Will a 5 year old product key still work?

yellowpois0n · Oct 13, 2014

Ive bought a PC in 2009 and it came with a windows home 7 product key. I know I can use it to get windows however I dont know if its still good anymore, I mean its 5 years old and its a sticker the company put on my PC letting me know my windows product key. Its a OEM version and the company already used the product key, but im pretty sure I can re-use it. Will this 5 year old product key work?
Heres a Picture:

COLGeek · Oct 13, 2014

Yes. It is still valid on the system it was originally installed on.

junkeymonkey · Oct 13, 2014

as long as it used for the original os it was meant for should be

yellowpois0n · Oct 13, 2014

Awesome! I can make a bootable USB with this product key. That will save me a extra 100$.

COLGeek · Oct 13, 2014

Since it is an OEM license, it is tied to the first motherboard it was installed to. You may not be able to activate the OS automatically and may have to go the phone method. However, since it is an OEM license, MS could choose not to allow you to re-use it on a non-OEM system.

Just something to keep in mind.

junkeymonkey · Oct 13, 2014

how that would work I don't know

when you get a copy of windows the key it tied to it only and not transferred to another copy so you would havt to use the same copy of windows the key is ment for not just any copy of windows of the same

COLGeek · Oct 13, 2014

All physical copies if Windows, by version, are the same. The product keys, whether commercial or OEM, are different.

The activation process generates a "finger print" (keeping this simple) of the hardware used with the submitted product key. That finger print (based on the motherboard) is used to identify systems and to track use of product keys (and what prevents you from using a product key more than its intended number of times).

If you change the finger print of an OEM version, you are technically required to purchase a new license. MS, however, will usually let you use the license again, but not necessarily always. This usually means using the manual activation process as well.

ccampy · Oct 13, 2014

Try it if it works good doesn't call um ms to try to activate say you had to replace your mobo they may activate it for you if not you have 28 days or so to get another lisence

junkeymonkey · Oct 13, 2014

that's about it they will do it or just hang up on you

Eximo · Oct 13, 2014

ccampy :

Conveniently you can extend the 30 day trial to ~120 days if you need more time to afford the OS. Google 120 day Windows 7 trial.

It is a feature they left in for the student editions, intended to last for a semester.

junkeymonkey · Oct 13, 2014

just save your self a lot of hassle and grief spend the $80 bucks for a fresh legal hard copy [dvd] and be done with it

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