Explain W7 Key Purchases. Difference from store bought?

Relax. It's just a forum.

it is people like that selling technet keys that make us that pay for technet subscriptions mad

hclarkjr said:

you would then need to burn the image to DVD and install it

But the fun really starts when you try to activate it.

So, what is a technet subscription, and what is it with a technet subscription that is so irritating ?

How does one steal a W7 key from microsoft ? ...or are you talking about some punk breaking into a real store and stealing boxes software ?

look here for explanation on technet What are TechNet Plus subscriptions? | TechNet Plus Subscriptions once you subscribe to technet you are given keys for all micosoft software but they are for your use only. this is for evaluation purposes only.

theog said:

A litte bit reading.

A "Must Read" for OEM license users

Windows 7 Upgrade Paths - FAQ

I found this article very interesting indeed.

I have an OEM version. I did not install it in this machine but purchased this machine from a real company here in town. The company takes older computers and upgrades them and resells them. It is my understanding that XP was on the hard drive originally that came with this machine before they installed this OEM copy of Windows 7.

According to that article, this would be illegal. But the company did not provide me with a CD with Win 7 on it, just a key for the installed copy, That is - the Windows genuine tag with the serial numbers on it taped to the side of the machine. It was real and not a photo copy.. had the hologram and everything.

I called the OEM Licensing division of Microsoft and explained all this to them and would they please send me a copy on CD for back up purposes. I had to tell them where I bought my computer, what type of computer it was, in this case a "Re-Built and upgraded" Older PC. They knew full well this was not a new machine that had a OEM copy of Win 7. They knew I was an end user and not a computer re-biulder myself. They took my OEM License (the serial numbers on the Windows tag) information and sent me a CD right out - No Charge.

MS is not that bad to deal with. every time i have had to call to reactivate my former vista install they were always pleasant and activated it for me no problem.

Pancho said:

So everyone says stay away from ebay keys. I been purchasing from ebay over 10 years, and the 2 probs. that occurred were resolved in my favor by Paypal. I'm not worried about ebay.

Here's a link to one of the typical ebay vendor items: [removed by admin]

Did Read the "Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version" posting. It was good.

Would appreciate and answer to my question:

What exactly is a key purchase...do you get the disks, or just the keys...if you just get the key, then how do you get the program...etc.?

Thanks

If you have been with them for 10 years then ask the seller of the keys what you get for your purchase. You know the ebay routine if you've been with them that long

There is a bit of a communications gap here between those of us in the Tech/Win7 community and those in the eBay community.

We see the sale of a key on eBay as sketchy, doubt its source and wonder why it is even allowed.

EBay'ers think that anything should be sellable on Ebay. They know the site polices itself and that anyone making this kind of questionable purchase would go with someone who has a rock-solid reputation that overrides any concerns about the product's legitimacy or source: eBetty would never waste a 10-year reputation selling something that doesn't work.

Now that PayPal warrantees all purchases, to the eBayer that makes our concerns negligible. But it still doesn't make me want to buy a key on Ebay.