When the credit cards are reported as stolen and the chargebacks occur, Microsoft deactivates the keys, and those Windows installations are no longer activated—but the criminal gets away with the money people paid for them. Some keys may be education keys intended for students but obtained fraudulently. On really sketchy websites, you may just be purchasing a completely fake key or an already-known key that was used to pirate Windows on multiple systems that has been blocked by Microsoft.
An especially bad website might even steal the credit card number you use to buy the key and use it to start the credit card fraud game anew.
We stuck it in a virtual machine , and it worked for about a year. In other words, at some point in that year, the key we purchased was flagged as bad by Microsoft. Your key may never work in the first place, it may work for a month, or it may never be blacklisted at all.
By purchasing them, you may be supporting criminals who steal credit card numbers. Or, you may be rewarding people who abuse programs set up to help students and encouraging the shutdown of these programs. Even if you luck out and your new key does work forever, purchasing these keys is unethical.
These sites also sell gray-market video game keys, which are also of questionable origin and may be revoked in the future. Polygon, a gaming website, has a good look at the problem with gray market game keys. However, you could run into this problem on many websites. Websites like Amazon. You may have an easier time filing a dispute after buying a shady key from Amazon. Amazon is a huge marketplace, and it has a problem with counterfeiters.
Amazon may not want to help you if your key works for a year before being revoked, either. You can install and use Windows 10 without a product key. It will show you a watermark and nag you a bit, but you can use it without ever paying anything or providing a product key.
This is a good solution for installing Windows in an occasional virtual machine to test software. You can still save money on real Windows licenses, too! Better yet, if you have an old Windows 7 or Windows 8 key, you can still install Windows 10 with that old key.
You may also be eligible for a program that helps you get a key for cheaper. For example, students may be eligible for cheaper or free Windows 10 product keys through their universities.
However, Microsoft has changed its license back and forth over the years, and its messaging has been very confused.
In fact, Microsoft continues selling OEM licenses to people building their own PCs through stores like Amazon without much up-front warning about the licensing issues. Do I need one? Customize the Taskbar in Windows What Is svchost. Browse All Buying Guides. Best iPhone 13 Pro Case. Best Bluetooth Headphones for Switch.
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Best Tech Gifts for Kids Aged Awesome PC Accessories. Best Linux Laptops. Best Bluetooth Trackers. Best eReaders. We've also heard reports of slow customer service. Kinguin hasn't responded to requests for comment. A hint will be if that key is too cheap -- i. And, as with anything else, if you haven't heard of a seller, check their ratings or go elsewhere. No matter where you get your product key, you shouldn't download Windows 10 from anyone besides Microsoft.
At the moment there are a limited number of sites where you can legally purchase digital downloads of Microsoft software. These non-Microsoft websites have varying return policies for software key purchases.
While Kinguin seems to have an open return policy, we've seen reports of the service being too slow or the company insisting on replacing the key instead of refunding it or vice versa.
Amazon and Newegg both have no-refund policies for software keys. 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.
She has a special affinity for gaming peripherals especially monitors , laptops and virtual reality. 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.
