Cheap licenses real or fake?

I'm tempted to conclude that only buying from Microsoft is legit for sure.

Shambles Bank said:

I just don't get excited over it at an 8 dollar replacement licence.

Click to expand...

That's the way I look at it. Cheap can be a bargain...or cheap can be worthless. I've bought stuff over my many years of life that has resulted in both.
It's "Buyer Beware " since there ain't no guarantees.

I doubt you can buy Microsoft Windows and Office retail keys at a discount price. The only way to buy legitimate retail license is directly from Microsoft. There may be other official ways to buy Windows and Office but Microsoft hasn't provided a easy way to find them.

Note Microsoft provides special Retail volume keys for use by computer developers having a subscription. They are not to be resold. However, may of these keys probably end up being resold online. Also, these special Retail keys are like volume MAK keys because one key can be used to activate Windows or Office on multiple computers. For example, one key might be able to be used up to a 100 times before it is blocked by the activation servers.

You can buy cheap keys from a number of online sellers. They may be one of these special retail keys, an OEM key, or volume key. It is up to each person whether they want to take a chance on a cheap key or pay full price.

Note if one of these cheap keys does not work then many online sellers will replace them without question. Then you probably need to activate the product maybe within 30 days or the seller may not honor that offer.

BTW, over the last maybe 10 years I have purchased a number of cheap keys. A few keys failed to activate again several years after purchase. Since the keys were so cheap I just bought another one.

Also, I have had official retail keys fail activation several years after purchase. This includes Windows, Office, and software sold by companies like Adobe.

For example, last year after reinstalling Windows 11 my copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 would no longer activate. Adobe support would not help me because that version was no longer supported. I had to buy a new copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024. Note starting with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2025 the activation only lasts 3 years. After that you have to maybe buy a new license assuming they are available. They like a lot of companies really want you to buy monthly/yearly subscriptions. Microsoft really wants you to buy a Microsoft 365 subscription instead of Office 2021 or 2024. If they could they would make you buy a Windows subscription also.

You can buy the following Retail perpetual keys directly from the Microsoft store.

===================================================
Windows 11 Home (Download or USB) - $139.00
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows 11 Pro (Download or USB) - $199.99
===================================================
Office Professional 2021 - $439.99
* One-time purchase for 1 PC
* Classic 2021 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, plus Publisher and Access
* Microsoft support included for first 60 days at no extra cost
* Compatible with Windows 11 and Windows 10*
* Works with Microsoft Teams
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Home 2024 (formerly Home & Student) - $179.99
* One-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac
* Classic 2024 desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote
* Access to support resources
* Compatible with Windows 11, Windows 10, or macOS*
* For non-commercial use
* Works with Microsoft Teams
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Home & Business 2024 - $249.99
* One-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac
* Classic 2024 desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote
* Access to support resources
* Compatible with Windows 11, Windows 10, or macOS*
* Works with Microsoft Teams
===================================================

MisterEd said:

Note Microsoft provides special Retail volume keys for use by computer developers having a subscription. They are not to be resold. However, may of these keys probably end up being resold online. Also, these special Retail keys are like volume MAK keys because one key can be used to activate Windows or Office on multiple computers. For example, one key might be able to be used up to a 100 times before it is blocked by the activation servers.

Click to expand...

That explains something, thanks.

My pre-built came with Win 11 Home. For personal reasons I prefer Pro, so I've gone to a couple of known sites and tried several of the sub-$10 keys. They have all worked for me, but only one key (and unfortunately I can't remember the name of the vendor) came back from PID checking as Retail instead of OEM and the Retail is the one I currently use.

The OEM keys all worked the first time I used them, but after multiple reinstalls over the years they stopped working which caused me to go to a different vendor and get a different key.

All in all I still haven't paid the equivalent of the retail price for my Win 11 Pro, but I have bought several OEM keys that have all worked for differing amounts of time.

My opinion is that purchasing from some of these sites is ok but a crap-shoot as to type and duration of key.

giacomodebello said:

Hello, how can I understand if a retailer is authorized or not?
...

Click to expand...

Like they say, it doesn't matter much who you buy it from: if MS allows activation it's a legit key. But that is the only way you know, and even from a seller with a good reputation you can get a key that's been previously activated. But that good reputation is earned when you shoot them back an e-mail and they send you another key that works. It may activate but several hours later be revoked: that's happened to me twice with Stack Social. I sent them an email and each time they sent a good key within the hour.

And BTW, I also got my license revoked with BIOS update but on a Gigabyte motherboard. Very annoying.

If you're concerned and can afford it, buy a legit key for 250 bucks..., if you're damn near broke and need a key badly, roll the dice and take your chances.

MisterEd said:

I doubt you can buy Microsoft Windows and Office retail keys at a discount price.

Click to expand...

Retail key from stack social.

Maybe the physical DVD with the code hidden under a scratch area is some sort of guarantee.

Shambles Bank said:

It's a common issue on MSI motherboards. It's happened to me twice. I just don't get excited over it at an 8 dollar replacement licence.

Click to expand...

Any idea why? Any CPUs/Chipets in particular?

Starting with Windows 7 Retail I was able to replace all relevant hardware and end with Windows 11 without buying a new license for Windows.

Notes

Computer #1 -
* Note Windows 7 Ultimate came with both 32-bit and 64-bit DVDs
* Computer would no longer boot.

Click to expand...

Computer #2 -

* Replaced motherboard, CPU, and RAM with totally different ones.
* Kept original 3 SSDs and GPU
* Windows 10 reactivated OK despite totally different hardware.

Click to expand...

Computer #3 -

* Upgraded CPU
* Cloned 1st two 2.5" SATA DVDs to two M.2 NVME SSDs.
* Replaced SATA SSDs with NVME ones; did not use SATA SSD #3
* Instead of upgrading to Windows 11, did clean install

Click to expand...

Hardware and operating systems

Computer #1: original

MBD: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 rev. 1.0
CPU: AMD FX-8350 AM3+
RAM: GSkill F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3
GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1060-6G-GAMING
DK1: 1TB Samsung 870 EVO (2.5" SATA SSD)
DK2: 1TB Samsung 870 EVO (2.5" SATA SSD)
DK3: 1TB Samsung 870 EVO (2.5" SATA SSD)
OS1: Windows 7 Ultimate Retail (32-bit)
OS2: Windows 7 Ultimate Retail (64-bit) clean install
OS3: Windows 10 Pro (free upgrade)

Click to expand...

Computer #2: after motherboard, CPU, and RAM replaced

MBD: ASUS PRIME X370-PRO
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700X AM4
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR 4 2666
GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1060-6G-GAMING
DK1: 1TB Samsung 870 EVO (2.5" SATA SSD)
DK2: 1TB Samsung 870 EVO (2.5" SATA SSD)
DK3: 1TB Samsung 870 EVO (2.5" SATA SSD)
O/S: Windows 10 Pro - reactivated

Click to expand...

Computer #3: after CPU and SSDs replaced;

MBD: ASUS PRIME X370-PRO
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AM4
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR 4 2666
GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1060-6G-GAMING
DK1: 2TB XPG SX8200 Pro (M.2 NVME SSD)
DK2: 2TB ntel 660p (M.2 NVME SSD)
O/S: Windows 11 Pro - clean install

Click to expand...

x509 said:

Any idea why? Any CPUs/Chipets in particular?

Click to expand...

I genuinely have no idea A friend of mine told me about it and then I saw posts on Reddit and then the MSI Global forum, people complaining. I didn't really take much interest to be honest as the cost of the replacement keys is so inexpensive. I've updated the BIOS on my desktop PC motherboard seven times since I built it back in 2021. At least I don't have the same problem with my MSI laptop as that came pre-installed with W11 Home and it's only had one BIOS update in the 2 years I've had it.

KevTech said:

Retail key from stack social.

View attachment 171116


View attachment 171117

Click to expand...

Stack Social sells retail keys. Today I bought "MS Office 2021 Professional + Windows 11 Pro" bundle at a very cheap bundle price. I got Retail keys for both and Office 2021 Pro is also registered with my MS Account. But these licenses are per machine licenses and cannot be transferred to other machines. If your machine dies, your licenses for this machine die, too.

And those of us who do as @suatcini54 does, accept that as part and parcel of upgrades etc. I accept that every BIOS update I do, I end up having to buy another licence key, but it really doesn't bother me at 8 dollars a kick.

Shambles Bank said:

And those of us who do as @suatcini54 does, accept that as part and parcel of upgrades etc. I accept that every BIOS update I do, I end up having to buy another licence key, but it really doesn't bother me at 8 dollars a kick.

Click to expand...

I did not know BIOS updates invalidated MS licenses. Fortunately, last BIOS updates for my M/Cs have been stopped ages ago.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, anyway.

KevTech said:

Retail key from stack social.

View attachment 171116


View attachment 171117

Click to expand...

They usually work for a reasonably long period -- but at $8 - 20 a pop who cares !!! - If this was a really serious problem for Ms these keys would be blocked very quickly. Ms makes 99% of its profits now from corporate deals, cloud services, consultancy services and subscription payments -- the amount of effort involved into tracking down the (in terms of actual number of people and businesses paying for things) very few number of individual people using these isn't worth the trouble these days.

Cheers
jimbo

suatcini54 said:

I did not know BIOS updates invalidated MS licenses. Fortunately, last BIOS updates for my M/Cs have been stopped ages ago.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, anyway.

Click to expand...

BIOS updates don't necessarily invalidate MS licence keys, it can literally be down to the make of the motherboard. Mine is MSI and it's happened to me a few times after BIOS updates. I stopped caring long ago

I have Gigabyte motherboards in two computers, a Lenovo computer, a Nimo laptop, and a AceMagic Mini PC. All have received BIOS updates without affecting the Windows license in any way. I have had a BIOS update invalidate my passcode and have to set it up again, that's pretty much it.

suatcini54 said:

I did not know BIOS updates invalidated MS licenses. Fortunately, last BIOS updates for my M/Cs have been stopped ages ago.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, anyway.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's supposed to, not even for OEM licenses which are limited to the specific motherboard it is installed and activated on. But something must happen occasionally with some (hopefully rare) BIOS updates that changes the way it identifies to the validation routine. With a retail license you could probably contact Microsoft Support and try to work through re-activating it on that motherboard.

As far as I know most retail licenses are transferrable but it has to de-activated on the system first. There is a procedure for it but I don't bother when I move to a new system since these keys are so cheap... and didn't bother with munging through Microsoft's pitiful online support either when I lost the activation after a BIOS update for the same reason.

SIW2 said:

can be checked with microsoft pid checker

Download Microsoft PID Checker 1.49

Microsoft PID Checker can validate Microsoft Product Keys from Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio and many more.

www.majorgeeks.com

in the "Software Package" dropdown select Windows 10 / Server 2016 (10240)
paste in the key and click check

Click to expand...

I tried three valid Win11 Pro keys, all of them get the same error.