Microsoft Windows License Questions

Hexa Fox · Mar 1, 2015

Hey guys I was hoping someone here can help me out. I understand the following things the way I describe them below, please feel free to correct me.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM):
You can use this one time and one time only. It will write the license code to the Motherboard and only be able to be utilized with that Motherboard. Basically not transferable to another computer.

Retail Version:
This can also only be installed on one computer/device at a time. However it is transferable to another device if the previous device's version is deactivated.

Now my question:
Is it okay to buy used software as long as it is the Retail Version and has the original product key and packaging etc? Like for example I see people selling Windows 7 on Ebay for a great deal and they say things like "software removed from previous device". Is it okay to invest in this software?

I mean like if I invest in this software for a better price can anything bad happen? Like can they remember/write down the product key and deactivate my device and activate another? Basically is it worth it to save some money to go after this software?

boosted1g · Mar 1, 2015

Buying any software off ebay is very very risky, you have no idea if the key is even a real key, let alone if it has been sold to you and 12 other people.

I would guess 8 if not 9 out of 10 people who buy windows off ebay get screwed.

USAFRet · Mar 1, 2015

1. Which version of Windows are you looking at? (it makes a difference)
2. Where are you buying it from? (it makes a BIG difference)

EDIT: Buying licensed software on ebay is rarely a good idea. Buying a Windows license on ebay is even less of a good idea.

Don't.

Hexa Fox · Mar 1, 2015

boosted1g :

Thanks for the responses guys. First thing is that I would be receiving the physical case that the CD and key come in. Therefore I would imagine (but do not know, why I am here) that since I am getting the sticker with the key on it I would be okay? Would you be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 people print the stickers to make them look like Microsoft originals?

Ebay used to be a great place to scam people, however this is not the case now and people rarely get screwed over and when they do it is usually under the table deals. Also what happens when the same CD key is sold to various people? I would not buy it unless I was guaranteed to receive a physical copy.

Obviously you two probably knew that I was skeptical before coming here. Therefore with this input I am probably just going to play it safe and buy it off Newegg or elsewhere.

Another reason I am asking is because I cannot find retail copies of Windows 7, at least not on Newegg. It is not really a huge deal to me but I would like to be able to transfer the software if needed.

Solandri · Mar 1, 2015

Hexa Fox :

Even if you get the physical case and sticker with key, you have no guarantee that it wasn't already used to install Windows on a bunch of other systems before being sold to you.

Ebay used to be a great place to scam people, however this is not the case now and people rarely get screwed over and when they do it is usually under the table deals. Also what happens when the same CD key is sold to various people? I would not buy it unless I was guaranteed to receive a physical copy.

Most of the non-physical keys sold on Ebay are probably Technet keys. Technet was a membership program for techies and salesmen which Microsoft shut down last year. For an annual fee of a couple hundred bucks, they'd give you 2 or 5 license keys (depending on level of membership) to nearly all Microsoft software for evaluation and testing purposes.

You were supposed to use the keys only for yourself, but a lot of eBayers abused the program to sell the keys (which is probably why Microsoft shut it down). The keys are legit, and non-expiring. But if Microsoft detects that a key from a Technet account is being used for pirating (i.e. one of the folks who bought such a key shares it with his friends, who share it with their friends, etc), they will invalidate all keys connected to that Technet account.

That's probably what happened to a friend of mine who bought a Win 7 Ultimate key off eBay. It worked for 3 years, then one morning his computer told him the key was invalid. He tried re-entering the key, but Microsoft still said it was invalid. Since Windows does not allow downgrades from versions (i.e. can't go from Ult to Home), he had to buy a new retail copy of Win 7 Ult to reactivate it. i.e. He ended up paying a lot more than if he'd just bought a copy from a retail store in the first place.

Hexa Fox · Mar 1, 2015

Solandri :

Thanks for the response. This is what I was figuring could happen. You just wake up one morning and you are screwed in the @$$. However I was not certain. Definitely not worth the risk and this is what I came here to figure out. Thank you guys very much.

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Microsoft Windows License Questions

Hexa Fox

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Solandri

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Hexa Fox

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Solandri

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Hexa Fox

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