how 'anyone can make one for free' pertains to laptops/computers that come from Dell/HP/Levono/Gateway etc that has a 'create recovery disk' feature. I've complained about this crap for years when I was posting both as a member and as a Moderator in the ZDNET/CNET forums......First, most people (at least years ago and even many today) weren't/aren't aware of this feature of being able to burn a bootable recovery CD and were devastated if/when their computers were trashed from a virus or a harddrive that crashed and burned and had no SEPARATE reinstall disks because they were no longer being sent with their new computers. If it only costs a quarter to make them, why were the companies refusing to furnish them anymore? If you didn't know to make your own copy and had to get in touch with the manufacturer to get it, they were charging $75 or so because they were telling you that you were paying for a Windows license (even though you ALREADY had one). It was a total scam by both Microsoft and the mfr.
Another comment. I have a Gateway desk computer that came with Windows 8.1 installed and all the extra garbage mfr's include now.....I immediately created the backup/recovery on both a NEW EXTERNAL harddrive AND on a USB device (I was allowed to make TWO copies according to Gateway so I did). Everything went smoothly. Not so much with the two HP laptops purchased in the last year. BOTH gave me the option to create that recovery disk on either CD's (3/4 required) or a USB device (I was warned by the software program itself that I could only make one copy.) Knowing that cd's over time will get scratched and no longer function, I chose the USB option. NEITHER laptop would create the media....I would constantly get errors during the 'verification' process. Once the USB device was plugged in after I made the attempt and I went to view the files on it, all of the files were there, but without the verification process being complete, there was NO WAY I was trusting that I actually had what I needed for a complete factory reinstall. Called HP for the first laptop....after being walked through the process like a two year old by some foreign tech 'support' idiot numerous times and explaining over and over again how I did NOT want cd's and demanded that they mail me a USB recovery media, I was given the OK and a confirmation email explaining how it was going to cost me $70 to get it. Called back again and demanded that I get it FOR FREE since I could make it MYSELF for FREE IF their stupid program worked properly and the laptop was in my possession for less than a week and was covered under my warranty. The USB device AT NO CHARGE was in my hands within five days. Called HP for the SECOND laptop six months later because the SAME issue was happening with this new laptop. Same runaround, same 'walkthrough' steps taken, same argument about cd's vs USB, same confirmation email wanting me to charge $70 to my cc for the device, same call back with the demand that I get it for FREE, and again, the device was in my hands within five days.
It's ALL bull.... and if they can attempt to scam someone who KNOWS the game being played out of $140, think of the MILLIONS they are getting from novices. I know for a fact that my daughters in their 50's AND my grandkids in their 20's have NEVER tried to make recovery disks from their new computers even though they've been warned by me numerous times. "It'll never happen to me, Mom" attitudes piss me off to no end, but I'm not the one losing all my data (I make backups of that stuff regularly) or having to worry nothing can ever be recovered. They're grownups (they think) who have no problem spending money when they don't have to evidently.
Do I have a problem with the guy in the article getting 'pirated' crap from China? Yep....I don't care if everything on those disks made is 'free' or not. If it's all free anyhow, what's so damned hard about making those cd's at the MFR level and sending them with the freaking computers in the first place like they used to years ago? Why deliberately put it on the consumer to make their own? Because how can they make an extra $70 for every computer they sell? They are making money off of 'stupidity' and 'ignorance'......
For those doubting Thomas's here who always want proof of my statements here's a link to the Computer Help form post I made. It's actually still up in the forum as a permanent thread at the top and it's from 2005.... https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/getting-a-new-computer-already-have-one-60567/
How do you come up with a value of $700K for making copies of a product that is being given away free?
https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/27/microsoft-attempts-to-spin-its-role-in-counterfeiting-case/

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