Question Windows 7 Professional

[noobofnoobs]

This might be a dumb question but a friend of mine gave me a key for windows 7 professional OEM. But i have no idea if that key is for a 32 bit or 64 bit. Is there a way to find out what it is exactly, or does it support both ? I've installed a program called Microsoft PID checker to see if the code is legit, i haven't used it yet since i don't know if i enter my code in there it might activate it, or does it just check if its legit ? Anyway, thanks

EDIT: spelling

 

[COLGeek]

The product key should be good for either 32-bit or 64-bit. From where did this key originate? It may have been previously used.

 

[noobofnoobs]

My friend used to work in a shop where PC's were repaired, so that's probably where it came from. No idea if its activated or not. I took a chance and entered the code in the program i mentioned in my original post (Microsoft PID checker) and it said this

Key Status: Valid
Product ID:
Extended PID:
Activation ID:
Edition Type: Professional
Description: Windows 7 Professional OEM:COA
Edition ID: X15-37341
License Type: OEM:COA
License Channel: OEM
Crypto ID: 0186
Benchmark: 2,8 seconds

please someone tell me i didn't activate it, but just checked if its legit 😛

 

[USAFRet]

"Description: Windows 7 Professional OEM:COA "

The 'OEM' in there would mean it an OEM license, tied to its original hardware, and not transferable to new hardware.

Now...if it was never ever used on anything else, it might activate.

 

[punkncat]

In my own experience I find that most Microsoft keys will work a few times before you have the either "already used" or contact Microsoft message. As above, if it's OEM it may not work anyway, but even at that "could" work if you are building a system very similar and/or same manufacturer as the OEM. For instance, Intel to Intel. I have not had a system go from Intel to AMD properly transfer code unless it was a "retail" license, and even then often resulted in a call to Microsoft to straighten out. Over the years they have mostly been lenient with it, in that particularly with Windows 10 they are getting loads of data and metrics from your use of it.

 

[noobofnoobs]

Alright thanks for the replies, so to sum up. The code will work on either a 32-64 bit system, or it might not work at all because its an OEM key and not a retail key.

After looking around a bit i found out that there a sellers on Ebay selling Windows 7 Pro OEM keys by the thousands, and most of them work. (there is a guy with over 10k sold keys and only 17 negative feedback...)
And not only win 7, but office and other OS as well.

I wonder how these guys get their hands on all those keys, in their description it does say he is a Microsoft partner, and that he has an ID number but still... If you're saying OEM is tied to its original hardware how do these guys manage to get so many working keys, unless Microsoft doesn't care and actually hand them the keys themselves.

 

[USAFRet]

I wonder how these guys get their hands on all those keys, in their description it does say he is a Microsoft partner, and that he has an ID number but still... If you're saying OEM is tied to its original hardware how do these guys manage to get so many working keys, unless Microsoft doesn't care and actually hand them the keys themselves.

Pre Win 10, you or I could buy an "OEM" license. It would be tied to whatever hardware you installed it on first.
It was a little bit cheaper than a Retail license.

I can say I'm a partner with both Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, and The Lord High Pubah of All That I Can See.
Doesn't mean it's true.

These cheap license keys, either OS, Office, or games, can come from a variety of methods.

Several channels of "Not For Resale". TechNet, MSDN, ex-corporate, EDU...
A Technet or MSDN subscription would give you personally dozens/hundreds of licenses, for your companies testing.
$400 for an MSDN subscription, sell 500 licenses for $20 each...profit.

Or, stolen credit cards.
Buy 1000 valid licenses, OEM or Retail, with a credit card that is not yours, and sell them cheap.
Later, when the eventual chargeback happens, they will get Unactivated.

The seller doesn't care, because he's gotten the money and has moved on to a new account. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Positive feedback on Amazon/Newegg? Faked.


Read here for some further info on these cheap licenses:

http://www.polygon.com/2015/2/9/800...ose-mysteriously-cheap-gray-market-game-codes

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...bisoft-is-going-after-third-party-key-sellers

 

[noobofnoobs]

Seems like its kinda the same story with G2a a while back, where most of the keys obtained are either from low income areas or like you said stolen credit cards. It said in his description that he is a Microsoft partner, that threw me of not thinking he could be lying.

Thanks for the knowledge

 

[USAFRet]

Seems like its kinda the same story with G2a a while back, where most of the keys obtained are either from low income areas or like you said stolen credit cards. It said in his description that he is a Microsoft partner, that threw me of not thinking he could be lying.

Thanks for the knowledge

Licensed software is not a lot different than actual hardware.

If you came across a listing for 16GB Corsair DDR4 RGB, for $10, and he said he was a 'Corsair Partner' and had 500 of these sets to sell...you'd run away laughing, knowing it was a scam of some sort.

The reason it happens with software is that they don't have to have physical stock and a delivery address. Can all happen online and via email.