[GNC] GnuCash getting worse?

[Stan Brown (using GC 4.14)]

On 2023-12-28 17:26, Geoff wrote:
> If you are already running Windows 10/11 with an existing Pro,
> Enterprise, or Education licence (but not a Home licence) then Windows
> Sandbox is an easy way to create a (temporary) Virtual Machine, and it
> only requires 4GB RAM and 1GB free disc space.  You don't need a
> separate licence.
> 
> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-isolation/windows-sandbox/windows-sandbox-overview
> 
> https://www.howtogeek.com/399290/how-to-use-windows-10s-new-sandbox-to-safely-test-apps/
> 
> https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-use-windows-sandbox-on-windows-11
> 
> Fire up a Sandbox, download and install the latest GnuCash binary, and
> away you go in a pristine Windows environment that is safely isolated
> from the rest of your computer.

I forgot about Windows Sandbox. Thanks for the reminder. My desktop has
Windows Pro, nut my laptop has Windows Home so Windows Sandbox is a
non-starter there.

> Otherwise, as Stan mentioned, Oracle's free VirtualBox runs on Windows,
> but you will need to install a version of Windows in the Virtual Machine
> that you create.
> https://www.virtualbox.org/

And you can run Windows 10 or 11 without a license. A very few things
won't work, like custom background for desktop, but you won't be missing
anything you need.

Reference: You Don’t Need a Product Key to Install and Use Windows 10
<https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/>

You Can Install and Use Windows 11 Without a Product Key
<https://www.howtogeek.com/871189/you-can-install-and-use-windows-11-without-a-product-key/>

I successfully installed and ran Windows 10 in a VirtualBox without a
Windows product key, during my three-step upgrade from 2.6.19, using the
Windows 10 reference above. I haven't tested the Windows 11 procedure,
but it's from the same source, one that is usually reliable.

Stan Brown
Tehachapi, CA, USA
https://BrownMath.com