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Purchase windows 10 pro digital license free download

 

Windows 10 licenses are expensive—almost painfully so. That amount of cash can easily be a third of a budget PC build. Make sure to check our Home and Pro listings before settling for full price. But with less developer support for Linux and the end-of-life deadline rapidly approaching for Windows 7, Windows 10 is an inescapable necessity for most of us.

If you have an old Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC lying around, you may still be able to reuse its key to activate Windows When Microsoft first launched Windows 10 back in , it offered Windows 7 and Windows 8 users a truly free, no-strings upgrade to the new operating system. The promotion was only available for just one year—presumably to accelerate push up Windows 10 adoption rates—and expired in July But even though Microsoft officially ended this program three years ago, it still has yet completely shut everything down.

The activation servers have been allowing Windows 7 and 8 keys on some Windows 10 installs. The Windows 7 or Windows 8 product keys that commonly work for this method are the retail and OEM varieties, while only sporadic reports exist for volume license keys i.

You can read our step-by-step guide for how to use that particular program here. License types are different than operating system versions: They dictate what you can do with the software, while OS versions are distinguished by the features available.

Multiple Windows license types exist, but the two commonly available to a home user are the retail and OEM varieties. If you visit an online retailer like Amazon Remove non-product link or Newegg , you can find both retail and OEM licenses for sale. All the features of the operating system version are the same for both license types. The difference is that with a retail license, you can transfer the license key to a different PC later on. The process for activating a Windows 10 OEM license is the same as for a retail license.

In exchange for a lower price, you get to use the license key on only one PC, period. Microsoft has historically been kind about such situations, however; you can usually call to reactivate the license after replacing a fried mobo. But it is an extra hassle. Not all student discounts are reserved for the under set. As mentioned above, license types determine what you can do with Windows—and who can use it, as well.

Through the Academic Volume Licensing agreements, schools can purchase access to Windows 10 Education for their students, faculty, and staff. Some make it available only on campus machines. Others will grant a license for use on a home machine. The catch: You have to sign up for at least one course to qualify for campus discounts.

Other states use OnTheHub , which has a tool to look up your school. Many community colleges use OnTheHub as their distributor, so you can use their lookup tool to begin research about your school's options.

The storefront will require verification of your student status before you can "buy" Windows Typical options are usually of the physical education or dance variety swim, ballet, jazz, boot camp workouts, etc. In those cases, your main options are the OEM license outlined above or buying through Kinguin detailed below. Note: If you use this method, also keep an eye out for other software deals through your school. Kinguin is a website that allows buyers to purchase product keys from third-party sellers—think of it like an eBay or Amazon Marketplace for digital software sales.

Opponents of Kinguin swear the keys will eventually lose their activation status because of their unknown origins. Like on Amazon Marketplace, you pick a specific seller from which to buy the product in this case, the Windows 10 license key. So as mentioned above, if these keys are already somehow tied to an original but unactivated PC, things could go sideways during your own activation process.

On top of that, if the hardware used to identify your system i. Each camp makes valid arguments, so ultimately, your comfort level with risk and gray market goods should determine whether this is the option for you. If you opt for this path, we recommend ignoring Windows 10 Home. Her favorite article to write is an annual piece combining her two loves : bargain hunting and PC building. You can find her on Twitter at morphingball.

How to save serious cash on Windows 10 Closed captioning available on our YouTube channel. We explain how to get a copy of Windows 10 Home or Pro for cheaper than normal, and even one way to get Windows for free. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.