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Windows 10 Kinguin Key?

wcompton

So I am about to build my first system ever. Got all the components and I'm ready to get started with the build but have yet to figure out my OS game. My plan was to download the media creation tool and put the OS on a USB drive. Then install Windows on the new system from the USB and when prompted, enter a product key purchased from Kinguin. My question is two parts:

1.) How likely is it that a key purchased from Kinguin will eventually not work? How often does this happen?

2.) If at some point the key is disabled by Microsoft or something like that, would it hurt the system, components, or otherwise cause severe damage to the machine or cause me major headaches? What would the repercussions be exactly?

My thinking at this point is that if that happens, and all I need to do is get a hold of another valid product key and I'm good to go, seems like too good of a deal not to at least give it a try. I really don't want to spend another $100 for some numbers. The main deterrent for me would be if the headaches involved in dealing with a disabled licence key are just more that I would be willing to deal with down the road. Interested In yall's thoughts. Thanks!

 

W

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I ended up just buying the actual 100$ retail usb for windows 10 (+key) since the kinguin keys are just so much of a hassle. and theres always questionable stuff involved. trust me, anyone would get 20$ OS over 100$ for the same thing but the reason they go for the retail is because A) not that much of a hassle B) not questionable

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4 minutes ago, wcompton said:

1.) How likely is it that a key purchased from Kinguin will eventually not work? How often does this happen?

2.) If at some point the key is disabled by Microsoft or something like that, would it hurt the system, components, or otherwise cause severe damage to the machine or cause me major headaches? What would the repercussions be exactly?

 

I really don't want to spend another $100 for some numbers.

1) Based on the completely unknown sources of keys sold on grey market sites, it's 50% likely it will stop working, and 50% likely it will keep working. Basically your odds are 50/50, yet will remain completely unknown until it happens.

2) If a key is deactivated, nothing bad is going to happen to your hardware. That would be ridiculous and similar to damages caused by STUXNET. The only repercussions would entail nag popups from the Windows 10 Settings app (if it still does this these days) and a loss of certain Personalization settings within Windows 10.

 

You're not spending $100 on the numbers - you're paying developers who hardly worked hard on an operating system. Whether you believe Windows 10 is worth that much money will determine whether or not you're OK with paying that much for a license to use it.

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I've bought north of 10 Windows 10 licenses on Kinguin to date. Of those, I've had to get Microsoft tech support involved twice because the keys would activate. In both cases, I was very easily able to get them to activate the key manually for me. None of my keys have stopped working after activation. I'm batting 1.000 right now.

 

If a key is deactivated by Microsoft, all you'll get is a popup saying that your license has expired, a reverting to the stock Windows 10 desktop image, loss of some personalization settings and, from time to time, an annoying watermark. Your data and files will not be affected in any way.

 

IMO, Kinguin is a safe bet.

Aerocool DS are the best fans you've never tried.

 

Hypnotoad's RAM is dying, his motherboard is acting like the 6-year-old AsRock it is, a couple of SATA ports have just stopped working, but the RGB remains. The RGB always remains. Hypnotoad lives. All glory to the Hypnotoad.

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I have bought over 10 windows keys from kinguin and none of them have expired or been deactivated. The ages range from over a year old to 3 manoths being the last one I bought. 

 

(I bought them to put on computers I built for people and one for my own rig)

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11 minutes ago, chowderblue said:

I ended up just buying the actual 100$ retail usb for windows 10 (+key) since the kinguin keys are just so much of a hassle. and theres always questionable stuff involved. trust me, anyone would get 20$ OS over 100$ for the same thing but the reason they go for the retail is because A) not that much of a hassle B) not questionable

Zero hassle. Took less then 5 minutes to pay and receive my keys

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I woudn't pay for just a key

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2 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

I woudn't pay for just a key

Why not? Installation media is free through Microsoft.

Aerocool DS are the best fans you've never tried.

 

Hypnotoad's RAM is dying, his motherboard is acting like the 6-year-old AsRock it is, a couple of SATA ports have just stopped working, but the RGB remains. The RGB always remains. Hypnotoad lives. All glory to the Hypnotoad.

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1 minute ago, aisle9 said:

Why not? Installation media is free through Microsoft.

can't discuss piracy but a key on its own is not the same as a license, by selling just a key the seller is breaking their agreement with MS which is why their customers get deactivated. Its not the proper product and i have never handed over money for piracy when it can be done for free

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8 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

can't discuss piracy but a key on its own is not the same as a license, by selling just a key the seller is breaking their agreement with MS which is why their customers get deactivated. Its not the proper product and i have never handed over money for piracy when it can be done for free

I suppose in the end the important thing is that you are buying the key from an authorised reseller. You need to be sure that the key that you are getting is both genuine but also yours only to keep. Based on what people have been saying on this discussion, it almost sounds like people would attempt to use the key, and then share it with others, which could lead to problems further down the line.

 

If you don't know this already OP, you can buy the product (in all its versions) as either a retail version or a OEM version. Because your system is being built new, you should look at getting a OEM version of the product as this will be cheaper. However this will normally tie the product to the motherboard once activated, unless you have a good reason that Microsoft let you go on (replace a faulty motherboard). Retail versions can probably be moved from machine to machine, assuming it is only being used once at a time. But I'm not 100% sure how their licences work in practice.

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3 minutes ago, Jay_JWLH said:

I suppose in the end the important thing is that you are buying the key from an authorised reseller. You need to be sure that the key that you are getting is both genuine but also yours only to keep. Based on what people have been saying on this discussion, it almost sounds like people would attempt to use the key, and then share it with others, which could lead to problems further down the line.

 

If you don't know this already OP, you can buy the product (in all its versions) as either a retail version or a OEM version. Because your system is being built new, you should look at getting a OEM version of the product as this will be cheaper. However this will normally tie the product to the motherboard once activated, unless you have a good reason that Microsoft let you go on (replace a faulty motherboard). Retail versions can probably be moved from machine to machine, assuming it is only being used once at a time. But I'm not 100% sure how their licences work in practice.

What does it mean "tied to the motherboard?" Does that mean that the motherboard will only function with that key? Surely not... 

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4 minutes ago, wcompton said:

What does it mean "tied to the motherboard?" Does that mean that the motherboard will only function with that key? Surely not... 

Other way around. Your motherboard is your computer, and hence you can't move your Windows OS product key from it to another one. If you buy a new computer with enough of a hardware change (the motherboard), you need to buy a new OS.

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3 minutes ago, Jay_JWLH said:

Other way around. Your motherboard is your computer, and hence you can't move your Windows OS product key from it to another one. If you buy a new computer with enough of a hardware change (the motherboard), you need to buy a new OS.

Thanks man. One last question . So if at some point my Kinguin key stops working and I get a notification from Windows to that effect, the only thing I will need to do is enter in another key that is valid and be good to go? Is that correct?

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18 minutes ago, Jay_JWLH said:

I suppose in the end the important thing is that you are buying the key from an authorised reseller.

you don't understand. to sell a key for $20 they are re-selling from an agreement which does not allow re-selling. they buy discount from VL or buy academic and then re-sell which breaks the agreement under which they acquired the key that they are providing to you. so they break their contract and you have a key without a contract/agreement/license from MS to use.

Being a MS partner means nothing, they take your money, you sit exam. You can break their rules but they won't stop you from being a partner. Discount licensing UK is a good example, they take them regularly to courts all over europe and they are still a VL partner.

18 minutes ago, Jay_JWLH said:

Because your system is being built new, you should look at getting a OEM version of the product as this will be cheaper.

that was only true for windows 8. win 8.1 & 10 has gone back to win 7 and prev system builder rules where you can only apply it to a computer you are selling. https://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/windows-licensing-for-personal-use.aspx#fbid=zvSFYmmnhhD

AFAIK they do not police this and they do not track OEM sales. They do record a db of key activations but they do not track their retail & OEM products from factory to consumer like any responsible business would. They flick that responsibility off to their re-sellers/OEMs & other partners.

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3 minutes ago, wcompton said:

Thanks man. One last question . So if at some point my Kinguin key stops working and I get a notification from Windows to that effect, the only thing I will need to do is enter in another key that is valid and be good to go? Is that correct?

apparently you can call up MS and if they dont play ball keep ringing until you get a dummy who will activate it.

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17 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

apparently you can call up MS and if they dont play ball keep ringing until you get a dummy who will activate it.

Unless it has been flaunted all around the internet so much that they won't unblock it for you. But yes, I believe a new key should work. However if you keep buying cheap keys, then you aren't really fixing the real problem in that the source of your keys isn't how you are supposed to buy them. I can only hope you have buyers protection, even if it only protects you if the key only stops working initially.

 

I'm looking at the price locally between OEM and a one you get on a USB stick (which I'm seeing as the retail version). Prices are almost exactly the same for the Home edition, but a fair chunk of a difference for the Pro edition (Note: it may be because of a supplier thing). Personally I'd be quite happy with OEM on a new build (plus you probably don't have to wait for them to physically mail you anything), but wouldn't turn down what could be a retail version to overcome any OEM limitations.

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I have used windows keys from kinguin before. And i heard that the seller there are from often from corporation that has acces to cheap OEM keys, to use for there pre-build pc. all my keys that i have bought from kinguin works fine. the only problem is because it is a OEM key microsoft will not help you with any repair related to your OS. by using OEM as a private person you are the manufacturer of your device hence you have to find your own sullotion to your problem. However the automated phone activation still works.

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These codes work 99.999999% of all cases. and if not, kinguin will send you a new one. But because this is an oem key you have to expect that you wont get help at the Microsoft Support if there is any problem

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  • 3 years later...

What is the big deal with these keys you are simply paying the same prices as the OEMs who are building the PCs and Laptops.  You are piggybacking on their OEM license, because indeed, most of the time you are building a PC, too.  It's only in recent times that Microsoft has started charging an arm and a leg for retail keys.  Retail keys used to cost $75, OEM keys have always cost $20-$40.  But dumping OEM keys on the marketplace below the cost of building and developing MS-Windows, microsoft maintains their monopoly and makes a ton of profit on MS-Office.  Why should they get all the benefits of their antitrust policies while being allowed to bleed their customers for > 2x what they used to charge?

 

Retail keys are for people who e.g. bought a windows 7 machine and 10Y later decide to upgrade to windows 10.  Period.

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