How many of you actually buy windows? Be honest please

[TacoSenpai]

I don't I just take a sledgehammer to my drywall and put a hole in it.  Bam free windows.

[Bananasplit_00]

Just now, knightslugger said:

you've gone through 10+ motherboards?

Yes... The LAN PC is 4 or something, main build is another two and then I have activated it on another atleast 3 that I have played with and then sold except for the AM3 one, I'm keeping that one for a fun future thing I might do

[Mira Yurizaki]

I buy Windows. It's just less hassle for me.

[cpuwaiy]

I upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 still.  Once depleted, I will buy Windows 10 disk from Ebay. 

[LHJKO]

been using windows un activated for like 2 years 

[IntMD]

I buy it, from Amazon if I ever need it. There are valid keys from Germany for Win 10 on it for minimal amounts.

[knightslugger]

2 minutes ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

Yes... The LAN PC is 4 or something, main build is another two and then I have activated it on another atleast 3 that I have played with and then sold except for the AM3 one, I'm keeping that one for a fun future thing I might do

you have the golden ticket...

[TetraSky]

I paid for Windows, for both WinXP Pro and Win7 Ultimate. And not the cheaper OEM version, I got the Retail versions, that were over 300 canadian rupee each. (I also bought Windows 8 when Microsoft really wanted people to upgrade, paid like, $15 for it, straight from Microsoft, used it for a day and reverted back to Win7 Ult, that OS was a mistake)

 

What's wrong with supporting a product that I would be using for YEARS to come?

Especially for something as important as an OS, whereas if I just get some random ISO of the OS on the internet and cracked it, I'm supposed to trust whoever made that crack to not have pulled a fast one on everyone by adding a little "extra" to it that nobody knows about. At least this way I know that other than Microsoft, ain't nobody keylogging my credit card. ...

 

I get that it's expensive, but no one is saying you should go out and buy it at full price like I did, these days there's plenty of ways to get a legitimate copy of Windows without paying more than $50.

[Beowulff83]

windows 3.1, yes

               95, yes and no

               98, yes and no

            2000, yes and no

               xp, yes and no

           Vista, . . . yes . . why?

               10, no, insider preview build rocking the watermark

 

[tatte]

I had an illegal copy of Windows 8.1 which I upgraded to Windows 10 when that was perfectly free and encouraged. Later I had to replace my motherboard and Windows refused to activate afterwards. I chose to go through all the hoops and contacted Microsoft, even allowed them a remote connection to my computer to troubleshoot the issue, but they were as unwilling to say anything as I was to admit that I had used illegal 8.1 previously. I don't think this should have been as big of a problem, since I'm fully aware that there are keys that are specific to the hardware (namely motherboard), which I think should have been an easy thing for the support to point out since I told them that my hardware had changed. Instead they kept asking me for proof of purchase for Windows 8.1 (perfectly reasonable, but I thing we both knew what the issue was).

 

This led me to purchase my first even remotely (still far from) legitimate copy of Windows (from Kinguin). It works, and I'm never again contacting Microsoft support. They weren't unreasonable, I'm just far from satisfied enough to throw 100+ euros at them for Windows. (Yes, I honestly use MacOS much more, Windows just happens to be the little evil I have to endure for a few games (and staring at a watermark doesn't meet my desire for premium). I don't hate Microsoft, I prefer Xbox over PS, but Windows just is a mess I don't value very much.)

[Bananasplit_00]

2 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

you have the golden ticket...

Also had a bugged out buss ticket a while back, sadly lost it so now I have to pay again... 

[TAHIRMIA]

It's a one time purchase that works for everything else so why not.

[GoodBytes]

Most people here on this forum have a legit version of Windows, if you wonder.

They are a variety of ways to get a license for reduce price or even free legally (such as being a student in a college/university department that are registered as MSDNAA/DreamSpark Premium/Ignite). Similar to Office (if you have a school/college/university e-mail you have Office 365 for free). Some work places sales licenses for cheap or give it for free as a employee perks as well.

 

Some fully pay it, 'cause to be honest, at $100 or so, considering that this is the software you use the most, for minimum 3 years, then this is a pretty sweet deal. New games are 60$, and FAR FAR FAR simpler software with much less support can cost $300 to even several thousands of dollars.

 

Honestly, there is no reason to pirate Windows:

• The OS is the most important thing. Else your computer is a door stop. Latest version of any OS you pick ensure maximum compatibility with your new hardware and support all its latest features.
• As mentioned, you use it the most... If you play 200h of a game, you use Windows 200h at the same time, as it runs your games. It provides the platfrm for the game to operate.
• It provides security and protection (ie: the software you use, including game doesn't need to handle that part... well.. yes.. but some levels only depending on its capabilities and it has to be responsible software and not trash your system)
• Getting it illegally can contain or add undetectable viruses, rootkits, spyware, and/or malware which can compromise not only your system, your identity, but also your network. Not worth it in my opinion.
• If you can afford a gaming system, you can afford Windows.

[Leonard]

38 minutes ago, zindan said:

How many of you actually pay 60-70$ for windows? or any money at all? 
Because this is ridiculus 

https://www.netonnet.se/art/dator/programvara/operativsystem/microsoft-win-10-pro-64-bit-oem-dvdse/221321.9359/?utm_source=prisjakt.nu&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=prisjakt_prisjamforelse

That's 200$ for windows in sweden I mean what the actual fuck ?

you can buy a Win10 PRO product code and just use that. G2A has many and one of my Steam friends buy there all the time for his fam, games and software.  Yes there are some schemers there too.

33 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

I buy it, officer.

yeah and i have the receipt until last month when i got rid of it.

[DnFx91]

Honestly, i always have a USB on my keyring with a hooky 6 in 1 ESD windows installer. I use it for both sketchy and legit installations, as the smartass who compiled it made it the cleanest copy of windows i have ever seen, all telemetry disabled, and no bloatware. Basically i just select the pre-activated option if im feeling nefarious, and select the non activated version if the client in question happens to have a legit key. 

 

Its a fine line to walk but i have awesome balance

[baconborn]

I just buy retail. I know there are sites like kinguin where you can get them cheaper, but as fa as software is concerned, windows pricing is not very expensive at all so adding risk to save money a few dollars isn't worth it imo. Less hassle than trying to reactivate oem keys too, and if the specific use case for a particular PC doesn't justify paying for windows, i just don't and use it unactivated. My test bench and trash computer that serves as a mad scientist guinea pig are running unactivated windows for example.

[Suika]

If you consider a $750 course giving me software as free, then yea I got it for free.

 

Took a CompTIA A+ course because it's part of my degree and got a bunch of software out of it, kind of neat. I've been rocking Windows 10 Education for awhile now because of it.

[BingoFishy]

1 hour ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

Got it free when I was scammed the first time I bought a gaming PC lol $800 FX6300 and 750TI that would "play any game including the latest BF3, on max settings!!!" when in fact it could barely play CS GO lol

Seriously? I'm not saying you didn't get ripped off, but a 750 Ti should be able to play a lot more than CS:GO.

[plsno]

I bought a windows 7 key back in 2011. I got the free Windows 10 upgrade key as well. I'm still using windows 7 though.

[WMGroomAK]

Purchased a Windows 10 Pro license with a digital signature so I can easily swap it out to a different computer when I upgrade... Hate having to go through upgrade installs and didn't want to have to put up with the 7 to 10 upgrade stuff...  

[Salacious B Crum]

I did 3 times now at retail don't trust web site offers won't need anymore me hopes!

[Bananasplit_00]

38 minutes ago, BingoFishy said:

Seriously? I'm not saying you didn't get ripped off, but a 750 Ti should be able to play a lot more than CS:GO.

The MSI OC 750TI i had had no pcie power and after my first overclocking attempt it promptly locked itself at 800MHz iirc and never, ever, moved from that. (might have been 400 something MHz... Don't remember) Either way it was fucking shit

[GreenZombie]

There is no need to pay for Windows because I would never even consider installing Windows on my computer.

[BingoFishy]

33 minutes ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

The MSI OC 750TI i had had no pcie power and after my first overclocking attempt it promptly locked itself at 800MHz iirc and never, ever, moved from that. (might have been 400 something MHz... Don't remember) Either way it was fucking shit

Mine doesn't have PCIe power either but it plays fine. Can't overclock it though, it gets locked at like 400MHz as well. Doesn't really matter, performs well enough w/o OC.

[porina]

I used to buy physical OEM packs as they're cheaper than physical retail packs by a fair margin, but recently I tried the really cheap Win10 pro keys on ebay, like US$5 equivalent. They have tons of positive feedback, and on two different occasions with two different sellers, the key worked for activation and has remained active since. I created my own install media using MS' tool so I know it is clean. The listings usually claim compliance with MS OEM transfer rules and can include the hardware associated with the licence at extra cost, so no one goes for it. I notice the listings don't always last long, so I think they are getting pulled behind the scenes, further suggesting they might not be exactly MS approved.