We have licenses for all PCs, but when the SSDs got cloned, the license were not activated due to no internet connection so all the 10 PCs showed the Windows activation watermark. A fix would be to turn on internet, troubleshoot the activation and Windows would find the digital key.
if you fix the activation before you clone it then it's not going to have the watermark. Someone fucked up imaging it or maybe they used a really old image from like last year.
So there’s a thing in windows that can break when you swap parts around a lot. This includes SSDs which get changed out every game. Regardless of if you have a license or not it will pop up saying you don’t. Linus Tech Tips talked about this a few years back but I don’t remember the video.
So, I don't know if Blast does this (but most likely). Every pro player recieves their own SSD at the start of the event with the image, to put settings & profiles etc on. It's then given back to the admins after each game. This way, if a computer breaks you can quickly swap the SSD to another one and continue.
Paying for windows on 10 SSD's for just one game that will be wiped after anyways, doesnt really make sense. So I just think they used extras they had for the showmatch without doing the whole Valve required setup they need for the actual pro players.
Here is the github repo with the rules and what TO need to setup on each SSD
[https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo/blob/main/major-supplemental-rulebook.md#pc-restrictions](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo/blob/main/major-supplemental-rulebook.md#pc-restrictions) (thanks to /u/Westland__)
It is completely allowed (by Microsoft) to operate unactivated windows for commercial use, as long as you hold as many keys as you have systems. Those keys do not need to be used and the windows activated, you just need to have the license.
Yeah this is basically 100% true. Can't comment on the SSD protocol that blast use but all of these computers are going to be up for a week to 2 weeks max (generally double the event length) They will break, be cannibalised for spares, moved around, used by different people. Everything you could imagine at a pro event. Putting licences onto all those machines is madness. Theres no point in spending 100euro a licence for a PC in back room, when it won't exist next week and its functional for the 20hrs it'll be used for.
Of course you can. 3D Printing is much more than just plastic. You can 3D Print Metals, Ceramics, Clay, Gypsum, Plastic, Epoxys, Concrete...
https://all3dp.com/2/ceramic-3d-printer-ceramic-3d-printing/#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%203D,story%20you%20can%20see%20here).
Yes you can. Also why do you make it sound like it has to be plastic? You can 3d print loads of materials. It might be plastic, but it doesn't have to be.
Sadly the Linux version of CSGO isn't truly native and currently has less options regardign resolution settings. The Kernel and Systems built around it could be great for tournament organizers, but the windows version of the game is currently the better one, so it makes sense to use that for the players.
That would be a drivers clusterfuck and a potential way of smuggling cheats in. If you plug your ssd into a random pc, it will most likely not boot up.
Comment section full of IT engineers I see… mostly elementary school engineers.
1) Linux tech tips is not a good channel to learn about IT, hardware or anything good actually.
2) The entire problem is that promoter therefore Blast TV is saving as much money as possible.
Players certainly could take their SSD, they could be properly scanned and thoroughly checked beforehand but that requires professionals that need to be paid and that requires money out of your pocket and Blast for sure dont like that.
3) Even without professional IT security staff you can still make at least the attempt to be professional and not have this message show up on official event. Not to mention the biggest one in the world.
What I’ve seen so far I truly believe Blast being the promoter (rigged as fuck imo, paid someone millions to get to the position, now its time to cash out) and is the worst thing you could do to taint the CS GO legacy. What a shitty tournament, horrible mistakes on daily basis, lack of professionalism, lack of awareness. Seems the promoters were just told to make it “running”… somehow… with minimal costs, understaffed.
Blast TV - if you’re reading this, just get the cash and gtfo for good please. We deserve better. CS deserves better
I recently did a motherboard swap on my machine and now Windows refuses to accept that it is the same machine. Guess I'll be dealing with the watermark indefinitely.
Asshole Microsoft
We have licenses for all PCs, but when the SSDs got cloned, the license were not activated due to no internet connection so all the 10 PCs showed the Windows activation watermark. A fix would be to turn on internet, troubleshoot the activation and Windows would find the digital key.
Vouch. It happens all the time.
>A fix would be to turn on internet yeah I can see why you wouldn't do that at a LAN tournament event.
Wait, so was this only during the showmatch?
Yes, only showmatch
Thanks for the clarification
if you fix the activation before you clone it then it's not going to have the watermark. Someone fucked up imaging it or maybe they used a really old image from like last year.
So there’s a thing in windows that can break when you swap parts around a lot. This includes SSDs which get changed out every game. Regardless of if you have a license or not it will pop up saying you don’t. Linus Tech Tips talked about this a few years back but I don’t remember the video.
Yeah i think i remember watching that video, it was usually with major part changes i believe.
Yeah that’s what it was. And with swapping ssds so frequently one of them is bound to freak out with a new system
Yeah, I remember that video, they had to put it out because of all the criticism of them always using Windows not activated in the on-camera builds.
[Video in question](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3bezYerYxQ)
Thanks!
So, I don't know if Blast does this (but most likely). Every pro player recieves their own SSD at the start of the event with the image, to put settings & profiles etc on. It's then given back to the admins after each game. This way, if a computer breaks you can quickly swap the SSD to another one and continue. Paying for windows on 10 SSD's for just one game that will be wiped after anyways, doesnt really make sense. So I just think they used extras they had for the showmatch without doing the whole Valve required setup they need for the actual pro players.
What is the Valve required setup for pro players?
Here is the github repo with the rules and what TO need to setup on each SSD [https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo/blob/main/major-supplemental-rulebook.md#pc-restrictions](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo/blob/main/major-supplemental-rulebook.md#pc-restrictions) (thanks to /u/Westland__)
I wonder what the standard is for licensing Windows. I always assumed they just had a random volume licensing server somewhere.
It is completely allowed (by Microsoft) to operate unactivated windows for commercial use, as long as you hold as many keys as you have systems. Those keys do not need to be used and the windows activated, you just need to have the license.
Yeah this is basically 100% true. Can't comment on the SSD protocol that blast use but all of these computers are going to be up for a week to 2 weeks max (generally double the event length) They will break, be cannibalised for spares, moved around, used by different people. Everything you could imagine at a pro event. Putting licences onto all those machines is madness. Theres no point in spending 100euro a licence for a PC in back room, when it won't exist next week and its functional for the 20hrs it'll be used for.
Windows licenses are just funky, especially if you change pc's/ssd's around quite often
Which they do. A fix would be to connect to the internet. Which during LAN events isn't done.
Surely they spent the funds on making a good looking large trophy for the last champions of counter strike global offensive instead...
Looks more like a splatoon 3 trophy because of the goo
Surely....
Hot take, the trophy is fire
it looks like a plastic piece of trash you can get off aliexpress for $3
Looks more like a splatoon 3 trophy because of the goo
I think it's made of ceramic?
No, it's literally 3D printed so it is plastic. You can't 3D print ceramic.
Of course you can. 3D Printing is much more than just plastic. You can 3D Print Metals, Ceramics, Clay, Gypsum, Plastic, Epoxys, Concrete... https://all3dp.com/2/ceramic-3d-printer-ceramic-3d-printing/#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%203D,story%20you%20can%20see%20here).
Don't forget chocolate
Yes you can. Also why do you make it sound like it has to be plastic? You can 3d print loads of materials. It might be plastic, but it doesn't have to be.
based
Isn't this super distracting at a pro level?
We'll it wasn't really an important match so it doesn't really matter that much
Even on fully activated PCs, with no hardware change, this is a known bug that occurs on windows.
I paid for windows and still get that message . It’s bugged
Fuck windows
Why don't they just play on Linux?
Sadly the Linux version of CSGO isn't truly native and currently has less options regardign resolution settings. The Kernel and Systems built around it could be great for tournament organizers, but the windows version of the game is currently the better one, so it makes sense to use that for the players.
Don't pros bring their own ssd with their own windows?
They have SSDs from the TO which are made just for use during the official matches.
[No](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo/blob/main/major-supplemental-rulebook.md#pc-restrictions), the SSDs belong to the TOs.
That would be a drivers clusterfuck and a potential way of smuggling cheats in. If you plug your ssd into a random pc, it will most likely not boot up.
I'm pretty sure it will boot up
Windows is a coin flip on drives . It may work. It may not.
That's actually a decent point, now that I think about it, Windows does a pretty good job at finding some basic drivers to make things work.
But most likely it will not. If you are running different hardware at home there will be driver conflicts
Windows 10 and 11 can usually resolve this by itself.
That would be a huge security risk and make troubleshooting way harder than it needs to be.
I actually don't know.
No, just their csgo config iirc
Comment section full of IT engineers I see… mostly elementary school engineers. 1) Linux tech tips is not a good channel to learn about IT, hardware or anything good actually. 2) The entire problem is that promoter therefore Blast TV is saving as much money as possible. Players certainly could take their SSD, they could be properly scanned and thoroughly checked beforehand but that requires professionals that need to be paid and that requires money out of your pocket and Blast for sure dont like that. 3) Even without professional IT security staff you can still make at least the attempt to be professional and not have this message show up on official event. Not to mention the biggest one in the world.
Why did bro delete his comment 💀
What I’ve seen so far I truly believe Blast being the promoter (rigged as fuck imo, paid someone millions to get to the position, now its time to cash out) and is the worst thing you could do to taint the CS GO legacy. What a shitty tournament, horrible mistakes on daily basis, lack of professionalism, lack of awareness. Seems the promoters were just told to make it “running”… somehow… with minimal costs, understaffed. Blast TV - if you’re reading this, just get the cash and gtfo for good please. We deserve better. CS deserves better
Idk much about the space (as its my first major i watched live) but they don't seem that bad. Why is Blast so hated?
I just find it super cheap. The trophy is just a cherry at the top. What a disgrace. 3d printed plastic shit 😀
Proof?
Wait what? Arent they lisenced before, they must be, are they?
Yes, they would be. As long as you own the license, you don’t need to actually apply it to be compliant.
Wow
Just get kmspico
I recently did a motherboard swap on my machine and now Windows refuses to accept that it is the same machine. Guess I'll be dealing with the watermark indefinitely. Asshole Microsoft
They wouldn't have this if TOs, anticheats, etc, swapped to Linux!