Question Windows Licensing?

[TeamRed2024]

Interesting debate. I paid $199 for my W11 Pro key from MS on my custom build... and paid $100 extra to upgrade my laptop from OEM Home to Pro.

I've seen all the ads for $29 keys but I've never once thought they were legit.

 

[lantis3]

Windows 8.1 tablets OEM license price revealed years ago.

How much does Microsoft make from PC makers with Windows 8.1?

Microsoft is making Windows 8.1 available to its PC partners for anywhere from 'zero dollars' to $15 per copy, according to recently disclosed OEM licensing information.

www.zdnet.com

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Windows-8-1-with-Bing-price-scheme-leaks-online.135022.0.html#1827457

and I bought this mini pc for $160, This comes with Windows Pro 11
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXDTSJCC?th=1
so if OEM Windows cost $100, the hardware cost only $60?

Apple OS is free, Linux is free, Android / Chrome OS is also close to free.
WIndows market share is declining year over year. MS just want to keep Windows licensing a grey area.

 

[onespeedbiker]

Windows 8.1 tablets OEM license price revealed years ago.

How much does Microsoft make from PC makers with Windows 8.1?

Microsoft is making Windows 8.1 available to its PC partners for anywhere from 'zero dollars' to $15 per copy, according to recently disclosed OEM licensing information.

www.zdnet.com

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Windows-8-1-with-Bing-price-scheme-leaks-online.135022.0.html#1827457

and I bought this mini pc for $160, This comes with Windows Pro 11
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXDTSJCC?th=1
so if OEM Windows cost $100, the hardware cost only $60?

Apple OS is free, Linux is free, Android / Chrome OS is also close to free.
WIndows market share is declining year over year. MS just want to keep Windows licensing a grey area.

I remember years ago my son bought a laptop from Best Buy; it was a Windows 7 Computer that was upgraded to Windows 8. About 6 months afterward, he got a message on his computer saying his copy of Windows was illegitimate and he needed to purchase a retail version. When I took the laptop back to Best Buy they first tried to say they were not responsible. After working my way up the ladder I finally found a manger who agreed to install a new retail version for free. It turned out when upgrading their computers they violated their MS licensing by installing OEM versions of Windows 8 they had for new computers that were not supposed to be used to upgrade PCs.

 

[USAFRet]

I remember years ago my son bought a laptop from Best Buy; it was a Windows 7 Computer that was upgraded to Windows 8. About 6 months afterward, he got a message saying his copy of Windows was illegitimate and he needed to purchase a retail version. When I took the laptop back to Best Buy they first tried to say they were not responsible. After working my way up the latter I finally found a manger who agreed to install a new retail version for free. It turned out when upgrading their computers they violated their MS licensing by installing OEM versions of Windows 8 they had for new computers that were not supposed to be used to upgrade PCs.

BB/GeekSquad == shady.

Similar with my son's laptop.
Original Win Vista. HDD died within a couple of months.

Took it to BB for a warranty replacement.
"Sir, did you create the OS backup DVD?"
(me) 'No.'

"well, we're going to have to charge you $250 for a new OS and the installation."
(this, on a $300 laptop)

'WTF??? No dude, just replace the drive, I'll do the OS reinstall myself.'

He really really did not want to go down that road.

'Dude...replacement drive, now!'

Drive replaced, a little larger than original.

I still have this cheesy laptop. It was my Day 1 test box for Win 10 Tech Preview.

 

[lantis3]

Upgrade is different from new install.

You can do a clean new install standard or OEM Windows on most machines. The feature is the same from top to bottom. You can activate as long as the license is legit.

The only difference is you can't transfer the OEM license to another machine if the motherboard is dead. But does it matter for laptop or mini PC? Or even desktop?

 

[USAFRet]

Upgrade is different from new install.

You can do a clean new install standard or OEM Windows on most machines. The feature is the same from top to bottom. The only difference is you can't transfer the license to another machine if the motherboard is dead. But does it matter for laptop or mini PC? Or even desktop?

OEM is OEM.
The platform makes no diff.

 

[DSzymborski]

As I said in my original post, I'm surprised that Tom's publishes articles encouraging people to buy $12 Windows activation keys, which might come from Volume License or Education packs and hence flout Microsoft's Terms and Conditions.

So are we.

 

[ubuysa]

TBH I think we all have to follow our conscience. I think that 99.999% of people running Windows know that you need to have a legit license. IMO those who choose not to obtain one must accept that it's OK for other people to steal from them.

 

[DSzymborski]

I totally admit that as a teenager in the 90s, I had my fair share of warez on my PCs. But I never pretended I had some dubious moral justification; I just wanted more stuff than I could afford at the time. And once I was an adult, I stopped that crap, because that's what functioning adults in a society do.

 

[TeamRed2024]

I totally admit that as a teenager in the 90s, I had my fair share of warez on my PCs.

Hahah... me too. It wasn't PC based though... I had an Amiga 500 back in the late 80's as a teen.

 

[TeamRed2024]

OEM is OEM.
The platform makes no diff.

So I wanted to ask before I did it being this is my first pre-built purchase in a long time. This new AW laptop just arrived... if I reinstall W11 to wipe the bloat after upgrading the ram and SSDs (that I plan to clone as mentioned in the other thread) am I going to have any issues with activation? Upgrading from 16GB ram and 1TB SSD to 4x 2TB drives with 64GB ram for about $700 less than what Dell wanted.

Thanks in advance!

 

[USAFRet]

So I wanted to ask before I did it being this is my first pre-built purchase in a long time. This new AW laptop just arrived... if I reinstall W11 to wipe the bloat after upgrading the ram and SSDs (that I plan to clone as mentioned in the other thread) am I going to have any issues with activation? Upgrading from 16GB ram and 1TB SSD to 4x 2TB drives with 64GB ram for about $700 less than what Dell wanted.

Thanks in advance!

No, that should not incur ANY issues with the license.

The license lives with that laptop.
Just be sure to install the same version it came with. Home or Pro.

 

[lantis3]

@TeamRed2024

Prebuild laptop has oem license burnt in on the motherboard. Should have no problem at all. You don't even have to enter cd key.

If you are not so sure, you can partition the drive and install Windows 11 ISO / USB into the new created partition free space and see if it works and also check whether you are missing any drivers.

 

[TeamRed2024]

No, that should not incur ANY issues with the license.

The license lives with that laptop.
Just be sure to install the same version it came with. Home or Pro.

Thank you sir!

@TeamRed2024

Prebuild laptop has oem license burnt in on the motherboard. Should have no problem at all.

If you are not so sure, you can partition the drive and install Windows 11 ISO / USB into the new created partition free space and see.

Thanks!