Buy Windows 8 Product Key Online

Depending on how you got your copy of Windows 10 or Windows 11, you'll need either a 25-character product key or a digital license to activate it. A digital license (called a digital entitlement in Windows 10, Version 1511) is a method of activation in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that doesn't require you to enter a product key. Without one of these, you won't be able to activate your device.

buy windows 8 product key online

The product key is preinstalled on your PC, included with the packaging the PC came in, or included on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to the PC. For more info, contact your hardware manufacturer, and for pictures of authentic product keys and COA labels, see How to tell your hardware is genuine.

The product key is in the confirmation email you received after buying your digital copy of Windows. Microsoft only keeps a record of product keys if you purchased from the Microsoft online store. You can find out if you purchased from Microsoft in your Microsoft account Order history.

If you bought Windows 10 or Windows 11 Pro upgrade in the Microsoft Store app, you'll receive a digital license instead of a product key in the confirmation email that was sent to confirm the purchase. That email address (MSA) will contain the digital license. You can use the digital license for activation.

The Windows 7 or Windows 8 product keys that commonly work for this method are the retail and OEM varieties. Only sporadic success has been reported for volume license keys (i.e., enterprise or educational licenses) working with this loophole.

If you bought a digital copy of Windows 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11 from Microsoft website, the product key will be included in the confirmation email you received after buying it or will be distributed digitally as an entitlement, in which case you won't receive a product key. For example, if you upgraded to Windows 11 for free, you'll receive an entitlement instead of a product key.

To use KMS, you need to have a KMS host available on your local network. Computers that activate with a KMS host need to have a specific product key. This key is sometimes referred to as the KMS client key, but it is formally known as a Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK). Computers that are running volume licensing editions of Windows Server and Windows client are, by default, KMS clients with no extra configuration needed as the relevant GVLK is already there.

If you want to activate Windows without a KMS host available and outside of a volume-activation scenario (for example, you're trying to activate a retail version of Windows client), these keys will not work. You will need to use another method of activating Windows, such as using a MAK, or purchasing a retail license. Get help to find your Windows product key and learn about genuine versions of Windows.

If you are converting a computer from a KMS host, MAK, or retail edition of Windows to a KMS client, install the applicable product key (GVLK) from the list below. To install a client product key, open an administrative command prompt on the client, and run the following command and then press Enter:

In 2015, Microsoft launched its latest version, Windows 10, offering the operating system to qualifying PCs and devices running Windows 7 or Windows 8 for free, for a limited time. Microsoft continues to provide Windows 10 as a full retail product for computers without a qualifying license or for people who build PCs.

You are now free to transfer your license to another computer. Since the release of the November Update, Microsoft has made it more convenient to activate Windows 10, using just your Windows 8 or Windows 7 product key.

Windows 10 setup will prompt you again for a product key during the Out of Box Experience, click Do this later if you are using a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key. If you have a full version Windows 10 license bought at a store, you can enter the product key.

At the command prompt, enter the following command: slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx- xxxxx- xxxxx- xxxxx- xxxxx. Hit Enter on your keyboard; you will receive a confirmation the product key was updated. Close the command prompt then proceed to reactivate by telephone or Contact Support.

Excellent description, just read carefully and slow. It means that OEM windows 7 versions can indeed be transferred to another computer as long as the license is removed (with slmgr.vbs /upk in admin mode) from the previous computer.

You are now free to transfer your license to another computer. Since the release of the November Update, Microsoft made it more convenient to activate Windows 10, using just your Windows 8 or Windows 7 product key.

First install Windows 10 Pro, then skip entering the product key when prompted. When setup is complete, click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Change the product key, enter the Windows 8 key to activate.

As I noted, Windows under volume license is not a full license. So you cannot a spare key to perform a new installation. You would need a GGOK which is a full version volume license which permits clean install: -us/windows/genuine/business

I have a question. I bought Windows 10 for my new PC build, no other version of Windows was on this new PC. I now want to upgrade my motherboard. So if I understand correctly I can format my boot drive on the first built PC, download the installer to a flash drive, and I can then install Windows 10 on the new motherboard. I have the original product key from when I bought Windows 10. Do I understand this right?? Thank you!!

Very good article and well written but I still have a little bit of confusion. I bought windows 8 pro dvd (retail license). Then I installed it on my pc. Then I upgraded to windows 8.1 pro. Then I upgraded it to windows 10 pro. However I am planning to buy a new pc that has windows 10 home preinstalled. Please tell the exact steps needed to transfer windows 10 pro license from old to new computer and replace the windows 10 home oem license ? Do I need to uninstall windows 10 pro key from old pc first and then use the easy upgrade feature from within windows 10 home on new pc?Will I be able to do it after July 29th this year? If old computer has 64 bit and new pc has 32 bit,is the transfer still possible?

I have the product key of the latest windows 10 Pro version (July) which is a retail version. I want to ask that if I want to transfer the license key to d new machine all I need to do is to uninstall the product key and write down d key whenever they demand during installation in the new laptop. Am I right Andre? Will it be activated automatically on my new machine since I have used d key of the latest version of d windows 10?

Hi, thanks for the informative article, i bought a windows 8.1 pro retail key and installe dthe same on my macbook air, afterwards i took the advantage of the free upgrade program and upgraded it to windows 10 pro, Now i am planning to upgrade by air with the latest macbook pro. Can you please, lemme know is it possible for me to use the windows 8.1 pro key that i received from microsoft store via email to activate windows 10 pro clean install on the macbook pro. If yes please lemme know the exact steps, right from deactivating the key on air to getting it activated on pro. Thanks in advance.

I wish you were able to deactivate and reactivate online. like Office 365 for retail versions. I understand why this should not be allowed for OEM versions. If the activation is linked to your MS account, you can remove from your account but this does not deactivate it afaik.

While in settings and everywhere, it says windows is activated. I kept ignoring but message kept appearing. It got on my nerves and I reset my laptop and mistakenly formatted the recovery too. Now I have two questions:

I have used retail licence to activate windows 10 in virtual box. Now I want to transfer this licence to my new notebook. Unfortunately, currently, I do not have licence in hand. So, I have to find out from activated windows 10.

i pursashed windows 10 pro last september. weeks later unfortably the laptop died. last week i finnaly pursashed a new laptop, placed my old disk onto this new machine, formated it, and by mistake formated my backup flasdrive.

I have a new windows ultimate 7 disc and key, not used or activated yet, is it possible to use the same procedure as mentioned above to activate windows 10, if not is it possible to use the key for windows 10 with another method.

A computer bought some years ago with Windows 8 home, upgraded to Windows 10 home (free upgrade from Microsoft), and running now Windows 10 Pro. If I need downgrade again to Windows 10 Home. Did I lose the original licence after upgrade to windows 10 pro, or can I reinstall Windows 10 home and recover the original licence of the laptop?

I have an old as dirt Dell Inspiron that came with OEM Windows Vista. I bought a Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Version key online and upgraded to Windows 8, then 8.1. Then received the free update to Windows 10 Home.

Hi,I had purchased Win8 from MS store which got upgraded to Win10. Unfortunately, the machine it was installed on died without giving me an opportunity to surrender/format the machine and re-activate the same product key on a different machine.

Hi! I have Dell Inspiron 3521 which was given to me by my sister. It has Windows 8 installed originally, then I upgraded it into 8.1. I used it for over a year since she gave me but then, it's original hard disk died. It was stuck for a year when I finally decided to buy a new hard disk but sadly, the hard disk didn't have an operating system. Now, I want to download Windows 8 from Microsoft and I'm aware that they'll ask for a product key. My question is, can I use the product key that acme with this and where can I find it? Thanks!

^ Not necessarily! During the 1 year after Win10 launched when Microsoft was offering free Win10 upgrades, users could perform clean installs of Win10 and enter product keys for Win8.1, Win8, or Win7, and Microsoft still activated those installations even though the systems never went through an actual "upgrade". But the OP says that this system was only ever upgraded to Win8.1. That suggests that the free Win10 upgrade was never claimed on that system during the 1-year eligibility period, in which case Win10 would NOT automatically activate on that 8.1 key now. 041b061a72