legit windows

marius27 · August 18, 2015

hi hope any one can help me im looking to buy windows 10 but dont quite understand how the activation works say i activate it on mb nr 1 and it breaks can it be activated again on another mb and what will happen if you use the key on 2 pcs say i activate it on one pc and then on another pc

Speedbird · August 18, 2015

hi hope any one can help me im looking to buy windows 10 but dont quite understand how the activation works say i activate it on mb nr 1 and it breaks can it be activated again on another mb and what will happen if you use the key on 2 pcs say i activate it on one pc and then on another pc

You buy Windows 10, you can only use it on one PC. If the motherboard fails, you must replace it with the same model.

TheKDub · August 18, 2015

say i activate it on mb nr 1 and it breaks can it be activated again on another mb

If it's an OEM key, No, if it's a retail key, then it should work.

what will happen if you use the key on 2 pcs say i activate it on one pc and then on another pc

If it's an OEM key, then it should just become invalid for the 2nd PC, if it's a retail key then I'm fairly sure it will work fine.

ThE_MarD · August 18, 2015

Heyyo,

if it's a retail key then I'm fairly sure it will work fine.

Indeed this. At most? It will ask you to redo your activation and if it fails? Just do the telephone activation and explain you changed the motherboard because the old one died. Tell them it's only activated on one PC and they'll set up your new PC to have the genuine activation with some numbers to type into the activation window.

GoodBytes · August 19, 2015

hi hope any one can help me im looking to buy windows 10 but dont quite understand how the activation works say i activate it on mb nr 1 and it breaks can it be activated again on another mb and what will happen if you use the key on 2 pcs say i activate it on one pc and then on another pc

It is very simple actually. I know there are many miss information, but it is very simple.

You can buy Windows 10 System Build OEM in both Home or Pro edition, or Windows 10 Retail in both Home or Pro.

What's the difference, and how to identify which is which?

Simple. System Build OEM or refereed shortly by retail stores as just "OEM" (even though it is not to be confused with the actual OEM license which only Dell, Hp, Acer, etc... trusted Microsoft partners have) is clearly marked as such. While the retail version of Windows 10, has no indications. It just says: Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.

System Builder OEM is available only in computer stores. While big box stores only sell the retail version of Windows.

System Builder OEM is designed for just that: System Builder. People who build custom system for people and sell them and provide themselves support.

Retail is designed for everyone else that wants Windows 10 on a new system, or are not eligible for Windows upgrade and wants Windows 10.

System Builder OEM, as it is designed to be put into a computer to be sold, doesn't include a nice box, nor any support from Microsoft in getting started, but cost less (a bit less). In addition, Windows 10 cannot be transfered if your change drastically the system (like the motherboard). You can replace the graphics card, RAM, HDD/SSD, and all that. But if you upgrade your CPU (which also means the motherboard would have to be changed, unless the CPU is exactly the same but faster model), then you need to purchase a new license of Windows. Microsoft offers a grace period which many here uses incorrectly and against the End User License Agreement of Windows, which is that if your motherboard brakes, and you, as the system builder offering a service to your client in fixing their system, you can call and activate Windows under such condition. Microsoft will give you a 1 use only override key, which will update the your license to the new motherboard. It is designed to give a helping hand to system builders, but many people here are being cheap and lie about the story, circumventing the system, for Microsoft to activate their license of Windows on their upgraded system. The problem with this, is that Microsoft knows that people are doing this, and just closes it's eyes, but if one day they decided to tighten the belt, and ask for proof or something, then you'll really need to buy a new license. This is illegal, and technically this makes your license non-genuine. So you cannot depend on that, if you also want to trick the system.

The big problem, is that many people circumvent the system without knowing that you are not supposed to do this, and that is why you have many miss information going on, because "it works", and "they were told the steps on how to do it online"

Retail box version of Windows allows you to upgrade your system, and transfer your system to a new one without problem. Windows will activate properly, no issue.

So, the short answer:

Windows 10 Home and Pro System Builder OEM (available only in computer stores) -> Pay less, no nice box, no support 0. BUT you can't transfer or upgrade significantly your system

Windows 10 Home and Pro (retail) -> Pay a bit more, you get the nice box, you get support for installing the OS and trying to get it running smoothly. AND you can transfer it to another system (I said transfer, not install it on 2 computers and use both, if you do that, the last installed one will deactivate), and you can upgrade your system as you please.

No matter what you pick: It is 1 license per computer.