I got a bill for 480 THB. Thought it would be way more... What does come with a legit license? Some sticker, some leaflet? Just wondering.

 

Seems all those government institutions run counterfit software, while the post office at Suvernabhumi has a big sign about "IP". Yeah, right. ????

£2.99 from ebay. A digital licence comes which is valid on that particular PC, or can be transferred, but I never did it.

 

Go for Linux, free.

???

Settings  > Update & security  > Activation

 

What is reported there?

 

 

I was told mine is genuine but when i got an update message the shop said Dont update it will go wrong.

There is legit second-hand licences going around for around 15 euros in Europe. So 480 Baht sounds okay.

38 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

I was told mine is genuine but when i got an update message the shop said Dont update it will go wrong.

That's a pirated fake, as they usually are in Thailand.

 

As mentioned there are "recycled" product keys from junked PCs widely available on Ebay and Amazon from just a few GBP. Most should be real and valid, though one should watch out for people reselling keys that can only be used for volume licensing or short-term beta testing.

Also avoid any vendor who wants you to download the installation media from anywhere other than the main official Microsoft media site, as it will probably be dodgy and may leave you with masses of malware or worse. This is an official site: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10 though there are international variants.

 

Anyone who has a version of Windows that has been installed on the cheap by a Thai supplier would be well advised to back up their data then wipe the hard drive and do a completely fresh installation using the media described above. Far too much dodgy software in use here.

Doesn't really matter much, anymore, Microsoft keeps talking about Windows as a "service", just wait a bit, they will start charging a monthly "service" fee.

59 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

Doesn't really matter much, anymore, Microsoft keeps talking about Windows as a "service", just wait a bit, they will start charging a monthly "service" fee.

Yeah, I can't WAIT to see Micro$oft try and pull that off. THEN Linux might become a viable alternative.

I always cringe when this question pops up. I bought one of those "cheap" licenses on eBay, wasted my money. When I tried to get updates, I was denied for having a pirated copy. The MS store shows between $139 and $309 depending on what flavor of Windows 10 you buy.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/windows?icid=Homepage_LeftNav_02_Windows_en_US&activetab=tab%3ashopwindows10

Best Buy in the states shows Win 10 Home at $99.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/microsoft-windows-10-home-64-bit-windows/4423102.p?skuId=4423102

All this stupid comments again about pirate copies, ... blah blah blah.

Fact is you can buy VALID LICENCES for 150-300 THB included all UPDATES!!!

You can order the licenses on ebay.co, ebay.co.uk, ebay.de ...... or Lazada!!!

Windows 10 you can download direct from Microsoft and create a USB-Stick with it.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=windows+10+key&_sacat=0&_sop=15

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?_keyori=ss&from=suggest_normal&page=1&q=windows 10 pro&sort=priceasc&spm=a2o4m.home.search.2.1125719cBq30TM&sugg=windows 10 pro_1_1

If you don't trust the sellers (some sold thousand of valid licenses) pay with paypal and you will get your money back if the keys not work. 

The same you can do for MS Office, ...

I bought a valid Windows 10 Home license here in Thailand.  It worked out to be about $99 after converting THB to USD.  Personally I'm not going to screw around with licensing,  just buy a legal copy.
Personally, I use Windows a handful times a year to run programs that don't run on Linux such as the program I file my tax with.  Other than that, I use Ubuntu.  Windows is a resource hog, virus prone, insecure, and basically sucks.  I cringe every time I need to actually use it.  I set aside a full day before I actually need to use it, turn it on, and let that slug of a operating system bring itself up to date as it pegs CPU, Memory, and Disk I/O to the max for upwards of 12 hours or more.  Windows proponents will gush that you simply need a better computer.  I'm running on a 1 year old, mid-priced laptop with 4 GB RAM.  Any modern operating system should run like grease lightening on most new modern computers.
Windows 10 does not; Linux does. 

7 hours ago, KneeDeep said:

Settings  > Update & security  > Activation

 

What is reported there?

 

 

Why not just take a look? It's only 3 mouse clicks! However this is what you see when you do:

 

 

The important bit is where it says "Windows is activated......"

 

@snowgard You can add Amazon to your list of sources of valid licences.

1 hour ago, VBF said:

 

@snowgard You can add Amazon to your list of sources of valid licences.

I want but can't edit the post anymore. So here on Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_st_price-asc-rank?keywords=windows+10&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awindows+10&qid=1542102917&sort=price-asc-rank

2 hours ago, VBF said:

Why not just take a look? It's only 3 mouse clicks! However this is what you see when you do:

 

 

The important bit is where it says "Windows is activated......"

 

@snowgard You can add Amazon to your list of sources of valid licences.

 

What are you thinking??!! The post was for the OP.

4 hours ago, KneeDeep said:

 

What are you thinking??!! The post was for the OP.

@KneeDeep My bad - I thought you were asking what that sequence of clicks is used for, rather than asking what was shown there.

 

 

Purchased one for about 3 quid on eBay last year for my Thai PC and still going strong.  No dramas.

14 hours ago, KittenKong said:

That's a pirated fake, as they usually are in Thailand.

I wouldn't say "they usually are in Thailand."

 

I've bought legit Windows in Thailand each time they've upgraded the O/S, including the current Windows 10 that I'm using now. If you deal with a proper, established seller you should get the real deal.  

 

Each time I was able to register the new O/S with MS and get regular updates from MS. 

 

 

30 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

I wouldn't say "they usually are in Thailand."

I believe that the majority of PCs in Thailand run pirated versions of Windows.

I don't get why people are defending MS demanding $99 for Windows. Now that it's full of ads for their services (in the lock screen and in the start menu for their store where they make big $$$ from third-party software) it should be free anyway.

8 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Each time I was able to register the new O/S with MS and get regular updates from MS. 

Same as you do with secondhand licences for a tiny fraction of the cost. You ever wondered how much manufacturers pay for Win 10 licence fees on a $150 laptop? 

53 minutes ago, wump said:

I don't get why people are defending MS demanding $99 for Windows. Now that it's full of ads for their services (in the lock screen and in the start menu for their store where they make big $$$ from third-party software) it should be free anyway.

I wouldnt exactly call a link to the Microsoft Store "full of adds". If windows was free then yes it probably would be "full of adds".

 

48 minutes ago, wump said:

Same as you do with secondhand licences for a tiny fraction of the cost. You ever wondered how much manufacturers pay for Win 10 licence fees on a $150 laptop? 

As for your $150 dollar laptops running windows, I will order 100 right now. OEM copies of windows are cheaper because the OEM supports windows, have a problem with windows on a dell laptop and you call dell for help not microsoft. Also an OEM license is cheaper because it dies with the PC, it cant be moved to another PC.

is the free upgrade from windows 7 scheme still active?

 

the best is to install win 7 pro using a license bought on ebay for around 5 to 10 USD and then upgrade for free to win 10 pro.

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I wouldnt exactly call a link to the Microsoft Store "full of adds". If windows was free then yes it probably would be "full of adds".

 

As for your $150 dollar laptops running windows, I will order 100 right now. OEM copies of windows are cheaper because the OEM supports windows, have a problem with windows on a dell laptop and you call dell for help not microsoft.

I counted 6 tiles out of 25 in my start menu which are more or less ads where MS gets money when I click them or buy something there.

 

As for you doubting there is $150 Win 10 laptops available... this is from a German price comparison website. Subtract the 19% VAT and the cost of compulsory 2 year EU dealer warranty and you're pretty much there:

 

 

4 hours ago, manarak said:

is the free upgrade from windows 7 scheme still active?

 

the best is to install win 7 pro using a license bought on ebay for around 5 to 10 USD and then upgrade for free to win 10 pro.

Officially, no.

 

But the latest information I have is that if you upgrade Windows 7 it activates and works.  I did exactly what you suggested a few months ago (end of July). 

I brought a new Gateway laptop with Win7 on clearance for $150 at my local Wal-Mart in early 2015. I did the Win8 update and while in Thailand attempted Win8.1 using my AIS pocket wi-fi and it dropped the connection before the download completed, then would not boot. I went to a shop in Surin and explained what happened. They couldn't recover so they reinstalled a copy of Win7  for 200 baht, which I updated to Win8.1, then later updated it to Win 10 and all the subsequent updates. 

16 hours ago, VBF said:

@KneeDeep My bad - I thought you were asking what that sequence of clicks is used for, rather than asking what was shown there.

 

 

 

Not a problem ????

 

Just to check the kind of activation method applied to the device of the OP.

It appears that they have already left the building.

2 hours ago, tweedledee2 said:

I brought a new Gateway laptop with Win7 on clearance for $150 at my local Wal-Mart in early 2015. I did the Win8 update and while in Thailand attempted Win8.1 using my AIS pocket wi-fi and it dropped the connection before the download completed, then would not boot. I went to a shop in Surin and explained what happened. They couldn't recover so they reinstalled a copy of Win7  for 200 baht, which I updated to Win8.1, then later updated it to Win 10 and all the subsequent updates. 

Indeed, but your laptop came with a Windows licence, and presumably a valid key on a sticker which the shop presumably used to reinstall Windows from other media. Nothing wrong with that and entirely valid.

The upgrade procedure officially still works for any device that has already had its digital licence authenticated by MS servers, which yours has.

14 hours ago, manarak said:

is the free upgrade from windows 7 scheme still active?

 

the best is to install win 7 pro using a license bought on ebay for around 5 to 10 USD and then upgrade for free to win 10 pro.

Why would you bother buying license and installing Win 7 and then upgrading when the Win 10 Pro OEM license will cost you the same.....

And BTW, there are excellent Win 7 hacks available, so you don't even need a license if you gonna install it.