How did you get your current Windows license?

[something daft already!!]

I was thinking about this the other day. My Windows key has been going since 2009 and the release of Windows 7. I was one of the lucky ones to get the Windows 7 Ultimate key and a Party pack which contained bags, napkins, puzzles, posters and other stuff. I still have the box somewhere. I had a Vista OEM key before this, the less said about that the better. My very first thread here was about that very subject lol.

This Windows 7 key followed me over a few upgrades until 8 came out and I took the free upgrade. Then 8.1, then upgraded again and got Windows 10 upgrade because of how nasty 8 and 8.1 was. Nearly a year ago now, I then upgraded to Windows 11.

So my key is really 13 years old. It's nice to not have had to buy a new one in all these years.

I have other PCs with win 10 and an OEM key as well.

So, how old is your main PC's key and how did you get it?

 

[Rroff]

My main PC has been going since 2013 on retail Windows 7 (box) - most of my newer systems on 10, etc. came with the OEM pre-install/hardware activation.

 

[lsg1r]

On my most recent pc I just used an old windows 7 pro oem code to activate windows 10 pro.... it transferred over without any real issues but I hadn't used the code since windows 8 came out (I didn't get a free upgrade from 7 so have their codes laying around too, probably got around 6 codes I can use for windows 10/11 lol).

 

[throwaway4372]

I've always just bought windows retail when building a new pc. So my license is as old as this pc.

Dunno what I'd do if building now, coz I only see windows 11 on dvd, and no usb like windows 10, so that would be irritating.

 

[lsg1r]

I've always just bought windows retail when building a new pc. So my license is as old as this pc.

Dunno what I'd do if building now, coz I only see windows 11 on dvd, and no usb like windows 10, so that would be irritating.

You basically just download the iso and then copy over to a usb drive... you then just buy the code digitally (or use an existing unused code from win 7/8/10)

Software Download

 

[drakulton]

Got an old cracked copy of win 7. Installed it, then upgrade to win 10, and then install a fresh copy of 10 or 11 as the hardware is now registered.
I keep the bought copy of 7 on a test machine.

 

[arknor]

I got mine on cj cdkeys the first key they gave me had already been used though... had to wait 2 days for support to give me another key.


you can use win11 forever anyway though with just a message in the corner saying its not activated

 

[Deleted member 77746]

I’ve had licences due to my work field, they all come from work. Legit licences.

 

[Rroff]

Prior to 7 many of my licenses came from work and/or my TechNet subscription when that existed.

 

[Orcvader]

Bought retail 7 pro back in 2010 when I first got into PC building. It's been with me ever since, I skipped 8/8.1 but upgraded to 10. Will probably upgrade to 11 eventually once I feel a few more niggles are ironed, and any other future Windows revision. I think I went through at least 3 or so complete new builds with the same key.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Online key seller.

 

[Sinbad2000]

Bought an OEM Win7 pro key with some hardware many many years ago. Probably sometime in 2010.
It's followed me through various OS and hardware upgrades, to where I am with Win11 now. One or two times I've had to speak to MS to get it reactivated because of a major hardware change (new motherboard or similar) but it still lives!

 

[Feek]

Technet when I worked for a company that had it then I carried on using the same keys for a while after I left.

I bought Vista when I built a PC specifically for Vista.

Then ever since then, if I've needed Windows for anything (generally a VM that gets used for a specific purpose), I've got a bunch of pictures of old Windows 7 keys from laptops that were scrapped from a company I left in 2017. They still work in Windows 10 and although I've not used Windows 11, I have no reason to believe they won't work.

 

[nade]

Currently still rocking my Win7 retail license, pre-order from launch.

 

[malachi]

Retail key from Windows 7, key is tired to my MS account.

 

[The_Arbiter]

I've got a couple of home ones from family computers, one's from Vista and still seems legit on Win10.

I bought a new Win10 Pro one off here,but haven't got round to using it. Hopefully it works as a few reported they were duff.

 

[DeliciousStorage]

Bought a cheap OEM Windows 10 Pro key from eBay 3 years ago, cost around £3 IIRC.

 

[Aegis]

My current main PC is running 11 Pro upgraded from 10 and then before 8 (I got a good deal on a retail boxed licence of 8 Pro when it was released - £40-or so I think?) - my secondary PC (getting on now) is also a retail license - this time it's a Windows 10 Home upgrade from a nice boxed copy of Windows 7 Home Premium.

Generally when I'm building PCs for friends/family though I pick up an OEM key from one of the grey market sellers - I haven't had issues (so far).

 

[Aegis]

This Windows 7 key followed me over a few upgrades until 8 came out and I took the free upgrade. Then 8.1, then upgraded again and got Windows 10 upgrade because of how nasty 8 and 8.1 was. Nearly a year ago now, I then upgraded to Windows 11.

So far as I know, 8 was never offered as a free upgrade..?

 

[VaderDSL]

Bought retail 7 pro back in 2010 when I first got into PC building. It's been with me ever since, I skipped 8/8.1 but upgraded to 10. Will probably upgrade to 11 eventually once I feel a few more niggles are ironed, and any other future Windows revision. I think I went through at least 3 or so complete new builds with the same key.

Pretty much the same. Although my key has been tied to my MS account for a while now.