[SOLVED] Which Windows 10 should I buy (want already on USB)

[pcfupcfut]

My Windows 8.1 drive is sort of bricked,

[SOLVED] - "setting up a few more things" "Drive Where windows is installed is Locked"

Hoping to keep my files, otherwise I woulda just full wiped and reinstalled by now. Windows 8.1 64 i7-4790K (not overclocked, never was) Z97-HD3 mobo 16BG RAM One SSD is all I have and I never made a second partition or anything like that but it seems there is one (read later). I lost...

forums.tomshardware.com

I'm hoping to remove that 8.1 drive, install Windows 10 on a brand new SSD and then copy the files from the 8.1 drive.
I want the new windows 10 to already be on a USB because I don't really have a super secure way to download the ISO. I think they only sell USB as Home version, but maybe that's just from microsoft's site. I don't care where I buy it from as long as it's legit (best buy, new egg etc). Maybe Home version is what I need anyway?

I guess Home should be fine for me instead of Pro if the only difference that stands out to me is
if this makes Pro more secure. I like secure. I run spybot and Defender daily and never really find anything but prefer secure overall.
Windows Information Protection (WIP)4 5
WIP helps to protect against potential data leakage without otherwise interfering with the employee experience. WIP also helps to protect enterprise apps and data against accidental data leaks on enterprise-owned devices and personal devices that employees bring to work, without requiring changes to your environment or other apps.

Compare Windows 10 Home vs Pro | Microsoft Windows

Get reassurance on which Windows 10 version to buy. Compare Windows 10 Home vs. Pro with Microsoft’s comprehensive checklist and feel confident in your choice!

www.microsoft.com

But maybe ^ is unnecessary for me.

Basically, I don't need any Office add-ons, don't need any LAN/Office/Networking add-ons, I just use it to browse the internet like most people, have a couple games I barely play, have DAW music production programs, etc.

There's Retail, Full, OEM, Home, etc I'm confused.

I think I want 64 bit. I have a decent ~$350 (at the time) i7-4790K, 16 or 32 GB RAM, SSD, 80 Gold plus EVGA 650 PSU, Z97-HD3 motherboard.

My previous 8.1 DVD says 64bit Full, but I think it might be OEM?

As far as installing it on multiple PCs, I just have one PC, if I ever upgrade the motherboard I'm ok with spending another ~$125 for another copy of windows if it's a better version. I plan on buying a cheap/decent back-up laptop and don't know if it'll come with just like a recovery CD or if it's better to spend another ~$125 on that so I can fully wipe and reinstall windows if it ever runs into a serious problem.

 

[Colif]

You don't need Pro, most of its features aren't necessary for home users.

Home/Pro are varieties of WIn 10
retail, OEM are more to do with the licence
If you plan on getting a new pc every few years then retail might be better than OEM is, as it might let you move licence more
But if you only get a new PC once every 3 or 4 years then OEM is likely good enough as you can move it at least once onto a new PC so that gives you 2 PC worth of win 10.

If you ever upgrade motherboard in current PC, look at this first as you might be able to move your current licence and not pay for it - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...e-change-2c0e962a-f04c-145b-6ead-fb3fc72b6665

you can download the installer without paying for it, you just need to buy the licence - download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB - its a better recovery cd. Most of the people who originally upgraded from win 7 or 8 never had a Installer USB for Win 10 so they made that part free.

If you know your win 8 licence key you might be able to use that to install win 10 still.

 

[pcfupcfut]

OK, so no Pro.

I much prefer it already on USB mailed to me. Is that possible? I don't mind if I have to spend ~$125 for it instead of having to mess with my 8.1 key etc especially if I have to do that again later if I decide to clean wipe install to fix a problem or lag or something.

Also that link doesn't show option for 32 or 64 bit.

But mainly, I prefer it already on USB.

 

[hang-the-9]

OK, so no Pro.

I much prefer it already on USB mailed to me. Is that possible? I don't mind if I have to spend ~$125 for it instead of having to mess with my 8.1 key etc especially if I have to do that again later if I decide to clean wipe install to fix a problem or lag or something.

Also that link doesn't show option for 32 or 64 bit.

But mainly, I prefer it already on USB.

Not much to do with the Windows 8 key, when you install Win 10 it will ask if you have the key, put it in. If it works you are done, if not, then you can just run the setup without it and buy a key later.

Not sure what you mean about having in on a USB mailed to you, you can download Win 10 setup from Microsoft yourself.

 

[geofelt]

There are very few windows 10 features in PRO compared to Home that a home user might want.
Pro gives you more flexibility in deferring updates.
It also allows virtual machines.
No matter, if you later want pro, you just buy the upgrade from microsoft to activate the code which is already there.
Here is likely what you want:
https://www.newegg.com/microsoft-windows-10-home/p/N82E16832350411
As a plus that is retail, not oem which may get you Microsoft installation support if you need it.

 

[Colif]

I much prefer it already on USB mailed to me. Is that possible? I don't mind if I have to spend ~$125 for it instead of having to mess with my 8.1 key etc especially if I have to do that again later if I decide to clean wipe install to fix a problem or lag or something.

Also that link doesn't show option for 32 or 64 bit.

You would only need to use the key the one time, once its been used once and its accepted, you don't use it again. Its the same for any licence used to register win 10.
if you ever reinstalled it again, when you reach the screen asking for licence, click "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue to install and reactivate once finished. Details of your activated win 10 licence are stored on Microsoft servers, they remember if the PC has been registered before, most you might have to do is enter the email address but a previously activated PC should auto activate.

Its up to you if you want to just buy a new licence instead of try to use the win 8 one. I was just offering a possibly free alternative.

The Installer USB is both 32 bit and 64bit, you choose the version you want to install from a drop down list at time of installation.

 

[pcfupcfut]

why when I google Windows 10 full retail USB it shows much cheaper $45 options like this? it says it's Pro , Full but not Retail
https://www.thepcconnectstorellc.co...MInveg-IGQ7wIVQuHICh0HhwF_EAQYBCABEgK49vD_BwE

I'm fine with spending $139 from newegg but that page won't even stay open on the vista laptop I'm writing this from. I have another PC I can order newegg from though but just curious about the ~$45 ones .

 

[DSzymborski]

why when I google Windows 10 full retail USB it shows much cheaper $45 options like this? it says it's Pro , Full
https://www.thepcconnectstorellc.co...MInveg-IGQ7wIVQuHICh0HhwF_EAQYBCABEgK49vD_BwE

I'm fine with spending $139 from newegg but that page won't even stay open on the POS vista laptop I'm writing this from. I have another PC I can order newegg from though but just curious about the ~$45 ones I'm finding from google search

They're gray market ones. Generally from people abusing licensing agreements with Microsoft or people outright buying keys on stolen credit cards as a form of money laundering and then selling them to sites like this that look the other way. Microsoft can blacklist these keys at any time.

One of the reasons that companies have generally been stopping selling cheaper editions in poorer countries is that people were reselling those keys to much wealthier countries. So now people living in poorer countries have less access to powerful software.

The odds of you getting into trouble doing such a thing are probably longer than odds of the sun exploding tomorrow. But like all people, you'll have to answer to your own conscience, depending on what you choose!