The Windows 7 or Windows 8 product keys that commonly work for this method are the retail and OEM varieties. Only sporadic success has been reported for volume license keys i. If you have a Windows 7 or 8 Home license, that will only work for Windows 10 Home. Windows 7 or 8 Pro only work for Windows 10 Pro. Need help getting it to work? Use our step-by-step guide. License types are different than operating system versions.
They dictate what you can do with the software, while OS versions are distinguished by the features available. Multiple Windows license types exist, but the two commonly available to a home user are the retail and OEM varieties. If you visit an online retailer like Amazon Remove non-product link or Newegg , you can find both retail and OEM licenses for sale.
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. Windows 11 isn't here yet, but fortunately, you can get Windows 10 for free or cheap -- if you know where to look.
Getting hold of the Windows installer is as easy as visiting support. Once that's done, you can boot from your installation media and load Windows 10 onto your PC. During installation, Microsoft asks for an activation key. You can skip it, but eventually, Windows will start alerting you that your install isn't activated.
Of course, you can buy a key from Microsoft online, but there are other websites selling Windows 10 keys for less. And does your carefully crafted PC build face any risks? Below we outline the top ways you can get Windows 10 -- from free, to cheap, to most expensive -- and the downsides of each option.
Yes, this still works, as a Microsoft rep has confirmed. If you already have a Windows 7, 8 or 8. You activate it by using the key from one of those older OSes. But note that you can only use a key on a single PC at a time, so if you use that key for a new PC build , any other PC running that key is out of luck.
To do this with a Windows compatible PC after backing up your important data, of course download Windows When asked, select " Upgrade this PC now. Note that if you've recently changed your PC's hardware, such as the motherboard , Windows may not find the license for you device.
That means you'll have to reactive the OS. Here are Microsoft's instructions for reactivating Windows 10 after changing PC hardware. When using an older Windows key to activate Windows 10, you may run into complications if Microsoft isn't sure whether you're eligible to update or not. However, that seems to be happening less in recent months and years. I have colleagues who have used non-activated versions of Windows for years without Microsoft ever shutting it down.
Microsoft brands PCs running an unactivated version of Windows 10 with a watermark in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A Microsoft spokesperson told me that activating Windows 10 ensures you have a legitimate copy of Windows 10, and the watermark is an attempt to alert consumers that their version could be false. However, if you downloaded your ISO directly from Microsoft, there's no way your copy can be a fake. That means you can't choose personal desktop wallpapers, slideshow backgrounds, Start, taskbar, Action Center or title bar colors, light or dark color schemes, font choices or lock screen options.
The lack of custom aesthetics can be a downer, especially if you like to liven things up by changing colors and images. However, we checked, and you can still change your wallpaper if you right-click an image from the web or a personal photo and set it as your wallpaper. And if you have a wallpaper tied to your Microsoft account, it will appear if you sign into Windows with that account.
Microsoft offers students attending certain universities and high schools the ability to get Windows 10 for free by allowing them to activate Windows 10 Education for free. You can see if your school is eligible and download your free Windows 10 key here. The key is yours even after you graduate. But is Windows 10 Education any different from Windows 10 Home? Windows 10 Education is the same as Windows 10 Enterprise, which Microsoft calls the most robust version of Windows The OS has features targeting security, device control and management and deployment that Windows 10 Home lacks.
In addition to ethical concerns, if you get caught, Microsoft can make you pay up anyway. And while some turn to Microsoft for this purchase, there are third-party websites selling keys for much cheaper than Microsoft. Be sure to check their refund policy before buying. Now, let's address the elephant in the room. While we can't vouch for all of them, websites selling lower-priced Windows keys are likely selling legitimate codes.
One popular site, Kinguin, has 37 merchants worldwide selling Windows keys. It's just another marketplace. However, we've encountered reports of customer dissatisfaction, including from users who wanted a specific type of key like non-OEM only , ended up with something different like an OEM version and could only get a refund, rather than the type of key they originally tried to buy. 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.
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