Where to buy Windows 11 RETAIL keys for cheap? Are you using retail or OEM key?

xDiVolatilX

xDiVolatilX

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I looked at around for a while and couldn't find any retail keys for win 11 so I bought one for 25 bucks. I have a feeling when I swap hardware it's going to act up causing me to need to call Microsoft and haggle them to accept the key even though it may be "tied" to the hardware it was first installed on.

What key are you guys using?

Is it OEM or retail? How much did you pay for it? Where did you buy it?

Do you know where they sell retail keys for cheap?

Is there still a OEM or retail option like before?

The whole point of a retail key is you can install unlimited times with no issue. The OEM key gets tied to the same hardware and no swapping is allowed.

Any info guys?
 
I honestly can not remember the last time a key I used complained about being on new hardware and I was using Win 7 OEM Keys for years for Win 10 reinstalls and often different ones and across a couple systems on and off.
 
DogsofJune said:
Godeal24.com

I have had a good experience with them. Key is tied to the hardware, but for the price. Meh
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Are you on Windows 11? Have you had any issues reinstalling Windows 11 on new hardware or a different machine?
 
MrGuvernment said:
I honestly can not remember the last time a key I used complained about being on new hardware and I was using Win 7 OEM Keys for years for Win 10 reinstalls and often different ones and across a couple systems on and off.
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Yes Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 keys work on any rigs as much as you want. Never had any issues, but now Windows 11 is new and I bought the key for 25 bucks from a key website that there are plenty of now a days. My Win 7 and Win 8.1 keys were full boxed retail versions. Now I have this cheap Windows 11 key and I'm wondering if it's going to give me headaches of talking to Microsoft over the phone every time I make a change or what if I want to install it on my 2nd rig? I've always had 2 installs of the same key before. How bout now?
 
xDiVolatilX said:
Are you on Windows 11? Have you reinstalled on new hardware changed? Have you tried installing the key on more than one rig?
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I have purchased 3 Windows 11 keys from CJS keys. But, not full retail keys. I usually just get OEM keys, because they are so cheap.

**I just looked and it looks like they do not have full retail licenses. Only OEM. Sorry about that.

you can change videocards and SSDs. But changing the motherboard usually requires a new key.
 
chameleoneel said:
I have purchased 3 Windows 11 keys from CJS keys. But, not full retail keys. I usually just get OEM keys, because they are so cheap.

**I just looked and it looks like they do not have full retail licenses. Only OEM. Sorry about that.

you can changed videocards and SSDs. But changing the motherboard usually requires a new key.
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You mean there are no more retail keys ever anywhere even Microsoft? Or just that particular CJSkeys website that sells them?
 
xDiVolatilX said:
date no you on Windows 11? Have you had any issues reinstalling Windows 11 on new hardware or a different machine?
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Yes, both Win 10 and Win 11.
Only issue I had was mobo replacement. It asked to activate again, but its $13, and you are off and running again. As for swapping video cards or other periphery, no issue upgrading and swapping parts.
It depends how much swapping of parts you have going on.
 
DogsofJune said:
Yes, both Win 10 and Win 11.
Only issue I had was mobo replacement. It asked to activate again, but its $13, and you are off and running again. As for swapping video cards or other periphery, no issue upgrading and swapping parts.
It depends how much swapping of parts you have going on.
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May I ask where you can get a key for $13 dollars?
 
I dunno about windows 11, but windows 10 seems pretty ok with any hardware changes, as long as you're connected to a microsoft account. I've heard switching back is harder now, but generally switch login to microsoft account, reboot a couple times and check that activation says 'digital license linked to microsoft account', then swap your motherboard/etc, poke at activation, reboot, wait a couple days, etc, eventually you'll get a not activated, use the activation troubleshooter and tell it you changed hardware, then it lets you pick your computer name... and you'll be activated again. If you then switch back to local login, it should say you're activated with a digital entitlement and good to go.

If you can't switch back to local login anymore, then it's best to do those steps with a new user account, which you can remove afterwards.
 
Windows 10 and 11 will reactivate just fine even with major hardware changes. You can just login to your MS, find your old PC listing and then straight up delete it. I've done that 4 different times.
 
Domingo said:
Windows 10 and 11 will reactivate just fine even with major hardware changes. You can just login to your MS, find your old PC listing and then straight up delete it. I've done that 4 different times.
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Wait, what do you mean? Can you elaborate? I'm not following you here. .
 
xDiVolatilX said:
Wait, what do you mean? Can you elaborate? I'm not following you here. .
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You need to log into windows with a Microsoft account to link the activation to the pc. Once you have it linked, you can unlink it by doing the deleting mentioned above.
 
celwin said:
You need to log into windows with a Microsoft account to link the activation to the pc. Once you have it linked, you can unlink it by doing the deleting mentioned above.
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Yup. If you activate any Microsoft device with an account (Xbox, Surface, PC, or whatever), it shows that license and device on your profile online. If you want to remove that license, you can just choose to delete it. In the case of Windows, that allows you to use your license key again on another device. A completely different one. You can keep bouncing that same license around to multiple devices endlessly as long as you keep deleting the old devices.
 
Al
Domingo said:
Yup. If you activate any Microsoft device with an account (Xbox, Surface, PC, or whatever), it shows that license and device on your profile online. If you want to remove that license, you can just choose to delete it. In the case of Windows, that allows you to use your license key again on another device. A completely different one. You can keep bouncing that same license around to multiple devices endlessly as long as you keep deleting the old device.
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Ok good to know also. I never knew that. I already miss having Windows 10 on multiple machines at the same time lol
 
Domingo said:
Yup. If you activate any Microsoft device with an account (Xbox, Surface, PC, or whatever), it shows that license and device on your profile online. If you want to remove that license, you can just choose to delete it. In the case of Windows, that allows you to use your license key again on another device. A completely different one. You can keep bouncing that same license around to multiple devices endlessly as long as you keep deleting the old devices.
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you can do this but afaik its for retail keys only, oems wont transfer. also, the account thing was a "saviour" for me last week, let me track where i left my phone. realized it was still sitting at a school(work) and was able to stop worrying.
 
Domingo said:
Yup. If you activate any Microsoft device with an account (Xbox, Surface, PC, or whatever), it shows that license and device on your profile online. If you want to remove that license, you can just choose to delete it. In the case of Windows, that allows you to use your license key again on another device. A completely different one. You can keep bouncing that same license around to multiple devices endlessly as long as you keep deleting the old devices.
Click to expand...
How do you do that? I have never deleted a device. There was a Windows setting that tied your key to your MS account. I don't know if that's automatic now. I won a copy of Windows Vista, and have not had to purchase a key since. I been through 7,10, and now 11 on probably 5 different systems. I do have a Pro key if that makes a difference.
 
DogsofJune said:
Yes, both Win 10 and Win 11.
Only issue I had was mobo replacement. It asked to activate again, but its $13, and you are off and running again. As for swapping video cards or other periphery, no issue upgrading and swapping parts.
It depends how much swapping of parts you have going on.
Click to expand...

Even then, you can use phone activation on that same key and specify it is in use on only 1 PC. It will give you an override that activates that key for the new mainboard.
 
Kwisatz Haderach said:
How do you do that? I have never deleted a device. There was a Windows setting that tied your key to your MS account. I don't know if that's automatic now. I won a copy of Windows Vista, and have not had to purchase a key since. I been through 7,10, and now 11 on probably 5 different systems. I do have a Pro key if that makes a difference.
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You can start by going here: https://account.microsoft.com/account/manage-my-account
After you sign in, it'll show all of your Microsoft licenses (Office 365 and such) as well as any MS hardware you own (Xboxes, gamepads, etc.). In that list it'll show any PC's you have that are linked to your MS account. You can select that device and choose "remove this device." The next time you install Windows on a new PC using that same key, it'll simply work/activate with no issue. That's really it. It should work with both Home and Pro licenses. They don't necessarily care about the key you use for your install so much as the account it's associated with. I could use a random Pro key I found online to install Windows, but it won't activate since it's already associated with someone else.
 
Domingo said:
You can start by going here: https://account.microsoft.com/account/manage-my-account
After you sign in, it'll show all of your Microsoft licenses (Office 365 and such) as well as any MS hardware you own (Xboxes, gamepads, etc.). In that list it'll show any PC's you have that are linked to your MS account. You can select that device and choose "remove this device." The next time you install Windows on a new PC using that same key, it'll simply work/activate with no issue. That's really it. It should work with both Home and Pro licenses. They don't necessarily care about the key you use for your install so much as the account it's associated with. I could use a random Pro key I found online to install Windows, but it won't activate since it's already associated with someone else.
Click to expand...

I see I can have a limit of 10 devices before I need to unlink any.
 
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