I would like to know if or how I can get Windows 7 for reasonably priced. The thing is, I'd like to legally install Windows 7 (a good version, like Ultimate or Pro), on all, or none, or a few, computers at a time whenever I want, however I want - you understand I'm sure - like goofing off with installing a zillion copies of Linuxes. Not talking about piracy here, just that I've heard some rumors about some way to get a license or something? I am on a very low budget.

You can get some copies on newegg

If you attend a technical university, you often have access to academic MSDN for the purposes of developing code for school, which includes free or low-cost Visual Studio, Office, Windows, and others. However, normal non-students pay the full price for the OS.

I also remind the people whose posts I deleted that Cemetech is firmly against piracy, and that recommending piracy or encouraging breaking the terms of software licenses is against Cemetech's principles (and TOS).

What I need to know the answer to is this: if I pay about $100 for Windows 7, is it physically possible to install it on more than one computer, as it is with XP and such, or has that been made impossible (like registering something with a Microsoft server or something)?

You need multiple licences (or a licence that permits installation on multiple computers) to install Windows on more than one computer.

"Registering something with a Microsoft server or something" is called Microsoft Product Activation and was introduced with Windows XP. If you are using an OEM copy you may not have noticed it as OEM copies can automatically activate themselves using information stored in the BIOS, but if you install a regular copy of Windows you will have to perform online activation and if Microsoft notices a problem with your licence you may have to ring them up and speak to them on the phone to proceed.

Later versions of Windows are more lenient about activation (un-activated XP machines are unusable after the grace period, but Windows 7 machines reset the background image to black with a text watermark, display nagging pop-ups and prevent installation of certain updates but are still otherwise usable). This is still against the terms of the licence, however - if you intend to use Windows you should purchase the appropriate licence for each machine.

Very well. Then can I buy a cheap OEM copy on eBay and use a generic Windows 7 key for the manufacturer? Or can I buy a cheap copy and never register it - it would work well enough?

Also, for example, I have an OEM copy of Vista. It is possible to install it on as many computers as one wishes. But it is different with 7?

You will need to define "cheap OEM copy" and "generic Windows 7 key". Also make sure you are maintaining the distinction between the installation media (which you can generally re-use between different machines) and the licence key (which can generally only be used on one machine).

OEM licences are non-transferable - you can reinstall on the same machine, but cannot on a different machine (with Windows 7 this seems to be tied to the motherboard, so once activated you cannot activate Windows using the same key on a machine with a different motherboard).

I would be very wary of buying suspiciously cheap-looking copies of Windows on eBay or similar - make sure you read reviews carefully to ensure that it's not a dodgy copy and you'll be able to install and activate it properly.

See! like here; tis maddening: [deleted]

By "generic Windows 7 key" I mean something like the following that I've found somewhere:

Deleted with EXTREME prejudice by an administrator

On a mildly unrelated topic, I am quite elated that [deleted] is still up and offering good copies of every single version of Windows, Windows 2000 and lower, including Windows 1.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95B, and Windows NT. I also was happy to find most versions of Visual Basic and QuickBasic!

That disc is just the installation media and won't come with a key - the key will be glued to the Dell machine that the disc originally came with.

The important part of the licence is the key, not the installation media. I have no idea where that key you posted came from but assuming it is an OEM key it will not work on your machine as it will have been activated on someone else's machine and will now be tied to their motherboard. To install a legit copy of Windows you will need to purchase keys from somewhere.

Basically, to do it actually legally, you need to buy licenses. Not dodgy eBay copies, licenses.

If no educational discounts apply, cheapest way to do this is usually System Builder licenses that come with a cheap power cable.

I would bang my head against a wall, but since I'm sitting in front of my monitor, and it worked badly anyway, I may bang my head on it.

Why must Windows 7 be so expensive? (plz don't answer)

Because it takes millions of man-hours to write the operating system. If you had invested the time, effort, and money it takes to write a modern operating system, you would want to get paid for your time too. I edited your post to remove the license key you illegally acquired and posted there; I need to once again remind you that Cemetech strictly forbids discussing or encouraging piracy and other illegal acts.

If you don't want to pay for Windows 7, consider contributing to ReactOS development, or consider using another free operating system such as a GNU/Linux distribution.

If you are on a very low budget, you shouldn't be thinking about installing copies of Windows on computers for fun. That's what I get from this. Why do you want to do this?

It sounds like you're trying to cover your real intention.



Those three bolded sections are what stand out the most. Why would buy a copy of Windows that you'd never install? How else can you install Windows? It's not like you can check the box and install a new UI for each installation. Rumours? Like, a lottery drawing for free licenses? Microsoft Giveaways? Licenses found in chocolate bar wrappings?

If you want to save money I truly recommend upgrading your current computer and run Windows in a VM - or, on a separate partition - That way you can play with the settings without clogging up your main install and if something goes awry you can delete that image and reinstall it.

But, ultimately, knowing your intention will help us decide the most ideal way to continue. If you want a copy of Windows for hell of it, don't bother. I've blown enough money on "For the hell of it" whims to know it's a bad investment every time. If you (not your family) actually have multiple computers and you want to get into and learn systems networking, then it's a good investment to purchase a multi-system license. But that's not what your posts sound like at all.

Actually, if the purpose is practicing multiple systems networking in a non-production environment, getting in on TechNet before it goes away would be ideal.

Then you can get the server OSes, too, and a lot more versions. Legally. If you're not using it as a normal OS, just for experimentation.

TechNet/MSDN subscriptions are hardly cheap, though.

Microsoft heavily reduced the price of Windows 8 when it first came out (I picked up two upgrade licences for Windows 8 Pro @ £25 each, plus a free activation code for Windows Media Center). If you wait for Windows 8.1 to come out they may run a similar promotion then (though I wouldn't bank on it).

Well, if you're running more than about three computers for your experiment, it wins.

@Kerm:
Yes, well, anyway, I would (while I still wish them to be paid) prefer it if it was somewhat cheaper.

@bhtooefr:
I examined ReactOS; it is certainly an excellent idea!

@benryves: If only I had known Windows 8 would not stay at ~$40, I might've considered buying one. Now I know how it goes.



I have learned more contentment from this topic. In my first post, I said "I'm sure you understand", but scratch that, you don't understand me. I actually do enjoy installing operating systems, and trying new ones: "for hell of it", as you say. But I've learned that Windows 7 is a commodity out of my budget. I didn't need it, only wanted it.


That is the best advice, and that was my reason.

As for my saying "on all, or none", that was a figure of speech, related to doing whatever with; "for the hell of". Of course I know I could also buy a single version of Win7 without installing it as well as several, but no, I don't want to buy one without installing it...

As to rumors, I'd best not give you the link to where I saw it (but, it was somewhere reputable, naturally). It was only referencing the "TechNet/MSDN" thing, which I didn't understand. Still don't: in what way is it limited?