Windows resellers on reddit

WilliamEgan

I am looking at at purchasing a windows key for a USB boot of a new computer build.

Reddit have resellers pricing Windows 10 at about $40 which is obviously pretty cheap. Has anyone any experience or can recommend a particular reseller because they all look the same to me?

Kimbot

WilliamEgan wrote: »

I am looking at at purchasing a windows key for a USB boot of a new computer build.

Reddit have resellers pricing Windows 10 at about $40 which is obviously pretty cheap. Has anyone any experience or can recommend a particular reseller because they all look the same to me?

Why not get Win 8.1 for $25 and then upgrade it to Win 10 for free? Most of the sellers are grand on there from what I have seen.

davo2001

Bought a Windows 7 key for $20, activated it and then updated to Win 10. No issues. Got my key off s5ean.

WilliamEgan

I did not realise you could do that? Thanks for the heads up.

RoyalMarine

went through the same process. bought win 7 x64 for €21. upgraded to Win 10.
Very happy with the price!

NomadicGray

I did as others and got an 8 key then upgraded to 10. I don't know which seller I used but it worked out great

Kimbot

Just remember that the offer of the free Win 10 upgrade expires in June/July this year.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Shop.aspx

With the exception of Product Key Cards (PKC’s) distributed with COA’s, Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit. If you were to purchase and use a stolen or counterfeit product key to activate Windows installed on your PC, the key may not work for activation, may already be in use on another PC, or it might be blocked from use later by Microsoft when the key is reported stolen. The best way to get everything you expect up front is to buy genuine Microsoft software preinstalled on a new PC or genuine Microsoft software from an authorized reseller.

Buying Microsoft keys from any reseller is piracy - except you're giving the pirates money.

me_irl

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Shop.aspx



Buying Microsoft keys from any reseller is piracy - except you're giving the pirates money.

To be honest, never knew that! Cheers.


EDIT: Removed quote, as you put in the relevant bit yourself!

TerrorFirmer

I have used a lot of them, they have a high failure rate for certain versions of Windows. Particularly the 'N' versions for whatever reason. Upgrading to Win10 is the best option.

unkel

Reddit keys are NOT legitimate

They might not work or they might (for a while or permanently) but even if they do, your license is invalid.

Cuddlesworth

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

I have used a lot of them, they have a high failure rate for certain versions of Windows. Particularly the 'N' versions for whatever reason. Upgrading to Win10 is the best option.

Lol, N specific keys are clear indicator of them selling MSDN account keys. While you get 5 keys per product, they don't seem to have a activation limit or if they do its off the charts.

ED E

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Lol, N specific keys are clear indicator of them selling MSDN account keys. While you get 5 keys per product, they don't seem to have a activation limit or if they do its off the charts.

You get 5? :pac: MSDN Academy only gives one copy of each product with ??? Activations.

Cuddlesworth

ED E wrote: »

You get 5? :pac: MSDN Academy only gives one copy of each product with ??? Activations.

My subscription is visual studio enterprise with MSDN. Cost has come way down, its only 3k a year. I remember when I found pricing in the 15k bracket. I reckon the people on reddit are buying a subscription, handing out keys till they hit the magical activation limit, then just buying another subscription.

aphex™

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

My subscription is visual studio enterprise with MSDN. Cost has come way down, its only 3k a year. I remember when I found pricing in the 15k bracket. I reckon the people on reddit are buying a subscription, handing out keys till they hit the magical activation limit, then just buying another subscription.

I thought they were raiding Dreamspark accounts of students who will never use the service (e.g. A law student isn't going to use a Windows 7 Academic license/ will probably never log in and see what's available).

unkel

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

My subscription is visual studio enterprise with MSDN. Cost has come way down, its only 3k a year. I remember when I found pricing in the 15k bracket. I reckon the people on reddit are buying a subscription, handing out keys till they hit the magical activation limit, then just buying another subscription.

MSDN plus increasingly Bizspark and Dreamspark these days pretty much sums up the source of Reddit keys

None legal to resell obviously.

None will give you a genuine licensed system if you buy one obviously.

.G.

I've 2 genuine copies of windows 10 which originated from Windows 7 and 8.1 keys from reddit. The original key source may not be legit or legal but when you upgrade you get a shiny copy of windows 10 without issue. If that ever stops being the case I'll worry about it then.

unkel

Your keys were NOT genuine, but once you upgraded to Windows 10 and it activated, it is very unlikely you will run into trouble. At some point Gabe Aul himself even hinted that hacked (KMS activated) versions of Windows 7 would upgrade to 10 and activate.

If all you are interested in is a W10 install that won't cause you trouble, you could have saved yourself the money you paid to the reddit seller

.G.

I had a KMS activated copy of windows 7 too which Microsoft kindly upgraded to genuine windows 10 for me but I reckoned I got lucky on that one which is why when I needed two more OS's, I bought two cheap keys from reddit and instantly upgraded to 10.

unkel

Some would say you got lucky 3 times. I say it was a waste of money buying the reddit keys :pac:

PropJoe10

They are probably MSDN keys being resold on Reddit. You'll get them cheap, but Microsoft could revoke those keys at any time, if they're being resold from an MSDN subscription. I'd be careful.

.G.

unkel wrote:

Some would say you got lucky 3 times. I say it was a waste of money buying the reddit keys

I wouldn't. They were a bargain, the windows versions I used them with activated and told me they were genuine windows products and then they all upgraded to 10 for nothing.

unkel

You paid money for a non-genuine license that activated your Windows 10. You could have got a non-genuine license that activated your Windows 10 for free. Is all I'm saying...

All this reddit windows license "resell" lark makes my genuine Windows 8 professional licenses that I bought from Microsoft for €14.99 each look very good value for money.

.G.

I paid very little money relative to retail costs and i got keys for Windows 7,which activated and said it's genuine, and Windows 8.1 which activated and said it's genuine. And both of them ended up as genuine windows 10. You say they weren't genuine, Microsoft clearly disagreed.

Yes you too got excellent value and I'm sure if we could all buy keys for 15 quid direct from Microsoft we would do. But we can't so people go to reddit and by and large it works from my own experience. The legality of it is not something I'm arsed with to be honest, doesn't look like MS are either since the keys work.

ED E

superg wrote: »

I paid very little money relative to retail costs and i got keys for Windows 7,which activated and said it's genuine, and Windows 8.1 which activated and said it's genuine. And both of them ended up as genuine windows 10. You say they weren't genuine, Microsoft clearly disagreed.

Yes you too got excellent value and I'm sure if we could all buy keys for 15 quid direct from Microsoft we would do. But we can't so people go to reddit and by and large it works from my own experience. The legality of it is not something I'm arsed with to be honest, doesn't look like MS are either since the keys work.

You arent reading what he's saying.

You paid for a key. The key is real(genuine). Your are not licensed to use Windows.

Basically what you're doing is paying for a torrent of a movie. Its the real movie, but you have no licence to have or view it.


Pragmatically, MS know this goes on and doesn't really stop it as they know they'd be hurt if they ever really enforced it (supposedly less than half of Chinese windows users actually buy a licence). So you could say you feel like you aren't stealing if you use a reddit key, but by the law you are.

.G.

Since I'm never paying full price for Windows and MS themselves aren't arsed with stopping this practice and are infact giving everybody who wants one a free licence to use Windows 10 via these keys then I'm not sure why anybody should be advised not to buy them if they plan to use it to upgrade to 10 immediately. So while I may not be licensed to use the version I bought a key for, I bought those keys knowing full well I would be upgrading and therefore got myself fully legit and licensed version's of Windows to use for very little cash. And yes I could have torrented it and done it that way too but the keys were €30 total so why bother. As a poster says above, its risky. Well if the risk is losing 30 quid, it not a risk worth worrying about. Bill Gates won't be at your door looking for his money. If the sellers haven't had the law onto them over it then there's no chance somebody who buys one or two will either.

Eoinmc97

In terms of getting licences revoked, I'd say wait until Redstone hits. Windows Redstone has some way of verifying your key's origins, so I would say hold out until Redstone is launched, and if Redstone can actually revoke some user's liscences.
I think Microsoft need to atleast drop the price to about €80, as €120 is quite extortionate.

Digital Solitude

Pirates will find a way around it. I will be an adapter of such a workaround.

As much as I want Linux to take over, its not happening, until I can get a Windows key legit for under €30 I won't be paying for it, my data is worth enough to them, never mind the licence key.

ED E

Eoinmc97 wrote: »

In terms of getting licences revoked, I'd say wait until Redstone hits. Windows Redstone has some way of verifying your key's origins, so I would say hold out until Redstone is launched, and if Redstone can actually revoke some user's liscences.
I think Microsoft need to atleast drop the price to about €80, as €120 is quite extortionate.

One term, SaaS.

You can bet your bottom dollar you'll be paying €x/mo or /anum very soon. Same as Adobe CC or Office 365.

satguy

You could try this way.. Windows 10 for $20

Link to YT channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTqz3Fd28M

I myself have used reddit keys many many times and never had a problem, I bought W7 and upgraded to W10,, no probs..

unkel

superg wrote: »

I may not be licensed to use the version I bought a key for, I bought those keys knowing full well I would be upgrading and therefore got myself fully legit and licensed version's of Windows

Nope. Your Windows 10 is activated, but it is not legit and not licensed.

ED E wrote: »

Basically what you're doing is paying for a torrent of a movie.

.G.

Microsoft disagree cos they are letting me use it and it's defo legit cos I got it off them.

unkel

Whatever you tell yourself dude

.G.

Thanks .

They work, thats all thats important for people who wondered.

unkel

superg wrote: »

They work

At last we agree

They work for now anyway

You should have installed 10130 though with a MSA, then stayed on the fast ring. Windows 10 professional for free, activated for ever and 100% legal and legit...

Calibos

unkel wrote: »

At last we agree

They work for now anyway

You should have installed 10130 though with a MSA, then stayed on the fast ring. Windows 10 professional for free, activated for ever and 100% legal and legit...

Whats MSA, whats 'staying on the fast ring'?

We're still talking about using a toolkit to activate windows 7, letting it upgrade itself to Windows 10 and thus getting a legit key. What happens when you need to re-install Windows 10. Does one write down the key from somewhere and keep it save and then input after a new install?

.G.

Microsoft haven't told anybody how they do it but your entitlement to windows 10 is recorded on their servers when you first activate windows 10 so when you go to re install it should activate no problem, as long as you haven't made any significant hardware change. I did this with my first system, upgrade first and then did a clean install.

If you buy a windows 7,8 or 8.1 key you no longer have to install those OS's first, you can install Windows 10 straight away and use your key for 7,8 or 8.1 to activate.

Cuddlesworth

Those Windows 10 keys are linked to the original MSDN keys. Microsoft can go back and revoke all of them. The more popular this particular workaround becomes, the more likely it is to happen.

.G.

And it's still not worth worrying about. They work, if they ever stop working you've lost 20 quid. Big deal. We all have options, buy retail, buy reddit or torrent it. Choose your poison.

unkel

Calibos wrote: »

Whats MSA, whats 'staying on the fast ring'?

Microsoft Account (basically a Microsoft email address). Back before Windows 10 was officially released, you could install a preview for developers edition for free. And up to version 10130, it would keep updating itself all the way until the official release version, and beyond if you opted in (fast ring)

Anybody who did this, still has a valid 100% free, 100% legit activated Windows 10 Professional PC

scamalert

I dont get some people here,person who posted that its basically illegal to purchase keys outside authorized resells/retailers - still go to pay someone who basically gets keys for nothing trough some promotion/writing down licenses from colleges etc,when you could just use KMS and its same plus saving 20$ or whatever,and still would be no different,instead now your giving some kid that money,when pretty sure it would be easier just to find someone who doesn't want win10 and get their key or of a broken laptop if going into such troubles

Eoinmc97

scamalert wrote: »

I dont get some people here,person who posted that its basically illegal to purchase keys outside authorized resells/retailers - still go to pay someone who basically gets keys for nothing trough some promotion/writing down licenses from colleges etc,when you could just use KMS and its same plus saving 20$ or whatever,and still would be no different,instead now your giving some kid that money,when pretty sure it would be easier just to find someone who doesn't want win10 and get their key or of a broken laptop if going into such troubles

Laptops don't carry Windows 10 keys as such, but are one use a pop. The laptop already took the use, so no luck there.
I don't get the MSK bit...what is MSK?

.G.

KMS you mean? Its a program that sits on your pc and keeps your torrented Microsoft products activated.

Solitaire

Yeah... think that was the proverbial last straw.

We now have one camel with a broken spine, and one thread locked because a discussion about one dodgy subject just mutated into a discussion about a completely banned one.