Windows 10: I bought a Windows Ten Pro key and it doesn't work...

You must purchase an upgrade key from Microsoft directly if you want to be sure that the new key will work.

Here's how to do it:

• Open START
• Type Settings
• Click Settings or Press Enter
• Click Activation & Security
• Click Activation
• Click Go to Store
• Purchase Key
• In Settings enter the new Key if it does not do this automatically
• Wait for Windows to upgrade
• Reboot
• DONE!

Now this particular Computer has a working Windows Pro licence!

 

Hey, I'm not knocking you... it's the shady folk that take advantage of innocent folk that irks me...

The problem is, that it was taken for a downgraded PC and should the owner of that PC decide to upgrade (having purchased a Win 10 PC) they will be SOL.. not exactly fair on them....

What we impressed on guys at Eight Forums was that if it is too good to be true, it probably is.. Only OEM's get Windows at that price.... and that's only 'cos of the huge bulk they purchase from MS.

Good news is, Digital Licenses forget the key it got the activation from... so you are good to go... it's a conscience issue only.

 

Yes, they should be reported. Like others said, if the price seems to good to be true, it probably is. As you have discovered, people will see MSDN keys, OEM keys, etc.

 

Keys can be sold again if they're activated from a device I think.

 

If it is a Retail Key, yes then it can be resold after the key has been deactivated from the previous device that used it. The next user using the key to activate their instance of Windows, might have to activate it over the phone though.