Windows 10 activation ?

[Beanman]

Hi I’m going to be building a PC in a couple of weeks and was wondering the best way to instal windows. I know that you can buy a usb with a copy on it but those cost a lot. I have also herd that you can download windows to a wiped usb for free but it won’t be activated. Does the system still work with unactivated windows and if so how do you activate it? 

[Slottr]

You're not paying for the usb, you're paying for the activation key.

[aDoomGuy]

3 minutes ago, Beanman said:

Hi I’m going to be building a PC in a couple of weeks and was wondering the best way to instal windows. I know that you can buy a usb with a copy on it but those cost a lot. I have also herd that you can download windows to a wiped usb for free but it won’t be activated. Does the system still work with unactivated windows and if so how do you activate it? 

You can download Microsoft install media for free and try it also for free. The only difference I know of is a watermark in the bottom right corner asking you to activate.

 

If you then wish to activate its as simple as buying a license online (I think you can even on Windows Store) and do the following procedure..

Start menu->cogwheel->Update and security->Activation and it should be a button or link there to activate. If you have logged into Windows with a Microsoft account you can then transfer the license to your next PC free of charge (but the old one with the same license will get deactivated)...

 

There is also a command you can run but I don't fully remember it.

[SupaKomputa]

Activation is not build in the installers.

You can download the installers image for free and just burn it in a usb disk.

All you need is a valid registration key.

Where you download the installers is not important, you can download from ms website, torrent, dvd, it's all the same.

 

You can use windows 10 without activation, so it's basically free if you don't mind the watermark.