Amazon claims all keys sold on its site are genuine, and any gripes you have with your key must be handled by the individual vendors. This final downside is only applicable if you want to equip your PC with Windows 10 Pro for Workstations. Want a version of Windows 10 where you can enjoy dynamic slideshows on your home screen and vibrant red, green, pink, or purple taskbars?
Do you enjoy the thrills of a watermark-free screen and the comfort of knowing you can call Microsoft support if you have any problems? Then you need a key, which, as discussed, you can get from various retailers.
In addition to selling keys for Windows 10 Home and Pro, Microsoft is the only place you can get a key for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations. This plan is valid for a year after activating Windows Microsoft charges the most for Windows 10 keys. If you have an old Windows key you can get Windows 10 free by carrying that key over from a previous build -- that's your best option.
If you don't have a key on hand, you need to decide whether you're comfortable using an unactivated version of Windows 10, which limits your customization options, has an ugly watermark and leaves you ineligible for Microsoft support. Many would argue that downloading Windows without paying for or already owning a product key is ethically wrong.
That said, Microsoft has made this process easier over various Windows iterations and lessened the limitations and nagging that happens when you don't activate. I've even seen well-known vendors and Microsoft partners do press presentations with watermarks on their desktop. If you must buy a Windows 10 key, you can save a lot with a low-cost seller such as Kinguin , although customer service will likely be lacking and isn't the best option if you only want a very specific type of Windows Still, Microsoft's price is astronomically high.
Scharon Harding has a special affinity for gaming peripherals especially monitors , laptops and virtual reality. Previously, she covered business technology, including hardware, software, cyber security, cloud and other IT happenings, at Channelnomics, with bylines at CRN UK.
Scharon Harding. Topics Software. See all comments I bought a key on ebay and it turned out to be a VL key volume. Which works but shouldn't be sold. I contacted the seller and he refunded me. Very good breakdown of the ways to activate Windows Most people don't even realize you can still use a windows 7 key to activate, only after you get into windows, and not during the setup process. I believe this will probably stop working Jan 1, , when Microsoft stops support for windows 7.
One thing that I was hoping for some explanation on key activations, I have seen how some Youtuber's have tied their windows 10 keys to their Microsoft account. Then they only need a handfull of keys, like one for each motherboard vendor, and during setup, then sign into their Microsoft account, and select the key that corresponds to the motherboard their are reviewing. So they can move the keys around, and as long as it was the same brand of motherboard it would activate for that computer, and no longer be active on the old system.
Any thoughts on how this works? Any limitations on how many moves, is this method valid for years so you would never have to buy another key if you stayed with one particular favorite motherboard vendor? On the forums, we see MANY tales of woe concerning aftermarket, 3rd-party, or otherwise dicey Windows keys.
Of course, using an old version's key essentially amounts to a free upgrade, which once upon a time was often provided by software vendors, so if you can use that method, great.
Any attempt to connect to www. Sorry, not getting my business. Thanks for this article. I've been struggling with the idea of buying another copy of Windows 10 for my media machine. It's a PC built from old parts and is currently running Linux.
Has anyone had a good experience with this? Wait a sec TH is legitimizing kinquin? While they might activate today there is no guarantee they will activate a month from now or whenever you decide to reinstall windows from scratch. This article is causing multiple conniptions among the Moderation team.
There are very good reasons why, although tolerated from a couple of well-known sources like Kinguin, none of us ever encourage people to obtain keys this way.
It isn't illegal, so we don't sanction for it, but like I said, the tales of woe are too numerous to go unnoticed. At least the article makes no mention of "activators," which in most cases do represent outright piracy, not to mention the viruses and malware with which they are often laden. Discussions of those are not allowed and are deleted, and sometimes offenders knuckles get rapped with a hammer.
Yes, doing this definitely constitutes a "Do at your own risk". If money is tight, run Win 10 unlicensed, until you can a get known legit key from someone like Newegg. Microsoft allows this, so it is perfectly fine to so, and you don't have to risk losing your hard earned cash.
Access to all personalization options; Microsoft support access; Equivalent to Windows 10 Enterprise; Free. Through the Academic Volume Licensing agreements, schools can purchase access to Windows 10 Education for their students, faculty, and staff. Some make it available only on campus machines. Others will grant a license for use on a home machine.
The catch: You have to sign up for at least one course to qualify for campus discounts. Other states use OnTheHub , which has a tool to look up your school. Many community colleges use OnTheHub as their distributor, so you can use their lookup tool to begin research about your school's options.
The storefront will require verification of your student status before you can "buy" Windows Typical options are usually of the physical education or dance variety swim, ballet, jazz, boot camp workouts, etc.
In those cases, your main options are the OEM license outlined above or buying through Kinguin detailed below. Note: If you use this method, also keep an eye out for other software deals through your school. Kinguin is a website that allows buyers to purchase product keys from third-party sellers—think of it like an eBay or Amazon Marketplace for digital software sales.
Opponents of Kinguin swear the keys will eventually lose their activation status because of their unknown origins. Like on Amazon Marketplace, you pick a specific seller from which to buy the product in this case, the Windows 10 license key. So as mentioned above, if these keys are already somehow tied to an original but unactivated PC, things could go sideways during your own activation process.
On top of that, if the hardware used to identify your system i. Each camp makes valid arguments, so ultimately, your comfort level with risk and gray market goods should determine whether this is the option for you.
If you opt for this path, we recommend ignoring Windows 10 Home. Her favorite article to write is an annual piece combining her two loves : bargain hunting and PC building. You can find her on Twitter at morphingball. How to save serious cash on Windows 10 Closed captioning available on our YouTube channel.
We explain how to get a copy of Windows 10 Home or Pro for cheaper than normal, and even one way to get Windows for free. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission.
