Licenses to activate Windows 10: types

We have talked on other occasions about the differences that we find between the different versions of Windows 10. And now we are going to know what are the possibilities that we can find in the marketwhen getting a Windows license for our computer.

Windows 10 licenses can be found on different web pages, but not all of them offer the same degree of security, the same prices and of course not all of them are legal. Searching among the alternatives, we are going to see what type of licenses we can find for Windows 10 and thus be able to activate Windows on a new computer.

Licenses: types and where to buy them

And the first thing is, as a reminder, remember and remember the three types of Windows 10 that we are going to find, focusing on the domestic sphere and leaving aside others that are not so interesting to ordinary users, such as those intended for the business or educational market.

• Windows 10 Home: the basic one, the one we all know and that offers access to the most important functions of the operating system. As we have already seen in its day, it loses out against the Pro version, since it does not have access to some more advanced functions. However, it may be valid for a large number of users.

• Windows 10 Pro: compared to the previous one, this one has more functions and options but at the cost of paying a higher price. It is perhaps designed for users who are looking for greater work capacities and who also have more powerful equipment.

• Windows 10 Pro for Workstations: this is indeed focused on the professional market. A license that improves the functions of the Pro version with additions that allow working with a greater volume of data, offering more stability and security against errors among other differences.

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And now, with the three types of Windows 10 that we can find in the field of normal users, it&39;s time to see where we can buy licenses to activate our PCand the first place is, of course, the Microsoft Store. The official Microsoft store offers licenses for any of these three versions. Whether it&39;s Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, or Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, they&39;re all here."

The price in this case is 145 euros for Windows 10 Home, 259 euros if we want to get a license for Windows 10 Pro or 439 euros if we buy Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.The prices established by Microsoft, but it is not the only alternative.

And we can find licenses on other alternative websites. Both on Amazon, PcComponentes, Fnac... official licenses to use on a single computer at a time, like the previous ones, which yes, can offer slightly more prices lowered. Suffice it as an example that Windows 10 Home can be found for about 130 euros compared to 145 in the Microsoft Store. But along with these options, there is still another that may be more interesting.

OEM, Retail and GVLK

The cheapest are OEM licenses. OEM is the acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer, in Spanish Original Equipment Manufacturer and it is a license given by the developer, in this case Microsoft, to the equipment manufacturer, so that it can install software on a PC. And although these are official and legitimate alternatives, there are some aspects to take into account and differences to qualify with respect to the type Retail and GVLK

Compared to the OEMs, we have the Retail type, which are those in which the developer offers the license in a medium such as a DVD or a USB and that can be used for both 32 and 64 bit. We can use this in as many computers as we want but with the limitation of one use simultaneously.

And along with OEMs and Retail, we find GVLK licenses, a model that unlike the previous ones allows simultaneous use on different computers , which means that they are focused above all on the business environment, where an entity usually uses a large number of equipment and none of the first two (OEM and Retail) are profitable.

Of these three, the OEM type are cheaper and may be more interesting for the ordinary user, although they have those specific points that must be known. And it is that in addition to being focused on a specific type of system (32 or 64 bits), the OEM type are, as we have already said, focused on their use on a single PC

In this way and if we change equipment, we will not be able to take advantage of that license (it can also happen when changing components), something that yes What can we do with a conventional or retail type.

OEM licenses… eye

Among the OEM licenses we can find on different web pages, examples of licenses for about 15 euros with which to activate a device. A significantly lower cost than the licenses that we have mentioned before, but be careful, and at this point it must be taken into account that the OEM licenses that in many cases we can find on the net are stolen licenses. In addition and as we have already said, only manufacturers have the right to use these licenses, so the purchase and its use violates the Microsoft license terms.

In fact, it is enough to take a tour of the Microsoft forums to find answers to questions related to OEM licenses and it is necessary to clarify that this type of licenses are exclusive for manufacturers and their use by individuals It is not covered by the Microsoft Terms of Use.