What is Dreamspark? (Ask me questions.)
What is Dreamspark? (Ask me questions.)
Hi everyone, I’m preparing a quick Q&A about Dreamspark. As a student on the Premium plan, feel free to ask me anything by commenting. First, let’s clarify what Dreamspark is. It’s a Microsoft initiative offering free software to students and academies for learning purposes. The regular Dreamspark version mainly includes server tools, but Premium unlocks a lot more features. Here’s a list of some items available to enrolled users, with Premium included at the top.
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 (all editions)
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 (all editions)
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 (all editions)
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 (all editions)
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 (all editions)
- Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2 (all editions)
- Windows 8.1 (Pro), Windows 8 (Pro)
- Enterprise edition available for download only
- Windows 7 (Professional), Windows Vista (Business & Enterprise)
- MS-DOS (6.0 and 6.22)
- Microsoft Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro
- Microsoft Windows Embedded 8 Industry
- Microsoft Exchange Server (various versions)
- Microsoft Lync Server (2013)
- Microsoft Project Server (2010, 2013)
- Microsoft Expression Studio (versions 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Microsoft SQL Server (2005, 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2014)
- Microsoft Access (various years)
- Microsoft OneNote (various years)
- Microsoft Project (various years)
- Microsoft Visio (various years)
- Microsoft Infopath (2013)
- Hyper-V
Some people might be confused about the licensing. Reddit communities selling Windows licenses aren’t reliable. Many users rely on Dreamspark licenses, but beware—they can only last two years and can’t be used on another PC afterward. Also, keep in mind that Dreamspark subscriptions expire every two years, so you might need to renew. Always be cautious when purchasing online.
If you have any questions, just drop a comment!
Based on my experience (from Dreamspark), the full access to this key lasts about 24 months after purchase. It functions just like regular keys for me, and I’m using an 8-year-old Windows Pro key.
They likely halted it after relocating to a subscription platform. You might still access it for free using OneDrive space if you're enrolled in a participating school, though it's not included in DreamSpark.
I think possibly you can leave it activated forever, however, you can not activate it on more PCs after 2 years? The whole licencing is strange on dreamspark. You do not have an unlimited amount of licence redeems, however, you can activate it alot, not sure on exact numbers.