Can a School Invalidate a Windows 10 Key if I Stop Working There?

[skepticaldan]

I found out the university I work at offers both windows 10 Education Edition and MS Office 2016 for only $10 each through Volume Licensing. I plan on putting both of these on my new home computer which I just built, which I am eligible to do since I do a good amount of work from home. However, I only plan on working there for the next year.

I'm wondering if the University has the ability to invalidate my Product Keys for these items if I stop working there. I don't expect the average Joe to just know this off the top of his head, but more wondering if there is anyone out there who has purchased a product key under volume licensing and then stopped working at the place they bought it from. What was your experience, did your software still work? I appreciate any advice you may have.

 

[mikeynavy1976]

I found out the university I work at offers both windows 10 Education Edition and MS Office 2016 for only $10 each through Volume Licensing. I plan on putting both of these on my new home computer which I just built, which I am eligible to do since I do a good amount of work from home. However, I only plan on working there for the next year.

I'm wondering if the University has the ability to invalidate my Product Keys for these items if I stop working there. I don't expect the average Joe to just know this off the top of his head, but more wondering if there is anyone out there who has purchased a product key under volume licensing and then stopped working at the place they bought it from. What was your experience, did your software still work? I appreciate any advice you may have.

I was a grad school student when I purchased Windows 7 (when it first came out) under one of same deals as you. When I left school it still worked...never had any problems, even when I had to reinstall.

 

[k1114]

You are really just buying the license with a discount as the university has a partnership with MS. It's yours just like if you bought it retail.

 

[USAFRet]

The school? No.
Microsoft? In theory, yes.

The licensing agreement states that you can no longer use that license once you no longer have an affinity to that institution.

However...MS would have to do a full audit of the school licenses, and cross reference the number of licenses the school gave out, vs the number of currently affiliated people.
Then, split out the current from the 'no longer current'.
Then, positively identify 'this license', on 'this system', and turn it off.

I have never, ever heard of this happening.

 

[10tacle]

I worked for a university for a year and bought a discounted copy of Office 2010. It's still valid on both PCs (it was good for two PCs). Like USAFRet said, Microsoft would have to spend a LOT of money policing all the student/faculty/government discounted copies of Office and Windows OS.

 

[skepticaldan]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the feedback,