Windows 10 Pro full retail version for $40 apparently legit

[Mitch Drumm]

Some of you might be interested in this if you are still on Windows 7 or want to move from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Professional.

https://tinyurl.com/y8p7zf2l


Good only till end of June.

Via PC World magazine, but available to all.

Pay by Paypal or other standard means.

You get the official Microsoft Product Key for the $40 and then download the software from Microsoft and install from a USB stick.

Windows 10 Professional Retail is currently $200 at standard sources like Newegg. So, quite a discount.

The Retail version means you can install on any new motherboard or PC you might buy or build in the future---as opposed to on just your current PC or motherboard.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Thanks for posting this. I just bought a copy for my next PC.

[Ken Boi]

Does anyone know if the Win10-Pro version has the same look and feel as the Win10-Home version?

My guess is that it does but just has more features related to a business environment. I want to consider this upgrade especially for my Win-7 machine. My other desktop is Win-10-Home, so I am familiar with that version. The extra features I don't need but for this price it is hard to pass on.

[Mitch Drumm]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows ... ome-vs-pro

See above; not much reason to get Pro for a typical user. But 40 would be a great price even for Home.

If you sat down in front of 2 PCs, one with Home and one with Pro, it might be a while before you'd notice a difference....all in the features, not "performance".

[Wiz Feinberg]

Windows 10 Professional will not change the look or feel of Windows 10 Home if you simply change the license key on your machine. That is the simplest way to upgrade. Change the license and new components will be downloaded. Unless you purposely change the theme you won't even notice the difference.

Win 10 Pro is more configurable, via Policy Editor, than the home edition and offers a virtual machine environment for testing programs before installing them for realzies, or for playing with dangerous executables. It also includes the Bitlocker encryption feature for better file security. Finally, the Pro edition lets you pause Windows Updates for up to 7 days.

Unless you would like to play with more advanced configurations, there is no other benefit over Home edition.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Here is a Microsoft page describing the differences between Windows 10 Home and Pro editions.

I forgot to mention that Windows 10 Pro also includes Remote Desktop Connection that can initiate a remote control session with a distant PC that is able to accept such sessions. It is not normally included with the Home edition.

[Ken Boi]

Thanks Mitch and Wiz for the replies to my inquiry. And a special thanks to Mitch for making us aware of this deal. My recording PC was at WIN-7 so I couldn't resist grabbing this at the price offered.

Software upgrades are a real pain, as I could not just perform the WIN-7->WIN10-Pro upgrade. I kept getting an error and the upgrade would automatically back out and restore WIN-7. So I went for it and did the new install that wipes your boot drive. Yea, you have to reload applications and such, but I feel better having the current OS that is still supported, and also was able to conduct some application housecleaning in the process. Fortunately I keep data files on a separate drive so I don't have to mess with that.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I oreder Windows 10 Professional after reading about the deal in this topic. I also chose the option to get a physical DVD so I can install it in a new build where there is no existing OS. That was a little over a month ago and I still have not received that DVD. Here's why...

According to a company representative, the folks at Creative Mark only had an older build of Windows 10 Pro on hand and decided to wait for newer disks to arrive before shipping them out. However, they failed to include a notice about a possible delay in shipping with the existing notice, which reads as follows:

"Your Windows 10 install DVD will be posted by regular mail within 7-21 working days, depending on location." (That was a month ago, on June 13, 2020)

"Chris" has just informed me that the new DVDs are in and are being mailed out starting today, July 15, 2020. He also reminded me that they are working from home, like many of us may be.

So, if you also bought the "backup" Windows 10 Pro DVD, it should be going out today, July 15.

BTW, it isn't just a backup disk. It contains all the files and license to do a full installation on a new machine (which is why I bought it). The license is transferable too.

[Mitch Drumm]

Wiz:

I just noticed that the offer is still good---for 15 more days, circa the end of the month.

They are also selling Win 10 Home for 30 and Office Home and Student 2019 lifetime license for 79.

Have you yet attempted an install of the Win 10 Pro?

I'm just trying to determine if there are any gotchas to these deals.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Wiz:

Have you yet attempted an install of the Win 10 Pro?

I'm just trying to determine if there are any gotchas to these deals.

I used the online license change to upgrade with no problems at all. It only took a few minutes and a reboot or two. If you need the Pro version, it is a good deal. If you need the offline installation disk, it should be available sooner rather than later.

[Mitch Drumm]

Five minutes ago, I had an odd interaction with "Chris" of customer service---presumably the same guy you chatted with.

I asked him if the Office Home and Student 2019 for 79 bucks was "full retail" and if he had a Microsoft product code (not Product Key) for it, so I could cross check.

His response:

"No, we do not. If you are not comfortable with this, please do not buy".

He didn't answer about the "full retail".

Not inspiring. I guess I'll pass on Office.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Mitch;
Chris and most of the rest of the staff are now working remotely at home. Chris was left holding the bag.