While G2A and Kinguin are mainly for gamers wanting to buy games at lower prices than Steam, they also offer other software, like Microsoft Windows. For example, you can get Windows 8.1 Home for about $19 on Kinguin, and Windows 7 Home Premium is listed at just $11. This might seem unbelievable, but it makes sense since Windows 7 hasn’t been updated since 2020, unless you are a business that pays Microsoft a lot of money for support, and Windows 8.1 isn’t very popular.
Old PCs and Software Keys
A lot of these keys likely come from old computers that are no longer useful for most people in late 2024 and early 2025. These computers are often bought in bulk, often from big companies, to retrieve the keys and maybe even reuse some parts.
Buying Windows 10 and 11 Keys
Both websites also offer keys for Windows 10 and 11, including those that allow updates for Windows 10 after 2025. However, it is less clear where these keys originate from. They might have been obtained directly from Microsoft at full price, potentially using stolen credit card information.
Unlike many other sites nowadays, Kinguin lets you shop without creating an account, which is a nice feature. You only need to enter your email to get to the checkout.
Surprises at Checkout
However, shoppers might be shocked when they reach the checkout page. The total shows around 90 lei ($19) instead of the original 52 lei ($11). It seems Kinguin's service fee wasn’t included in the price displayed at first.
Oops!
Once payment is made, the customer receives an email with a link. Clicking this link leads to a page showing the key, and you just have to click "Claim."
Issues with Activation
The activation servers for Windows 7 don’t seem to work like they used to anymore. If you enter the 25-digit code from Kinguin and press Activate, an error will pop up on the screen.
Now, you need to grab your phone and call Microsoft using one of the numbers shown on the screen. The toll-free numbers don’t seem to work. However, calling the UK number +442031474930 worked perfectly. Be ready to spend at least 5 minutes carefully reading out 72 digits to the Microsoft assistant, one by one. After that, you will receive a text with 48 digits. Enter these into the form on your screen, and finally, you will have your Windows 7 activated at last.
