Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 Pro (Your Choice) - $49.99 - Free shipping

CaptainElwood

Apr 7, 2023 3:55 AM

273 Comments

Joined Jun 2013

CaptainElwoodApr 7, 2023 3:55 AM

273 Comments

Quote from FierceDeityLink

:

"Genuine Microsoft OEM license key
One key per device"
OEM versions are tied to the first computer they're installed on and can't be transferred. Retail versions can be transferred to new hardware.

Not true, go straight to telephone activation and tell them the motherboard was replaced. It may not be as easy as a retail license but it can be transferred, this is the reason the entire grey market exists for Windows.

1

Hunting4Dealz

Apr 7, 2023 5:10 AM

197 Comments

Joined Jan 2022

Hunting4DealzApr 7, 2023 5:10 AM

197 Comments

One can use a Windows 7 product key to activate Windows 10 for free. Suspect this might work with 11 too but never tried it. During the install when it asks for a key you input the key from Windows 7 or 8. If your product key sticker is missing you can run the a program named Magical Jellybean keyfiner to see the alphanumeric product key for all your Microsoft products on that particular computer. With Windows 11 things get sticky as it pretty much forces you to create a Microsoft account. One could install 10 using the key from 7, then upgrade to 11. Tying the key to a Microsoft account is wise as you can then move it from a broken computer to a new computer using instructions found online. People are giving away or trashing those old Windows 7 machines. One can harvest the key from that old hardware. Have used a Windows 7 key on machines that did not even ship with Windows installed from the factory and it worked fine. But if you can't find an older PC to harvest keys from 50 bucks ain't bad to get rid of the watermark which is present in an unactivated copy of Windows 10. The installer for both 10 and 11 is a free download from Microsoft and one should always download from Microsoft to avoid tainted copies with hidden malware which are ever present on shady places.

1

nilkilla

Apr 7, 2023 5:38 AM

1.3K Comments

Joined Dec 2010

nilkillaApr 7, 2023 5:38 AM

1.3K Comments

Quote from changkoh

:

This is wild. Looking through that woot thread, people getting windows 7 pro keys, probably from scrapped computers and or unused Certificate of authenticity seals from Windows 7 days.

Windows 7 pro keys will activate windows 10/11 pro provided it was never used to upgrade from home to pro before. If it was used and converted to a digital license, they you are SOL.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/h.../Shop.aspx

Also if you already have pro and a microsoft 365 small business prem, you can upgrade from as far back as win 7 pro to win 11 pro
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us...-worldwide

and Windows 10 to 11 is free (home or pro)

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/w...windows-11
t's free. But only Windows 10 PCs that are running the most current version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware specifications will be able to upgrade. You can check to see if you have the latest updates for Windows 10 in Settings/Windows Update. Note that in areas where the internet is metered, ISP fees may apply.

"Windows 7 pro keys will activate windows 10/11 pro provided it was never used to upgrade from home to pro before. If it was used and converted to a digital license, they you are SOL."

This is why I won't buy windows again. I had two bought and paid for xp keys, 2 Vista keys and 2 7 keys. All parts of systems I've built over the years. When I attempted to transition to 10 initially I had no problems but when I upgraded motherboard, CPU and GPU, it was treated as a new computer and the keys could no longer transition. I'd rather just live with the watermark than pay again for a product I've owned so many times over. And due to the industry I'm in, I'm not interested in grey market or anything even risking it.

EpicPoke

Apr 7, 2023 6:56 AM

466 Comments

Joined Nov 2015

EpicPokeApr 7, 2023 6:56 AM

466 Comments

Look up massgrave dev for windows

1

4GeekIT

Apr 7, 2023 8:36 AM

177 Comments

Joined Jul 2014

4GeekITApr 7, 2023 8:36 AM

177 Comments

Quote from nilkilla

:

"Windows 7 pro keys will activate windows 10/11 pro provided it was never used to upgrade from home to pro before. If it was used and converted to a digital license, they you are SOL."

This is why I won't buy windows again. I had two bought and paid for xp keys, 2 Vista keys and 2 7 keys. All parts of systems I've built over the years. When I attempted to transition to 10 initially I had no problems but when I upgraded motherboard, CPU and GPU, it was treated as a new computer and the keys could no longer transition. I'd rather just live with the watermark than pay again for a product I've owned so many times over. And due to the industry I'm in, I'm not interested in grey market or anything even risking it.

At no point do keys die unless they are blacklisted. To the best of my knowledge that only happens with keys that are made public/sold over and over again. Worst case you have to call for a code... took about five whole minutes to activate XP by phone.

Also, I have used my 7 Pro key to upgrade 10/11 Home to Pro numerous times... can still do a fresh install to my heart's content too.

Last edited by 4GeekIT April 7, 2023 at 01:52 AM.

1

tonysdavis64

Apr 7, 2023 11:40 AM

40 Comments

Joined Apr 2013

tonysdavis64Apr 7, 2023 11:40 AM

40 Comments

Quote from rmf1981

:

If I wanted to go gray market, any suggestions on the more "reliable" gray market sources?

Cjs cdkeys

1

WildflowerGuru

Apr 7, 2023 12:02 PM

3.9K Comments

Joined May 2015

WildflowerGuruApr 7, 2023 12:02 PM

3.9K Comments

Quote from Kevzo

:

I thought after Windows 7 or whatever one that every progression was going to be a free upgrade just like MAC?

I have an MSI laptop that is not eligible for an upgrade from 10 to 11. They require you to download an app to check your hardware. They said my cpu was the reason for not being eligible. Intel Core i5-7300HQ. Original cpu that came with the laptop and original Win10 OS.

Anyway, Win11 sucks ass. Bought a new laptop. First thing I tried was defaulting images to my alternative image app I've been using for a decade. It wouldn't allow it. I had to research online to find the workaround using PowerShell Admin. MS is intentionally going back to its old ways of excluding/banning alternative software to use on their OS.

alexsemi

Apr 7, 2023 12:23 PM

857 Comments

Joined Jan 2010

alexsemiApr 7, 2023 12:23 PM

857 Comments

You might receive a working key, but it's not going to be a legitimate key. MS sells the retail Windows 10 Pro from their store for $200. You may say - but somehow OEM offer it for much less! Well, the OEM key is baked into each machine OEM sells and only activates that particular machine. It can't be sold separately or detached from the machine it came with. But yes, OEMs have access to them for cheap, like $50, but it must come with a machine.

So what those are? Like someone pointed out, woot is just a marketplace, and the seller can be whoever. Those sellers are usually getting the keys for free from MS subscriptions for developers like MSDN, and since those include a number of valid retail keys - that can be their ultimate source of keys. Alternatively, they might have someone at MS with access to licensing activation database and service, but that is a pure felony and once those get caught, MS will revoke those keys.
So this is in no way official legitimate key.

2

1

angeldog

Apr 7, 2023 12:26 PM

63 Comments

Joined Dec 2005

angeldogApr 7, 2023 12:26 PM

63 Comments

Quote from Marcia3641

:

Is this the OS? I have a laptop from my previous job that the IT guy put a copy of the then current OS on it but approx a year ago I got a popup message that my OS was a unlicensed copy or something to that effect, therefore, rendering it unusable.

Easily fixed with a registry edit or one of the many kms activation. Patches

Voodoo22007

Apr 7, 2023 12:32 PM

840 Comments

Joined Jul 2011

Voodoo22007Apr 7, 2023 12:32 PM

840 Comments

It blows my mind how Microsoft does well with one iteration and sucks the next iteration so consistently it actually seems intentional. 11 sucks but 10 is good but 8 sucks but 7 is good but vista sucks but XP is good etc etc etc.

madcow3417

Apr 7, 2023 12:42 PM

1.6K Comments

Joined Dec 2008

madcow3417Apr 7, 2023 12:42 PM

1.6K Comments

Quote from Voodoo22007

:

It blows my mind how Microsoft does well with one iteration and sucks the next iteration so consistently it actually seems intentional. 11 sucks but 10 is good but 8 sucks but 7 is good but vista sucks but XP is good etc etc etc.

I would argue that 10 is not good, it just sucks less than 8. The settings/control panel difference is maddening. Just pick one.

1

Sanity.

Apr 7, 2023 12:42 PM

1.9K Comments

Joined Nov 2014

Sanity.Apr 7, 2023 12:42 PM

1.9K Comments

Jesus Christ the amount of misinformation in here in ridiculous. Why bother trying to express things you don't understand?? Bunch of walking talking dunning kruger effects

2

5

RainGater

Apr 7, 2023 12:45 PM

789 Comments

Joined Dec 2010

RainGaterApr 7, 2023 12:45 PM

789 Comments

Quote from WildflowerGuru

:

Anyway, Win11 sucks ass. Bought a new laptop. First thing I tried was defaulting images to my alternative image app I've been using for a decade. It wouldn't allow it. I had to research online to find the workaround using PowerShell Admin. MS is intentionally going back to its old ways of excluding/banning alternative software to use on their OS.

Not true. In windows 11, I use irfanview as my image viewer and it's set as a default app for all the images.

3

vand3537

Apr 7, 2023 12:46 PM

207 Comments

Joined Nov 2016

vand3537Apr 7, 2023 12:46 PM

207 Comments

huh, I thought windows was free-to-play these days

FireballJR

Apr 7, 2023 12:51 PM

1.4K Comments

Joined Dec 2011

FireballJRApr 7, 2023 12:51 PM

1.4K Comments

Quote from look30

:

Not Windows 😂

So tell us what OS people can use for gaming without any driver, compatibility issues, or is supported by the game in the first place. MAC and Linux native gaming is non-existent. By native I mean not having to run Windows in bootcamp or virtual machine in order to game.

1

Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 Pro (Your Choice) - $49.99 - Free shipping

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