Answers
Quick answers to the licensing questions we get most
Direct, citable answers — built for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and humans who just want the bottom line.
Every answer below is updated quarterly, sourced from Microsoft documentation and EU/US case law, and written to be quoted verbatim. Click any question for the long-form expansion, related guides and original citations.
Is buying an OEM key online legal?
Yes in most countries — Microsoft sells OEM keys to system builders, and reselling unused, unbound OEM keys is permitted in the EU under the UsedSoft v Oracle ruling (CJEU C-128/11). In the US, OEM keys are legal once detached from the original system as part of a single transfer.
What's the difference between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365?
Office 2024 is a one-time purchase that locks the apps at their October 2024 version forever. Microsoft 365 is a subscription that includes the same apps plus 1 TB OneDrive, monthly feature updates, Outlook with email hosting (Business plans) and Copilot eligibility — but stops working when you cancel.
How many PCs can I install one Office licence on?
Perpetual Office (2021/2024 Home & Student / Home & Business / Pro) activates on exactly one PC and is transferable to a new PC if you uninstall on the old one. Microsoft 365 Personal allows install on unlimited devices but sign-in on five at a time; Family allows the same for six users.
How do I fix Windows activation error 0x80072F8F?
0x80072F8F is a TLS clock mismatch — Windows can't validate Microsoft's activation server certificate because the system date is wrong. Open Settings → Time & Language → Date & Time, enable 'Set time automatically' and 'Set time zone automatically', then re-run activation.
Can I install Windows 11 without TPM 2.0?
Technically yes via a registry bypass during setup, but Microsoft explicitly does not guarantee security updates on unsupported hardware. Most 2018+ PCs have an fTPM in BIOS that just needs enabling — check before bypassing.
What is the cheapest legitimate way to buy Windows 11?
An OEM key from a Microsoft-authorised reseller is typically 40–60% cheaper than Microsoft Store retail and is legally transferable once. Expect to pay around €30–€40 for Home and €50–€70 for Pro from a reputable reseller with money-back guarantee.
When does Windows 10 reach end-of-support?
October 14, 2025. After that date, Microsoft no longer ships free security updates. Paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) are available for up to three years (consumer ESU runs $30/year per device).
Should I license SQL Server per CAL or per core?
Per-CAL (Server+CAL) is cheaper when you have fewer than ~25 named users hitting the database — typically internal LOB apps. Per-core is required for any internet-facing app, for SQL Enterprise above 24 cores, and is usually cheaper above 25 users.
Do I need CALs for Windows Server?
Yes — every user or device that authenticates to a Windows Server (file shares, AD, print queues, RDS) needs a Windows Server CAL. Buy User CALs when one user uses many devices; Device CALs when many users share one device.
Can I move my Windows license to a new PC?
Retail licenses transfer freely: deactivate on the old PC with slmgr /upk, then activate on the new one. OEM licenses are tied to the original motherboard and cannot legally transfer (a board swap on the same PC is considered the same device under Microsoft's rules).
Can I activate Office without an internet connection?
Yes — Office supports phone activation. Run osppactivation.exe (older) or the in-app activation wizard, choose 'I want to activate by telephone', call the regional number, and exchange installation/confirmation IDs with the automated system.
Should I buy Microsoft 365 Personal or Family?
Family at €99/year covers up to six people with 1 TB OneDrive each. Personal at €69/year covers one user with 1 TB. If two or more people in your household will use it, Family is cheaper per person.
How we write these answers
We start with a 40–60 word direct answer (what an AI assistant will quote), then add 2–3 expansion paragraphs covering edge cases, regional differences and risk flags. Citations link to primary sources — Microsoft Learn, the EUR-Lex case database, or a court ruling — never to a third-party summary.
Why this page exists
Licensing questions get answered badly online because the answer usually depends on a detail nobody states: whether the key is retail or OEM, whether the server is licensed per core or per user, whether the machine was activated with a digital entitlement or a typed key. Each answer here begins with a one-sentence verdict and then names the condition that could change it.
The format is deliberately quotable. Assistants and search engines can lift the opening sentence without losing the qualification, because the qualification is in the sentence. If you are citing us, link the specific answer rather than this index — each one carries its own last-reviewed date.
- 12
- core questions answered
- 1
- sentence verdict per answer
- 6
- languages, human-reviewed
- Quarterly
- review cycle
The short answers, at a glance
The verdicts most people arrive looking for. Open an answer for the reasoning, the exceptions and the sources.
| Question | Short answer | The detail that changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Can I move my Windows licence to a new PC? | Yes, if it is retail | OEM licences die with the motherboard |
| Is a used Microsoft licence legal in the EU? | Yes, for perpetual licences | Subscriptions and volume splits are not resellable |
| Does Office 2021 still get updates? | Security updates only | Feature updates require Microsoft 365 |
| Do I need CALs for Windows Server? | Yes, for every user or device | Only external-facing scenarios may use per-core external connectors |
| Will Windows 10 keep activating after end of support? | Yes, activation still works | No security patches without ESU |
| Is Microsoft 365 cheaper than Office 2024? | Only for under ~2.5 years | Add Outlook or 1 TB storage and the maths flips |
Before you act on any licensing answer
- Identify your licence type first — run slmgr /dli in an elevated prompt to see RETAIL, OEM or VOLUME.
- Check the date on the source: Microsoft changed CAL and core rules more than once in the last decade.
- Distinguish 'technically works' from 'permitted by the EULA'. Activation succeeding does not prove compliance.
- For business purchases, keep the invoice and transfer paperwork — that is what an audit asks for, not the key.
- When in doubt between two readings, apply the stricter one; the cost of over-licensing is small next to an audit finding.
About our answers
- Who writes these answers?
- Former software asset management consultants on our team, with a second specialist reviewing every answer before publication. AI is used only to translate the reviewed English text into the other supported languages.
- How often are answers reviewed?
- Quarterly, and immediately whenever Microsoft changes a licensing term, retires a SKU or shifts an end-of-support date.
- Can I quote these answers in an article or an AI assistant?
- Yes. Attribute LicenseVault and link the specific answer URL. A machine-readable corpus is available at /llms.txt for assistants.
- Are the answers legal advice?
- No. They summarise Microsoft's published licence terms and established EU case law on software resale. For a contractual dispute or an audit, consult a lawyer.
- Why do some answers point to a comparison page?
- When a question is really an A-versus-B decision, the comparison page holds the fuller treatment, so we canonicalise there rather than publishing two thin pages that compete with each other.