Question How do you set up Windows for PCs for sale?

[awake283]

With Windows 11, afaik, requiring online registration with an account... Im just curious, how do people set it up for sales? You cant really just get to that screen and be done with it, as you didnt install updates, drivers, etc. But how do you get past the registration when the PC is meant for a different buyer but setup forces you to register?

 

[Ralston18]

What is the source for the Windows 11 OS being installed?

 

[awake283]

What is the source for the Windows 11 OS being installed?

Media Creation Tool USB...can I get around it with Rufus and an iso or something like that?

 

[Ralston18]

No getting around it.

If you want to sell computers with Windows installed you must have the proper licensing.

 

[awake283]

What do people do that are building a PC for a friend or family member do then? Surely you can install Windows without registering. What about Windows 10?

 

[punkncat]

Often when I am setting up a PC for sale I will first use my own credentials to get the W11 box up and running. I get all the drivers installed and typically will install a couple of game titles and/or benchmarks according to the expectations of the build and put a good load on it for a couple of days in various ways. I also normally have a suite of things I will install if the individual getting the PC doesn't want to mess with getting it set up. W11 just (re)started allowing people to change the log on type from account only to local user. So, in that case I will then remove my own account information and typically set up a generic User/1 name/pass setup for them to work from. If it is someone that knows what they are doing I then reset back to the new install configuration for them to do.

Someone here clued me in about the "out of box experience" where one can go into the OS to install certain things without having to go through that same setup process. I have not used it on a W11 install yet.

edit- just as a note about the above, if you use your own credentials to sign in a system with an activated key you must remember to go to Microsoft/my account and remove that PC from your own devices.

 

[awake283]

I found a way around it (I think). If you use Rufus you can disable some requirements including having to register. Trying it out now, will report back.

 

[punkncat]

Didn't want to edit the above again, but also have started adding a folder to an aux drive (when installed) that has all the pertinent drivers and such inside for them to install in a case where they want to do it themselves. It has been working out pretty well so far.

One of the harder aspects of selling used and new machines is putting it in the hands of someone that doesn't know what they are doing and call you back about a broken this or that and so on. I always take plenty of pictures and videos for my own protection at this point.

 

[awake283]

One of the harder aspects of selling used and new machines is putting it in the hands of someone that doesn't know what they are doing and call you back about a broken this or that and so on. I always take plenty of pictures and videos for my own protection at this point.

This is exactly what I'm thinking about and trying to avoid from happening!

 

[punkncat]

This is exactly what I'm thinking about and trying to avoid from happening!

Honestly, probably 75%+ of the time I have the new owner see it working setup in the garage and have given them the heads up that if they want that new install experience to be ready to hang out about 10 mins while I put an installer USB in to blow it out and reset for said. It is very few people that I actually invite into my home, but has happened with a few good folks.

I have mostly been using Marketplace for local pickup only and so far, so good. I used to do the same with Craigslist but it is deader than dead in the Atlanta area. So far everything has been working out pretty well and actually have a couple of folks that suggested me to their friends. I have yet to get a commission to do a whole new build, but who knows?

 

[stonecarver]

I have not used it since windows 7 but Microsoft back than had a ---Pre installation environment program--- that basically lets sellers fully install the OS and drivers BUT when the end user receives the PC the finish up activating OS was on them because the install from the end user point of view was at the point of the prompts walking end user through the final steps.

So where you need to make or bypass a Microsoft account. put in you email or again bypass. Make your local account and passwords is all on the end user.

In that ---Pre installation environment program--- it lets the Seller of PC Install OS and get to desktop and do all the finishing touches but have the power to re lock up the installation like you NEVER MADE it to the desktop as again end user will turn it on and just like a new Dell or HP OEM PC that's where end user gets control and has to do the EULA themselves.

I don't know if we as joe blow out there can get the current version of that ---Pre installation environment program---that I used on Windows 7 64bit. I have never looked for 10 or 11.

But you can do it still minus drivers if you while installing Windows 10/11 pay attention to that last restart Windows does right before windows say please wait while we get thing set up for you, get things ready, getting desktop ready bla bla bla.

If you know when to, and it's a learning curve when Windows goes to restart just before it restarts into that environment listed above DON'T let PC do the restart. I time it and switch off the power supply and freeze the installation.

Pull the USB ISO of Windows installer as the install is done at that point from sellers side just not the user EULA stuff.

When the end user gets the PC and starts computer the installation at that point just finishes up where it says please wait while we get thing set up for you, get things ready, getting desktop ready bla bla bla and like I said the rest of the install is on the end user.

So that would satisfy the EULA but still have the driver issue.

If we have access to a current version of that ---Pre installation environment program--boy it was a nice tool to get the computer ready from seller to buyer but also play by the rules of Microsoft EULA so the end user takes ownership of that install.

Also as a second bonus you can make a master SSD of Windows 10/11 and put is aside and the cool part is being as the install was frozen BEFORE it got to the final please wait getting things ready you can clone it any time you need to put windows on ANY computer. AMD / Intel

The install of windows has no idea what computer that install goes to until you get to the final restart that finishes up the UELA and accounts and when it says please wait while we get things ready , That's when each install get married to motherboard.

 

[awake283]

So just checking back in, I figured out how to do it. If you download the .iso file from Microsoft (not the media creation tool), you can use Rufus 4.4 to make the USB image. When you go through Rufus you can disable things like TPM requirements, memory requirements and most importantly, online registration.

I just tested it out and it does just make a local account and allow you to use Windows. Thanks for all the suggestions.