Let's say I want to build and sell computers. Can I preinstall Windows (7 or 10) without license on it using the Ctrl+Shift+F3 trick and let the user purchase a Windows license and activate by himself?
Hi,
As long as you clearly state it has windows... installed but not activated and they have to buy the exact license for which ever version you installed.
Which might cause more grief seeing win-7 licenses are dropping like flies and may not be around for very much longer.
Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold
If you`re gonna do that, you may as well not even install an OS.
But you`d have to at least offer them a choice.
Hi:
I mean no disrespect, but this sounds like a really bad idea, even if -- strictly speaking -- it may be legal.
An unsophisticated or unsuspecting buyer might be tempted by what I presume will be a "good price" (since the system lacks an OS).
S/he might not know that LEGAL Win7 licenses are extremely scarce now.
So s/he might (unknowingly) become the victim of a scam, purchasing what turns out to be an illegal license from a questionable source (or the wrong type of license), only to run into validation issues later.
Such a buyer would likely lack the skills to sort out the nuances of purchasing a valid Windows 7 license.
Even if you were to "cover your behind" with some sort of disclaimer with the sale, the buyer would end up in a bind as a result of their good-faith system purchase from you.
While a knowledgeable buyer would know what they were getting into, a less savvy buyer would feel cheated of their money (twice -- for the box and for the license) by a deal that may have seemed "too good to be true".
Just my two cents and worth less,
MM
I will put a huge sticker to explain that the PC is without a windows license not just a fine print disclaimer. I am trying to sell the PC as 'support' for a piece of software. Basically the software is important, the PC is just 'accessory'.
PS: in Europe it is ok to purchase a Windows 7 OEM license.
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