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Windows 7 Pro - Reputable Key Sale

A

akwonder

Junior Member
Hi,
I recently had to rebuild my computer and now need to get a new key. I was hoping someone here might be able to point me toward a reputable source that has reasonably priced genuine/legal keys.
Thank you,
akwonder
 
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Burpo said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Windows-7-P...perating_Systems_Software&hash=item35db67f4f1
Click to expand...
First piece of advice: don't buy from eBay. It's a scam, it's always a scam. Especially if they're selling Windows for less than the standard OEM price of $99.

Those are stolen or otherwise illegitimate keys. If they really are retail keys, then they are likely from TechNet accounts, which means you can count on Microsoft deactivating it.

The best deal you're going to get is a $99 OEM copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. Amazon Newegg
 
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You can buy legit OEM copies, disk in a sleeve, at your nearest college store for $70. Some may require you to show them a student id.
 
Harvey said:
Newegg has both 64 and 32 bit OEM versions for $139.99:

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM
SKU: N82E16832416804

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 32-bit - OEM
SKU: N82E16832416803

Enter promo code EMCPBHW24 at checkout for 10% off.

You may have to settle for a brand new, legal full installation disk with a real COA, instead of a key code. 😉
Click to expand...

postmortemIA said:
usually newegg also has them on $15 off or 10% off
Click to expand...

ViRGE said:
First piece of advice: don't buy from eBay. It's a scam, it's always a scam. Especially if they're selling Windows for less than the standard OEM price of $99.

Those are stolen or otherwise illegitimate keys. If they really are retail keys, then they are likely from TechNet accounts, which means you can count on Microsoft deactivating it.

The best deal you're going to get is a $99 OEM copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. Amazon Newegg
Click to expand...
Thanks guys,
I'm going to go the Newegg route. I was hoping to find single key and activate right away, but this does seem to be the best/safest route to take.
Thanks again for all your replies everyone,
akwonder
 
Agree with Virge. But, this initial question begs another. If you rebuild a computer, why can't you use the same key you had?
 
ViRGE said:
First piece of advice: don't buy from eBay. It's a scam, it's always a scam. Especially if they're selling Windows for less than the standard OEM price of $99.
Click to expand...

OEM price is $16-32 depend on OEM volume purchase!
NO OEM purchase is over $32 or at least in US-CAN
 
corkyg said:
Agree with Virge. But, this initial question begs another. If you rebuild a computer, why can't you use the same key you had?
Click to expand...

I had to rebuild because of a main board failure. I ended up upgrading a couple of other parts so the only original parts are now the hard drives, graphics card, and the ram.
akwonder
 
Mir96TA said:
dude use your old keys
Click to expand...

It is recognized as a new machine and the old key has exceeded MAK activation uses, which is unfortunate, but I guess it could be much worse, I could be stuck getting Windows 8 and I really don't want to do that.:biggrin:
akwonder
 
akwonder said:
Thanks guys,
I'm going to go the Newegg route. I was hoping to find single key and activate right away, but this does seem to be the best/safest route to take.
Thanks again for all your replies everyone,
akwonder
Click to expand...

Under Win 7 Pro, the virtualization feature requires newer CPU's with the feature, and the function can be accomplished with software such as VMWare with other CPU's and OS versions.

Unless you need any of the specific added features of Win 7 Pro, it doesn't offer much more than Win 7 Home Premium. If not, save the extra money with ViRGE's link to Newegg's Win 7 Home Premium offer, and use the 10% discount at my link. Note - This discount offer expires on 8-31.

corkyg said:
Agree with Virge. But, this initial question begs another. If you rebuild a computer, why can't you use the same key you had?
Click to expand...

You can. MS's verification system can get a little finicky if the same key is enterered too often in too short a time period. You may even be asked to re-activate the same copy on the same machine if you swap the hard drive with a copy cloned to a different brand of drive, for example, while migrating to an SSD. If you're not using a key specifically tagged as pirated, you can usually contact Microsoft's support to activate it.
 
Harvey said:
. . . If you're not using a key specifically tagged as pirated, you can usually contact Microsoft's support to activate it.
Click to expand...

Yep! That has always worked for me. Microsoft has always responded favorably to a phone call stating that the old system is kaput - gone, and they then permit the new activation.
 
Mir96TA said:
OEM price is $16-32 depend on OEM volume purchase!
NO OEM purchase is over $32 or at least in US-CAN
Click to expand...
I'm talking about the standard white box OEM price. If you're a tier 1 OEM, sure, you can get Windows for less. But those are not copies of Windows that can legally be resold to individuals.
 
I use an app called 'keyfinder' to retrieve product keys from Windows (if for some reason there isn't a product key sticker available).

akwonder said:
It is recognized as a new machine and the old key has exceeded MAK activation uses, which is unfortunate, but I guess it could be much worse, I could be stuck getting Windows 8 and I really don't want to do that.:biggrin:
akwonder
Click to expand...

Telephone activation?
 
ViRGE said:
I'm talking about the standard white box OEM price. If you're a tier 1 OEM, sure, you can get Windows for less. But those are not copies of Windows that can legally be resold to individuals.
Click to expand...

Hell you can!
According licence agreement all they have to do sell you the HDD, MB and case with Win X.
Now you can always return the hardware and keep the OS. (100% legal)
Most of mom pop shops don't enforce those rulez.
Who wants loose free $20 profit.
 
akwonder said:
It is recognized as a new machine and the old key has exceeded MAK activation uses, which is unfortunate, but I guess it could be much worse, I could be stuck getting Windows 8 and I really don't want to do that.:biggrin:
akwonder
Click to expand...

It happen often; all you have to do is call MS phone activation most of the time computer will give product activation key! on rare actual human come online can assist you.
 
I bought a refurb laptop that came with disc and card with orange (instead the usual blue/white) coa label. I put ubuntu on it and never used the key, can I sell the key and disc?
 
holden j caufield said:
I bought a refurb laptop that came with disc and card with orange (instead the usual blue/white) coa label. I put ubuntu on it and never used the key, can I sell the key and disc?
Click to expand...

First, the license for that particular version of Windows is intended to be used only with machine it came with, and when you install it, you may not even have to enter a key in most laptops from major manufacturers because the key is in non-volitile RAM.

For the same reason, a generic OEM Windows disk will probably install without a problem, but you'd still have to download all the drivers for your particular machine.

On a more practical level, if it's the original disk that came with the computer, it will only work with another machine from the same manufacturer and possibly, only with the range of machines that were sold while that particular release version of Windows was current.

Mir96TA said:
Hell you can!
According licence agreement all they have to do sell you the HDD, MB and case with Win X.
Now you can always return the hardware and keep the OS. (100% legal)
Most of mom pop shops don't enforce those rulez.
Who wants loose free $20 profit.
Click to expand...

Ummm... Someone with ethics and a conscience. Guess that doesn't include you. :thumbsdown: 🙄
 
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I have been through this twice on my Win7 computer. Windows will tell you your key is invalid, but if you call Microsoft they will fix it. As long as you are only using the key on one system, your are fine to re-use it, regardless of what you upgraded. As long as your original windows was valid, there is no reason to repurchase. I don't have a retail key, just an OEM white box key from Newegg.
 
A lot of you are suggesting I call in, I don't have a physical disc or a record of my key, I downloaded Belarc Advisor because Keyfinder couldn't find my key. My key is not stored on my computer, which I think is because the copy of Windows I had was from when I was in school and I used a dreamspark IT student copy. I was able to retrieve the last 5 characters of the key with Belarc however. I don't know if that's enough information to prove ownership for Microsoft. I appreciate all the comments offering suggestions.
akwonder
 
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