Windows 10 Licenses Free For Student Project

[ehawkins2232]

At my high school, I am conducting a project where I take old business computers, refurbish them, and then donate them to children in need in my area. Basically, my school is set up as a charity allowing the businesses to receive tax deductions on the donated computers, and then the children get the computers for free, so its a win win. 

 

I have been able to successfully source enough computers and parts to have enough functioning computers. However, most of these computers are running dated operating systems and I want to upgrade the computers all to windows 10. Since I don't want to give away computers with the watermark and the other minor issues that come with un-activated windows, I need a way to obtain Windows keys for free. I know Linux is an option for free operating systems, but for this case let's says Linux is out of the picture and I only use Windows 10.

 

Where would be the best places to source these free windows keys?

[Crunchy Dragon]

This is definitely in the grey area, but take a look at the computer cases and see if you can pull a Windows 7 or 8 key off the sticker. Windows 10 will activate with those, but that is the closest you will get to a free Windows key(and it may not even work).

 

There's no real fully legitimate way to obtain a free Windows key.

[ehawkins2232]

19 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

This is definitely in the grey area, but take a look at the computer cases and see if you can pull a Windows 7 or 8 key off the sticker. Windows 10 will activate with those, but that is the closest you will get to a free Windows key(and it may not even work).

 

There's no real fully legitimate way to obtain a free Windows key.

I have tried this method in the past, and while I have had some success, I was looking for a more permanent solution. As you said, I guess that does not exist.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Call up Microsoft. They have programs for this. I know my schools computer refurb got them for free from microsoft.

[Enderman]

Unless you make a deal directly with microsoft, no there is no way to legally get them for free.

Just don't activate them, there are no issues.

It's just that there are no personalization settings.

[LogicalDrm]

There are couple of issues here. Both juridically and principally. You are working for public, government funded, entity, doing charity work which would be using commercial products. If Microsoft or some vendor would be donating licenses to be used, everything is good. If you can re-use old keys, all would be good. But if you are using some file (piracy), service (most likely piracy) or just leaving them unactivated, you are (or can be held) responsible. If you leave them unactivated, you would need to mandate end-user to activate them. Aka buy license themselves.

 

So you are pretty much acting like boutique builder. They are Microsofts partner and get cheaper OEM keys to be used in their builds. I'm fairly certain that your school or whoever oversees this will make sure you are using properly attained licenses for everything you giveaway. This is why using Linux would be so much easier.