Question Need to update 40 "kiosks" from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Multiple issues! Suggestions please?

[djdynamix]

Warning: This may end up being a LONG question!

I support 40 "kiosk style" karaoke machines, which currently run quite happily with Windows 7. Due to the imminent end of support for the OS, and the fact that new motherboards and processors are already "hobbled" from using Windows 7, I need to upgrade them to Windows 10... BUT I have a plethora of issues:

1. The kiosks are not internet connected, and most of them stay out on site with no network connection for a year or more. That was never a problem in Windows 7 because I could just disable Windows Update, but how can I stop Windows 10 from popping up warnings about updates all the time? (Before anyone screams about that, there is no security issue, because the machines have both network and USB storage disabled, and are locked down in "standard accounts" with strong passwords on the admin accounts.)
2. The karaoke player software needs to run as administrator in a standard account, which, once again was never a problem in Windows 7, as I could just switch off the warnings. How do I achieve the same thing on Windows 10 without exposing the Administrator password to every user who runs the player?
3. In order to install the 40 machines, I first created one, then sysprep'd it and cloned all of the others from the image. This worked perfectly in Windows 7, by using a corporate OEM version of "Ultimate" with a single serial number, which effectively meant that the OS was pre-activated. Windows 10 doesn't seem to have the same facility, so how can I clone 40 copies of the new OS without having to input separate serial numbers and activate each machine individually?

Can anyone suggest workarounds for these issues please?

Thanks

 

[AllanGH]

If the machines are not network, or USB enabled, why do you need to update the OS?

If they have been working for a year without issues or intervention, and are not requiring software updates, they are essentially machines unto themselves.

Leave them the way they are.

As to the work-arounds, you are asking how to circumvent windows licensing requirements; and, if this was a legitimate corporate operation, you'd already have the means to do this legally.

That doesn't fly very well around here.

 

[djdynamix]

If the machines are not network, or USB enabled, why do you need to update the OS?

If they have been working for a year without issues or intervention, and are not requiring software updates, they are essentially machines unto themselves.

Leave them the way they are.

As to the work-arounds, you are asking how to circumvent windows licensing requirements; and, if this was a legitimate corporate operation, you'd already have the means to do this legally.

That doesn't fly very well around here.

First of all, I am an OEM builder, and purchased a block of 40 licenses from my wholesaler about 8 years ago with a single corporate serial number, so I DID have the means to do this legally, whilst the Windows 10 update from our legitimate Windows 7 licenses was still available for free, but I held off because of the other issues. Please do not throw accusations around without checking the facts!!!! I still have the option to purchase upgrade licenses, but Microsoft seem to be saying that we now have to purchase, install and activate each of them individually which would be a total ball-ache for 40 machines. I'm not certain, but I think corporate OEM licenses are now only available in blocks of 300+, which is beyond both my requirements and budget. Please note that I am NOT asking for an illegitimate crack here, just a way of doing things the way I always did LEGALLY in Windows 7!

I can't just leave them as they are, because as the motherboards now go down, it's becoming impossible to purchase replacements which support Windows 7.... Unless anyone can suggest a way of making Coffee Lake processors in B370 motherboards run Windows 7 along with Intel Graphics and DisplayLink! That, in fact, would be an infinitely preferable solution, but I've checked loads of forums and come up blank. Intel seem to have decided not to release Windows 7 graphics drivers for any of the Coffee Lake processors, and the old Koby Lake INF file workarounds no longer work.

 

[djdynamix]

I support 40 "kiosk" karaoke machines which are running Windows 7. I need to keep them running for the foreseeable future! Upgrading them to Windows 10 would be "inconvenient" to say the least... (Information on why is in my other thread in the Windows 10 forum here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...0-multiple-issues-suggestions-please.3500493/ .)

It's getting more and more difficult to obtain Skylake or earlier processors and motherboards, so I need a way forward.

Has anyone yet found a workaround to get Coffee Lake processors and 300 series boards to work in Windows 7, along with the on-chip graphics? I need for the Intel graphics to fully work because I use DisplayLink for multiple screens.

I'm prepared to consider almost anything at this point, including Virtual Machines or other OS's with emulators, etc... but bearing in mind that the software I'm running needs to use the Microsoft Jet Database (so I've never been able to get it to run under Wine in Linux, for example).

Thanks

 

[Alabalcho]

I think "Embedded" versions of Windows are what you are looking for. These days it's called Windows 10 IoT Enterprise