Microsoft licensing is usually one of the most expensive line items in an organization's IT budgets due to: Product breadth: The comprehensive product suite, ranging from endpoint management tools like Intune to collaboration platforms like Sharepoint, and their associated licensing costs can quickly add up.
Windows is an overall operating system. This means that Microsoft can charge more for it because it has a high demand. Microsoft includes many features in Windows that other operating systems do not have. This makes Windows more attractive to users but also more expensive.
These sellers acquire keys through different tactics – buying keys in countries with low pricing, purchasing and reselling volume licensing keys, or obtaining free keys by exploiting Microsoft's Education program. They are cheap because there is always a risk involved.
Windows is so expensive since Microsoft pays for many resources, technologies, and OEMs for its development. The platform is so familiar for users that migrating from it incurs higher costs. And since its price is usually bundled in PCs, you don't expect to pay for it later, thinking it's expensive.
That is, the OEM keys are sold to desktop and laptop netbook etc etc manufacturers for installing it on their products and selling them. That's in short is the reason why OEM keys are more cheaper as compared to your windows licences at a retail/ online etc.
Websites selling cheap Windows 10 Pro keys are not official stockists of Microsoft products. The keys they offer are not legitimate – they are typically obtained one of two ways: The keys are purchased from countries where Windows licenses cost less.
Can I buy OEM Windows 10? Of course you can, as long as the OEM key is official. You can get an OEM Windows 10 by buying a new PC that is preinstalled with official Windows 10. You can also get an OEM Windows 10 by installing Windows 10 on your PC and then buying an official OEM key.
Buy Windows from Microsoft: $139 - $199
You can get Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home for $139. And you can get Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro for $199. You can get these either as downloads or on USB drives.
If it is within your budget to do so, yes, replacing the windows in your home is definitely worth the investment. Window replacements can help you better insulate your house, reduce noise and increase the energy-efficiency and heating/cooling costs for your home.
If you purchased the official genuine retail version, the key is permanently valid.
If you have a Windows 10 PC or laptop that's ready for Windows 11, you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free just by running the update tool.
Genuine Windows product keys last indefinitely. The keys will never expire.
Most of the time, a Windows license is strictly a formality, something you can safely ignore. But occasionally, it matters, especially if you're building your own PC or upgrading to a different edition. If you're making IT purchases for a business that involves more than a few dozen PCs, it absolutely matters.
Uninstall Product Key
Press Windows key + X then click Command Prompt (Admin). At the command prompt, enter the following command: slmgr. vbs /upk. This command uninstalls the product key, which frees the license for use elsewhere.
“Your Windows license will expire soon” indicates that it is time to renew Windows activation. This notification does not mean an error but a reminder to renew the Windows license key. Many Windows users have reported on various platforms about this pop-up message.
While old windows might still be functional, there's a good chance they're not very efficient. Windows that are over 20 years old should be replaced.
The one draw to buy your own windows is to save money. And it's true, removing the window distributor from the picture costs less, at least up front. Unfortunately, there are many more problems with buying windows yourself that outweigh the cost savings: You might end up buying the wrong size or type of window.
Microsoft allows anyone to download Windows 10 for free and install it without a product key. It'll keep working for the foreseeable future, with only a few small cosmetic restrictions. And you can even pay to upgrade to a licensed copy of Windows 10 after you install it.
Once upgraded to Windows 10, we will keep it up to date for the supported life of the device, for no additional charge. Windows 10 will run on all device form factors, including PC, tablet, phone, Xbox and big screen displays.
Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date.
How much does it cost to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11? It's free. But only Windows 10 PCs that are running the most current version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware specifications will be able to upgrade. You can check to see if you have the latest updates for Windows 10 in Settings/Windows Update.
But if it's an OEM license, it's permanently tied to the first computer it's installed on and it may never be moved to another. You can use it as many times as you want to *only* if you use it on the original computer.
It would be legal to resell a retail Windows 10 license, provided you wipe it from the machine where it is installed, but it would not be legal to resell an OEM license, which is one associated with an installation that was preinstalled by the factory, without transferring the original hardware with it.