I want to donate my old work PCs, but I don't want to donate my Windows Pro licences. What's the cheapest way to get a Windows licence on a PC?
I have been struggling to decide what to do with my old rendering machines.... But they are getting less useful for rendering by the day.
I encountered some Ukrainian refugees in my language class, and some of them don't have PCs.
It must be hard for them to look up information etc.
I want to clean up my old machines and donate them... But won't have a Windows licence. I'm also not sure the best way to install Windows if they will be using Russian or Ukrainian language.
Is there a cheap Windows licence or free for Windows this situation?
In the old days I would have pirated it but I don't want to put them in that situation.
Would installing Linux on them be an option?
You might want to ask them if they can use a *nix, if not, you're giving them the gift of headaches and annoyance.
(I say this as a lifelong Linux user)
This, just throw Ubuntu or popos on it
As a windows smoothbrain bot I can confirm pop os is straightforward to operate and plain easy if someone helps the person with basic problems (how to find things, how to install things etc).
I'll throw my hat in the ring for Zorin OS. It's similarity to Windows is a lot greater than most distros, so switching will be easy. It's also based on Ubuntu, like Pop :)
Don’t give me yet another district to try damnit!
I did think about this, but I know sweet FA about Linux; they know sweet FA about Linux; and should any problems come up in future, using Linux severely limits the chances of a casual acquaintance being able to help out.
But you're right, it would be a decent solution... If the situation was a bit different I might go with that.
If it was someone I was likely to pop in on to fix things for example.
Apparently you can activate Windows using this: https://github.com/massgravel/Microsoft-Activation-Scripts
(Stolen from elsewhere, have not tried myself, might be legally dubious)
Half/most/all Chinese mini PCs on Amazon use this method. Yes, it works.
And then it works as a valid license on future reinstalls without needing to run the activation script, too.
This is how I always do it.
Doesn’t Microsoft own GitHub now? This is actually very funny.
Install non legit 7 or 8.1 then upgrade to 10 (this still works) after that is has a legit win10 that can even be clean reinstalled. Amd upgraded to 11 if hardware supported (or bypassed).
Introduce then to Linux is the best gift you can do to them. I regret a lot to not having the same and be raised with windows, its make me lazy and stupid but most important have make me ignoring how much a Machine mean and how we all should approach them.
Grey market sites like G2A and Kinguin have windows licenses for cheap.
At that point is morally better to just pirate it
Those keys are working but legally unlicensed (usually for testing purposes only for msdn members)
Kinguin is great but it does require a phone call which is disappointing.
Really? I've bought Win10 keys on Kinguin before and I don't think I've had to do that before. It's been over a year since I've used them though.
For me it required I activate via a phone. Was no big deal, took about 5 minutes.
I think the cheapest way is buy an OEM edition and a SATA cable to fullfill the purchase requirements.
And a SATA cable? How does that work?
Is that like a token hardware purchase?
Shops are not permitted to sell a OEM version of windows without an associated piece of hardware. There is nothing that actually ties that hardware to the windows license.
Damn, I gave my Windows 10 Pro key last week to my brother since it has been 4 years since Ilasr used Windows. I remember buying it from Gamivo.com for ~10USD.
AFAIK you can use Windows 10 for free indefinitely; you just can’t change the theme, and have to live with the “Activate Windows” overlay on the desktop. There used to be a 90 day limit on use but I don’t think that exists anymore.
Mine’s been running like that nearly 2 years now, no limit aside those you mentioned