Bonum Certa Men Certa

Techrights Announces TechCHOICES Initiative: Get Your Vista 7 Refund and Show the World How to Do It

Tech choices



Vista 7 sticker
"The hardest thing about replacing Windows 7 with Linux is getting the damn sticker off," Tim wrote yesterday. (credit: OpenBytes)



Summary: Calling for everyone with an undesired Vista 7 [sic] licence to return it to the shop, claim a refund, and then post instructions for others to achieve the same thing

AN OLD talking point from Microsoft propagandists is that many people "choose" Windows and that Windows is "popular". The truth of the matter is that people choose a computer, they don't choose Windows (it just comes with it), so Windows is ubiquitous, not popular. To quote Intel exhibits, "There are simply too many folks at Intel who use/love the [Linux] stuff and want to improve it. We can *not* stop trying to win this project."



“The principal issue here is that Microsoft fights against choice and diversity.”GNU/Linux is an exceptionally popular operating system. People who have actually used it for a considerable amount of time really like it. The same probably goes for Mac OS X, but that's another story. The principal issue here is that Microsoft fights against choice and diversity. It actively discriminates and it promotes monoculture. The OEMs are not the sole example (some would label them "accomplices").

Bear this in mind now that Microsoft exploits journalists who spread its "diversity" PR [1, 2, 3, 4], which is similar to "Imagine Cup" [1, 2, 3, 4] (Microsoft PR which is intended to make Microsoft look like a children's friend). To quote one new example:

Microsoft employees volunteer to work the camp, according to MaryLynn Hilton, account technology strategist. It's a fun three days for both employees and students, capped by a lively closing ceremony and goodie bags for the girls filled with Microsoft treats.


PR aside, Microsoft is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to diversity. See the Polish incident, Microsoft homophobia, and a variety of other recent examples.

This leads us to returning to the other day's discussion about Tim from Openbytes. He is actively working to get a Vista 7 refund and he posts publicly about his progress. It's a tiring task. Here is how the refund is coming along so far. Microsoft and its partners give him a hard time, as expected. They don't honour the law and they tried to drive the caller/complainer into desperation (patience battles and expensive calls), at which points they can be left alone rather than open the floodgates to similar refund requestors in the UK.

My first port of call was Microsoft customer services for the UK. After one of the all too common automated lines, I discovered that on a Saturday I was not going to get any human customer service on this number (unless, apparently, I am a Onecare customer – presumably paying more money to Microsoft. What I did find amusing whilst looking for the customer services number was that Microsoft has a sponsored link that will answer your questions online.

After getting no joy with the phone I was confident that my question could be answered quite simply, after all it was merely “How do I go about getting a refund on an unwanted Windows 7?”. After entering the question I was told there were advisors waiting to answer my question….for a price. Typical. Whilst it was a 3rd party company offering this “service” I should have known – when it comes to Microsoft products, you can never spend enough money.

[...]

I won’t delve into issues of Microsoft Tax. The subject has been covered enough.

I feel rather resentful that I have to buy a product with no choice as to if Windows is pre-installed. If that in itself was not bad enough, the fact that it’s not obvious on how you go about getting a refund. I wonder if Europe should have been looking into the OEM issue instead of messing around with browsers and ballot screens? Lets get our priorities right eh?

I am unsure when/if I will get a refund, but I will continue this quest until I get an answer (and update in future articles). Should I be successful I will be donating the refund to the FSF and at least then it won’t feel as if my great purchase has been slightly tainted by having to pay for unwanted Microsoft software.


One thing about the refund is, shovelware sometimes subsidises Vista 7, but it's a real nuisance. There is a true cost to shovelware and one blogger calls for shovelware to be made illegal right now:

There oughta be a law against shovelware on new PCs



It’s been about three years since I’ve bought a pre-packaged PC. Normally, I build my own machines, switching out mobos, graphics cards, processors, and all the rest whenever I need. I also install my own clean OS, so what’s running on any given machine is what I purposely put on the machine.

But about every three years or so, it’s time to buy a new laptop. In this case, I’m doing coding, and the laptop I bought three years ago won’t accept any more RAM and I need a LOT more RAM (I’m running a bunch of simultaneous VMs, different browsers, local servers, IDEs, etc., and that all eats RAM like a stoner eats Cheetos).

My current laptop is also making some bad fan clacking noises that imply something’s about to break real-soon-now.

So I bought and took delivery of a machine that can handle up to 16GB of RAM (yep, cool, eh?). The thing is, this is a pre-packaged machine — you know, the way the typical consumer gets his computer.

After waiting forever for the new laptop to boot up for the first time, I finally had a desktop, a desktop filled with icons.

Shovelware.


Without shovelware, Microsoft would quickly become irrelevant because GNU/Linux as a preinstalled option would be highly appealing. Microsoft too has its share of shovelware, such as Internet Explorer which it puts on all new PCs (that run Windows). "Microsoft is running a monopoly and abusing customers," says this new article.

For the last twelve years Microsoft has been running a monopoly and abusing customers. In their MSN email accounts they ask customers to verify their accounts by giving a mobile phone number even though some customers don't have a mobile phone. This is discrimination and a violation of freedom of speech against account holders and the monopoly they hold is responsible because when they don't have to compete they become abusive.

[...]

Microsoft lied by stating that the merging of Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer was the result of innovation and competition.

The prosecution should have expanded their case into other areas of Microsoft and they should have documented abuses against customers.


The European Commission has attempted to address Web browser bundling, but why not operating system bundling? If you paid for a Vista 7 licence that is not being used, do try to get a refund and make a fuss about it in public. People should be given that option, but precedence is needed to make that fast and simple for others to replicate by citing prior incidents.

Recent Techrights' Posts

IRC Proceedings: Saturday, August 30, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, August 30, 2025
Representing and Speaking for Animals
If I ever choose to take this matter to tribunal with animals-centric NGOs on my side, it'll get some press coverage for sure
The UEFI 9/11 - Part II - Campaign of Censorship and Defamation Against Critics
In dictatorships, humour serves an important role. It's tragic.
How Not to Build Software
code forges that need a Web browser perhaps fill some 'niche' demand
GAFAM and "MATA"
The use of dark humour there hopefully helps illuminate what a lot of "modern" technology became like and how it interacts with human civilisation (to what ends and whose gain)
Flying in 2025
worse than ever before
 
Links 31/08/2025: Google Gmail Data Breach and LF Puff Pieces for Pay
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
This is What Google News Has Become
Moments ago
The Slopfarm WebProNews Has Turned Google News Into a Laughing Stock Full of Plagiarism by Slop
If Google News dies of neglect, that's one thing. It's starting to seem like active neglect by Google is a form of participation.
Do What is Moral, as What's Legal Isn't Always Moral
Do what's objectively moral, no matter the costs and the risks
Slopwatch: Google News Assisting Plagiarism and Anti-Linux FUD, Serial Slopper Rips Off Linux-Centric Journalists
This makes the Web a much worse place and lessens the incentive to do journalism
Links 30/08/2025: NVIDIA Fakes Results to Hide a Bubble Already in Implosion Phase, Data Breaches Galore, Important Win for Workers' Union in Canada
Links for the day
In Kazakhstan, Yandex Estimated to be 20 Times Bigger Than Microsoft
Bing is measured as down this month
Shutterstock Not Enough? The Register MS Uses Slop Images in Articles (Seemingly More and More Over Time)
Cost-saving trajectory amid office shutdown?
Gemini Links 30/08/2025: Games, PostmarketOS, and Slop
Links for the day
Links 30/08/2025: Imgur Uproar and Many Ukraine Updates (Mediazona Reports Over 200,000 Russians Died for Putin)
Links for the day
Birds Are Not "Pests and Vermin", Privacy is Not a Crime, and GNU/Linux is Not 'Hacking Platform'
I could not help but think of Free software analogies
The Sites Should Be Very Fast Again
That issue is now resolved
Activists, Including Technical Activists, Need Not Pursue Affirmation
Techrights doesn't play or participate in a "popularity contest"
The UEFI 9/11 - Part III - Chaos is Scheduled to Happen Second Thursday of September (No Matter What the Microsofters Tell You)
The clock is ticking
Downplaying the Impact of "UEFI 9/11" is a Losing Strategy
we won't publish much whilst on holiday
Government Sites Should Run Free Software
Not proprietary bloatware with buzzwords
LLM Slopfarms Take No Breaks
When people run sites by bots they don't need to worry about "breaks"
GNOME Having a Meltdown Again
Thanks and farewell to Steven Deobald
Gemini Links 30/08/2025: Low Tech and Hunchbin 1.0.6
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 29, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, August 29, 2025
Financiers and Sponsors of the Slop Hype (Pyramid Scheme Waiting to End, Bubble That Will Inevitably Implode)
It's also burning the planet
Slopwatch: Fake Articles About "Linux", Google Helps Ponzi Schemes and Slopfarms in Google News
Slopfarms are a real pain
Gemini Links 29/08/2025: Retiring at 62 and URL Filtering HTTP(S) Proxy on Qubes OS
Links for the day
Links 29/08/2025: Lisa Cook Sues Convicted Felon and Backdoor Mandate in UK Resisted
Links for the day
Links 29/08/2025: Arti 1.5.0, War on Public Health (CDC), and Slop 'Bros' Made to Pay for Their Mass Plagiarism
Links for the day
No, 4Chan is Not Fighting for You by Lawyering Up Against Ofcom (UK)
Don't mistake proto-fascists for people who "fight for you". They don't.
In Many Places in the World Vista 11 "Market Share" is Going Down, Not Up
In some countries Windows is already down to third place or lower
More Microsoft-Connected Layoffs, at Least Third Time This Month! (Also Another Death on Campus)
Microsoft as a "gaming" company is where studios, projects, games, and even developers come to die
Slopwatch: Fake Articles About "Linux", Slop Images in VentureBeat, Linux Foundation Spam Made With LLM Slop and Slop Images
The only relief or upside - if any exists - is that the pace of slop was down a bit this week
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, August 28, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, August 28, 2025
Gemini Links 29/08/2025: Poems, Games, and Java 25 Performance
Links for the day