expiredSkillful_Pickle | Staff posted Jan 12, 2024 08:07 PM
Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
expiredSkillful_Pickle | Staff posted Jan 12, 2024 08:07 PM
Microsoft Windows 10 Home $20 or Pro $25 (Digital Download)
$20
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Having said that, I don't know if anyone has run into an issue purchasing or using volume keys, only that if they don't work right away they dispute or request a refund if not replaced. Depending on your usage, this may be a way to run Windows cheaply (although I would still argue this is wasting money) and low risk if it only works for a short time.
There are better solutions out there, but if this is a personal or business computer, you might want to consider another approach.
The biggest problem is that the keys are often not valid. If you receive such a key, Woot will either refund you or contact their partner and provide you with a new key. So, you do have some protection granted you aren't outside of their return window. So, if you do buy a key from Woot, redeem it within the return window and do not buy it to hold on to or you will likely be throwing away money if you discover the key doesn't work later.
Given that Woot does partner with 3rd parties, and that plenty of people have reported issues with these keys, it's safe to say you are getting the same exact thing you'd get from StackSocial for about the same price, or online grey market key sellers who sell for a lower price. Why Microsoft doesn't shut these down or actively address this, I don't know. It certainly does add an expectation of credibility being sold by Woot, but it's not. There is a risk that the key might stop working at some point and you would have no recourse, however I think that risk is low. So just be sure to activate right away while you have protection and keep in mind that as an OEM key you likely won't be able to later transfer it to another computer (although Microsoft might allow it if you call and tell them you swapped motherboards).
If you want to buy it, go for it. I don't have a horse in this race. I'm trying to give an honest disclaimer where the SD staff should know better.
I realize there are some programs that you simply need Windows for, but you could always create a Windows VM and use it for those few programs unlicensed. It will work but limit customization.
However, each time SD has a new post like this, I heard posts that said the same thing, eventually these keys will xyz.....
Can anyone please share real experiences other than pass information from other sources.
Regardless, here is my calculation, I purchased a key for $3~4 and I have really bad luck each time, this kind of key only lasts for 2 months? Let's say a good key for $200, for how long I can survive if I keep buying this kind of keys...
By the way, the vendor that I purchased the key from had really good support and was helpful to address my issues. Lastly , windows 10,11 now is "free" if you don't mind not having it activated but just use it as is. I've been using it for months without activation and did not see any difference after the activation (correct me if I missed something here). However, the point is nowadays Microsoft let us use it for free, why they want to catch these, remember there is always effort and cost if they really want to do it. Now the market is different than years ago, Mac OS is free, Linux is free, Chromebook(with os) is free. Microsoft has been doing extremely well these years (see their stock) . They don't pay attention to the price of Windows. And that's why these keys have been around now but not previously.
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EDIT: Woot issued me a refund
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