You Dont Need a Product Key to Install and Use Windows 10
Microsoft allows anyone to download Windows 10 for free and install it without a product key. Itll keep working for the foreseeable future, with only a few small cosmetic restrictions. And you can even pay to upgrade to a licensed copy of Windows 10 after you install it.
Whether you want to install Windows 10 in Boot Camp, put it on an old computer that isnt eligible for a free upgrade, or create one or more virtual machines, you dont actually need to pay a cent.
How to Download Windows 10 and Install it Without a Key
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First, youll need to download Windows You can download it directly from Microsoft, and you dont even need a product key to download a copy.
Theres a Windows 10 download tool that runs on Windows systems, which will help you create a USB drive to install Windows If you arent on Windows, you can visit the Windows 10 ISO download page to download an ISO directly (say, if youre installing Windows 10 in Boot Camp on a Mac). If you visit that page on a Windows machine, itll redirect you to the download tool page instead.
Just begin the installation process and install Windows 10 like you normally would. One of the first screens youll see will ask you to enter your product key so you can Activate Windows. However, you can just click the I dont have a product key link at the bottom of the window and Windows will allow you to continue the installation process. You may be asked to enter a product key later in the process, tooif you are, just look for a similar small link to skip that screen.
If you dont see this option, you can also provide a KMS client setup key to continue. These keys wont give you an activated copy of Windows unless youre in an organization with a Key Management Service, but they will allow you to get through the Windows installation process.
When you select this option, youll be able to install either Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Bear in mind that, if you plan to pay to upgrade to the paid version later, itll be cheaper to upgrade to Windows 10 Home, so you may want to install the Home version. Whatever version you choose, Windows 10 will install normally.
The Cosmetic Limitations
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After youve installed Windows 10 without a key, it wont actually be activated. However, an unactivated version of Windows 10 doesnt have many restrictions. With Windows XP, Microsoft actually used Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) to disable access to your computer. These days, Windows just complains at you in a few minor, cosmetic ways.
Initially, you wont notice a difference. Eventually, Windows will start nagging you a tiny bit. First, youll notice a watermark in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Youll also see a Windows isnt activated. Activate Windows now. link at the bottom of the Settings app. This is the only form of nag youll seethere are no pop-up windows, for example.
Second, youll be unable to change your desktop wallpaper and from the Personalization > Background screen in the Settings app. Youll see a You need to activate Windows before you can personalize your PC message at the top of this window, and the options for changing your wallpaper will be grayed out.
You can still change your wallpaper in other ways, however. For example, you can right-click an image in File Explorer and select Set as desktop background. You could also open an image in the Photos app, click the menu button, click Set as, and click Set as background. Windows 7 eventually switched you back to a black background, but Windows 10 doesnt seem to do this.
Youll find Windows 10s included wallpapers under the C:\Windows\Web folder in File Explorer.
Aside from these basic limitations, your Windows 10 system will continue to work forever. There are no nag prompts aside from the watermark, youll get all the system updates, and everything else is completely functional. The only thing that could change this is a Windows 10 update, but Microsoft has become increasingly lenient since Windows 7.
How to Upgrade Windows 10 to an Activated Version
With Windows 10, you can now pay to upgrade a non-genuine copy of Windows to a licensed one. Open the Settings app and head to Update & Security > Activation. Youll see a Go to Store button that will take you to the Windows Store if Windows isnt licensed.
In the Store, you can purchase an official Windows license that will activate your PC. The Home version of Windows 10 costs $, while the Pro version costs $ This is a digital purchase, and it will immediately cause your current Windows installation to become activated. You dont need to purchase a physical license.
We installed Windows 10 Professional as an example here, so the Windows Store will only let us purchase the $ Windows 10 Pro license.
This option may not be available in all countries. The prices here are for the US version of the Windows Store. Microsoft charges different prices in different countries and currencies.
Windows 7, 8, and worked about the same way. Microsoft just didnt officially allow you to download Windows without a product key, and there was no way to fully upgrade to a licensed system from within Windows. That makes this all the more tempting with Windows 10for example, you can install Windows 10 in Boot Camp on your Mac for free and, if you find yourself using it frequently, you can quickly pay to remove the watermark if thats worth it for you. Its like a free demo, and you can use it to make all the virtual machines you like for testing purposes.
Sure, the license agreement may say youre not supposed to use it without a key, but Microsofts license agreements say all sorts of confusing things. Microsofts license agreement still forbids using the popular OEM copies of Windows 10 on PCs you build yourself. If Microsoft doesnt want people using unactivated copies of Windows 10 for extended periods of time, it can release a system update that disables this.
Chris Hoffman is Editor in Chief of How-To Geek. He's written about technology for nearly a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since , Chris has written over 2, articles that have been read more than million timesand that's just here at How-To Geek.
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Download Original Windows 10 Pro Free [32bit \u0026 64bit] Disc Image (ISO File) - Microsoft
