Advice on Windows 10 purchase
Advice on Windows 10 purchase
Thats normal retail price. Its been that for Home edition since Vista, changing bit with £$€120-165 range. Microsoft site has the static price and you can usually get it bit cheaper from retailers. OEM versions are usually some 30-40% cheaper (these would be legit OEMs, not those super-cheap keys). @Ziggzu , OEM means its single-use key. Once installed can't be transferred. They are cheaper than retail (1 per device but can be transferred) because they are intended for system builders, laptop manufacturers and so on. Home edition is the one you are looking for. There's one version below that, but it lacks many major features. One up would be Pro. I don't know what "Full" would mean. I would recommend you man-up and get retail or legit OEM. You can also continue with Win8 or 8.1 (requires call to MS), they have support still for few more years. There isn't at the moment any "lifetime" versions for Windows. Microsoft has support length for each OS and we can't know for sure if they do free upgrade options when new OS arrives. Or are they going for Linux and Apple route of just updating one version of OS.
You're clarifying the details about the product. OEM is designed for single use, but it remains valid as long as you don't attempt to deactivate or reactivate it on another device—it will lose validity. For retail (FPP) versions, you can use them across any machine at any time, though only one can be active at a time. I’m confident the key you found is legitimate and suitable for multiple devices, including future transfers if needed. Thanks for your careful approach—no need to worry about purchasing from untrusted sources.
Sure thing. Here’s a revised version:
Yep, just double-checking. There are some budget options available. I own an OEM copy, but I paid the full €90 price back in 2010. Both OEM and retail should work well if you’re okay swapping most components. The main focus is the motherboard—this one looks solid. It should last for a single PC as long as you need it. Even if Microsoft stops updates eventually, this setup remains functional. If there’s a chance to get a free key upgrade in the future, I’d look into the terms carefully. I was worried about needing an OS change right away, but I registered the key and disabled automatic updates instead. I had the option to upgrade for another 1.5 years until January, when I finally switched from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
I mentioned earlier that Windows 8 behaves similarly to Windows 10 regarding keys. It identifies your motherboard and retains the licensing information, allowing you to reinstall without needing the actual key or detailed knowledge of it. The process remains unchanged in terms of reinstallation steps. The key is linked to your motherboard or other essential parts, not the storage drives.
@Ryan_Vickers I installed Windows 10 yesterday using a new SSD without entering a code. It’s running smoothly and completed what I expected—three updates/restarts. Does this mean I won’t need another activation key? I was wondering if it could be related to signing in with my Microsoft account or being on the same network as my desktop (which is Windows 10 home).
It might be your MS account one, but you still receive a 30-day full trial. Navigate to settings → Updates & Security → Activation and review the details. Additionally, verify that any keys from another activated PC are present on it as well.
It seems the system confirmed and enhanced the Windows 10 license for that PC, possibly adding another copy without disrupting your existing Windows 8 setup. It appears everything is functioning correctly and properly linked. No additional purchases were needed.
You can keep using the old keys, but you must perform a new installation and enable them just after logging in.