HarryTri

A 64 bit OS doesn't use any 32 bit driver, just delete the file (it was probably just copied there and nothing more).

If you want to be 100% sure about this safety issue it is advised to unmount the external disk between the backups (however a good antivirus program should be enough protection).

This must be a system and not per user setting, in this case you can change it only with an administrator account and the changes affect all users.

Oh, they are hidden... Fancy that.

On Windows 8 as I wrote there is the uninstall option in both the Start Screen and All Apps if you rightclick on the App icon. I never tried it but it surely is the simplest way to do it if it works (as I suppose). Again I don't know if there is any difference on Windows 8.1.

CCleaner can uninstall Windows Apps (on Windows 8 you can do it in the Start Screen natively -rightclick on an icon and then click uninstall on the bottom line options ribbon, I suppose it must be about the same for Windows 8.1). windows.immersivecontrolpanel is the Computer Settings down in the charms right ribbon, you shouldn't try to uninstall it.

Let me disagree dencoroso. Windows 10 is evil (due to the "telemetry" stuff) and here in Greece we say that "a bad dog doesn't die". I'm afraid we are going to live with Windows 10, "telemetry" etc. for a long time... I think that preserving older OSes for VM use (at least) is a good idea.

Come on people, Windows 8/8.1 aren't so bad (especially if you install a decent Start Menu application).

SP1? You mean Windows 8.1 I suppose? Since it is the first time that you install Windows 8 on this computer I think the legal way is to install your Windows 8 first and then upgrade to Windows 8.1. After that you may be able to make a clean installation of Windows 8.1 with the ISO you have if you want. Of course, if you prefer so, you can just stay with Windows 8.

You can increase the amount of memory seen by adding the /3GB switch in boot.ini.

The product key can be retrieved from the BIOS with several programs. And the hardware doesn't last for ever...

Is there a real difference between OEM System Builder and "mere" OEM editions of Windows 8? I red somewhere that it is practically the same, "System Builder" is a term that remained from older versions of Windows. Anyway in Reddit, Tomshardware and other sites it is clearly stated that in contrast to Windows 7 OEM (preactivated) Windows 8 OEM (not preactivated) is transferrable to other hardware (including different motherboard)/ computer, there are even people who say that they have done it themselves, I don't know if this was reverted in the case of Windows 8.1 and 10 but I doubt it.

Windows 8 and newer OEM license can be transferred to an other computer, have a look at this link (for Windows 8): http://personaluselicense.windows.com/en-US/default.aspx So you can use an OEM version key as far as it is not used on another computer.

After a further investigation it appears that Windows 8 and newer OEM Windows license can be transferred to another computer, have a look here (for Windows 8): http://personaluselicense.windows.com/en-US/default.aspx EDIT: Maybe the things are a bit different, have a look here: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/176310-toshiba-satellite-c655-clean-windows-7-home-premium-installation/?do=findComment&comment=1133863 Anyway the thing is technically possible and at least for a VM Microsoft will probably cooperate (some say they do for even more).

For Windows 8 and newer this is unneeded, OEM Windows license can be transferred to an other computer, have a look here (for Windows 8): http://personaluselicense.windows.com/en-US/default.aspx EDIT: Maybe the things are a bit different, have a look here: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/176310-toshiba-satellite-c655-clean-windows-7-home-premium-installation/?do=findComment&comment=1133863 Anyway the thing is technically possible and at least for a VM Microsoft will probably cooperate (some say they do for even more).

I wouldn't update to Windows 10 in anyway so I guess I'm in level 1. However what does this "creator" thing has more or different than the current Windows 10? Is it going to replace any existing version(s) of them or it is just a new version?

It is strange that it happened on both of your systems at about the same time. Maybe something that you installed or upgraded recently on both of them has to do with it?

After a check on my system I found the known junctions referenced (Documents and Settings etc.) but no symlinks or symlinked directories. It seems that the later were used in older versions of Windows. Just for the history. And of course thanks again for the information jaclaz.

That seems to indicate that using OEM version of Windows in a virtual machine isn't exactly illegal (I'll have a separate license of Windows 10 of course). The thing is that I also wasn't able to find an oembios.bin file in my Windows 8 installation and in the BIOS the Windows license is referenced as "WINDOWS 8 STD MLT" (Windows 8 Standard Multiple I suppose), there is no clue it is an OEM license. Maybe from Windows 8 and on there isn't really such a thing as OEM versions?

Let me just say that the problem is the following: The flash drive usually has FAT32 as file system and when you copy the recovery partition to it the one several GB xxx.wim file that it contains is split to these several .swm files. If you join them to make the initial xxx.wim file you are (?I am not sure that this is always enough) done. Surely jaclaz knows more about it. Of course the question is how to join them, maybe extracting the files they contain and use them in another way is more feasible. I write this post without having read the ones that jaclaz points to, I don't have the time now. Anyway these are just my thoughts...

I have a Lenovo laptop with Windows 8 x64. I retrieved its serial number from the BIOS. I also have a Windows 8 x64 DVD - the official generic one - from the internet (downloaded as an ISO image). If my laptop "dies" and I buy a new one with Windows 10 will I be able to install and activate Windows 8 with the mentioned DVD and my current laptop's serial number on Virtual Box?

It seems that symlinks/junction points are what I referred to as "hardlinks". Hardlinks seem to be the real answer to the mystery. On a site I red some time ago that all the system files of Windows 8 are hardlinks from WinSxS and I didn't believe it. It seems that the guy was right: Thanks for the help jaclaz, you are great!

Hardlinks are not accessible even from an elevated command prompt: Symlinks? Are they different than hardlinks? As for sparse files this is a possibility but 5.32 GB? Note that huge possibly sparse files like pagefile.sys add their size to the allocated disk space shown in Windows Explorer: if they grow (you know when) it grows too. And what about the 39901 more files in dir/a/s?

Well, the case is that Windows themselves find (with dir/a/s) more files and allocated disk space than the ones shown in chkdsk or Windows Explorer...

Thanks for the response Tripedacus but no, dir/a/s and 7-zip show all these files. Can somebody check on his system (Windows 8 or newer) to see if he has similar results? Perhaps Microsoft uses some kind of trick to present fewer files and allocated disk space in the Windows partition (the other partitions give normal results as I have found)?