Solved Buying a "discount" Windows 10/11 Pro product key experience


NavyLCDR

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UPDATE: After contacting this company's customer service regarding the problem with the original product key (see below), they immediately sent me a new product key which did, in fact, activate Windows 11 Pro with no issues at all. Their customer service responded immediately to my communications with them!

There has been much discussion about what you get when you purchase a deeply discounted product key from an online source. Well, here is my experience. I purchased this:

capture3a.jpg

The total charge was $6.21 on my paypal account. This company is located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I received a link in email to go back to their website and obtain the product key, which I did. I entered the Product Key into Showkey Plus:

capture3b.jpg

Then I attempted to activate a new Windows 11 Pro VM with it and got the error message that the product key was in use on another computer. I notified ElectronicFirst that the product was already in use, they told me to call MS, which I did (the MS software activation number provided by Windows). I eventually got to the heavily Indian accented customer support guy, gave him the installation ID from the activation window. He had me cancel that, and then click on Troubleshoot and Windows 11 Pro activated.

Final verdict: they are selling reused product keys, but MS is honoring it if you call them. I am now going to dispute the $6.21 charge to my credit card via paypal.
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 Pro 22H2
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
I've bought discounted keys (not THAT discounted) in the $10-15 range from Stack Social and their sites (Macheist, etc.) and never had a problem, the key activated fine as a retail key. Never had one that was already used.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro β
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Laptop 15-eg0070wm
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® Iris® Xᵉ Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    2TB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
  • Operating System
    macOS Ventura
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple iMac 27" 5K (2017)
    CPU
    3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
    Memory
    40 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Radeon Pro 570 4 GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" 5K, 34" UW
    Screen Resolution
    Mon 1: 5120 × 2880 Mon 2: 2560 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    32GB NVME, 1TB SSD
I've bought discounted keys (not THAT discounted) in the $10-15 range from Stack Social and their sites (Macheist, etc.) and never had a problem, the key activated fine as a retail key. Never had one that was already used.

It's basically Russian Roulette.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
yes and no... I'm sure if they were on the more shady side, SS wouldn't deal with whoever/wherever they get the keys
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro β
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Laptop 15-eg0070wm
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® Iris® Xᵉ Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    2TB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
  • Operating System
    macOS Ventura
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple iMac 27" 5K (2017)
    CPU
    3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
    Memory
    40 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Radeon Pro 570 4 GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" 5K, 34" UW
    Screen Resolution
    Mon 1: 5120 × 2880 Mon 2: 2560 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    32GB NVME, 1TB SSD
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
Agree !!!!

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
I guess I'm just a little paranoid . . . I always buy from what I absolutely know is a legitimate source. Guess that's a result of my always being blamed for anything going wrong when I was a kid.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
Well.... you can spend $10 or $200 for the exact same product. Just saying. All of the Windows I use came pre-installed on the computers I have. I was just conducting an experiment to educate others what to expect.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
Yeah, I love it when I quote somebody to build a computer and put in the cost of the OS and they are looking at $2500 and they are concerned about why Windows is $149.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
Well.... you can spend $10 or $200 for the exact same product. Just saying. All of the Windows I use came pre-installed on the computers I have. I was just conducting an experiment to educate others what to expect.
I hear ya! (y)
I didn't intend to ridicule your original post, just an observation, really.

I don't think I've purchased a copy of Windows since Windows 7!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
There are trustworthy cheap eshops and then there is the rest. When I need Windows licence, I buy a key for $2 and it is activated seconds later. MS makes money from Bing, not from selling licences to individuals. They really want people to use 11, even if it is for "free" (upgrades, insider). They said that if the key activates, it is valid, they can not verify it due to EU laws, which makes re-selling OEM licences possible at ridiculous prices. But with Windows 365 Cloud, it might change to an yearly subscription. Game is Afoot.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3600 & No fTPM (07/19)
    Motherboard
    MSI B450 TOMAHAWK 7C02v1E & IFX TPM (07/19)
    Memory
    4x 8GB ADATA XPG GAMMIX D10 DDR4 3200MHz CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon RX 580 ARMOR 8G OC @48FPS (08/19)
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Z (11/16)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" AOC G2460VQ6 (01/19)
    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@75Hz & FreeSync (DisplayPort)
    Hard Drives
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro SSD 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic M12II-520 80 Plus Bronze (11/16)
    Case
    Lian Li PC-7NB & 3x Noctua NF-S12A FLX@700rpm (11/16)
    Cooling
    CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12S@700rpm (07/19)
    Keyboard
    HP Wired Desktop 320K + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (04/23)
    Internet Speed
    400/40 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge (No FB/Google) & Brave for YouTube & LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NoAV & Binisoft WFC & NextDNS
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Phone: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 7 (02/24)
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
Ouch! You got me hard!
I've been using FREE license keys but they were given by MS when I was still a Microsoft Windows Insider MVP. :ROFLMAO:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung M.2
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
I bought windows 10 Pro from Kinguin, 4 or 5 years ago. My first ever legit copy of windows. It wasn't discounted as much as yours, but it cost me 30$ Canadian, which was amazing at the time. I was worried but it ended up great. Still using it today.
Since then I've bought a few things there. I did get a pirated key for aida 64 once, but I complained and got a refund when I found out and the seller gave me a refund. Everything else has been great. probably 15 or so items since the win10.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Manufactured by Me :)
    CPU
    Ryzen 3600x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-e Gaming
    Memory
    32GB TeamGroup DARK Zα 3600
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Ventus 2060 OC 12GB
    Sound Card
    Creative Soundblaster ZX, HyperX Cloud II headphones, Logitech Z 5500 Digital speakers
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27 Acer xz272 165hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    XPG 8200 pro 512GB NVME
    PSU
    Corsair HX750i
    Case
    Lian Li Rog Certified PC-011D XL
    Cooling
    Hole bunch of fans and an AIO
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910, and a RedDragon k580 Vata
    Mouse
    3 mice, depends on my mood what I use. Delux vertical 618 Mini, Logitech G903 Lightspeed, and a Logitech MX Performance
    Internet Speed
    Starlink, so however fast it feels like going that day. its not bad really.
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    10" Huawei tablet for showing system status (temps, fan speed and such)
I do have access to these cheap keys (just a message away) but never needed one. 😁

Screenshot_20230326_232559_Gallery.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung M.2
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
Microsoft has official paid-for subscriptions that allow development team members to install and use software to design, develop, test, evaluate, and demonstrate other software. These are currently called Visual Studio Standard subscriptions. It was formerly call MSDN subscriptions. These subscriptions come with retail product keys for most if not all their products. They keys are special in that they can be used more than once for a limited number of times. I don't know what the limit is but it might might be something like 100 or 200. If the subscriber exceeded that limit he can ask Microsoft to increase that limit. Note these keys are only to be used by the subscriber and are not to be given away or sold.

I suspect some of these keys have been obtained by online sellers to resell. "Reputable" sellers try to limit the number of times they sell the same key. That is because the Microsoft activation servers might catch on to the same key being activated too many times and block it.

Some of sellers of these questionable Microsoft Windows and Office product keys have been around for a number of years. As long as the keys keep working and the seller replaces any problem keys without question these sellers will continue to stay in business. Note, for some reason Microsoft has made no effort to shut down any of these sellers.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Micron DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 16GB (2 x 8GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 (1TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    1200Mbps/250Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME X370-PRO
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S23A300B (23-in LED)
    Screen Resolution
    1080p 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    2TB XPG SX8200 Pro (M2. PCIe SSD) || 2TB Intel 660P (M2. PCIe SSD) ||
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Corsair H60 AIO water cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech K350 (wireless)
    Keyboard
    Logitech M510 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps down / 200 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Elements 12TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
UPDATE: After contacting this company's customer service regarding the problem with the original product key (see below), they immediately sent me a new product key which did, in fact, activate Windows 11 Pro with no issues at all. Their customer service responded immediately to my communications with them!

There has been much discussion about what you get when you purchase a deeply discounted product key from an online source. Well, here is my experience. I purchased this:

View attachment 49053

The total charge was $6.21 on my paypal account. This company is located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I received a link in email to go back to their website and obtain the product key, which I did. I entered the Product Key into Showkey Plus:

View attachment 49054

Then I attempted to activate a new Windows 11 Pro VM with it and got the error message that the product key was in use on another computer. I notified ElectronicFirst that the product was already in use, they told me to call MS, which I did (the MS software activation number provided by Windows). I eventually got to the heavily Indian accented customer support guy, gave him the installation ID from the activation window. He had me cancel that, and then click on Troubleshoot and Windows 11 Pro activated.

Final verdict: they are selling reused product keys, but MS is honoring it if you call them. I am now going to dispute the $6.21 charge to my credit card via paypal.
Hi there

To others buying ONLINE

-- Note -- in the EU / EEA, and the UK (still in line with this EU reg at least until Dec/23 (and I think in Canada and USA) if you get a product on a CREDIT CARD -- note it must be a CREDIT and not a DEBIT card the BANK or Credit Card ISSUER has to refund your money if you can't get it back from retailer / seller.

Not sure if there's a minimum amount - but that's why it's always better to use CREDIT CARDS rather than DEBIT cards when buying online especially for large purchases. --The USA and other jurisdictions might also have DEBIT card protection but I've no idea and it's probably unlikely.

(I'm still using keys from the old Technet program -- the W8.1 etc upgrade to W10->W11 still works !!!!!).

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
Sometimes I don't get it!!!
Often a user will spend $1200.00 on the latest Nvidia card, or a 49" curved gaming monitor, yet too damn stingy to spend more than 20 fecking dollars on a software key!?!?!? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️

I bought 2 retail and 2 OEM keys (Full Price $860.00) for my 2 new builds that are Triple/Dual boots but went overboard buying keys because I thought I needed a key for each windows installation in a dual boot (Like Win Vista/7 days) but it turns out I only needed 1 Key for each PC. However the good news is that I only activated 1 OEM Key and can still use the other one on a future build and the Retail ones can be transferred to a new PC/Motherboard without issues anyway.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x 2 + Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My first abomination, I call it the Money Pit One
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 4.5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
    Memory
    2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB (4x16GB Total) DDR5-6200 CL36 Dual Channel Kit
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 ULTRA GAMING 10GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung JS7000 50" SUHD TV or Samsung 27" FHD 60Hz 8ms GTG VA LED Smart Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i 80+ Platinum Modular Power Supply 1000W
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-732B Wireless Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & Microsoft Edge Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    6x2 HDMI Switcher (6 inputs, 2 outputs) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either my TV or Monitor separately or simultaneously.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x 2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    My second abomination, I call it the Money Pit Two
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 12900K @ 4.5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI
    Memory
    2 x Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual Channel Kit (4x16GB Total) Black
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Ti OC Edition 8 GB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS® ES9018Q2C DAC for pinpoint positioning and dynamics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3-inch, FHD anti-glare display Refresh Rate:144Hz or Samsung JS7000 50" SUHD TV or Samsung 27" FHD 60Hz 8ms GTG VA LED Smart Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 @ 150 DPI
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 Series - 250GB PCIe Gen3. X4 NVMe 1.4 - M.2 Internal SSD (Windows 11 Pro Dual boot)
    PSU
    Corsair AX860 - 860W Modular Power Supply
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass Full Tower Case - Black
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H150i RGB Elite 360mm Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Perixx PERIBOARD-326 Wired Mini Backlit USB Keyboard with Low Profile Keys - US Layout
    Internet Speed
    1000 Mbps
    Browser
    Latest Version Of Firefox & EDGE Chromium Stable
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
    Other Info
    LG Electronics 14x Sata Blu-ray Disk Rewriter - WH14NS4O
    6x2 HDMI Switcher (6 inputs, 2 outputs) so I can send the output of my Cable Box, Roku, or any of my 4 computers to either my TV or Monitor separately or simultaneously.
Retail ones can be transferred to a new PC/Motherboard without issues anyway.
The digital licensing scheme for Windows 10/11 now allows OEM licenses to be moved to new PCs and motherboards with no issues as well.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
yes, they sell OEM keys, I wouldn’t say it’s bad, I prefer retail, they definitely won’t wear off over time, they are much more expensive, but they are sold only by microsoft partners, such as Hypestkey software or Amazon 20$+
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11

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