Cheapest Way to Get Windows 7 Or 8? Can I Use An Upgrade Copy?

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dragonborn123

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Nov 19, 2013
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As someone who has only ever purchased retail builds with OEM OS preinstalled, I'm having a hard time sorting through all the information regarding what to get, how to get it, where to get it, and how to get the best price. I would prefer a retail copy that I could use for other PCs in my home, but I'm really unsure of exactly what to buy, and where to buy.

Basically, could someone give me some tips on whether I should get Windows 7 or 8, and what price I should be looking for? Is buying used a possibility, or is it inadvisable? Considering I have an old copy of Windows XP lying around, is it possible to use an upgrade copy of Windows 7 or 8 to get a better price?


Thanks for any advice, answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated.
 
Solution
lp231
There are two types of packages, retail and OEM.
Retail comes in a nice package, the license can be transfer many times as long as it's running only on 1 computer.
Retail package cost more than OEM versions.

OEM does not come with a fancy package and the license can only be used on the computer it was activated on. It cannot be transfer to another computer. OEM cost a lot less than the price of retail versions.
Both type of license can only be installed on to 1 computer. If you have multiple computer, then you will have to purchase multiple license. It's 1 license per computer.
They used to sell a family pack which can be used on to 3 computers, not sure why MS stop selling that.

Cheapest retail OS will be Windows 8.1...
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lp231

lp231

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There are two types of packages, retail and OEM.
Retail comes in a nice package, the license can be transfer many times as long as it's running only on 1 computer.
Retail package cost more than OEM versions.

OEM does not come with a fancy package and the license can only be used on the computer it was activated on. It cannot be transfer to another computer. OEM cost a lot less than the price of retail versions.
Both type of license can only be installed on to 1 computer. If you have multiple computer, then you will have to purchase multiple license. It's 1 license per computer.
They used to sell a family pack which can be used on to 3 computers, not sure why MS stop selling that.

Cheapest retail OS will be Windows 8.1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/operating-systems/microsoft-windows/abcat0508002.c?id=abcat0508002
 
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StefenR

StefenR

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Regular Users like me Prefer Windows 7 rather then 8 bcos of its newness and affinity to touch screen devices

on an option the retail packages cos u have a dvd which can be used in multiple pcs
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Unless it specifically states, one license, one PC.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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1. Don't buy used, or from eBay.

2. Any of the major retailers (Amazon/Newegg/TigerDirect/Microcenter/etc) is the best place to buy. Unless one of them is having a 'sale', the price is pretty similar. Set by Microsoft.

3. The OS is just as much a part of a new PC as is the motherboard, GPU, fancy case...
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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1. Don't buy used, or from eBay.

2. Any of the major retailers (Amazon/Newegg/TigerDirect/Microcenter/etc) is the best place to buy. Unless one of them is having a 'sale', the price is pretty similar. Set by Microsoft.

3. The OS is just as much a part of a new PC as is the motherboard, GPU, fancy case...
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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And unless you are an actual student, that is against the licensing agreement.
 
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dragonborn123

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No tech colleges in my area unfortunately. But as a student myself, I see that there is a slightly cheaper student offer for Windows 8. No idea what kind of information I'd need to provide to prove student status, or what type of copy it is, I'll need to look into it.
 
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dragonborn123

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Also, I guess there are no Windows 8 versions that can be installed on multiple platforms? We're looking to get a new home pc, so if such a version exists (and its economical), that may be a good option.

Otherwise I think I'll get an OEM copy, though is it true that it is possible to move the license to a new mobo if you're willing to call MS and jump through some hoops?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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For Windows 8, changing the hardware is not an issue. Used to be with Win 7 and earlier, but not with 8.
 
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OldLogic

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This may be a very old thread, but a good place is r/softwareswap on Reddit. Ive bought at least 3 codes from there and they all worked fine. Most codes for windows 8/7 range from 5-15 dollars. It may be risky, but so far, me, as well as many others, haven't had a problem.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Those are almost certainly not legit. Generally, someone's academic/MSDN/TEchnet license. That that are not licensed to sell. It may 'work' but can be revoked by MS at any time. And this has happened.
 
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