In addition, many of those who sell these licenses over the Internet reuse them. They can sell the same license to 10 or 100 different people. Even more. It may happen that the license is legal (Retail), but they sell the same license to a thousand people. And as soon as Microsoft realizes that the same license is activated on several computers, it blocks the license, and we will be left without the key and without the money. And be careful, that the licenses are pirated does not mean that they do not work. You will be able to activate Windows with it and use the operating system without problems. At least for a time. But sooner or later everything falls under its own weight.
That is why it is better to use really reliable stores. And one of the ones we can recommend for . Why do we mention this store? Well, because it has some special characteristics such as that it sells reused European retail licenses, in accordance with the law, and it does not sell the same license to more than one customer. And this is important because if you get a license from another store that is less reliable, since the license can be associated with your Microsoft account, when you try to install it, the message “this license is already being used” may appear. and let your troubles begin. Something that we can confirm does not happen in this one that we recommend.
License types for Windows
Once we know that we must be very careful with the licenses that are sold over the Internet, we must be clear about what type of license for Windows 10 or 11 we need. Each of them has its own characteristics and we can buy them completely legally.
- Windows 10/11 Pro: is the Windows license intended for professional use. Among its features, it stands out its compatibility with equipment that incorporates up to 2 TB of RAM memory and a wide variety of options for working in a group around professionals. For this, it has the use of remote desktop, Hyper-V client for virtual machines, Windows Update for companies, etc. The Pro version of Windows 10 is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. However, Windows 11, in all its versions, is only available in a 64-bit version. With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft has gone the same way as macOS, completely forgetting about 32-bit operating systems.
- Windows 10/11 Home: This is the basic version for users of the Microsoft operating system, with which we will have access to its main functions, but ignoring more advanced features that are saved for the Pro version. It is the most common to be used by home users . Like the Pro version, Windows 10 Home is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, but not Windows 11, as there is only a 64-bit version.
If we buy a Windows “Home” license, and in the future we want to upgrade to Windows Pro, we will be able to do it. We will simply have to buy the “upgrade” from the Microsoft Store and activate it on our PC. This upgrade is much cheaper than the full Pro key, and it will allow us to convert our Windows Home to Pro without having to format. Of course, we must bear in mind that, once done, we will not be able to go back. The process is irreversible.
Where to buy a 100% legal Windows license
When buying a Windows license it is better to pay its full price. This way we will save ourselves problems, both legal and using the computer.
There are several totally reliable sites where we can buy this operating system. For example, in the Microsoft Store itself we can buy Retail licenses for Windows 11 or 10both for the Home edition and the Pro edition.
These licenses are 100% legal and we can be sure that they work without problems. In addition, it will automatically be linked to our Microsoft Account, so if we change computers or have any problem, the license will continue to be valid. The price of these licenses is much more expensive than the licenses that we can find outside of Microsoft’s official distribution channels.
In Amazon we can also find a large number of licenses for Windows. However, we do not recommend buying them here. Amazon does not sell any licenses on its own, and buying from an independent seller, who is most likely Chinese, would be the same as buying from Aliexpress, however, we know that Amazon will always respond to any license issues we may have without having to fight with the seller and who wants to change the license for another one.
The same happens in specialized computer stores, such as PcComponents. This store allows third-party sellers to sell through its platform. And many of the licenses that we can find here are either OEM licenses or of dubious origin. As with Amazon, it is a gray market, and therefore, it is not recommended at all.
ebay? Do not even think about it. Wallapop? Not by mistake. Chinese websites like aliexpress, Gearbest or Goodoffer? Not even with the card of your worst enemy. All these licenses belong to the gray market, they are pirated and they will give us problems.
In addition to Microsoft, other places where we can safely buy Windows licenses are in physical stores. For example, if we are going to Carrefour either MediaMarkt, and we find some of the famous Windows Retail boxes, as long as they are sealed, they will allow us to get a Windows license without problems. If the box is unsealed, no matter how much discount the product has, it is advisable to buy it, since it could be a product returned by a customer or by an employee who wanted to use the license on a personal computer without having to pay for it. .
If we use a version of Windows 10 and our computer is compatible with Windows 11, it is not necessary to buy any license, since the update is completely free. The same license number that we are using in Windows 10 will be automatically updated for Windows 11. Of course, the process is not reversible. In other words, if we downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10, we will not be able to continue using the license unless we previously deactivate the license on the computer. In this case, we are going to be able to continue using the same license number if we go from Windows 11 to Windows 10, but only in this case.
If we have a computer with Windows 7 or Windows 8, we will be able to update to Windows 11 without problems, however, we must carry out the process in parts. First, we need to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8, and then upgrade the PC to Windows 11. It’s really highly unlikely that a PC running Windows 7 or Windows 8 will include support for TPM 2.0, one of the requirements Windows 11, although we always have the possibility of skipping those requirements and installing Windows 11, although it is not recommended, as long as we use the computer regularly at work, since any malicious file that ends up on our computer can lead to destroy all its content, if in addition, we are very fond of making backup copies on a regular basis.
Use Windows Insider
Windows Insider is the Windows beta program, a beta program that allows any user with a Microsoft account to test the next versions that will be released to the market of Windows 11, since Windows 10 has stopped receiving feature updates, but not security. It is not necessary for our team to have a valid Windows 10 license, having the unregistered trial version is more than enough. Using a beta and more than one operating system carries a number of associated risks. The first and most important is that the stability of the operating system may not be ideal, so we can run the risk of our equipment suffering performance problems, blue screens, unexpected hangs, and so on.
Also, the overall device performance may not be as optimized as the final version, so power consumption may be higher, which is a problem for users using a laptop without a charger handy. The Insider program is available in three versions: development channel (pre-beta version), beta and preliminary version (pre-final version), the latter being the most recommended option so that our team does not suffer from operating, performance problems. and stability.
To be part of the Windows Insider program, we must access the Windows configuration options, click on Windows Update and, finally, on the Windows Insider Program. Before we sign up, we need to turn on optional data collection, so that Microsoft has access to performance and stability logs for the trial we’re about to install. Next, click on the Get Started button in the Windows Insider Program menu and we select which version of Windows we want to test on our device.
If we have gotten tired of testing Windows 11 betas and want to abandon the program, we can do so without any problem through the same section of the menu where we installed it. By leaving the beta program, we will stop receiving updates and the team will look for a valid license installed on the computer to continue using it without any limitations. If we do not have a license, we can continue using Windows without problems, but we will not be able to modify any configuration parameter. In addition, in the lower right corner of the screen, a message will be displayed that will continuously remind us that it is a non-activated copy.
What are generic keys
We only have to do an internet search, specifically through Google, for example, to find a series of generic keys for both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Perhaps at first we can think that these keys can solve the ballot for us when having a valid license for the Microsoft system. But first of all you should take into consideration that you are not the only ones who have thought this.
In fact, many users choose to use a license of this type when installing a new Windows on their computers. In this specific case we will finish the installation as such just by choosing the option I don’t have a product key. This will give us a new window to finish installing Windows as such. However, there are times when we cannot do this unless we have a license, so we might think that the use of generic keys will help us.
Here we are going to find ourselves with a serious inconvenience, since the problem appears when, after completing the configuration and the PC connects to the Internet, the generic key stops working. This means that we will be able to work with the system in a limited way and with the message that we need to activate it as soon as possible. Therefore, we could say that these generic keys that we find in Windows are nothing more than a temporary solution that will also serve us very little.
Use a virtual machine without spending a euro
It may be the case that we already have…