Do Cheap Windows 10 Keys Really Work?
By Timothy Tibbettson 12/19/2024 |
If you need to buy a Windows 10 license, you've probably come across websites that are selling what they claim are legitimate Windows 10 keys, sometimes as cheap as $20-50. How do they sell these keys so cheaply, or is this a scam?
The answer is always one of our favorites - yes, no, and maybe. Allow me to explain.
The problem with a cheaper license key is where it came from, and you're not going to know - until it's too late.
Microsoft has changed how you activate Windows 10. You can install Windows 10 without activating and even get the latest updates, but you can't customize many parts of Windows, including most of the Personalization section. If you can live with this, then why bother buying a key at all? We use Windows 10 without activation in all of our YouTube videos in VMware, and you'll never notice.
Additionally, if you have a legitimate copy of Windows 7, you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.
You can find a lot of websites selling Windows 10 product keys for right around $30. But, these are websites you've most likely never heard of, and you certainly don't give your credit card information to strangers. Purchasing keys from a website you've never heard of is the one method we'd avoid at all costs - literally.
We have to single out eBay because every time you search for a product key, they show up, and often with the lowest prices. These product keys could come from any of the scenarios mentioned below.
For the sake of this article, we purchased a $3.72 license on eBay, received the key within minutes, and instructions that the product key should be entered on a clean install. We also purchased a product key at MySoftwareKeys.
We entered our new product key and activated Windows on our current installation without an issue. We expect this product key will last months, maybe even a year before being deactivated and useless, but at $3.72 for a VMware copy, we're a player. We also like that we use PayPal and don't expose our credit cards using eBay. A valid, genuine, permanent key will always cost you more.
Update: We've made it over 6 months with our $3.72 key.
Here are some scenarios to explain where these cheap keys may have come from. You can also check if your Windows License is Retail, OEM, or Volume.
Volume License Keys
Volume licensing is one of the most likely scenarios for cheap product keys.
Volume licensing is when anyone needs hundreds, even thousands of Windows licenses and purchases a single product key for all their computers. You will see this with Government, schools, and large corporations, to name a few. Someone could sell that product key hundreds of times, and at some point, Microsoft might terminate that volume license, and your working key is now invalid.
Then again, there are situations where someone could purchase surplus keys at a low price, then resell them, and you've got a legitimate product key at a great price.
Education Keys
Some people can purchase Education keys and sell them at a higher price. Easy money for them.
Other Countries
In some cases, your key could come from another country where prices are lower. There's a good chance this product key will last, and while this isn't legitimate, it's one of the better possible scenarios.
Expired or Illegitimate Keys
You might just be purchasing a product key that has expired or never existed. By the time you realize it, you're now contacting your credit card company over three bucks, and someone in another country, where three dollars can be worth much more, has got your money.
If we haven't dissuaded you from purchasing one of these cheap product keys, we would recommend only using PayPal or any other established online payment system. But, again, you'll notice that most websites offering deals want your credit card, and we hope you're smarter than that now.
Buy Windows 10 Product Keys Here.
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How to Check if Your Windows License is Retail, OEM, or Volume
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How-To Retrieve an Embedded Windows Key
Will Windows 10 Receive Windows Updates if It's Not Activated?
Do Cheap Windows 10 Keys Really Work?
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How to Activate After Reinstalling Windows 10
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The answer is always one of our favorites - yes, no, and maybe. Allow me to explain.
The problem with a cheaper license key is where it came from, and you're not going to know - until it's too late.
Microsoft has changed how you activate Windows 10. You can install Windows 10 without activating and even get the latest updates, but you can't customize many parts of Windows, including most of the Personalization section. If you can live with this, then why bother buying a key at all? We use Windows 10 without activation in all of our YouTube videos in VMware, and you'll never notice.
Additionally, if you have a legitimate copy of Windows 7, you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.
You can find a lot of websites selling Windows 10 product keys for right around $30. But, these are websites you've most likely never heard of, and you certainly don't give your credit card information to strangers. Purchasing keys from a website you've never heard of is the one method we'd avoid at all costs - literally.
We have to single out eBay because every time you search for a product key, they show up, and often with the lowest prices. These product keys could come from any of the scenarios mentioned below.
For the sake of this article, we purchased a $3.72 license on eBay, received the key within minutes, and instructions that the product key should be entered on a clean install. We also purchased a product key at MySoftwareKeys.
We entered our new product key and activated Windows on our current installation without an issue. We expect this product key will last months, maybe even a year before being deactivated and useless, but at $3.72 for a VMware copy, we're a player. We also like that we use PayPal and don't expose our credit cards using eBay. A valid, genuine, permanent key will always cost you more.
Update: We've made it over 6 months with our $3.72 key.
Here are some scenarios to explain where these cheap keys may have come from. You can also check if your Windows License is Retail, OEM, or Volume.
Volume licensing is one of the most likely scenarios for cheap product keys.
Volume licensing is when anyone needs hundreds, even thousands of Windows licenses and purchases a single product key for all their computers. You will see this with Government, schools, and large corporations, to name a few. Someone could sell that product key hundreds of times, and at some point, Microsoft might terminate that volume license, and your working key is now invalid.
Then again, there are situations where someone could purchase surplus keys at a low price, then resell them, and you've got a legitimate product key at a great price.
Some people can purchase Education keys and sell them at a higher price. Easy money for them.
In some cases, your key could come from another country where prices are lower. There's a good chance this product key will last, and while this isn't legitimate, it's one of the better possible scenarios.
You might just be purchasing a product key that has expired or never existed. By the time you realize it, you're now contacting your credit card company over three bucks, and someone in another country, where three dollars can be worth much more, has got your money.
If we haven't dissuaded you from purchasing one of these cheap product keys, we would recommend only using PayPal or any other established online payment system. But, again, you'll notice that most websites offering deals want your credit card, and we hope you're smarter than that now.
Buy Windows 10 Product Keys Here.
Similar:
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