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Microsoft will stop old Windows keys from activating new Windows installs

yomlica8 3y ago
Kind of unfortunate timing as I recently decided to make it a priority to upgrade a VM Windows 7 install this way. I actually started the process a week before the deadline but ran into a cryptic error I didn't have time to resolve.
ulfw 3y ago
What's the point, honestly?
- Theodores 3y ago
  Shareholders. Really they should be fine with licensing to OEMs with it free to install for those that wreck their PC.
SteveNuts 3y ago
Microsoft seems to be very confused on how to monetize Windows (for end user computing at least). It seems like they jump back and forth between: "Do we include ads?" "Sell telemetry data?" "Try to force users to use our browser/search engine to generate ad impressions?" "Should we just make the whole thing free?" Personally, I wish they'd just make home editions free as in beer, make it up by charging businesses the CAL bullshit and office/o365 licenses. They need to develop and support those things anyways, home user revenue must be a drop in the bucket compared to Azure/O365. Especially since OEM PC/laptop purchases generate even less revenue for the Windows license included. Doing so would also make sure your user base is familiar with using Windows on their home devices and carry that over to business use cases. Otherwise tablets not running Windows will continue to eat their lunch.
- grishka 3y ago
  I keep wondering lately what would happen if/when ReactOS becomes mature enough to be usable beyond curious experimentation. For the first time in a long while Microsoft will have to compete with something that has a switching cost close to zero and is free and doesn't do any of the telemetry and dark patterns and other stuff to appease the stakeholders.
  - treyd 3y ago
    There's no organized effort to roll out ReactOS as a first party supported OS on real hardware. I could imagine a future where the EU funds its development to break away from foreign-owned OSes but that's a long shot and they'd probably be more effective just funding development for the Linux based ecosystem.
  - thfuran 3y ago
    Do you think that’s likely to ever actually happen? It has had well over twenty years and isn’t there yet.
    - SteveNuts 3y ago
      I think SteamOS has more traction and momentum, it seems at least in my family and friend group most people just use a tablet (iPad, almost exclusively) for leisure computing and not a laptop anymore. So, that leaves pretty much gamers as a heavy Windows home userbase. I'm sure there's more to the story, those are just my observations of my social circle.
      - jhoechtl 3y ago
        I am glad you used leisure computing an not working. I never experienced anyone doing serious creative work in the sense of creating something on a tablet. In essence they are devices to give your personal data to a third party.
        _23sd 3y ago
        >I never experienced anyone doing serious creative work in the sense of creating something on a tablet. You must not know many illustrators, which is understandable, but I’m not sure I follow the overall point. Are you saying home users still need something to replace Windows for non leisure computing?
- nashashmi 3y ago
  That would be an introduction to antitrust similar to Google experiencing it with making Android free. Continuing that thought, a free OS would hurt other (free) OS's, further hurting competition.
  - adventured 3y ago
    It wouldn't. You can already download and use Windows for free (without activating the product). Consumers, broadly, don't seem to be aware of this however and the vast majority of consumer PC builds are sold through large builders that have Windows install deals with Microsoft (so there's no point for most people to use a non-activated copy of Windows).
  - tibbydudeza 3y ago
    Afaik Google gets a fee from the OEM for the play store/Google Apps.
- baz00 3y ago
  Microsoft have no idea what they are doing. They just throw poo at everything and keep what sticks. Everything is however, still covered in poo.
  - jhoechtl 3y ago
    In all fairness though they do a much better job than Google. Azure certainly is a gold mine.
    - noAnswer 3y ago
      > Azure certainly is a gold mine. I sometimes dream about Microsoft selling Windows. (Because they see it as cost center and make money elsewhere... Or whatever its a dream ok.) It gets picked up by a smoll private company that's just in the business of making a good OS. teary eyes
- doctorpangloss 3y ago
  The purpose of this announcement is to muddle the search for "microsoft key," since for some reason it is finally making the news how catastrophic the Microsoft key breach was. It is similar to https://gizmodo.com/did-boris-johnson-ramble-about-model-buses-to-manipulat-1835903361 https://gizmodo.com/did-boris-johnson-ramble-about-model-bus... .
  - 1024core 3y ago
    What key breach?
    - zamadatix 3y ago
      Email signing key https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/07/14/analysis-of-storm-0558-techniques-for-unauthorized-email-access/ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/07/14/ana... I find the argument completely unconvincing though. That two things which regularly happen are aligned in the news cycle is not reasoning, let alone something so certain to state as if it could only be fact.
      - mrguyorama 3y ago
        Except it's so common it's literally a marketed service of PR firms. This isn't a conspiracy, it's something you can legally buy on the open market. Any company with more than a hundred people should be assumed to at least have conversations with an "image management" consultancy, and bigger/richer companies should be assumed to have an entire team either internally or contracted full time.
        zamadatix 3y ago
        It is a conspiracy (a conspiracy actually requires it be possible to do in the first place as conspiracy doesn't mean "crazy impossible thing that can't happen"), but that's complexly beside the point I'm making and the distraction it provides is expressly why I didn't say the issue with the reasoning was it's a conspiracy. Even if we assume with 100% certainty Microsoft was/is actively interested in engage in a conspiracy to muddy news around "Microsoft keys" they know they don't actually need to bother with all that simply because "Microsoft keys" are already a regular news subject - without hiring a PR firm or actively pushing the news. And this is all besides the points of arguing whether the key signing news is "just now" blowing up in order to even make the two events seem to align. Besides, the truth of "few reading the news actually give a shit about understanding email security keys but anything about free ways to activate Windows changing regularly makes a more popular story" is far more interesting anyways because no amount of wishing the problem was actually a few PR people at $EvilCorp controlling the media instead of people simply not caring will ever explain why the email news story never got to the same popularity in the months and updates (and following month) since it has been out there.
- adventured 3y ago
  You already can use Windows for free. It has very few restrictions if you don't activate, including being unable to change the background image in settings (but you can do it other ways trivially) and it has a watermark that indicates it hasn't been activated yet (someone has probably already figured out how to remove that). You get updates and there is no nag screen that constantly bothers you. https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/ https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key...
  - justsomehnguy 3y ago
    > background image in settings (but you can do it other ways trivially Just select a picture file in the Explorer (or a picture in the most browsers), right click, set as desktop wallpaper. Yes, the only thing blocked is the official settings menu. > watermark that indicates it hasn't been activated yet (someone has probably already figured out how to remove that Which is quite amusing because it's really easier to install non-home version and use KMS activation than patch (and maintain) the anti-watermark patches. Still, there is a difference between running an illegal copy and legal and free copy.
  - SteveNuts 3y ago
    Can you receive updates through windows update officially? I remember that used to be locked down without registration
    - adventured 3y ago
      The non-activated OS will continue to receive major updates including updates related to security. Microsoft isn't well served to have a lot of non-activated copies out there acting as at-risk security zombies.
    - vladvasiliu 3y ago
      Yes, you can. I'm less sure about "receiving updates for other ms products", but I never really knew what that did anyway.
  - 3y ago
- T-A 3y ago
  > OEM PC/laptop purchases generate even less revenue for the Windows license included 286 million PCs shipped in 2022. [1] Subtract 20% for Apple [2] and Linux, multiply by the commonly quoted $50 average OEM license fee [3][4] and you get $11+ billion. Not exactly peanuts. [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/273495/global-shipments-of-personal-computers-since-2006/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/273495/global-shipments-... [2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/576473/united-states-quarterly-pc-shipment-share-apple/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/576473/united-states-qua... [3] https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-OEM-manufacturers-to-sell-computers-with-Windows/answer/Hal-Berenson-1 https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-OEM-manufacturer... [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows#The_%22Windows_tax%22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows#...
zerr 3y ago
Can't imagine anyone shelling out $200 for Windows license for personal use.
- sanitycheck 3y ago
  I've done it, back when it was the product. Now I am the product, I'm less inclined to ever do so again.
- supportengineer 3y ago
  I didn't mind paying for Windows 2000 or Windows 7. In exchange for my money, I received a good product and good customer support and service - even free upgrades years later.
- nightski 3y ago
  There is no reason to, you can pick up a pro license on sale for $40 nowadays.
  - recursive 3y ago
    How? Where? Asking for a friend.
    - nightski 3y ago
      You can get it on Gamespot Deals [1] [1] https://deals.gamespot.com/sales/microsoft-windows-11-pro?scsonar=1 https://deals.gamespot.com/sales/microsoft-windows-11-pro?sc...
    - zerr 3y ago
      Single-digit prices on ebay are not uncommon either.
    - adventured 3y ago
      https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/get-windows-10-free-or-cheap,5717.html https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/get-windows-10-free-or-... https://www.kinguin.net/category/67756/windows-10-professional-online-activation-key https://www.kinguin.net/category/67756/windows-10-profession... Kinguin is one of the largest key reseller portals. It's a legal business. The catch is that some keys don't work and some of the sellers are unreliable. It's not illegal to sell Windows keys however, so Microsoft has been unable to shut down the reseller market (if they could they would, and they certainly have the financial & legal muscle to stop a site like Kinguin instantly if it were illegal). The Tom's Hardware link covers some of that ground. And note that if you buy a key from one of Kinguin's resellers, make sure you buy the online activation version of Windows (otherwise you'll end up on the phone with Microsoft and they'll have to assist you in activation, which they may or may not be inclined to do).
FredPret 3y ago
I reinstalled Windows XP so many times, I ended up memorizing the CD key. I still remember parts of it!
- krasin 3y ago
  The immediate flashback from reading your message: J3QQ4 (but that was probably Windows 98)
  - rbinv 3y ago
    FCKGW-... is the OG XP key.
    - fckgw 3y ago
      Someone call me?
- dageshi 3y ago
  Worked in an IT dept in early 2000's, still recall the office 2000 key code we used, fairly good for passwords honestly.
  - lostapathy 3y ago
    Office 97 was easier - 7777-7777777
    - spogbiper 3y ago
      I think 1111-111111111 worked too
- esalman 3y ago
  CGJ2M-CFTXY-W4RBJ-BWTGB-VH2CB
rany_ 3y ago
Some have speculated that this is why https://old.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/16to3w3/it_has_finally_happened_hwid_activation_for/ https://old.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/16to3w3/it_has_fina... stopped working. I think this is a more reasonable motive than what is being discussed right now in this thread.
dist-epoch 3y ago
Friendly reminder: in EU it's LEGAL to buy resold software licenses even if explicitly forbidden by the EULA. So those $10-$30 Windows licenses are LEGAL if you buy them from a reputable reseller. > An author of software cannot oppose the resale of his "used" licences allowing the use of his programs downloaded from the internet. The exclusive right of distribution of a copy of a computer program covered by such a licence is exhausted on its first sale [PDF] https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-07/cp120094en.pdf https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/201... https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/50462/is-resale-of-windows-10-keys-legal https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/50462/is-resale-of-w...
- darklycan51 3y ago
  What does this have to do with you being able to upgrade to a different software with the same license? they can just block upgrades to 10/11 or even 11 only
  - dist-epoch 3y ago
    At no time did Microsoft (or most software companies) say you can forever upgrade to new versions of Windows for free. If someone is blocked from upgrading, they might consider buying a "used" license instead of a new one.
PaulKeeble 3y ago
I have so far had to reinstall Windows 11 4 times. One of those times was a failed motherboard but 3 of them were Windows and its updates breaking the installation in some way and I was unable to work out how to fix it without reinstalling. If they move to keys not working again I loose something they have offered to me. Microsoft really needs to work out what it intends to do for money in the future around Windows. I do not want ads, telemetry and all the other garbage and I certainly wont pay for it.
- dist-epoch 3y ago
  Typically you can boot from a Windows ISO USB / recovery partition and ask it to repair the main install.
  - vladvasiliu 3y ago
    And does it fix it, typically, or is it like the network troubleshooter that never finds anything wrong and just gives up?
    - PaulKeeble 3y ago
      In my experience the later. I have tried it a few times over the years and its never worked.
- kyriakos 3y ago
  Experiences differ. I run 4 windows PCs in my household, one has been on a single install since windows 8,just in place upgrading and moving on. Needed some hacks to get 11 installed since the cpu is unsupported but worked without any problems nevertheless.
deleted 3y ago
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animesh 3y ago
I am safe if I take Windows 10 from a 2014 laptop and use it to build a desktop. Right?
- fckgw 3y ago
  You're breaking the license agreement (licenses are tied to the hardware and die with the hardware) but there's no technical limitations, no.
  - animesh 3y ago
    Oh, wow. I did not somehow know that. What would entail if they were to enforce it? Do they even enforce this?
    - fckgw 3y ago
      Not for consumers. Probably a big stick over the head if you tried this in a business. Get sued if you did this at a repair shop (pretty sure there's been several cases)
  - poizan42 3y ago
    As I understand that restriction has been ruled invalid in the EU[1]. I don't know what the situation is in the US. [1] Case C-128/11. European Court of Justice. USEDSOFT GmbH vs. ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORP
deleted 3y ago
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redder23 3y ago
My Windows 11 install recently was already such a pain in the ass. I had to open a command prompt and enter in some commands just to be able to install Win11 without a fucking M$ account. Seriously not even disconnecting LAN gives you the option. It was a new install and it worked using the "key" or activation from my previous Win10 install that I used a 10€ win7 key for. I do not think I have the key in my bios because its self build rig that I bought without windows. I still need windows for playing AAA games unfortunately. I am going back to cracking windows if they not allow to activate it with some cheap win7 key. They already spy on me, try to force me to use a fucking online account for a OS, that is insanity why should I feel the need to give them money? When I was young I just did not give a fuck and was poor, I never really had a "moral" thought about cracking my windows, it just what my friends and I always did. We saved the money for a better rig instead. But when I learned about the win7 key method for win10 so I bought myself one on ebay once. But now that M$ has evolved into a digital bully I even feel good about it. They are not even offering a "get out of jail" option that cuts all the ads and spying for a extortion fee right? They want both my money and my data. They are not getting it! Well at least I hope so I used https://github.com/builtbybel/BloatyNosy https://github.com/builtbybel/BloatyNosy to try to disable all the spying after installing with a local only account. Valve is unfortunately still not all the way there with Proton. But I think there will be a day in my life where I will remove my Windows partition with great pleasure and only use Linux.
lakomen 3y ago
Great ... typical Microsoft again, unlimited greed. I was planning to redo my laptop, put in some new drives, remove old ones, maybe upgrade the gpu if possible at all. It would mean installing win10 again, but it has a built-in windows 8 key. So that would mean I'd have to double pay. I'm pretty sure this is against some law in the EU at least.
tibbydudeza 3y ago
I just ordered a new PC - pulled the old SSD from my i7-6700 and shoved it into my new PC - changed BIOS boot settings and it booted up - it took a few minutes to load new drivers. Windows 11 Pro non OEM key. After booting it complained about activation, but I just re-activated it - very impressed and revealed I did not spend a day to install and reconfigure - it was new CPU - new motherboard - new GPU.

Kind of unfortunate timing as I recently decided to make it a priority to upgrade a VM Windows 7 install this way. I actually started the process a week before the deadline but ran into a cryptic error I didn't have time to resolve.

ulfw 3y ago

What's the point, honestly?

Theodores 3y ago
Shareholders. Really they should be fine with licensing to OEMs with it free to install for those that wreck their PC.

SteveNuts 3y ago

Microsoft seems to be very confused on how to monetize Windows (for end user computing at least). It seems like they jump back and forth between: "Do we include ads?" "Sell telemetry data?" "Try to force users to use our browser/search engine to generate ad impressions?" "Should we just make the whole thing free?" Personally, I wish they'd just make home editions free as in beer, make it up by charging businesses the CAL bullshit and office/o365 licenses. They need to develop and support those things anyways, home user revenue must be a drop in the bucket compared to Azure/O365. Especially since OEM PC/laptop purchases generate even less revenue for the Windows license included. Doing so would also make sure your user base is familiar with using Windows on their home devices and carry that over to business use cases. Otherwise tablets not running Windows will continue to eat their lunch.

grishka 3y ago
I keep wondering lately what would happen if/when ReactOS becomes mature enough to be usable beyond curious experimentation. For the first time in a long while Microsoft will have to compete with something that has a switching cost close to zero and is free and doesn't do any of the telemetry and dark patterns and other stuff to appease the stakeholders.
- treyd 3y ago
  There's no organized effort to roll out ReactOS as a first party supported OS on real hardware. I could imagine a future where the EU funds its development to break away from foreign-owned OSes but that's a long shot and they'd probably be more effective just funding development for the Linux based ecosystem.
- thfuran 3y ago
  Do you think that’s likely to ever actually happen? It has had well over twenty years and isn’t there yet.
  - SteveNuts 3y ago
    I think SteamOS has more traction and momentum, it seems at least in my family and friend group most people just use a tablet (iPad, almost exclusively) for leisure computing and not a laptop anymore. So, that leaves pretty much gamers as a heavy Windows home userbase. I'm sure there's more to the story, those are just my observations of my social circle.
    - jhoechtl 3y ago
      I am glad you used leisure computing an not working. I never experienced anyone doing serious creative work in the sense of creating something on a tablet. In essence they are devices to give your personal data to a third party.
      - _23sd 3y ago
        >I never experienced anyone doing serious creative work in the sense of creating something on a tablet. You must not know many illustrators, which is understandable, but I’m not sure I follow the overall point. Are you saying home users still need something to replace Windows for non leisure computing?
nashashmi 3y ago
That would be an introduction to antitrust similar to Google experiencing it with making Android free. Continuing that thought, a free OS would hurt other (free) OS's, further hurting competition.
- adventured 3y ago
  It wouldn't. You can already download and use Windows for free (without activating the product). Consumers, broadly, don't seem to be aware of this however and the vast majority of consumer PC builds are sold through large builders that have Windows install deals with Microsoft (so there's no point for most people to use a non-activated copy of Windows).
- tibbydudeza 3y ago
  Afaik Google gets a fee from the OEM for the play store/Google Apps.
baz00 3y ago
Microsoft have no idea what they are doing. They just throw poo at everything and keep what sticks. Everything is however, still covered in poo.
- jhoechtl 3y ago
  In all fairness though they do a much better job than Google. Azure certainly is a gold mine.
  - noAnswer 3y ago
    > Azure certainly is a gold mine. I sometimes dream about Microsoft selling Windows. (Because they see it as cost center and make money elsewhere... Or whatever its a dream ok.) It gets picked up by a smoll private company that's just in the business of making a good OS. teary eyes
doctorpangloss 3y ago
The purpose of this announcement is to muddle the search for "microsoft key," since for some reason it is finally making the news how catastrophic the Microsoft key breach was. It is similar to https://gizmodo.com/did-boris-johnson-ramble-about-model-buses-to-manipulat-1835903361 https://gizmodo.com/did-boris-johnson-ramble-about-model-bus... .
- 1024core 3y ago
  What key breach?
  - zamadatix 3y ago
    Email signing key https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/07/14/analysis-of-storm-0558-techniques-for-unauthorized-email-access/ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/07/14/ana... I find the argument completely unconvincing though. That two things which regularly happen are aligned in the news cycle is not reasoning, let alone something so certain to state as if it could only be fact.
    - mrguyorama 3y ago
      Except it's so common it's literally a marketed service of PR firms. This isn't a conspiracy, it's something you can legally buy on the open market. Any company with more than a hundred people should be assumed to at least have conversations with an "image management" consultancy, and bigger/richer companies should be assumed to have an entire team either internally or contracted full time.
      - zamadatix 3y ago
        It is a conspiracy (a conspiracy actually requires it be possible to do in the first place as conspiracy doesn't mean "crazy impossible thing that can't happen"), but that's complexly beside the point I'm making and the distraction it provides is expressly why I didn't say the issue with the reasoning was it's a conspiracy. Even if we assume with 100% certainty Microsoft was/is actively interested in engage in a conspiracy to muddy news around "Microsoft keys" they know they don't actually need to bother with all that simply because "Microsoft keys" are already a regular news subject - without hiring a PR firm or actively pushing the news. And this is all besides the points of arguing whether the key signing news is "just now" blowing up in order to even make the two events seem to align. Besides, the truth of "few reading the news actually give a shit about understanding email security keys but anything about free ways to activate Windows changing regularly makes a more popular story" is far more interesting anyways because no amount of wishing the problem was actually a few PR people at $EvilCorp controlling the media instead of people simply not caring will ever explain why the email news story never got to the same popularity in the months and updates (and following month) since it has been out there.
adventured 3y ago
You already can use Windows for free. It has very few restrictions if you don't activate, including being unable to change the background image in settings (but you can do it other ways trivially) and it has a watermark that indicates it hasn't been activated yet (someone has probably already figured out how to remove that). You get updates and there is no nag screen that constantly bothers you. https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/ https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key...
- justsomehnguy 3y ago
  > background image in settings (but you can do it other ways trivially Just select a picture file in the Explorer (or a picture in the most browsers), right click, set as desktop wallpaper. Yes, the only thing blocked is the official settings menu. > watermark that indicates it hasn't been activated yet (someone has probably already figured out how to remove that Which is quite amusing because it's really easier to install non-home version and use KMS activation than patch (and maintain) the anti-watermark patches. Still, there is a difference between running an illegal copy and legal and free copy.
- SteveNuts 3y ago
  Can you receive updates through windows update officially? I remember that used to be locked down without registration
  - adventured 3y ago
    The non-activated OS will continue to receive major updates including updates related to security. Microsoft isn't well served to have a lot of non-activated copies out there acting as at-risk security zombies.
  - vladvasiliu 3y ago
    Yes, you can. I'm less sure about "receiving updates for other ms products", but I never really knew what that did anyway.
- 3y ago
T-A 3y ago
> OEM PC/laptop purchases generate even less revenue for the Windows license included 286 million PCs shipped in 2022. [1] Subtract 20% for Apple [2] and Linux, multiply by the commonly quoted $50 average OEM license fee [3][4] and you get $11+ billion. Not exactly peanuts. [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/273495/global-shipments-of-personal-computers-since-2006/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/273495/global-shipments-... [2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/576473/united-states-quarterly-pc-shipment-share-apple/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/576473/united-states-qua... [3] https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-OEM-manufacturers-to-sell-computers-with-Windows/answer/Hal-Berenson-1 https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-OEM-manufacturer... [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows#The_%22Windows_tax%22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows#...

zerr 3y ago

Can't imagine anyone shelling out $200 for Windows license for personal use.

sanitycheck 3y ago
I've done it, back when it was the product. Now I am the product, I'm less inclined to ever do so again.
supportengineer 3y ago
I didn't mind paying for Windows 2000 or Windows 7. In exchange for my money, I received a good product and good customer support and service - even free upgrades years later.
nightski 3y ago
There is no reason to, you can pick up a pro license on sale for $40 nowadays.
- recursive 3y ago
  How? Where? Asking for a friend.
  - nightski 3y ago
    You can get it on Gamespot Deals [1] [1] https://deals.gamespot.com/sales/microsoft-windows-11-pro?scsonar=1 https://deals.gamespot.com/sales/microsoft-windows-11-pro?sc...
  - zerr 3y ago
    Single-digit prices on ebay are not uncommon either.
  - adventured 3y ago
    https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/get-windows-10-free-or-cheap,5717.html https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/get-windows-10-free-or-... https://www.kinguin.net/category/67756/windows-10-professional-online-activation-key https://www.kinguin.net/category/67756/windows-10-profession... Kinguin is one of the largest key reseller portals. It's a legal business. The catch is that some keys don't work and some of the sellers are unreliable. It's not illegal to sell Windows keys however, so Microsoft has been unable to shut down the reseller market (if they could they would, and they certainly have the financial & legal muscle to stop a site like Kinguin instantly if it were illegal). The Tom's Hardware link covers some of that ground. And note that if you buy a key from one of Kinguin's resellers, make sure you buy the online activation version of Windows (otherwise you'll end up on the phone with Microsoft and they'll have to assist you in activation, which they may or may not be inclined to do).

FredPret 3y ago

I reinstalled Windows XP so many times, I ended up memorizing the CD key. I still remember parts of it!

krasin 3y ago
The immediate flashback from reading your message: J3QQ4 (but that was probably Windows 98)
- rbinv 3y ago
  FCKGW-... is the OG XP key.
  - fckgw 3y ago
    Someone call me?
dageshi 3y ago
Worked in an IT dept in early 2000's, still recall the office 2000 key code we used, fairly good for passwords honestly.
- lostapathy 3y ago
  Office 97 was easier - 7777-7777777
  - spogbiper 3y ago
    I think 1111-111111111 worked too
esalman 3y ago
CGJ2M-CFTXY-W4RBJ-BWTGB-VH2CB

rany_ 3y ago

Some have speculated that this is why https://old.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/16to3w3/it_has_finally_happened_hwid_activation_for/ https://old.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/16to3w3/it_has_fina... stopped working. I think this is a more reasonable motive than what is being discussed right now in this thread.

dist-epoch 3y ago

Friendly reminder: in EU it's LEGAL to buy resold software licenses even if explicitly forbidden by the EULA. So those $10-$30 Windows licenses are LEGAL if you buy them from a reputable reseller. > An author of software cannot oppose the resale of his "used" licences allowing the use of his programs downloaded from the internet. The exclusive right of distribution of a copy of a computer program covered by such a licence is exhausted on its first sale [PDF] https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-07/cp120094en.pdf https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/201... https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/50462/is-resale-of-windows-10-keys-legal https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/50462/is-resale-of-w...

darklycan51 3y ago
What does this have to do with you being able to upgrade to a different software with the same license? they can just block upgrades to 10/11 or even 11 only
- dist-epoch 3y ago
  At no time did Microsoft (or most software companies) say you can forever upgrade to new versions of Windows for free. If someone is blocked from upgrading, they might consider buying a "used" license instead of a new one.

PaulKeeble 3y ago

I have so far had to reinstall Windows 11 4 times. One of those times was a failed motherboard but 3 of them were Windows and its updates breaking the installation in some way and I was unable to work out how to fix it without reinstalling. If they move to keys not working again I loose something they have offered to me. Microsoft really needs to work out what it intends to do for money in the future around Windows. I do not want ads, telemetry and all the other garbage and I certainly wont pay for it.

dist-epoch 3y ago
Typically you can boot from a Windows ISO USB / recovery partition and ask it to repair the main install.
- vladvasiliu 3y ago
  And does it fix it, typically, or is it like the network troubleshooter that never finds anything wrong and just gives up?
  - PaulKeeble 3y ago
    In my experience the later. I have tried it a few times over the years and its never worked.
kyriakos 3y ago
Experiences differ. I run 4 windows PCs in my household, one has been on a single install since windows 8,just in place upgrading and moving on. Needed some hacks to get 11 installed since the cpu is unsupported but worked without any problems nevertheless.

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animesh 3y ago

I am safe if I take Windows 10 from a 2014 laptop and use it to build a desktop. Right?

fckgw 3y ago
You're breaking the license agreement (licenses are tied to the hardware and die with the hardware) but there's no technical limitations, no.
- animesh 3y ago
  Oh, wow. I did not somehow know that. What would entail if they were to enforce it? Do they even enforce this?
  - fckgw 3y ago
    Not for consumers. Probably a big stick over the head if you tried this in a business. Get sued if you did this at a repair shop (pretty sure there's been several cases)
- poizan42 3y ago
  As I understand that restriction has been ruled invalid in the EU[1]. I don't know what the situation is in the US. [1] Case C-128/11. European Court of Justice. USEDSOFT GmbH vs. ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORP

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redder23 3y ago

My Windows 11 install recently was already such a pain in the ass. I had to open a command prompt and enter in some commands just to be able to install Win11 without a fucking M$ account. Seriously not even disconnecting LAN gives you the option. It was a new install and it worked using the "key" or activation from my previous Win10 install that I used a 10€ win7 key for. I do not think I have the key in my bios because its self build rig that I bought without windows. I still need windows for playing AAA games unfortunately. I am going back to cracking windows if they not allow to activate it with some cheap win7 key. They already spy on me, try to force me to use a fucking online account for a OS, that is insanity why should I feel the need to give them money? When I was young I just did not give a fuck and was poor, I never really had a "moral" thought about cracking my windows, it just what my friends and I always did. We saved the money for a better rig instead. But when I learned about the win7 key method for win10 so I bought myself one on ebay once. But now that M$ has evolved into a digital bully I even feel good about it. They are not even offering a "get out of jail" option that cuts all the ads and spying for a extortion fee right? They want both my money and my data. They are not getting it! Well at least I hope so I used https://github.com/builtbybel/BloatyNosy https://github.com/builtbybel/BloatyNosy to try to disable all the spying after installing with a local only account. Valve is unfortunately still not all the way there with Proton. But I think there will be a day in my life where I will remove my Windows partition with great pleasure and only use Linux.

lakomen 3y ago

Great ... typical Microsoft again, unlimited greed. I was planning to redo my laptop, put in some new drives, remove old ones, maybe upgrade the gpu if possible at all. It would mean installing win10 again, but it has a built-in windows 8 key. So that would mean I'd have to double pay. I'm pretty sure this is against some law in the EU at least.

tibbydudeza 3y ago

I just ordered a new PC - pulled the old SSD from my i7-6700 and shoved it into my new PC - changed BIOS boot settings and it booted up - it took a few minutes to load new drivers. Windows 11 Pro non OEM key. After booting it complained about activation, but I just re-activated it - very impressed and revealed I did not spend a day to install and reconfigure - it was new CPU - new motherboard - new GPU.