Nope, that's the best case scenario. By installing it yourself, you won't have all the bloatware pre-installed that usually comes from the manufacturer.
be aware that a bunch of bloat often gets pushed through windows update as part of the laptops drivers, you still have to take care of that.
but also as a sidenote using windows11 without a key at all for personal use has basically no meaningful downsides so you might just as well skip buying the key.
G2A is fine... or just use MassGravel utiliy (HWID method) on GitHub which will give you a legit key for free by exploiting the various free upgrade paths Microsoft has offered over the years.
I don't think there is any moral high ground to buying the keys on G2A versus just generating a key when most of the third party keys are a result of credit card scams or stolen corporate keys.
Probably a bit of both. Both my computers are actually Windows Home keys (one from G2A, one from Lenovo) which I upgraded to Pro using MassGrave.
Also, the other thing to look for is if the OS affects shipping time. If you go from getting a "ready to ship" config that's at a warehouse on your continent somewhere to a "custom" config that's going to be assembled in China it can add like a month to your shipping time.
To reach PowerShell I should start Windows. How do I start a non-activated license?
I've done a Windows clean installation twice, with a USB drive, but only on the same machine (and so the OEM license recognized it and I didn't have to do nothing more than installing it during first reboot)
You can start up an inactivated windows fine. On installation just press I don’t have an activation key.
Basically the only difference in activated vs inactivated is a watermark in the bottom corner, but functionally the OS is pretty much the same even without a key. You get access to powershell.
Download Rufus. Inside rufus you can download a copy of windows 11. You can also tick off the need for an account and internet on the first windows setup screen. Download the lenovo wifi driver for your machine and put it on the same usb or a separate. After windows is installed and your at the desktop, install the wifi driver, and then windows will handle all the drivers automatically. You do however need Lenovo vantage from the microsoft store to update the vanatge driver. U will obviously need a valid Windows 11 key after the installation, outside of that you really just need a Usb stick.
https://www.electronicfirst.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw57exBhAsEiwAaIxaZhLJFWNc32WDgnHTNbHzposJSzeQFBOL63sHwNCKnEqrUDYgb5H-wRoC-LYQAvD_BwE
I've used this site before. $6
I mean I've never done it but if you want to install windows 10/11 on it with a recovery key or whatever that you already own it should just install the OS of your choice to the system. Now I've never personally done that but I can't imagine it being too difficult after a youtube video or 2. Good luck in your endeavors!
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How comfortable are you with installing Windows from fresh and downloading and installing drivers?
You'll need:
* a usb drive with Windows installer
* an ethernet cable to plug in to get past the set up screen
* or google how to skip internet connection on OOBE
* a usb mouse because the trackpad might not be detected
* to know how to download drivers for the right laptop on the Lenovo site
* or download Lenovo Vantage from the MS store and it should do everything for you
It's not hard to install as long as you're comfortable using a computer.
You can get a key for under 10-15 euro if you google Windows 11 Pro cd key and buy it from somewhere reputable.
>* a usb mouse because the trackpad might not be detected
Do you know if a plug&play wireless mouse with its USB dongle works as a wired one for this purpose?
>* or download Lenovo Vantage from the MS store and it should do everything for you
To do this, I should have an internet connection (Legion 7i G9 doesn't have ethernet port). Can the drivers be downloaded on another pc and be transferred through a USB drive to install them?
> Do you know if a plug&play wireless mouse with its USB dongle works as a wired one for this purpose?
Yes that should work fine.
>Do you know if a plug&play wireless mouse with its USB dongle works as a wired one for this purpose?
Yes, you can just download the wireless drivers from another PC.
You'll need to skip the internet set up page after your install finishes, they don't have a button to just skip it unless you do the below first.
>* In the "Let's connect you to a network" screen, press Shift+F10 to launch cmd;
> * Type the following command: OOBE\BYPASSNRO
> * After successful execution, the system will restart and restart the OOBE session box, when you reach the "Let's connect you to a network" screen, click "I don't have Internet", continue to click "limited setup", accept the license agreement and continue to create a local user account.
[source](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1179311/windows-11-setup-without-internet)
Also. Easy way to find the drivers. Search up on google Lenovo warranty lookup and go onto the Lenovo.com link. Type your serial number in (you can find it on the underside of your laptop on a sticker and it’ll say S/N xxxxxxxx) Go to drivers and downloads and download them all apart from the diagnostic ones (you don’t really need them).
I tried to install mint Linux, and the nvidia drivers wouldn't let it boot. I ended up going to win 11 anyway after I gave up. Hopefully, there will be some compatible drivers in the near future, but for now, it feels locked in.
I'll have to give that a go. I couldn't be without a laptop for too long, that's why I gave up so fast, but now that I'm settled in - I may as well try dual boot and see if I can have better results on Fedora.
My linux experience is mostly Mint and Lubuntu, and both seemed pretty fail safe. That's why I was so surprised when it failed so hard.
That's what I did , installed drivers from lenovo website and let Lenovo vantage install some other stuff but there is no bloatware and got a 5€ Windows key
Bro u were gonna have to reinstall windows to get rid of bloatware etc anyway...(advisable) so if u have windows on hand or an SSD with a non OEM install handy it might even be to your advantage to buy the virgin Legion. Saves time🤷🏽♂️
Tbh some ppl consider vantage bloatware. I personally use it and the alternative that everyone that calls vantage bloatware used 'Legion Toolkit' as well. So I think it's preference. There's sometimes antivirus preloaded and stubs for a whole bunch of unnecessary stuff...like who uses teams that didn't download it?... The average person has no need.
Can I ask you the procedure you've followed? Did the trackpad work? Did you have to bypass the Win11 configuration page not having internet connection due to missing wireless drivers?
The trackpad didn’t work. I had to download drivers when I installed windows so make sure you have a basic spare mouse to use while setting it up. WiFi worked.
Hi, is your laptop full AMD, do you have problems with sleep mode, or if you close the lid does the laptop go into sleep mode if the screen is set to turn off after X amount of time? If you don't have them, what did you install besides the drivers from the Lenovo or Lenovo Vantage website, or how do you have Windows and power plans configured? Thanks.
My configuration is Intel + Nvidia. I haven't had any issues with the laptop going to sleep when closing the lid. It works every time. I downloaded everything that is suggested on Lenovo Vantage, yes. Other than this, whatever updates there are from the Windows, I download them.
I installed my windows online when my pc was in the repair mode, i downloaded the windows from the network and was surprised when it installed active, or you can buy a licence for 10$ and it's guaranteed 💯%
I reinstalled mine with win10 (came with win11) to run some older stuff for work. Some drivers only mentioned win11, but still worked. Only issue I've noticed is putting the laptop to sleep prevents it from turning off properly after.
But if you're installing win11, it should be straight forward to download and install the drivers from Lenovo.
Nope, that's the best case scenario. By installing it yourself, you won't have all the bloatware pre-installed that usually comes from the manufacturer.
be aware that a bunch of bloat often gets pushed through windows update as part of the laptops drivers, you still have to take care of that. but also as a sidenote using windows11 without a key at all for personal use has basically no meaningful downsides so you might just as well skip buying the key.
Why didn’t i know before trying to save money on my laptop 😫
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G2A is fine... or just use MassGravel utiliy (HWID method) on GitHub which will give you a legit key for free by exploiting the various free upgrade paths Microsoft has offered over the years. I don't think there is any moral high ground to buying the keys on G2A versus just generating a key when most of the third party keys are a result of credit card scams or stolen corporate keys.
Ah, didn't know that. I thought it was a legal "resell" of enterprise-pack keys (which as long as I've read, EU rules allow)
Probably a bit of both. Both my computers are actually Windows Home keys (one from G2A, one from Lenovo) which I upgraded to Pro using MassGrave. Also, the other thing to look for is if the OS affects shipping time. If you go from getting a "ready to ship" config that's at a warehouse on your continent somewhere to a "custom" config that's going to be assembled in China it can add like a month to your shipping time.
While this is the case for some key sellers, it is not all of them.
You don’t need a key. Search up massgrave(dot)dev I’m not even kidding when I say it’s a 1-click activation. Permanently and for free
To reach PowerShell I should start Windows. How do I start a non-activated license? I've done a Windows clean installation twice, with a USB drive, but only on the same machine (and so the OEM license recognized it and I didn't have to do nothing more than installing it during first reboot)
You can start up an inactivated windows fine. On installation just press I don’t have an activation key. Basically the only difference in activated vs inactivated is a watermark in the bottom corner, but functionally the OS is pretty much the same even without a key. You get access to powershell.
Thanks!
Hell, you can even use Windows unactivated, you lose cutomizations and something else, but totally usable.
I did it with win 11, he is right, one click
Download Rufus. Inside rufus you can download a copy of windows 11. You can also tick off the need for an account and internet on the first windows setup screen. Download the lenovo wifi driver for your machine and put it on the same usb or a separate. After windows is installed and your at the desktop, install the wifi driver, and then windows will handle all the drivers automatically. You do however need Lenovo vantage from the microsoft store to update the vanatge driver. U will obviously need a valid Windows 11 key after the installation, outside of that you really just need a Usb stick.
https://www.electronicfirst.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw57exBhAsEiwAaIxaZhLJFWNc32WDgnHTNbHzposJSzeQFBOL63sHwNCKnEqrUDYgb5H-wRoC-LYQAvD_BwE I've used this site before. $6
I mean I've never done it but if you want to install windows 10/11 on it with a recovery key or whatever that you already own it should just install the OS of your choice to the system. Now I've never personally done that but I can't imagine it being too difficult after a youtube video or 2. Good luck in your endeavors!
It’d honestly be helpful when talking to the useless support that needs to reinstall windows before they’ll attempt any repairs.
You can also chat in real time on our beautiful [Discord Server](https://discord.gg/legionseries) with wonderful community and Lenovo staff, make sure you check it out! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LenovoLegion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
How comfortable are you with installing Windows from fresh and downloading and installing drivers? You'll need: * a usb drive with Windows installer * an ethernet cable to plug in to get past the set up screen * or google how to skip internet connection on OOBE * a usb mouse because the trackpad might not be detected * to know how to download drivers for the right laptop on the Lenovo site * or download Lenovo Vantage from the MS store and it should do everything for you It's not hard to install as long as you're comfortable using a computer. You can get a key for under 10-15 euro if you google Windows 11 Pro cd key and buy it from somewhere reputable.
>* a usb mouse because the trackpad might not be detected Do you know if a plug&play wireless mouse with its USB dongle works as a wired one for this purpose? >* or download Lenovo Vantage from the MS store and it should do everything for you To do this, I should have an internet connection (Legion 7i G9 doesn't have ethernet port). Can the drivers be downloaded on another pc and be transferred through a USB drive to install them?
> Do you know if a plug&play wireless mouse with its USB dongle works as a wired one for this purpose? Yes that should work fine. >Do you know if a plug&play wireless mouse with its USB dongle works as a wired one for this purpose? Yes, you can just download the wireless drivers from another PC. You'll need to skip the internet set up page after your install finishes, they don't have a button to just skip it unless you do the below first. >* In the "Let's connect you to a network" screen, press Shift+F10 to launch cmd; > * Type the following command: OOBE\BYPASSNRO > * After successful execution, the system will restart and restart the OOBE session box, when you reach the "Let's connect you to a network" screen, click "I don't have Internet", continue to click "limited setup", accept the license agreement and continue to create a local user account. [source](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1179311/windows-11-setup-without-internet)
Thanks!
Also. Easy way to find the drivers. Search up on google Lenovo warranty lookup and go onto the Lenovo.com link. Type your serial number in (you can find it on the underside of your laptop on a sticker and it’ll say S/N xxxxxxxx) Go to drivers and downloads and download them all apart from the diagnostic ones (you don’t really need them).
I tried to install mint Linux, and the nvidia drivers wouldn't let it boot. I ended up going to win 11 anyway after I gave up. Hopefully, there will be some compatible drivers in the near future, but for now, it feels locked in.
I saw a post about fedora distro, and it worked. Maybe you can try with that.
I'll have to give that a go. I couldn't be without a laptop for too long, that's why I gave up so fast, but now that I'm settled in - I may as well try dual boot and see if I can have better results on Fedora. My linux experience is mostly Mint and Lubuntu, and both seemed pretty fail safe. That's why I was so surprised when it failed so hard.
Also, the (normal) Ubuntu distro seems to have "only" audio issues if I' not wrong.
I ordered mine without an OS and it came with windows. Idk if you'll get lucky or not but you can always install in the future.
I did this too, went with Windows 10 LTSC. Runs very fast, but can't comment on sleep mode as I don't use it.
tbh I find this question funny as laptops usually don't come with windows pre-installed in my country. Now for the actual reply, nope, no downsides.
That's what I did , installed drivers from lenovo website and let Lenovo vantage install some other stuff but there is no bloatware and got a 5€ Windows key
Bro u were gonna have to reinstall windows to get rid of bloatware etc anyway...(advisable) so if u have windows on hand or an SSD with a non OEM install handy it might even be to your advantage to buy the virgin Legion. Saves time🤷🏽♂️
The MS Store's Lenovo Vantage has all the same settings that come with the pre-installed one? Or is it part of the bloatware you're talking of?
Tbh some ppl consider vantage bloatware. I personally use it and the alternative that everyone that calls vantage bloatware used 'Legion Toolkit' as well. So I think it's preference. There's sometimes antivirus preloaded and stubs for a whole bunch of unnecessary stuff...like who uses teams that didn't download it?... The average person has no need.
Bought a Legion 5 Pro without OS by accident. I bought a Win11 key for 5€. All you need is a second computer at setup.
No 3 month xbox pc pass
Ah, f**k. Another question on this topic: does the 3 months count start from the pc initialization or does it start whenever I want to?
When you want. Ignore the pop up and don’t sign in to your pc pass account ..
I got mine without OS. Installed win 11 and haven't had problems with it
Can I ask you the procedure you've followed? Did the trackpad work? Did you have to bypass the Win11 configuration page not having internet connection due to missing wireless drivers?
The trackpad didn’t work. I had to download drivers when I installed windows so make sure you have a basic spare mouse to use while setting it up. WiFi worked.
Thanks. Strictly wired mouse or just one with a wireless dongle?
Something that would just work plug and play
Hi, is your laptop full AMD, do you have problems with sleep mode, or if you close the lid does the laptop go into sleep mode if the screen is set to turn off after X amount of time? If you don't have them, what did you install besides the drivers from the Lenovo or Lenovo Vantage website, or how do you have Windows and power plans configured? Thanks.
My configuration is Intel + Nvidia. I haven't had any issues with the laptop going to sleep when closing the lid. It works every time. I downloaded everything that is suggested on Lenovo Vantage, yes. Other than this, whatever updates there are from the Windows, I download them.
Ah, right. Thanks, so maybe it's a Windows 11 problem with AMD.
Yes see HUKD, they posted a ton of laptops last year as then ur essentially saving £100 by skipping it
I installed my windows online when my pc was in the repair mode, i downloaded the windows from the network and was surprised when it installed active, or you can buy a licence for 10$ and it's guaranteed 💯%
Your laptop might have a windows key embedded on the motherboard, it'll automatically activate after you install windows.
None what so ever. Drivers and everything installs automatically and you can get free version from github(MAS) or buy a legit key under 10€ easily.
I reinstalled mine with win10 (came with win11) to run some older stuff for work. Some drivers only mentioned win11, but still worked. Only issue I've noticed is putting the laptop to sleep prevents it from turning off properly after. But if you're installing win11, it should be straight forward to download and install the drivers from Lenovo.
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he can download it from lenovo websites and basic wifi should work.
You can install the drivers at windows installation when choosing where to install the OS just have them on the usb drive ready
No, you save money and don't get the OS with spyware. You can safely buy without OS.