]

8 hours ago, RejZoR said:

How reliable is this info? The accounts requirement is so stupid, especially since I block all Microsoft connectons on network level it makes it even bigger chore when it requires it, but then fails if you try doing it.

I don’t know.  A rumor of a rumor perhaps.  It was a build change I understand if it even happened, so if it did happen it is something that can go away again without warning.

[Delicieuxz]

On 4/3/2022 at 9:43 PM, Bombastinator said:

So what does real windows cost then? Since home and pro apparently aren’t anymore?  I notice it’s not even offered most places.  The only choices are home and pro.  Is it more than the upkeep cost (assuming you pay someone) for running win7 inside a VM? if so it starts to explain why there are so many win7 instances still around.

To fulfill a volume license's 5-license requirement, you can buy one software license and fill the remaining 4 licenses with made-up SKUs on the cheap.

 

How to buy a Microsoft volume license on the cheap

 

https://www.lemingtonit.com/Services/FAQMVLS.aspx

Quote

Is there a mininum number of licenses that must be purchased under a Volume License Agreement?

Yes. The minimum number of licenses required for a Volume License Agreement is five (5). However, the five licenses can be made up of any combination of products. Quantities of less than five can also be purchased economically by making up the additional license using an inexpensive "make up" product SKU.

Once the initial Volume License Agreement is in place, additional licenses can be added to the Agreement in quantities of less than five. For example, if a company purchases five Office 2010 Professional Plus licenses under a new agreement, three months later the same company can purchase one additional Office 2010 Professional Plus license under the same agreement. The minimum license number therefore only applies to the initial Volume License agreement.

 

Quote

 

What are the advantages of purchasing a Volume License over a Retail or OEM license?

The most significant advantages of purchasing a Volume License over a Retail or OEM license include the following:

• Unlike a Retail or OEM license a Volume License includes "portable use rights," the ability to use the same license on a laptop computer at no additional cost.
• Unlike a Retail or OEM license, a Volume License includes "downgrade rights," the ability to use a previous version of a product rather than the current version for software application compatibility issues, or any other reason. Downgrade rights come with the Volume License and Sofware Assurance is not required exercising downgrade rights. For example, if you have an application that is compatible with Office 2007 but not Office 2010, you could purchase a Office 2010 license and use the downgrade rights to install Office 2007 instead. When you application becomes compatible with Office 2010, then you can upgrade to Office 2010 at no additional cost. There are a certain number of OEM licenses with downgrade rights. These are generally limited to server and client operating system products.
• Volume licenses can be purchased with Software Assurance,a Microsoft program that provides additional benefits beyond the core Volume License including software version upgrade rights at no additional cost, a home use purchase program providing a significant discount for purchasing an additional license for home use (e.g. Microsoft Office), online e-Learning, training vouchers, an Employee Purchase Program, and many other benefits.
• A Volume License can be transferred to another computer or server whereas an OEM license cannot. For example if you were to purchase an SQL Server OEM license with your server, and two years later you decide to upgrade your server hardware, you cannot transfer the SQL Server OEM license to your new server hardware, but must purchase the SQL Server license again. If you purchase a SQL Server Volume License, then the SQL Server license can be transferred to the new server hardware. The same is true for a Microsoft Office OEM license that comes with a new desktop or laptop.

 

 

I think you can also buy individual Microsoft enterprise software licenses from some Microsoft partners, and I guess they make it work somehow.

 

https://www.cdw.com/search/?key=windows enterprise

https://www.cdw.com/product/windows-10-iot-enterprise-2019-upgrade-license-1-license/5964749?pfm=srh

[Bombastinator]

9 hours ago, Delicieuxz said:

To fulfill a volume license's 5-license requirement, you can buy one software license and fill the remaining 4 licenses with made-up SKUs on the cheap.

 

How to buy a Microsoft volume license on the cheap

 

https://www.lemingtonit.com/Services/FAQMVLS.aspx

 

 

 

I think you can also buy individual Microsoft enterprise software licenses from some Microsoft partners, and I guess they make it work somehow.

 

https://www.cdw.com/search/?key=windows enterprise

https://www.cdw.com/product/windows-10-iot-enterprise-2019-upgrade-license-1-license/5964749?pfm=srh

That link is 9 years old.  Does it still work that way?

[Delicieuxz]

7 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

That link is 9 years old.  Does it still work that way?

The first link is. The second link, which says the same thing, appears to be a current source from which to buy Microsoft volume license software. The third and fourth links, CDW, are places from which individual Microsoft "business" software licenses can be bought. Maybe they pre-emptively factor in four made-up SKUs into their listed single-license prices.