After a Win10 key so was looking at past deals, credit to Darkness92 for the previous deal. Also credit to Nofighting for coupon code. Found that it has price dropped further, pay in GBP to get the best conversion .
Got my popcorn ready, can't wait for another round of ozbargain comments.
Looks like they did lol
I aspire to be the next JV lol
There is a possibility this license key will be revoked in the future.
It might not, but it can and does happen.
Still a steal if you need a key though.
Ba dum tiiisshhhh….
At this price, I'm risking it. What happens when the license gets revoked? Can I still log in and copy my stuff off? Anyone?
Yeah. It acts like you didn't have a window activated. You can simply rearm it
Cool. Thanks.
And you can buy another $15 key. You can go through a lot of $15 keys before it's cost as much as a retail key.
Still functions, you just have to put up with a watermark, and you probably won't get updates, but to many people that is seen as a good thing.
Cool. Thanks. Should be fine then.
You can run Windows 10 PRO without ever activating it. I have bought several Windows 10 licenses before I actually found this out, so far I have managed to run it on two Windows 10 virtualization desktops for the past 3 months without activation, I get all updates and have never had a nagging window telling me to activate. It seems Microsoft is basically giving 10 away - http://www.windowscentral.com/you-do-not-need-activate-windo…
of course, it's a good idea to pay and support Microsoft, they need all the help they can get….
I'll say it for everyone else. Technically it should be sold with new hardware HOWEVER it'll still work fine regardless.
Furthermore, Microsoft don't even care if you're using OEM without new hardware. PC Case Gear were find $250,000 for dodgy Win7 COA's from Microsoft and are still selling Windows OEM copies. You would think MS would stop that too?
As long as MS is still making money off OEM copies, I don't see a problem. Better for MS that people buy OEM copies without qualifying hardware than for them to turn to piracy.
I've gone through dozens of Microsoft audits and they've only ever cared about Server CALs.
Can I install it to my 4 years old new laptop?
Is it similar to the ones at reddit. I have not checked that for quite some time. Is it a good price to go ahead?
Yeah it'll activate fine. Reddit keys are usually fine, but on a rare occasion they'll have a VL/MSDN key instead. This deal is safe.
Thanks. I had win 7 on it and didnt upgrade it for free. Cant we install using Windows insider program? Not sure if it is Pro edition or not.
@Gaggy: You can download the Media Installer to make a USB or ISO for windows 10 install, then input the windows 7 key. it should still work
@nairdajun: Oh, I didn't know that. That means I can install win 10 again in case something happens to my upgraded win 10 PC?
@ausbob71: you can still do it under the disability program. I never tried it myself though.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/accessibility/windows10upgra…
@ausbob71: Did you download/make the latest image? The newest windows 10 install is a multi version. If you had the old "pro" install usb image or ISO, it wont work unless you have a win7 pro key.
Source: i completed it just 2 weeks ago
@Gaggy: just install win10 pro on the same machine, enter the printed win7 product key in win10 activation.
If you're installing win10 over win8(which has no printer sticker) go into win10 activation, then troubleshoot, it should find a digital licence, click apply. I've done around 10 upgrades on corporate PCs this way.
If it fails, you'll need to call the manufacturer for the product key, HP in my case.
@neil aus: I wasn't able to read the product key on the bottom of the laptop so have been using windows 10 without registering it for a month or so after upgrading to a ssd. The other day I used software to extract the windows 7 product key from the old hard drive but when I put the key into windows 10 activation it came back as invalid.
@nairdajun: I downloaded the latest windows 10 home iso and installed it from a flash drive. In hindsight I probably should have upgraded to windows 10 on the existing drive instead of doing a clean install on the ssd. I had a message coming up for months about upgrading for free but just kept putting it off as windows 7 was working ok:)
Clean install should still work. Upon installation enter windows 7 pro key for pro version should still accept
@Ryballs: I tried that twice. It downloads and installs windows 10, but stops at 99%. Nothing happens afterwards. Will try again on weekend. Hope it works.
Upvote from me, happily using another OEM key :)
Now let's see how far negative this vote gets from people who likely use torrents ;)
honestly I'm using windows 10 Professional for free, I never pay any windows seperately except it was compulsory when I purchased laptops
So you use a hax0red version?
Surely the OS on your system is important enough to spend a bit of money on. I'm not saying pay full price - but at least go with an OEM key to get a nice clean version.
I know it might be unlikely but the risks of any kind of exploits in the 'crack' on your base OS could be enough to mess up your day/week…
I really have no idea what you're talking. I am using very clean and genuine from Microsoft, zero action taken. No crack, no torrents. the only kind exploiting is my damn Lenovo laptop. (hint: I got offer free upgrade from Windows 7 to 10)
@ntt: well, you paid for a windows licence in the price of you hardware, an OEM licence which your using. This is the best way to buy licences.
Simply going to quote what I said last time. Complete waste of money.
You're paying money to achieve the same level of legitimacy as a pirated copy of Windows… How smart.
How so? It's completely activated
So is a cracked version. I believe technically it is illegal to buy an OEM key like this which is Tyrx's point.
So is a cracked version. I believe technically it is illegal to buy an OEM key like this which is Tyrx's point.
Cracked version is not activated. It only thinks its activated. The activation server does not recognize it.
With these keys, it is activated on both ends.
Depends on the crack. Same difference really. I believe it is still against Microsofts terms to buy an OEM key in this manner.
he is saying its wasting money to buy key?
i downloaded mine from a warez site the other week preactivated windows defender and windows update pre blocked with windows office pre installed
So this way you can pay a small amount of money and have a fully activated copy that allows you to receive all updates as intended and utilise Windows Defender for antivirus. I'd pay that.
Unactivated and/or pirated copies of Windows still receive updates, including the security ones. They simply don't get the optional updates, and those are totally worthless. mp3police doesn't get updates because he installed Windows with a modified ISO, presumably to protect the pirated Office installation from being deactivated through the microsoft updates. I also won't rely on Windows Defender - its performance in benchmarks is terrible, and many other free antivirus solutions (AVG, etc) are far superior.
@DarkRyoushii: Also, you know that it doesn't have any malware in it (other than what MS put in there) because you downloaded it from MS rather than a warez source.
You're not purchasing the software, but rather you purchase the right to use the software as stipulated in the license agreement. These keys were only intended to be acquired and used by assemblers and server manufacturers, which means that the license agreement is invalid if you take up this deal as an end-user. Despite the fact that the key will activate in Windows, you're still purchasing nothing because the license agreement is invalid…
Pirate users are exactly the same in that they do not have a vaild license agreement to use the software. They might still be able to use the software and "activate" Windows, but they still do not have that vaild license agreement. That is what ultimately matters in determining if your copy of Windows is legitimate or not. That's why taking up deals like this is absurd - it's literally pissing money away.
Correct. The only one benefiting from any of this is Gamesdeal. Microsoft won't consider you a valid user. You're not getting what you've paid for. Meanwhile, Gamesdeal gets $18 from you, when you could have just grabbed a copy from a torrent site.
An assembler can be yourself ….Hence they also sell OEM.license for one machine and it comes as a pack with a key.
The thing is about user support, retail license has Microsoft help desk support OEM you go back to who built the machine ….In this case yourself, unless it was built for you by a shop, then hassle them.
Pirate users are exactly the same in that they do not have a vaild license agreement to use the software. They might still be able to use the software and "activate" Windows, but they still do not have that vaild license agreement. That is what ultimately matters in determining if your copy of Windows is legitimate or not.
In the eyes of the "law" or rather, the rules set up at Microsoft's discretion, it does not meet the license agreement.
In the eyes of Microsoft's activation servers, this copy is legit. That is all that matters from an end user's practicality viewpoint.
And that is the key difference between a cracked copy and an OEM copy obtained without new hardware.
You're not going to be taken to court because you used an OEM copy without buying a new machine. It wouldn't even fly. There are so many ways to get out of this it's not even funny. You installed it on a new machine, and then started changing parts out of that machine one by one. It's still "technically" the same machine though.
Pirate users are exactly the same in that they do not have a vaild license agreement to use the software. They might still be able to use the software and "activate" Windows, but they still do not have that vaild license agreement. That is what ultimately matters in determining if your copy of Windows is legitimate or not.
No one cares whether your copy is "legitimate" according to the agreement or not. As long as it's legitimate according to Microsoft's remote activation server, everyone is happy and no one is going to go after you. Everyone sees it as legit. The licensing agreement is just a gentleman's agreement that means nothing, is not checked or enforced, is not a requirement for the software to function, and has no value.
I don't see this practice as being less honest than using a fake US address and/or VPN to purchase something either not available to Australia or at a price cheaper than the local pricing. Or using a VPN/Proxy to access Netflix or other streaming video content not made available in this country. If you don't condone using an OEM copy of Windows in a machine not purchased with the copy, then you must also frown upon anyone who uses VPNs to bypass geolocking or price discrimination.
That's why taking up deals like this is absurd - it's literally pissing money away.
It is not pissing money away to get a copy that activates legitimitely in the eyes of the server. A cracked copy never activates. It just uses some custom server not controlled by MS to activate it. The difference in useability should not be understated. A cracked copy requires Microsoft Toolkit to run in the background and talk to a fake activation server every time you boot. This toolkit uses up considerable resources and is noticable if you have an older system with less RAM. A copy purchased here does not have that problem. No toolkits or fake activation servers needed. This is worth paying for.
Secondly, you need to be less liberal in your use of the term "literally". You are not literally pissing money away unless money is coming out of your urethra and into the toilet bowl. Please don't butcher words.
It's completely activated
Exactly and MS own servers at that. They don't care because it means a larger market share for Windows 10.
I'm not sure the whole "Must be sold with hardware" part acutally applies the the buyer anyway…
But with less hassle than playing cat and mouse with M$.
So build a system using this OEM licence and 'sell' it to yourself, licence becomes legal as it meets the T&Cs ;)
You can not sell an item to yourself. A contract must involve two or more parties.
Might work selling to the imaginery friend.
whoosh….. My point was, the licence is 'valid' as in its not a pirated licence like some are saying. Its TECHNICALLY invalid, as it didn't meet the T&C's which is it much be sold with a completed 'system'. Hence sell it to yourself to be 'legal'.
MS flip flops on this, a few years ago they had a personal use clause in the OEM T&Cs, so you didn't need to resell it to be legal, but was removed in Windows 8.1 again.
At the end of the day, MS has no tracking when a OEM licence like this is 'resold' as a completed system, so they won't go around and 'pull' the keys for not meeting this requirement, nor will they track down single home users for breaching T&Cs of an OEM licence.
no, with an OEM key, if you need to reactivate, called the Microsoft support line, they give you a new number …. very long so have a pen handy. I had to do it because I changed motherboard and CPU (mother board died and couldn't get another one for the same gen CPU) but kept the hardrive ……very easy process.
Although I have a fully legit windows, I would definitely argue this is totally incorrect. A Pirated copy of windows you have no guarantee of what other interesting changes were done before being offered on the warez site. If you get a key, you download direct from MS, with appropriate CRC etc that you have a legit copy.
Instead of funding key resellers making a profit from probably stolen or otherwise illegitimately obtained keys, but the publisher/developer isn't going to get any money from you either way, why don't you just go the whole hog and and just pirate it outright?
If you're worried about Activation, Microsoft will give you an unchecked activation if you use it on the Windows Insider Program - https://insider.windows.com/ - Which is basically an honour system.
Here's what's really going on: http://www.fortressofdoors.com/g2a-piracy-and-the-four-curre…
I know that it's a different key reseller than g2a and it's Microsoft, a massive company, but the concepts are the same that you are basically funding fraud rings and someone is losing out with real damages somewhere on the chain.
At the end of the day, charge a reasonable price and people won't pirate…
$50 for Windows pro - I'd pay
$15 for office - just paid through hup
$50 for photoshop/lightroom etc
More people buying your software at a cheaper price would likely outweigh few people buying at expensive price.
True. Companies get greedy and loose on sales.
Forgive my ignorance but I'm looking for a cheap legal version of office 2016 professional. Any ideas on how to get one?
Student and corporate programs. They're the cheapest.
Microsoft opted for a subscription model now, so they expect you to fork out money every year. It's pretty ridiculous, honestly.
OpenOffice is a free alternative.
@Wonderfool: subscription model is completely optional (at least at this point), you can buy outright or subscribe.
I don't think MS cares about money. They gave a free upgrade for a year which would have cost them considerable revenue. And they tried to force users to make that upgrade even when they didn't want to.
They just don't want to devalue the OS by selling it officially for $20, because people will look at what used to cost $200 (XP Pro retailed for $450) and think for $20 it must be crap or incomplete. It has to maintain the perception of value. But they do want everyone to be on Win 10.
The free upgrade is probably to save them money by supporting a single platform, and to create a bigger share of the market using Windows 10. Add in the windows app store and a few other things and the money flows in. It's just a longer term profit plan than the shorter term plan of charging people to go from 7-10.
why don't you just go the whole hog and and just pirate it outright?
Okay.
Pssst …Hey kid! wanna buy a Windows license?
"Got sumthin' that might interest ya, stranger" [Opens trenchcoat to reveal a plethora of burnt DVD's]
Going to put this here in case anybody finds use out of it:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/accessibility/windows10upgra…
Upgraded my old laptop from W7 to W10 with that yesterday since I wasn't getting that prompt thingy in the corner.
Just putting it out there
Windows 10 free upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgra…
FAQ
When does the free upgrade offer extension end?
We have not announced an end date of the free upgrade offer for customers using assistive technology. We will make a public announcement prior to ending the offer.Why should I upgrade to Windows 10?
Windows 10 offers experiences that are familiar, safer and more secure, and more personal and productive – enabling innovative new experiences. With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, even more features and improvements in accessibility are available.What assistive technologies are eligible for the extension?
We are not restricting the free upgrade offer to specific assistive technologies. If you use assistive technology on Windows, you are eligible for the free upgrade offer.I’m planning on purchasing a third-party AT that I had not needed previously. Will the upgrade extension still be valid?
Yes. If you require assistive technology on Windows, you are eligible for the free upgrade offer.
Yes good point. And I see no difference between saying you are a 'system builder' and saying you use 'assitive technologies'. Not sure why these deals attract so many down votes? Because they don't technically meet some corporations in-house rules?
they get downvotes because they are piracy. You are basically paying for a pirated copy which while it may activated is not actually licensed and may be revoked at any time. If you are going to pirate then why pay money.
I thought it was OEM which is not pirated?
@EightImmortals: more than likely it is resold msdn keys or resold keys purchased with stolen cards like they do on reddit as even OEM prices are significantly higher.
and to top it off http://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/gamesdeal.com
Honestly, using W10 without a key isn't that bad…
until you get that message that says you do not have the licence and everything freezes, leaving your data irretrivable until you do pay or find a workaround (happened with 7, will happen again, but regedit is a beautiful thing). If it works the same way when the day comes, you usually have 28 days from the initial warning until your system is junk.
regedit is not a beautiful thing. The registry is everything that is wrong with Windows.
regedit is not a beautiful thing. The registry is everything that is wrong with Windows.
Do explain how a central repository of system and user configuration parameters (and API to use it) is more wrong than a bunch of files with various extensions (*.ini, *.conf, *.cnf, *.cfg, *.cf, etc.) in various formats and various locations.
@AlexF: IMO, Lack of documentation of each and every key in the registry is what's wrong, not the registry itself.
@AlexF: Yes. I use Linux on my desktop and one of the things that annoys me the most is the lack of centralisation. Some settings can be changed in the GUI, some in a text file, some you're better off downloading a new app to act as a GUI, etc. The registry can be messy when it's not maintained, but file storage doesn't solve that problem.
Lack of documentation of each and every key in the registry
It's up to developer to document their product.
The messages and prompts it sometimes gives you if you don't have a legit copy can be a bit annoying, but agreed, it's generally pretty ok.
Site seems broken. Can't add to cart, and trying PayPal checkout throws a Magento error page :(
Just sayin' - I rebuilt a kerbside pc the other day and used the old link for free special needs Win 10 and it worked. About 5 days ago. Note if upgrading from Win 7, do an update, restart then turn OFF updates, or you will get stuck in a loop at 99%
if you have not noticed, this is Windows 10 professional license which has further virtual remote capabilities, group policies etc.
You can do those easily in the home version with additional software or work-arounds…
Just bought one for $20AUD using PayPal.
Yes, the page crashed once (got a 502 error) and also could not add "Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit" to the cart but I could add the 32-bit one, and they are basically the same, you can use 32-bit KEY in a 64-bit Windows, there is no difference really. Also you can add the 64-bit version to the cart when adding the 32-bit one if you tick below under related products (then you can remove one from the cart).
Key arrived faster than it took me to write this and my Windows activated fine (been using it without activation for almost a year).
PayPal keeps crashing tried three times
No emails come through so assumed the transaction didn't work
Does W10 freeze and lock you out like W7 used to when you don't have a key? Thought I saw something that said all W10 does is make a message in the lower right of the screen but remained fully functional.
????? Fact or fiction ????
edit… someone has reported this listing as illegal… pfffttt :-(
I tried to warn them about that, but y'know ozB and all. I do remember Microsoft saying they would give everyone time to change over when they brought it out, I would put money on a lock-out by the end of next year.
OK… so it is true.. a W10 install without a key is still fully functional but with a transparent warning in the corner? A key is not needed?
I do not know, I have not used an unlicensed version, you can still get the home addition for free, the criteria for "assistive technology" is not clearly defined, I am sure you can justify that you need your tech for your health in some way.
Never had this before …
We would like to inform you that your order has been blocked by our security system and your transaction is“pending payment verification.”To unblock your purchase, please do the following phone verification steps:
Step 1: Please input your phone no. (only digits / no special characters) and click the "Call me" button.
Step 2: You will receive a call shortly with your Verification Code.
Step 3: Input the VerificationCode that you received.
Paypal txt you a code now… but I thought you had to sign up for the service?
got this too, after paypal payment on the Gamesdeal website. But just got key via email 3 minutes later
Same here, but no call and then got this
"Unfortunately
the verification was not successful. Don't worry, our staff will now have a look and check why this has happened. The checking process should not take long but in the meantime, you can contact us at [email protected] for assistance."
edit:
Got email with the key 5 mins later.
no call or verification was required.
I received the key as soon as it said verification was not successful.
I don't wanna be that guy but what do they do with our phone numbers now?
I bet in few week times my phone will be going off with telemarketers :/
As per the other 2 guys above, I didn't put in my phone number or reply to that verification message but the key turned up a few minutes later anyway. :)
@EightImmortals:
Also received a key without handing over my Phone number . Not normally a tin foil hat type but I'm glad I didn't hand over my number so easily .
About the legitimacy/usage of the key:
The torrent copy of Windows is ilegal because Windows is hacked, and it is hacked using KMSPico which compromises security of Windows, Defender needs to be configured to ignore all this thing does.
With this key you use a Windows downloaded from microsoft.com and activated without any crack or hack, big difference to (1.).
Pirated copy, illegal, while the misuse of OEM/Retail keys is at most a grey area, (not saying it is right but not the same as pirate copy).
I don't think Microsoft has any way to determine if you got the key in a shop or in Gamesdeal.com. How is Microsoft going to deny you support or claim you don't have a valid license? what is it going to detect? (correct me here if I am wrong)
Microsoft won't loose money here, on the contrary, it gains for a new potential customer and denies a customer to its competitors. In fact for Microsoft it is fine if you get a pirate copy, you are using its product and potentially buy others, most importantly you are not using any other OS, that is why Microsoft is so relax about pirated copies.
Also Microsoft is M$ .
[Deactivated] on 15/01/2017 - 21:43 Comment score below threshold.
