Windows 10 activation

Macanno

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Jan 9, 2016
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I recently purchased an OEM key off kinguin.com and when I went to activate windows it came up with an error. Is it that an OEM can't activate windows and I have to do a clean install by booting to a thumb drive with the windows setup on it or have I got a bad key? Thanks.
 
Solution
It's not your fault. They do this to limit their liability when they know they have bad product. It's part of their immoral business model. Don't accept that. Let's not write it off until we have sorted out definitively it doesn't work. If it doesn't, we'll sort out contacting MS, who will probably tell you it's a bad key - at which point I strongly suggest doing a chargeback on your CC.

Re q2: it depends on your circumstances. Students can often get it free or cheap through their institution or programs like Microsoft imagine.

Employees can sometimes buy it at steep discount via the home use program, if their employer has such an offering.

Finally, there's a fun little fact with home: you can use it legally without a license, it...
Kinguin.net resells keys of.... dubious legitimacy. Often they are purchased with stolen credit cards and then basically fenced (and cancelled once the victim charges back), or sold in violation of their original licenses (for instance, VLM corporate keys). Kinguin is not a great place to get these, as you can buy them and either they don't work, or they will be cancelled months later when their checks or a sweep picks them up as being fraudulent in some way. Kinguin can maintain low prices due to the minimal liability they maintain for getting you working software, one of the reasons it is so exceptionally cheap versus other options, but it comes as a risk for the consumer. They don't care, they make their commission, and hopefully you won't do business with them in the future, because they help support a small industry of theft that hurts not only consumers like yourself, but innocent people, and the fees from chargebacks are eaten by the developers in some cases, hurting them too.

With that out of the way, let's see if we can try to help you, because while it's a mistake to order from Kinguin, you shouldn't have to pay the price for it. What version did you buy? What was the exact listing info from Kinguin? What version did you install? Please go to "This PC" and right click it, select "Properties" and let us know what edition it says there.

Once we have made a determination as to whether the key should be working outside of human error, we can move on to trying to activate it. If that process fails, well, you got an illegitimate key, at which point it is in your interest to contact Kinguin and if they don't get you prompt resolution, charge back on your credit card and do no further business with them.
 

Macanno

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Jan 9, 2016
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Thanks for the response. I haven't got access to my PC for a few days but the copy I bought was a windows 10 home OEM key. I contacted kinguin a while ago but realized that I hadn't added the ~€5 protection so that was my fault. Is the only way to get a genuine key to fork out the 100 euroish price off the Microsoft website? If so thats what I'll do. I guess it's my fault for believing that I could get such a good deal. Thanks.
 
It's not your fault. They do this to limit their liability when they know they have bad product. It's part of their immoral business model. Don't accept that. Let's not write it off until we have sorted out definitively it doesn't work. If it doesn't, we'll sort out contacting MS, who will probably tell you it's a bad key - at which point I strongly suggest doing a chargeback on your CC.

Re q2: it depends on your circumstances. Students can often get it free or cheap through their institution or programs like Microsoft imagine.

Employees can sometimes buy it at steep discount via the home use program, if their employer has such an offering.

Finally, there's a fun little fact with home: you can use it legally without a license, it just restricts a few small things like changing your background.

But yea, post again once you have access to the system in question and we'll see what needs to happen at that point.
 
Solution

Macanno

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Jan 9, 2016
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Ok great. Am using Windows like u say legally without a key but that watermark bugs the hell out of me especially whilst playing a game or watching a TV show. I'll get back to u as soon as I get to my PC. Thanks for your help :).