128
votes
Buy old Windows version now and still get the upgrade for free?
Mary Mary quite contrary
You state "we have to save money where we can"...
...and "We have a little office for our local sportsclub"...
... well remain with Linux! :-)
This is probably an answer ...
- 18.9k
80
votes
Accepted
Buy old Windows version now and still get the upgrade for free?
The free upgrade for Windows 10 is only available for Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. But if you act quick, you can buy a license for Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 and use it for the free upgrade, before July 29th.
The ...
- 2,653
42
votes
Accepted
Is Synergy free to use if you compile it yourself?
Is Synergy free if you compile it yourself?
Yes, it is free as it is under the GNU General Public License.
Released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Synergy is free software.
...
- 155k
33
votes
Accepted
Extracting Windows 10 license keys from machines
You can use NirSoft's 'ProduKey'. You can download it on nirsoft.net. This is a freeware utility which allows you not only to see Windows keys, but also various other Microsoft product keys.
This ...
- 798
24
votes
Creating a Master Image to roll out to 30 new Machines Licensing Issues
DO NOT use CloneZilla or any other type of 3rd party tool, as they're not needed, will only result in lost time and inefficiency, coupled with likely causing licensing issues.
Windows natively ...
- 7,428
16
votes
Accepted
Any way to retrieve Visual Studio production key?
You should be able to find the activation key under the registry path HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Licenses\4D8CFBCB-2F6A-4AD2-BABF-10E28F6F2C8F\07062 . The value is encrypted though, so you need to decrypt it ...
- 276
15
votes
Extracting Windows 10 license keys from machines
Enter:
wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
into Command Prompt (Admin), then hit enter.
This will show the original Windows 10 product key for each machine.
NOTE: This only ...
- 1,280
14
votes
How can I add my product key permanently to a Windows 10 install USB drive?
Use notepad to make a file called PID.txt and put the following in the
file:
[PID]
Value=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
Place your Windows 10 product key in where the X's are and save the
...
- 10.5k
13
votes
Buy old Windows version now and still get the upgrade for free?
You can't upgrade Windows XP (or Vista) to Windows 10 for free. You'd need to buy Windows 7, install all of the service packs then upgrade to Windows 10. The difference in price between Windows 7 and ...
- 231
11
votes
Accepted
Windows 10 host and Linux guest, can I swap the two license wise?
Its a bit tricky.
As per the EULA (Part 4b for those playing at home)
b. Stand-alone software. If you acquired the software as stand-alone software (and also if you upgraded from software you ...
- 128k
9
votes
Can I run virtual windows with my OEM license?
Like other answers have mentioned, it is allowed by the license as long as you only use one instance.
As to how to do it in practice, you need to copy the ACPI tables to the virtual machine. The ...
- 584
9
votes
Accepted
Is Windows 10 OEM Home upgrade to Pro possible?
Is Windows 10 OEM Home upgrade to Pro possible?
Yes, absolutely! The fact that it is Windows 10 Home from an OEM source is inconsequential when you want to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
...if ...
- 15.9k
8
votes
What happens to Windows 10 Dev Environment after 90 days?
After 90 days the VM will not be usable any more, and this is done on purpose.
You will lose all your programs that you have setup.
You will need a fresh VM image and repeat your setup of it every 90 ...
- 465k
7
votes
New ssd, keep win 10 licensed?
New ssd, keep win 10 licensed?
Just bought a new ssd. How do I maintain my license for windows 10?
How the Free Windows 10 License
Works
The free Windows 10 license Microsoft is ...
7
votes
I want to sell my laptop but retain my Windows 10 license
My laptop has Windows 10 Pro retail license. I wish to retain this license for myself and not give it away with the device.
Windows 10 Professional licenses can be transferred to another machine.
...
- 42.4k
7
votes
How do I purchase a license for Gentoo?
You are mistaken. Most Linux distros are totally free and are the assembly of software published under the GPL or other very permissive licenses.
So in the general case you don't need any kind of ...
- 9,882
6
votes
Buy old Windows version now and still get the upgrade for free?
Can I get three cheap Windows XP copies and just upgrade them for free?
As already noted elsewhere: no. Windows XP doesn't qualify for the upgrade.
Or is the upgrade restricted for copies that ...
- 15.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Windows 10 Education after finishing school
The EULA of DreamSpark says the following when ordering your free products.
TERMS FOR DREAMSPARK DIRECT SUBSCRIPTION.
a. DreamSpark Direct Subscription. Subject to the terms of this ...
- 201
6
votes
Accepted
VirtualBox on Linux: What Windows image to use and where to get it?
I had to just do this recently, there are many option here:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/
Microsoft Provides them for free to Web Developers but it is a fully ...
6
votes
Creating a Master Image to roll out to 30 new Machines Licensing Issues
You cannot use an OEM image to cast onto other systems. Microsoft does not permit this and it is possible (if you try) that the systems will fail activation.
You need to get a Windows 10 Volume ...
- 48k
5
votes
Can I transfer Windows 10 Pro license to another computer?
If the license is retail, then yes you can transfer it.
If the license is OEM, then no, you cannot.
If the license came with your laptop (or you upgraded from the license that came with your laptop), ...
- 426
5
votes
Accepted
Can I bundle Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (.diagcab) files with my software?
I contacted Microsoft support and apparently there is no license, and I am allowed to redistribute it without modifications.
- 227
5
votes
Accepted
Reinstalling Windows 10 - how many digital licenses I have linked to my account
The digital license is a fingerprint of the hardware on which Windows 10 was installed.
As you have installed (and activated) Windows 10 on 3 PCs,
Microsoft now holds in its activation database three
...
- 465k
4
votes
Accepted
How do I tell if a Windows 8.1 Product Keys is an OEM key?
Open a command prompt and enter the command:
slmgr.vbs /dli
Next to the name of the operating system it will tell you a "channel". There is no single one for OEM licenses but afaik all of those that ...
- 1,812
4
votes
Accepted
Switch product key windows 10 home and pro
In the Windows 10 Upgrade EULA, it states that licences are not transferable and last for the lifetime of the machine it is installed on.
So, legally, the answer is no.
Sorry I could not be of more ...
- 352
4
votes
Can I "transfer" my Windows 7 license to a virtual machine running on the same computer?
You're allowed to do this if Microsoft allows you to do this. This sounds like a non-answer but keeping this in mind helped me move my OEM license to a VM, free and clear, with the help of Microsoft ...
- 171
4
votes
How do I manage the link between a Windows 10 license and a Microsoft account?
This is an answer to your first question: See which Microsoft account the license is linked to.
There is no direct way to show to which account a digital license is bound to. The account device list ...
4
votes
Is Windows 10 license perpetual or will it become outdated in 2025?
Those dates refer to the LTSB version of Windows 10. LTSB stands for Long-Term Servicing Branch and here the same 10 years apply like in older Windows versions.
So the LTSB version of Build 10240 (...
- 97.7k
4
votes
What happens to my Windows 10 license when I install fresh on a new SSD?
Having done exactly this myself I found the eaiest way to migrate the licence safely, was to first assoicate your account with a microsoft account (i.e. hotmail, outlook.com, xbox, etc).
How to do ...
- 6,683
4
votes
How do I see all Windows licenses linked to my Microsoft account?
There is a link somewhere on Microsoft's site where you can see all the computers and licenses linked to your account. For instance, if you have a computer in the office and the kid's play room, you ...
- 41
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