Have been searching for a source selling Microsoft Windows 11 Pro OEM keys, but a Windows 10 OEM key would also work if the cost was low. Found VIP-URcdkey just last week, a new site that didn’t have PayPal setup yet, but I went ahead and created an account wid them. A few days later they sent be some offers, wid a 25% off Coupon Code: WYNE, and they had PayPal set up this time. Used the code ‘n purchased a Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM Global CD-KEY for $12.99.

Problem was, I didn’t have a spare computer to test the new WIN10 Pro OEM key on, to see if it activated easily, since I had just recently upgraded my 5 desktop PC’s & also the new Dell laptop to Windows 11 Pro. I had recently threw away 2 old MoBo’s, an old case, a bunch of 3-wire case fans (only use PWM 4-wire fans now), and some other nondescript junk. Did I have enough junk, spare parts, and old components left to build at least a decent Test Computer?!

Gathering Junk, Spare Parts, and Old Components

It’s an 8′ by 12′ storage shed wid a customized extended roof-over that adds a 6′ by 12′ lawnmower ‘n garden tools area, with a ladder storage area between shed ‘n roof-over. That’s less complicated to describe than what it took to find enough stuff to get a Test Computer up ‘n running. 😉

Couldn’t find a MoBo on first try, or second try, or third try and I needed an AMD MoBo for the old Ryzen™ 5 3400G APU. By the second day, I had possibly found everything needed, except for the old ASUS Prime A320M-K MoBo I had used in a Ryzen™ Test Computer build back in late 2019. Was it one of the MoBo’s I threw away? I found the old box for it, but that was empty!?

Was about to give up on the third day, but decided to go give it one more search, and took a good light wid me this time. Had a bunch of ‘Stuff‘ that I keep in a sealable Cardboard Fibre Drum, but had already looked in it several times. Well, looked into it again, and even reached deeper into it so I could feel around better…something square in a plastic shopping bag at the bottom. Pulled out a bunch of junk covering it, and it was the MoBo.

Some of the following pics are from the Ryzen™ ‘Stuff‘ page…from that mentioned “late 2019” build.

That is an old converted Dell case that I was using as a Test Bench; however, I saw some “Open Air PC” cases going for $200-365++, and am not sure how much the InWin D-Frame Mini was, since it was “out of stock” at Amazon ‘n Newegg.

Thusly, the new description ‘n name for that old converted Dell case is – ‘Open Air Country Boy PC‘ case. 😉 Here’s that InWin in red:

Yep, mine will look alllllllmost like that after I paint it Fire Engine Red!

Building the ‘Open Air Country Boy PC‘

I have been building, rebuilding, and upgrading about 5-6 computers since starting this blog back on January 6, 2019. Switching ‘n swapping parts, removing older parts ‘n sticking ’em out in a shed, installing newer parts, and all that can lead to misplacing smaller parts.

CPU’s require different kinds of brackets or backplates or fastening screws for the coolers that cool ’em. Well, I had three AMD fan coolers, but didn’t know where the brackets were for 2 of them. Wanted to use one of them, but couldn’t find those brackets in a bunch of parts I keep inside. The other was the stock AMD Wraith Spire cooler that came wid the Ryzen 5 3400G…a little noisy at times, but it would be find for these tests.

OK…all the needed parts were now assembled, all the extra parts that were brought in (just in case) were moved outta the way. Had removed an 8GB stick of memory from ‘InWin‘ who had two 8GB sticks…8GB’s will be fine for both these test computers.

Was a little worried about that MoBo having sat in a plastic shopping bag at the bottom of the Cardboard Fibre Drum for so long, and also wondered how dust got on it in ‘n down there?! Cleaned it up & removed old cooler fan brackets…not sure where that Noctua cooler is now, but probably in one of the other computers, i.e. those work too good to end up in storage. The Noctua cooler usually comes wid both the Intel & AMD brackets, and the AMD brackets were still on the MoBo.

Left the MoBo backplate in place, and screwed the stock AMD Wraith Spire cooler on.

Used just 3 MoBo Standoffs because that was all I could find in my 3 boxes of small parts ‘n stuff. One of these days I need to get all my computer junk, spare parts, old components, 1000’s of unneeded (usually) screws organized! But…….

Definately need to get more MoBo Standoffs or put them in one spot!

Used the old Dell power supply that originally came wid the ‘Open Air Country Boy PC‘ case. 😉

Open air so no need for a case fan here. Added the 8GB stick of memory, a 128GB test SSD.

Plugged in my handy Puppy Linux USB for the first startup test. BIOS all looked good, and CPU was running cool. No Linux Distro is as reliable as Puppy Linux. No Linux Distro has better hardware recognition than Puppy Linux. All done without that *RIDICULOUS* “Bleeding Edge” kernel ‘n the useless Linux Nanny’s ‘Pesky Passwords‘ requirements.

OK…it works!

Installing the $12.99 Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM Global CD-KEY

Not sure what connection VIP-URcdkey has wid URcdkey, but all the OS OEM licenses ‘n Office keys I had purchased from URcdkey worked without any problems; however, URcdkey has apparently stopped selling Microsoft’s products. If the VIP-URcdkey products are as reliable, then I had a new source for Windows OSes.

I don’t use the internet when installing a Windows OS, but it is OK to use it.

During installation, the installer will ask for the “product key,” but you must say you don’t have a product key:

The $12.99 Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM Global CD-KEY installed and updated w/o any problems. Since I had used this MoBo before, the old Windows 10 license had activated automatically, and I needed to change that in order to test this OEM new key correctly. Here’s how to change the key:

That pic shows Windows 11 Pro, since I forgot to take a pic of the change process before changing the Windows 10 Pro key earlier. Still the same method – System Activation >> hit the “Change” button >> then enter the new product key.

Final activation results:

Here is a quick Device specs pic:

Conclusion

Great! The new VIP-URcdkey site looks reliable, and in fact they are already offering Windows 11 OEM keys (the WIN11 link doesn’t work, but run a Windows 11 search will):

Heck, they even sell in 5-packs for $80.99!? First time I have noticed sites doing that. Not sure where they get these OEM licenses, but these gaming software sites seem to usually have them around. I theorize that the original OEM builder probably order 5,000 licenses, but ended up just building 4,499 computers. OEMs are not in the business of stocking stuff, so they probably unload the unused licenses to sites like VIP-URcdkey, but that is just a guess. Point is, I’ve been using these OEM licenses for over 2 years now, and have never had activation problems wid any of them.

I’ll add this post to the Windows 11 page…

LINUX IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES – you never know what you’re gonna get!

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