Buying Windows 10 licenses from Microsoft's website

Cerulean

Cerulean

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Greetings!

An automotive shop has requested my assistance to upgrade their computers. They bought a handful of Dell OptiPlex 755 from some guy on Craigslist that came preloaded with MSO and Windows 10. In short: undoubtedly pirated. I've informed the owner and he's in agreement, so I am working on putting together a gameplan for onboarding and maintenance. The biggest reason for upgrading from XP is because software developers for automotive-related software are now requiring newer OS versions due to EOL of XP.

The first step is with acquiring legitimate licenses. I can go with Windows 7 Professional on Amazon that comes with unused COA license stickers, but there are only 4 or less years remaining for Microsoft's official support. I would have chosen Home Premium but it seems those have ran out on Amazon / equally as expensive as the Professional edition.

Windows 10 on Microsoft's website is selling for the same price as 7 Professional on Amazon, plus there is at least 10 years of life. So here's my question: if I create an account on Microsoft's Store and purchase eight copies of Windows 10, would I be receiving any license keys at all? Or would I be receiving a volume license key for that quantity of installations? Or would the licensing be tied to a Microsoft account (aka you have to login to the PC with a Microsoft account)?

And finally, if I go the route of purchasing eight copies of W10 on Microsoft's website, would it work if I setup one computer as needed and then used Acronis TrueImage to image the other seven machines with the same backup image? Or would I run into fatal activation issues?

Thanks!



Clarifications: there is no server or domain controller nor is there any need for one. This is just a simple infrastructure that needs nothing more than the base/"Home" edition of Windows.
 
I've heard that Microsoft is going to tie Win10 in with their Microsoft account.

I would just buy Win10 OEM licenses from Newegg (or a similar retailer). They will come with Activation keys (and often no installation media, but you can download that), and should be about the same price, maybe a little less.
 
I absolutely agree the OEM System Builder is the way to go. That way you can attach the COA directly to the cases. If another tech that wants to do things right (like you) comes along they can clearly see the machines are properly licensed.

Bravo for doing things correctly.
 
Just be aware: if you order a Windows 10 [OEM] from a place like Newegg, you will get a DVD but it will likely be version 1511 or older. 1607 OEM packages might be out by now, I have not ordered any from Newegg lately to see. Best to go ahead and download the image for 1607 ahead of time in case you need to use it instead of the DVD from the OEM versions.
 
ir0nw0lf said:
Just be aware: if you order a Windows 10 [OEM] from a place like Newegg, you will get a DVD but it will likely be version 1511 or older. 1607 OEM packages might be out by now, I have not ordered any from Newegg lately to see. Best to go ahead and download the image for 1607 ahead of time in case you need to use it instead of the DVD from the OEM versions.
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This is a good idea. Microsoft has a few versions of ISOs available though. He may need to wait until they arrive so he can use the product key to find the correct ISO.
 
bigdogchris said:
This is a good idea. Microsoft has a few versions of ISOs available though. He may need to wait until they arrive so he can use the product key to find the correct ISO.
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Especially considering Server also includes Store.
 
If you buy from the MS Store it might be worth setting up a Microsoft account in the name of the business, and used for no other purpose and then giving the owner the credentials when you've done.

It shouldn't be necessary to have an online user account to use the computers in that case, although having the licence tied to an account can help with activation issues in case of a hardware upgrade in future, even if that means having the admin account temporarily linked to the aforementioned dedicated MS account then reverted to a local account (assuming that's what you want).

In terms of setting up one and restoring its image to the others, it almost certainly will trigger an activation error but you should have the option of entering a new key. The alternative is to skip key entry on install and don't activate windows until it's imaged.
 
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