Accidentally bought pirated Windows 11, help!

[jelliebellie]

So I've just finished building my pc installed the windows installation media without any issues.. until it came it asked for the windows product key. Being a student with not a lot of spare cash I saw one for $30 from what looked like a perfectly good website and opted for that, only after I put in the code in I realised that it was probably a price way too good to be true, so doing more research into the website I found out it was a pirated key. The key seems to have worked fine but I'm too scared to do anything further than that so have windows half-installed? I don't know if there is any way to do a clean install of the same windows on top of the half-installed one? Honestly really need advice on what to do as I don't want to go any further with the windows that has the pirated key! 

 

(i know in hindsight it was a stupid decision to buy the cheap activation key but I got too excited about the pc and didn't make the best decision)

 

Thank you all for your help! made me feel better about it. I'm super new to tech so was overthinking heaps on everything bad that could happen. you are all super helpful!!

[Alinz]

Worst thing that can happen is that microsoft blocks said key from my understandig.

I've personally never payed full price for one key.

 

You're fine using the key, it might weight on your consciousness.

If you want to dish out the 100-110$ for a win11 key thats fine, you can activate it by going to system -> activation -> change product key

[ToboRobot]

Lots of schools have a program that gives you access to software like Windows for free or very cheap. You can look into that.

[xAcid9]

No such thing as pirated window license key imo, stolen key? Maybe yes. Usually it just an unused OEM key. 

Just use your system as normal, if one day Microsoft decided to block your key, just get another one. 

[Gokul_P]

36 minutes ago, jelliebellie said:

so doing more research into the website I found out it was a pirated key.

it is prob a Key from different country that isn't wealthy as your country so MS sell keys for cheap there. it will not effect your Pc anyways MS doesn't care about grey market keys bcz they make millions from oems so what they want to care making 10$ from the ones willing to these routes. 

 

Is it pirating ? No

is it ethical ? Maybe Maybe Not  

[Mark Kaine]

how did find out its "pirated"? Source? Do you mean stolen? But even that seems unlikely to me.

 

54 minutes ago, jelliebellie said:

for $30

Oof, that's expensive ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

you probably coulda get legit win 7 keys for less, and that would qualify for win 10/11 too!

59 minutes ago, jelliebellie said:

I don't know if there is any way to do a clean install of the same windows on top of the half-installed one?

the product key and installation have nothing to do with each other

... but im curious how did you "half install" windows? 

[Gokul_P]

11 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

... but im curious how did you "half install" windows? 

Prob upto the device setup screen that can be count as half right. Or he cut is windows in half so it is half windows 

[jaslion]

No worries its just a product key the absolute worst that can happen is that microsoft deactivates it which happens very rarely

[Needfuldoer]

I'd be more worried about the payment method if I were you. Sure, "honor among thieves" says don't rip your customers off or they won't do business with you again, but you never know. Keep a close eye on your credit card statement (or PayPal activity, etc.) for anything strange for the next couple months.

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, jelliebellie said:

So I've just finished building my pc installed the windows installation media without any issues.. until it came it asked for the windows product key. Being a student with not a lot of spare cash I saw one for $30 from what looked like a perfectly good website and opted for that, only after I put in the code in I realised that it was probably a price way too good to be true, so doing more research into the website I found out it was a pirated key. The key seems to have worked fine but I'm too scared to do anything further than that so have windows half-installed? I don't know if there is any way to do a clean install of the same windows on top of the half-installed one? Honestly really need advice on what to do as I don't want to go any further with the windows that has the pirated key! 

 

(i know in hindsight it was a stupid decision to buy the cheap activation key but I got too excited about the pc and didn't make the best decision)

Good chance it was an OEM key which means it won’t be upgradable to 12. Also windows has a habit of just turning those off it the feel like it so you may boot up one day and have an unauthenticated machine and have to buy a new code.

The biggest problem with those is if Microsoft already turned them off they still get sold anyway, so you wind up buying nothing at all.  That’s what happens most of the time.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Bombastinator

[LogicalDrm]

As noted, worst that can happen is stolen CC information. But if you used PayPal or another proxy, that's not issue. Second worst thing is that key stops working. Either because it has been black listed or if you used "special" activation, the server has been taken down. Or it has been used in too many installs.

 

I'm not aware of any laws where you would be punished for unknowingly buying stolen property. At most you would need to give it back or reimburse the victim (Microsoft). But in reality Microsoft would go after seller first since they are in direct conflict with licensing.

[Lurking]

if it works, it is legit. and MS seems to be very lenient. Like they rather have you use a pirated copy, than not using Windows. 

 

Many years ago as a student I bought 2 W7 licenses (one from the University store, one through an MS website program for students, it was called Spark for something). Maybe was $40 each. I still use them on my PCs (now W10, and in the future W11). You had to be a student to buy them, but there was no stipulation about after you finish school. I'm not too sophisticated with that stuff, and all I do is install Windows on a new PC, and use one of the 2 keys and it works and I assume it is up to MS to verify and block me IF they think it is wrong. It isn't my responsibility.

 

You paid money (and not less than what a system integrator or manufacturer pays, probably more). If it works and MS let's you activate, your conscience should be clear. IF this indeed is not legit, it is MS responsibility to figure out. 

[Bombastinator]

4 hours ago, LogicalDrm said:

As noted, worst that can happen is stolen CC information. But if you used PayPal or another proxy, that's not issue. Second worst thing is that key stops working. Either because it has been black listed or if you used "special" activation, the server has been taken down. Or it has been used in too many installs.

 

I'm not aware of any laws where you would be punished for unknowingly buying stolen property. At most you would need to give it back or reimburse the victim (Microsoft). But in reality Microsoft would go after seller first since they are in direct conflict with licensing.

The way buying stolen property goes in the US is the original owner takes their property back and the person who bought the stolen property is left to attempt to gain restitution from the seller which they may or may not be able to do, unless they knew that the item was stolen, which can be used by they defendant up the chain to leave the buyer SOL.  So jailed no, punished probably but not by the government.

[Bombastinator]

3 hours ago, Lurking said:

if it works, it is legit. and MS seems to be very lenient. Like they rather have you use a pirated copy, than not using Windows. 

 

Many years ago as a student I bought 2 W7 licenses (one from the University store, one through an MS website program for students, it was called Spark for something). Maybe was $40 each. I still use them on my PCs (now W10, and in the future W11). You had to be a student to buy them, but there was no stipulation about after you finish school. I'm not too sophisticated with that stuff, and all I do is install Windows on a new PC, and use one of the 2 keys and it works and I assume it is up to MS to verify and block me IF they think it is wrong. It isn't my responsibility.

 

You paid money (and not less than what a system integrator or manufacturer pays, probably more). If it works and MS let's you activate, your conscience should be clear. IF this indeed is not legit, it is MS responsibility to figure out. 

That seems to have changed some.  There has been a lot less leniency recently.

[Lurking]

3 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

That seems to have changed some.  There has been a lot less leniency recently.

I will see when I built my next PC and that will be W11.

 

I'm not advocating piracy... But the DRM industry (software, music, video) kind of had it coming since for regular paying buyers they make it really difficult, and pirating is easy. Like in the 90's some CDs with DRM wouldn't play in all players, or the DVD region codes. Pirated versions always worked. Or now you buy music and movies, but only can use them if you stay subscribed with that service, and when you have Internet (probably even geo fenced). 

[Bombastinator]

23 minutes ago, Lurking said:

I will see when I built my next PC and that will be W11.

 

I'm not advocating piracy... But the DRM industry (software, music, video) kind of had it coming since for regular paying buyers they make it really difficult, and pirating is easy. Like in the 90's some CDs with DRM wouldn't play in all players, or the DVD region codes. Pirated versions always worked. Or now you buy music and movies, but only can use them if you stay subscribed with that service, and when you have Internet (probably even geo fenced). 

Apparently what Microsoft is doing is keeping track (which wouldn’t be difficult for them) and if large numbers of keys seem to be comming from a source large numbers of keys should not be coming from they start shutting them down.  All they have to do to shut down a key is enter it into their database of “nope” keys and their only concern is making sure that keys needed for actual devices don’t end up in the nope list.  There is some slop, but less than one would think.  The result is that even if you do successfully enter a pirate key and get away with it it can still be shut down later.   The trick then is to never get your key checked, which has become more and more difficult over the years.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Bombastinator