Is it possible to buy a license of Windows 10 at a heavily discounted price? Yes, but with due caution because not all that glitters is gold.
A new license of Windows 10 in Italian costs 279 euros on the Microsoft store, although, it must be said, users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free.
In the article Windows 10 free you can, here is how to do it. We have illustrated the procedure that you can follow to obtain today, in 2017, a valid license of Windows 10 starting from an equally regular installation (also OEM) of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
A Windows 10 license is usually Retail or OEM: the former is available through different channels (Microsoft website and also Amazon, for example) and allow you to transfer the license from one PC to another in case of need (it is possible to use the same license only on one machine at a time, under penalty of deactivation of the product key by Microsoft).
On the other hand, OEM licenses are closely linked to the hardware configuration of the machine on which Windows is installed. In case of problems, it is allowed to modify the computer’s various components but not the motherboard: the replacement of the motherboard is not contemplated. It can cause the invalidation of the Product Key.
In the article How many computers can Windows be installed on? And with dual booting? We have described the differences between Windows licenses.
With Windows 10, the digital right concept was introduced: it is stored on Microsoft servers together with the installation ID directly linked to the hardware configuration in use. This means that Windows 10 activated with digital rights can be reinstalled without problems on the same machine, equipped with the same hardware configuration.
The digital right makes things easier because it allows a “painless” reinstallation of Windows 10 (without worrying about the licensing aspects and typing the Product Key) on the same machine.
We have also verified that by logging in with an administrator account in Windows 10, the operating system’s activation will be tied to that account.
Low Cost Windows 10 License: What are ESDs
Retail licenses are the most expensive of all, while OEMs are generally cheaper.
The latter should only be the prerogative of PC manufacturers or assemblers who usually buy them from Microsoft “in blocks,” thus obtaining favorable prices.
However, a Windows 10 OEM license can also be found through various channels: the price is low because it is primarily about licenses purchased in excess from multiple manufacturers. After all, as explained above, they are almost indissolubly linked to the machine’s hardware configuration on which they are used.
Sites like Kinguin offer Windows 10 and Office (as well as other versions of Windows) at a discounted price.
An OEM license of Windows 10 is now only 30-35 euros or less.
In the case of Kinguin, the cost includes insurance (costs 5 euros), which protects in case of purchase of an invalid Product Key.
There is also a lot of talk about ESD licenses.
Acronym for Electronic Software Delivery, these are licenses that Microsoft offers in digital format, therefore without providing any physical support (box, manuals, DVD, …).
Microsoft indicates only two alternatives for the purchase of this type of license: its online store or partner Digital River.
Are these licenses legitimate and perfectly valid?
A ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (C-128/2011) sets significant and unequivocal stakes.
Available at this address, the ruling settles a dispute between a German distributor of second-hand software licenses (UsedSoft GmbH) and Oracle.
The judges ruled that “the right to distribute a copy of a computer program is exhausted if the owner of the copyright who has authorized, even if free of charge, the download of the manuscript on a computer medium via the Internet has likewise conferred, against payment of a direct price to allow him to obtain a remuneration corresponding to the economic value of the copy of the work he owns, the right to use the document itself, without limitation of duration “.
Moreover, “in the event of the resale of a user license which involves the resale of a copy of a computer program downloaded from the website of the copyright owner, a license that was initially granted to the first purchaser by the owner himself without limitation of duration and against the payment of a direct price to allow the latter to obtain a remuneration corresponding to the economic value of the copy of his work, the second purchaser of the license itself, like any subsequent purchaser, can avail himself of the exhaustion of the right distribution (…) and, consequently, can be considered as the legitimate purchaser of a copy of a computer program (…) benefiting from the right of reproduction provided for by this latter provision. “
In other words, those who have purchased the license of the software indefinitely the time can resell to third parties, including through their website.
The Court’s opinion is valid on the entire territory of Member States, including Italy.
In our country, companies have begun to multiply, which plays on the difference between the price paid for volume licenses and the cost applied to end-users interested in acquiring a reduced number of licenses.
The transferability of contracts related to software licenses is therefore also realized on Windows and Office ESD licenses.
The only problem for those who buy is to check the validity of the ESD licenses. The advice is, therefore, to be wary of prices that are too low, to activate where possible an insurance (usually costs a few euros) at the seller that protects against the possible disbursement of invalid or deactivated Product Keys by Microsoft and above all to always be released an invoice or proof of proof that the license purchased comes from.
It is important to note that Microsoft Technical Support is not responsible for the invalidation of dubious origin licenses. It is, therefore, good to always refer to the person from whom the license was acquired in case of problems.
In general, OEM licenses offer greater security, especially if their supply in digital format is accompanied by the issue of a regular invoice or proof of purchase.
A good tip for purchasing a Windows 10 or Office license from third-party resellers is to pay through PayPal.
If the Product Key is not working, it is always possible to cancel the purchase from your PayPal account’s management panel by clicking on Report a problem and opening a dispute ( here the PayPal dispute resolution center with the list of practices open).
Activate the Windows 10 license
Before you can use the purchased product key, you will have to install Windows 10 from scratch: see the article Format PC to reinstall Windows.
Subsequently, at the end of the installation (during the installation, you can ignore the Product Key insertion), you can try to activate the operating system by typing Activation in the search box and then clicking on Change Product Key.
Within a few seconds, Windows 10 will check the validity of the entered code and, if necessary, activate the user’s license.
By pressing the Windows + R key combination then typing slmgr.vbs -dlvthe type of Windows 10 license in use will be read in correspondence with the item, Product Key Channel. Finally, a tip: if you were to recover a Product Key from a Windows system already in use, we suggest you follow the instructions given in the two articles that we propose.
A tech-savvy writer with a knack for finding the latest technology in the market, this is what describes John Carter. With more than 8 years of experience as a journalist, John graduated as an engineer and ventured soon into the world of online journalism. His interest includes gadget reviews, decoding OS errors, hunting information on the latest technology, and so on.
