Genuine Windows for your business

Understanding your organization’s Windows software licenses can be challenging. Windows licensing missteps are common, but Microsoft and our partners are here to help you. If your organization happens to be the victim of any licensing mistakes, we can offer easy ways to fix them.

If you’re unsure whether or not you're using properly licensed Windows software today, see below for a list of some common licensing issues.

Why genuine Windows?

Genuine Windows is published by Microsoft and can help your organization stay competitive and maintain its stellar reputation. When all of your Microsoft software is genuine and properly licensed, your company has:

Protection from the risks that can be associated with counterfeit software, such as viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Genuine Windows gives you peace of mind that your critical business information is safer and more secure.
Reliability you can count on through reduced downtime caused by system failures and security breaches. Only genuine Windows is supported by Microsoft and provides access to all updates and optional downloads.
Performance that is faster and gives your company a leg up. With genuine Windows you save valuable time needed to complete business tasks and don’t need to worry about unwanted licensing interruptions.
Confidence that your company is fully in compliance with Microsoft Software License Terms and is seen as a trustworthy, reputable business partner by your employees, partners, and customers.

What should I try to avoid?

Companies like yours want to do the right thing, but some are just unaware of the facts about Windows licensing. Here are some of the most common licensing mistakes:

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Scenario 1: Confusing an upgrade with a full license

Windows Volume Licenses are for upgrades only and require a qualifying full operating system to be installed on the PC as a prerequisite. Companies often purchase Windows Volume Licensing Agreements and mistakenly apply them to computers that don’t have a full operating system already installed. Windows Volume Licenses provide the opportunity to extend the life of a previously acquired full Windows desktop license, or other qualifying license, by upgrading to a newer version of Windows.

Next Steps: If your organization fits this scenario, Microsoft and our trusted business partners offer a portfolio of solutions that are easy to implement and can help ensure your company is properly licensed and smoothly running Windows 7 Professional edition.

Scenario 2: Trying to use a Volume License to install Windows over a Home Edition license

Windows Volume Licenses require an existing, qualifying operating system installed as a prerequisite on each PC. In most cases, this means a Professional-level operating system. Companies often acquire PCs with Windows Starter or Home editions preinstalled and mistakenly then apply a new Windows Volume License for Windows 7 Professional. Volume Licensing Agreements can only be applied to Windows Professional operating systems or greater.

Next Steps: If your organization fits this scenario, Microsoft and our trusted partners offer a variety of easy ways to help ensure your company is properly licensed and smoothly running Windows 7 Professional or Windows 8 Pro editions.

Scenario 3: Unintentional purchase of counterfeit software

Companies sometimes discover that they are unintentionally using PCs with counterfeit operating systems. This is a common occurrence when PCs are acquired without Windows or other operating systems pre-installed through a trusted PC manufacturer or in a full retail package. Windows Volume Licenses require genuine operating systems as a prerequisite.

Genuine Windows software is published by Microsoft and supported by either Microsoft or a trusted partner. Only genuine Windows helps you reduce downtime caused by system failures and security breaches, and offers you the reliability and performance you expect from Windows. It's helpful to know what to look for when purchasing a PC. If you feel you might be using counterfeit software, Microsoft can help ensure you’re properly licensed and running the right version of Windows to meet your needs.

How do I correct a licensing mistake?

For the above scenarios and other licensing issues, Microsoft offers several easy licensing solutions to help ensure your company is using properly licensed, genuine Windows software. All of these solutions are meant for use on your existing PCs with a previously installed counterfeit or otherwise unlicensed copy of Windows. Refer to the information in the table to learn more and get genuine today. In the future, keep in mind that the best and most economical way to get a proper Windows license is typically to buy it preinstalled on your PC.

Note: Pricing information varies by geography and is available via your Microsoft partner.

Genuine Solution	Where to buy	Business segment	Minimum PC quantity
Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Small- and Medium-sized Organizations *	Volume License Resellers	Small business, mid-market, and government (volume licensing)	5+
Get Genuine Windows Agreements for Large Organizations	Large Account Resellers (LARs)	Mid-market, enterprise, and government (volume licensing)	5+
Get Genuine Windows Agreements for Academic Institutions	Volume License Resellers	Academic (volume licensing)	5+
Get Genuine Kit	OEM system builders	Home use or small business	Any
Get Genuine Online Kit or Get Genuine Windows **	Available online upon failing validation	Home use or small business	1

* The Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Small- and Medium-Sized Organizations is called the Get Genuine Solution in Brazil, Russia, China, and India.

** The Get Genuine Online Kit provides legalization rights to Windows 7. Get Genuine Windows provides legalization rights to Windows 8.

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Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Small- and Medium-Sized Organizations (GGWA-SMO)


Who is it for?		Small business, mid-market, or government organizations
Where do I get it?		From a Volume Licensing reseller
Minimum PC quantity		5 or more PCs
Program details		Customer support is available for purchase Downgrade rights are available
Terms & conditions		Commitment to acquire only genuine Windows licenses going forward for new PC purchases Software Assurance can be purchased within 90 days through the Open, Open Value, Select, or Select Plus Volume License programs

Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Large Organizations (GGWA-LO)


Who is it for?		Large or medium-sized organizations
Where do I get it?		From a Large Account Reseller (LAR) or directly from your Microsoft account representative
Minimum PC quantity		5 or more PCs
Program details		Placement of a one-time only order Customer support is available for purchase from Microsoft or through a LAR Downgrade rights available
Terms & conditions		Pre-signed agreement that includes an acknowledgement of compliance and an audit clause Must legalize all out-of-compliance PCs running Windows Commitment to acquire only genuine Windows licenses going forward for new PC purchases Master Business Services Agreement must be in place or set up Software Assurance can be purchased within 90 days through the Open, Open Value, Select, or Select Plus Volume License programs

Get Genuine Windows Agreement for Academic Institutions (GGWA-A)


Who is it for?		Qualifying academic institutions
Where do I get it?		From an Academic Volume Licensing reseller
Minimum PC quantity		5 or more PCs
Program details		Use only to fulfill the qualifying Windows operating system requirement for purchasing Volume License Windows upgrade Media unavailable Downgrade rights available after a Windows upgrade license is acquired through an existing academic Volume License agreement
Terms & conditions		Commitment to acquire only genuine Windows licenses going forward for new PC purchases Academic Open License agreement terms and GGWA Supplemental Agreement Academic Addendum Software Assurance is unavailable with GGWA-A, but can be added by acquiring a Windows upgrade license

Get Genuine Kit (GGK)

Note that the license acquired with the purchase of a new PC with Windows software preinstalled can't be used to correct an improperly licensed PC. The following table illustrates the differences between the Get Genuine Kit and a license obtained with a new PC purchase.

	Get Genuine Kit	Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) PC purchase
Target customers	Customers with existing PCs in need of legalization	Purchasers of new PCs with software preinstalled
Terms	Available for sale to customers to legalize existing PCs	Available for sale to OEMs for preinstallation on new PCs only
Features	Customer support provided by Microsoft Downgrade rights are unavailable DVD-style case with full packaged product (FPP) media	Customer support provided by the OEM who preinstalled the software Downgrade rights are available Media accompanies PC
Transferable	Generally, no transfers are allowed; however, any exceptions are noted in the program agreement	Can't be transferred from the PC on which it is originally preinstalled
Other	Purchased directly from OEM system builders	Can't be sold to legalize existing PCs

Get Genuine Online Kit (GGOK)

If Windows 7 on your home PC fails online validation, the Get Genuine Online Kit is available worldwide as an online solution. If you access downloads on the Microsoft Download Center or on the Microsoft Windows Update website, you might be prompted to complete genuine validation for Windows, which performs a validation check to verify that Windows installed on your PC is genuine. If validation determines that Windows on your PC isn’t genuine, you’ll see information about why validation failed, helpful troubleshooting tips, and how you can get genuine Windows.

Get Genuine Windows

If Windows 8 on your home PC fails online activation, Get Genuine Windows is available worldwide as an online in product solution. You can purchase a valid Windows product key right from your PC by going to PC settings, and then tapping or clicking Windows Activation. You also have the option to download Windows and purchase optional back up media.

Volume activation for Windows is a required part of Windows 7 deployment that helps IT professionals automate and manage the product activation process when deploying Windows 7 in the managed IT environment for your business. There are two methods of volume activation: Key Management Service (KMS) and Multiple Activation Key (MAK).

Key Management Service (KMS)

KMS is the default method of volume activation, which provides the capability to host activation in a managed environment.

Multiple Activation Key (MAK)

MAK is primarily for businesses that don’t have the capabilities to host their own activation server; instead, MAK provides the capability to use the Microsoft-hosted activation services to activate each eligible system.

Deploying Windows using volume activation

For most volume licensing customers, your IT professional will use volume activation tools and methods to deploy Windows within the IT environment for your business. There are some tools to get you started:

The Windows Activation Technologies in Windows 7 overview guide outlines the activation and validation experience in Windows 7 for customers interested in learning more about volume activation and genuine Windows.
Step-by-step guidance for IT professionals in your business is available in the Volume Activation Deployment Guide.
The Top 7 Things You Should Know About Volume Activation and Genuine Windows 7 overview document.

Getting information and support

The Volume Activation Center on TechNet is a great resource for IT Pros to find more information about volume activation, as well as community forums and support. And for additional products, benefits, and subscription information, visit the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (MVLS).