I'm sure the COA certificate would have told you this... now if only you had read it Even VLK keys require online activation these days (either htrough MS or through KMS host) Crap? no, you can use/activate up to 10 times, on the same hardware (after that you have to call MS to activate)
i usually change hardware quite often so can not use the key ............. so sticking to oem activation
There are tolerances built into the hardware hash that Windows uses for activation (at various times (during Windows startup generally) Windows compares your current hardware setup with the hardware you had when you activated and it if is too different then activation will not be allowed, but there are tolerances built in to allow people to change some of their hardware without affecting activation)...so you can change some of your hardware and not become deactivated. If you get deactivated (if you change a bunch of your hardware) you can just call up MS and they will get you re-activated. It really isnt that big of a deal (like people make it out to be as long as you are using a *legit* retail or COA key) unless you are going through hardware like toilet paper all the time If you were one of the lucky people to buy a new computer that came pre-installed with Windows 7 (any version) then all you need to do is right-click on "Computer" on your desktop. When the "Computer Properties" window opens (where it says you're activated) at the top of the window it will say what edition of Windows 7 you have. If you have anything less than Ultimate, there will be a link there to for a "anytime upgrade" (or something like that that is there to provide you the ability to upgrade your Windows to a better version at a discount). Click on that link and it will ask you to input a product key...so toss a Windows 7 Ultimate SLP product key in there (from the list here in the stickies) and enjoy a free upgrade to Ultimate from Home Premium (or whatever cheaper version of Windows your PC came with). I just did that last night to my girl's brand new HP laptop...I tossed the alleged new HP Ultimate key in there and within 5 minutes (and two reboots later) I had Windows 7 Ultimate running on there...all legit and for no extra charge I love how easy MS made it to "anytime" upgrade! ROFL! Why pay extra for Ultimate when you can get a PC with Home Basic and upgrade it to Ultimate for "free"...
Your joking aint you who would take the risk of buying a key from ebay even if it was msdn/technet key could have been sold to 300 people
I agree with urie. Why would you buy a key off of eBay? You must really trust the person you are geting it from... If I were you, I would not buy a key from anyone unless I trusted them. It is too easy for someone to just sell the same key to many people...then the key will be all used up and you will be lucky if you even get 1 activation with it. I know it seems like a good deal because it is not so expensive...but I wouldnt take the chance unless either I trusted that person, or unless I were willing to accept the consequences of getting a bad key and being out some money if I got ripped off...
I got 4 for $30 - sold to friends for $10 each - I installed, activated and showed them how to backup and restore activation - everybody happy. Worked out well for everyone.