How to Get Windows 11 or Windows 10 for Free (or Under $20) | Tom’s Hardware.Get Windows 10 | Microsoft

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Get reassurance on which Windows 10 version to buy. Compare Windows 10 Home vs. Pro with Microsoft’s comprehensive checklist and feel confident in your. Buy Windows 10 Home and get the best PC experience possible. Explore features for added security and more, and download the latest Windows 10 Home today.
 
 

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Go here for more details on this performance claim. Go here for more details on this battery life claim. Users will receive an app from Microsoft which they must download to their Android phone and follow the setup prompts, including being signed into same Microsoft Account across mobile apps and Windows 10 PC. Users will receive an app from Microsoft which they must download to their iPhone and follow the setup prompts. Available on limited select devices supporting far-field capabilities.

Connect email accounts in the Cortana Notebook; works with Outlook. Microsoft requires a subscription. Functionality and apps may vary by market and device. To see up to 30 days of activities, users must choose this option in settings. Available in select markets. Functionality may vary by device. Requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.

Compare Windows 10 Home vs. Pro Find the right fit for your needs. Windows Security Windows 10 changes the game for security by protecting user identities, devices, and information with a comprehensive solution driven by intelligence that only Microsoft offers. Device encryption Device encryption is available on a wide range of Windows devices and helps protect your data by encrypting it. Firewall and network protection Your Windows device comes with comprehensive, built-in security features, including firewall and internet protections to help safeguard against viruses, malware, and ransomware.

Secure Boot Secure Boot helps prevent malicious software applications and unauthorized operating systems from loading during the system start-up process. BitLocker device encryption If your device is lost or stolen, BitLocker and BitLocker To Go put everything on lockdown, so no one else can access your systems or data. Windows Defender Antivirus Windows Defender Antivirus uses the power of the cloud, wide optics, machine learning, and behavior analysis to protect your devices from emerging, sophisticated threats.

Windows Fundamentals Windows 10 comes with automatic updates enabled, which means you get all the latest features at no extra cost. Microsoft Edge Get faster browsing 7 8 and better battery life 8 9 across your devices with Microsoft Edge, the browser built for Windows Cortana All you have to do is ask Cortana.

Battery saver mode Extend battery life by limiting background activity and push notifications. Voice Free up time and your hands by talking to your computer. Business Management and Deployment Built-in security, productivity, and management features save you time, money, and hassle.

Business—Management and Deployment Feature Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Mobile device management Windows 10 mobile device management MDM provides an alternative to traditional PC management processes: you can transition to cloud based management at your own pace. Microsoft Store for Business Your one place to find, manage, and distribute apps to Windows 10 devices in volume.

Assigned Access With Assigned Access, Windows 10 Pro devices run different applications depending on the user and keep individual identities separate and secured. Dynamic Provisioning With Dynamic Provisioning you can take a new PC out of the box, turn it on, and transform it into a productive organization device, with minimal time and effort. Windows Update for Business Windows Update for Business can help businesses reduce management costs, provide control over update deployments, enable more efficient delivery of updates, and provide access to the latest innovations from Microsoft.

You might be able to get them for less with a Kinguin discount code though. These are all OEM keys and likely can’t be used on another computer after you activate them on the first one.

We recommend paying a little extra to get a key that has “online activation,” which means that it should activate automatically over the Internet. Keys that aren’t marked for “online activation” may force you to call Microsoft, wait on hold and ask a phone representative for help activating. The representative may even ask for your Microsoft account, which is not great for your privacy. Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. While we can’t vouch for all of them, websites selling cheap Windows 10 or 11 keys are likely offering legitimate codes.

Kinguin has more than three dozen merchants worldwide selling Windows keys. It’s just another marketplace. We’ve bought keys from Kinguin a few times. So we tried calling the number and waited on hold for a few minutes. We thought activating via phone would be an automated process where we just punched in the key and got an approval code, but instead we got a live representative who immediately asked for our Microsoft account ID.

Another time, we paid a few dollars more for an online activation key. Lo and behold, it activated as soon as we entered the code, with no phone call required. Are you likely to be ripped off? However, both sites play host to a number of third-party sellers whose product keys may or may not be legit.

The easiest but most expensive way to get Windows is to buy your key directly from Microsoft. You can get these either as downloads or on USB drives.

If you have an old Windows key you can carry over from a previous build, that’s your best option and effectively gives you Windows 10 or Windows 11 for free. If you don’t have a key on hand, you need to decide whether you’re comfortable using an unactivated version of Windows 10 or 11, which limits your customization options, has an ugly watermark and leaves you ineligible for Microsoft support.

Many would argue that downloading Windows without paying for or already owning a product key is ethically wrong. That said, Microsoft has made this process easier over various Windows iterations and lessened the limitations and nagging that happens when you don’t activate.

We’ve even seen well-known vendors and Microsoft partners do press presentations with watermarks on their desktop. If you need to buy a Windows 10 or Windows 11 key, you can save a lot with a low-cost seller such as Kinguin opens in new tab. Get instant access to breaking news, in-depth reviews and helpful tips. US Edition.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors. Avram Piltch. Avram Piltch is Tom’s Hardware’s editor-in-chief. When he’s not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you’ll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins.

They dictate what you can do with the software, while OS versions are distinguished by the features available. Multiple Windows license types exist, but the two commonly available to a home user are the retail and OEM varieties. If you visit an online retailer like Amazon Remove non-product link or Newegg , you can find both retail and OEM licenses for sale.

All the features of the operating system version are the same for both license types. The difference is that with a retail license, you can transfer the license key to a different PC later on. The process for activating a Windows 10 OEM license is the same as for a retail license.

In exchange for a lower price, you get to use the license key on only one PC, period. Microsoft has historically been kind about such situations, however; you can usually call to reactivate the license after replacing a fried mobo. But it is an extra hassle. Not all student discounts are reserved for the under set. As mentioned above, license types determine what you can do with Windows—and who can use it, as well. Through the Academic Volume Licensing agreements, schools can purchase access to Windows 10 Education for their students, faculty, and staff.

Some make it available only on campus machines. Others will grant a license for use on a home machine. The catch: You have to sign up for at least one course to qualify for campus discounts.