cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

I didn't upgrade because I wanted to keep my Windows 7 running but I can now buy Windows 10 Pro OEM for £21.99 https://softwaregeeks.co.uk/product-category/windows-10/

Now this interesting as I can set up a dual boot with a clean install

Are there likely to be any problems with doing that

A second question

At present I have a dual boot Win 7 and Vista - what would be the procedure for replacing Vista with Win 10

19 REPLIES 19
chenks76
All Star
Posts: 3,274
Thanks: 338
Fixes: 12
Registered: ‎24-10-2013

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

the only question i would ask is are softwaregeeks are a reputable company?
if they allow you to buy an OEM licence without purchasing hardware then the answer is no.
that would also lead me to ask if the licences they are selling are actually legit.
jaread83
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 3,438
Thanks: 2,336
Fixes: 81
Registered: ‎22-02-2016

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

It doesn't look very trustworthy to me IMO. I did a Google search for 'softwaregeeks' and found that some users had issues with this particular website. The first suggested searches on google included the words 'trustworthy' and 'reviews' so that isn't a great start. The search found forums pages of users saying that the keys that are sent to you are OEM, Technet or volume licence keys, some of which get rejected by Microsoft when activating Windows. When users get their keys rejected and ask about it the website (softwaregeeks) simply sent another key which seemed to work. Obv MS hadn't blocked that key yet. You will see plenty of forums talking about the legitimacy of the software sold on this website.

Hexus forums

Toms hardware

Trust pilot (though I think most of the reviews here are shills)

To me, I would prefer to shell out the extra money and get a legitimate licence key on a tamper proof holographic sticker and installation disc. That deal just looks too good to be true to me.

If a seller is only selling you a code it is safe to say that it isn't legit.

Frontend Web Developer | www.plus.net

If you have an idea to improve the community, create a new topic on our Community Feedback board to start a discussion about your idea.

Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

Oh well - that scuppers that Sad

chenks76
All Star
Posts: 3,274
Thanks: 338
Fixes: 12
Registered: ‎24-10-2013

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

as they say, if it looks too good to be true......
Minivanman
Legend
Posts: 15,268
Thanks: 6,270
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎04-11-2014

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

Windows 10 still having problems http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37154516

Leave it another year..... and don't buy cheap, get the genuine article as Windows 10 is going to be around for quite some time so they say. 


Truth is like a threshing machine; tender sensibilities must keep out of the way.
Herman Melville
billnotben
Community Veteran
Posts: 7,689
Thanks: 2,164
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎23-09-2010

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it


@jaread83 wrote:

It doesn't look very trustworthy to me IMO. I did a Google search for 'softwaregeeks' and found that some users had issues with this particular website. The first suggested searches on google included the words 'trustworthy' and 'reviews' so that isn't a great start.


 

Yes that is true but if you did the same for plusnet............................

 

You can't take everything you read on the net as gospel otherwise no one would buy anything and plusnet would have no customers.

nanotm
Pro
Posts: 5,756
Thanks: 156
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

no doubt MS will do a cheap upgrade key deal around Xmass time again, not that the pro licence cost is that high to stat with, not like when XP first came out and it was priced over £200....

 

but this seems like it might be worth a shot https://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-Professional-win-Bits-Product/dp/B01FTC68FE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=...

 

theres other offers around as well priced anythighn from the full £180 to £19 on amazon, although I suspect at least half of them are going to turn out as auto adjusted prices like the everything for 1p event the other year lol

just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

You can buy OEM copies of Windows which are only supposed to be used by those building a new computer.  I have also seen copies of Windows intended for use by authorised refurbishers advertised for sale - and which are cheaper still.  And then you can find the licence-key-only deals from a few obscure sources which seem far too good to be true.  I'm tempted to suggest that you purchase one, @Oldjim, just to find out what the catch is.

If you dual boot between Windows 7 and 10 it goes a lot faster if you choose Windows 7 as the primary OS; you'll have to do that after you install Windows 10.  If you wipe the Vista partition at the start of the installation then install Windows 10 there I would not anticipate any problems.

 

Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

Taking that a stage further

Assuming that I go the route suggested and overwrite the present Vista partition with Win 10 could I then copy the Win 10 partition and the Win 7 partition to an SSD partitioned into two and change the boot order in the bios to get that to boot first

The bit I am not sure about is how the boot manager actually works when you move them

Of course I could do that with the present Vista and Win 7 partitions then install Win 10 in the Vista partition - question as above re boot manager

ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

There should be a small System partition at the start of the disk which you can see if you use the Disk Management tool.  That contains the information used to boot/dual boot.  If you do the copy using disk cloning software that partition will be copied along with the rest and adjusted as necessary.  If it got lost or corrupted you should be able to boot from a Windows installation disk (or USB drive) and recreate it using the bootrec tool.

nanotm
Pro
Posts: 5,756
Thanks: 156
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

With w10 its easier to have each os on a separate drive, you can get SSD's for cheap now so even that shouldn't be problem for the majority
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

@nanotm why as that means I won't have a SATA slot left

@ReedRichards disk management in Win 7 doesn't show that

2016-08-26_113103.jpg

ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

What happens if you disconnect the hard drive that holds Vista?  Can your computer start Windows 7 if the disk shown as Disk 0 is not connected?

Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Windows 10 - now I have to pay for it

I don't know - I would need to check

The boot manager is in the Vista partition which is listed as the primary boot