[sergiotapia]

Pirating Windows is pretty stupid these days. You can download the official MS ISO from their website, and buy a real key from some subreddits for like $20.

The keys they sell are those bulk keys large companies get, their IT dep guy wants to make some extra coin on the side. But they work.

[floatboth]

Also:

- if you bought a laptop with preinstalled Windows, you can activate a fresh install with the key that's stored in the laptop (in ACPI tables IIRC). Just make sure it's the same edition and language.

- if you're a student, check if you have DreamSpark (er, Imagine) Premium. Apparently Windows Server is available even in the non-Premium program (for all students).

[ComputerGuru]

> you can activate a fresh install with the key that's stored in the laptop (in ACPI tables IIRC).

Free tool we developed to quickly grab that key: http://neosmart.net/OemKeyTool/

[Freak_NL]

> The keys they sell are those bulk keys large companies get, their IT dep guy wants to make some extra coin on the side. But they work.

What is the legality of that? The IT-guy is probably violating his corporation's license with Microsoft, but does that affect you as buyer? I suspect that you may run afoul of anti-fencing laws in a lot of jurisdictions (where buying goods you can reasonably suspect are fenced is illegal as well).

[camus2]

Aren't keys tied to computers these days?

> The keys they sell are those bulk keys large companies get, their IT dep guy wants to make some extra coin on the side

Which make these keys as illegal as pirating Windows. Obviously it is a more secure solution though.

[thinkloop]

Which subs, how do you look for that?

[intoverflow2]

Don't bother with the subs just buy one off ebay for $5 instead it's the same thing and the subs are just as shady but charge more.

[ChoGGi]

https://hardforum.com/threads/fs-windows-7-8-1-10-server-12-...