I don't recommend taking a chance with random sellers on eBay or Craigslist--not when there are so many well-established merchants that offer proper warranties and return policies, as well as an assurance that the underlying Windows license is legitimate. Under Microsoft's arcane licensing rules, you can legitimately purchase OEM copies of Windows 7 any edition. However, the license agreement with those copies explicitly prohibits you from using that software on a PC you build or refurbish for your own personal use.
Crazy, huh? ZDNet takes a look back at very best tech stories and features of From the year's tech turkeys to products and services that get business done, we round up top gadgets, cloud highs, security lows -- and much more. Read More. There are no technical limitations to prevent you from using OEM software on your own PC, although this software will work only for a clean installation and not for an upgrade. In the past, Microsoft has been remarkably inconsistent in its advice to customers about whether this practice is allowed.
Don't ask Microsoft. To make the subject even more confusing, Microsoft briefly changed its licensing rules with Windows 8, adding a Personal Use Rights clause that allowed individuals to buy OEM Windows and install it on personal PCs. That change lasted exactly one year: with the launch of Windows 8. The bottom line? Yes, you can install an OEM copy of Windows 7 on a PC for your own personal use; I recommend that you avoid doing so for your business, however, especially if you have a licensing agreement with Microsoft.
Most of the readily available options for new PCs include the latest version of Windows--that's Windows 10 today with many Windows 8.
If you love a particular piece of hardware and your preferred version of Windows 7 isn't available on the build-to-order options list, don't despair. You have four choices available.
If you purchase a new PC with a business version of Windows 8, Windows 8. Note that downgrade rights are not included on systems that ship with the core version of Windows 8, 8. To exercise downgrade rights, you can use media for Windows 7 Professional that you acquire from any source.
During installation, don't enter a product key. After completing installation, you'll need to activate your newly installed copy of Windows 7 by using the telephone activation option and explaining that you are using downgrade rights.
Did you purchase a retail copy of Windows 7 any time in the past six years? Any full or upgrade license purchased through the retail channel or directly from Microsoft can legally be transferred to another PC.
That includes any of the deeply discounted upgrade offers that Microsoft made available when Windows 7 was new, including the three-license Family Packs of Windows 7 Home Premium. If you have the original Windows 7 installation media and product key and have removed the operating system from the PC on which it was originally installed, you can reuse that key on any PC. You might be required to activate over the phone; when asked, be sure to specify truthfully that your copy of Windows 7 is installed on only one PC.
Note that OEM copies of Windows 7 that were installed on PCs by the manufacturer are locked to that device and cannot be transferred. If the PC on which you want to install Windows 7 originally included a license for any version of Windows, you can buy a Windows 7 upgrade license from any vendor that has the software in stock and install that upgrade on your PC.
You don't need to reinstall the old operating system; if you want to perform a clean install using upgrade media, you can use the workaround I describe in this post : Boot from the upgrade media and do an installation without entering a product key. Then use the same media to "upgrade" your brand-new installation. Follow the instructions in this post. The most expensive option is to purchase a full retail license for Windows 7. It's guaranteed to work with any PC, with no installation or licensing complications.
The problem is finding this software, which Microsoft stopped selling years ago. Most online merchants today offer only OEM copies of Windows 7. All the options I described earlier apply to PCs you plan to use in the home or office. But if you're a developer, an IT pro, or a student, you might have a completely different set of needs, including a desire to have one or more PCs running Windows 7 for testing purposes.
Sadly, Microsoft ended the TechNet subscription service in But there are still useful options available to anyone who needs Windows 7 in a lab or virtual machine. 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. All the features of the operating system version are the same for both license types.
The difference is that with a retail license, you can transfer the license key to a different PC later on. The process for activating a Windows 10 OEM license is the same as for a retail license. In exchange for a lower price, you get to use the license key on only one PC, period. Microsoft has historically been kind about such situations, however; you can usually call to reactivate the license after replacing a fried mobo.
But it is an extra hassle. Not all student discounts are reserved for the under set. As mentioned above, license types determine what you can do with Windows—and who can use it, as well. 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. 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 a reseller detailed below. Note: If you use this method, also keep an eye out for other software deals through your school.
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