Häufig gestellte Fragen

Yes. PCKEY.NET sells permanent, one-time-purchase Microsoft Office license keys. You pay once and keep the software for life — no subscription fees, no recurring charges, and nothing to renew later.

A Microsoft product key is a unique 25-character code that confirms your right to install and use Microsoft software on a licensed device. It is a legal agreement between you and Microsoft that unlocks the full functionality of the product you purchased.

Your activation key is sent to the email address you provided at checkout, immediately after payment is confirmed. Delivery is fully automated, so you receive your key within minutes — day or night, weekends included.

Activation errors are rare, but when they happen our support team will walk you through the fix step by step. Most issues are resolved in a few minutes with a quick check of your key entry, internet connection, or region settings. If the key itself is at fault, we replace it free of charge.

The safest option is to buy directly from a verified reseller such as PCKEY.NET. We deliver 100% genuine keys instantly by email, and every purchase is backed by our warranty and money-back guarantee — something you will not get from random marketplace sellers.

Absolutely. Every key we sell is 100% genuine and legally sourced. You will often see keys online priced far below retail — those are usually gray-market or stolen keys that fail activation. Ours activate cleanly because they come from verified distributors.

We buy Microsoft and other software licenses in bulk directly from trusted suppliers and pass the savings on to you. You get the exact same full version of the software as retail customers, just without the retail store markup.

Delivery is instant and digital. Once your order is confirmed, the product key arrives by email together with simple activation instructions. You then download the official installer directly from the publisher (Microsoft, Adobe, and so on) — nothing is shipped, so there is nothing to wait for.

Contact our support team and we will take care of it. We offer free replacement keys when needed, quick troubleshooting, and step-by-step guidance until your software is installed and activated correctly.

Yes — every order includes a warranty and money-back guarantee. Lifetime product keys stay permanently valid with no expiry, and subscription products are covered for the full subscription term. There are never hidden fees, and we stand behind every key we sell.

Our most affordable single-user Windows 11 Pro key starts at just $39.99. That is a fraction of the Microsoft retail price for the same fully featured, permanently licensed operating system.

Only with a multi-device license. Our Windows 11 Pro key for 5 PCs activates up to five computers, which is ideal for households or small teams. A standard single-device key, however, works on one machine only — using it on additional PCs will trigger activation failures, and you will need a separate key for each computer.

Yes. Once you activate Windows 11 Pro, the license is tied to your device permanently. You can keep using that installation indefinitely — there is no expiry date and nothing to renew.

They can be completely legitimate when you buy from a trusted source like PCKEY.NET. We purchase keys in bulk from verified distributors and regularly run promotions, which is exactly how we can offer genuine Windows 11 Pro licenses at a very competitive price.

Microsoft offers the Windows 11 ISO file free of charge on its official website. The download itself never costs anything — what you need from us is a valid product key to activate the installation and unlock the full operating system.

The process is the same as on any desktop PC: create a bootable USB drive with the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool, boot the laptop from that USB drive (you may need to change the boot order in BIOS/UEFI), and follow the on-screen setup. Our activation guide covers the whole process step by step.

Depending on your hardware and internet speed, a typical installation takes between 20 minutes and an hour. The actual install phase is usually under 30 minutes on modern devices.

Yes. Windows 10 Pro is still actively sold as a digital license key, and activation works exactly as it always has. You can buy a genuine key from PCKEY.NET and activate the operating system today.

The most reliable place is our online store, where keys are delivered instantly at competitive prices. Keys also appear on various IT marketplaces and auction sites — but only buy from sources you trust, because unauthorized keys may be blocked.

No. Windows 10 activation requires a connection to Microsoft activation servers over the internet, even for OEM and retail keys. Make sure the device has internet access during activation and you will be set up in minutes.

Buying a discounted Windows 10 Pro key is perfectly legal as long as the key itself is genuine. The catch is that not every cheap key is legitimate — which is why it pays to purchase from an established reseller who verifies every license.

Yes — Microsoft provides the Media Creation Tool for free, which lets you download Windows 10 and create installation media at no cost. You only need a product key to activate it; without one, Windows runs in unactivated mode with limited personalization.

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, which means it no longer receives security updates. You can still install and use it, but an unsupported system is more exposed to threats. If your hardware allows it, we recommend upgrading to Windows 11 Pro; if not, Windows 10 ESU (Extended Security Updates) is a temporary stopgap.

Go to the official Microsoft setup page, sign in with your Microsoft account (or create one), and enter the 25-character key you received from us. Microsoft will link the license to your account, after which you can download and install Office 2016 on your device.

No. Like all Microsoft Office products, Office 2016 must phone home to Microsoft activation servers to validate your key. An internet connection during activation is mandatory.

Yes. Office 2016 is a perpetual product: our keys are available for one or five devices, and once activated they keep working indefinitely with no renewal or subscription attached.

No. Office 2019 is sold as a lifetime, one-time-purchase license. Activate it once and it remains fully functional on that device permanently — there is no key renewal, no expiration, and no hidden subscription.

Simply order from the PCKEY.NET store. After your payment is confirmed, an email with your activation key and installation instructions is sent to your inbox automatically — usually within minutes.

You can install it, but Microsoft restricts unactivated Office to "reduced functionality" mode: you can view and print documents, but not create new ones or edit existing files. To work without limits, activation with a valid product key is required.

Office 2019 is licensed through a product key. Buying an official key from PCKEY.NET grants you the permanent right to install and use the suite, and activation takes under five minutes on Microsoft's setup page.

A lifetime key is a one-time purchase that permanently activates Office 2021 on your PC or Mac. Unlike Microsoft 365 subscriptions, there is nothing to renew — you own that version of Office outright for as long as you use the device.

Sign in to your Microsoft account, enter the 25-character key at the official setup page, and download the installer. After installation, open any Office app, go to File > Account > Activate Product, enter the key, and Office is ready to use.

No. Once activated with a lifetime key, Office 2021 never expires and remains permanently licensed. We still recommend keeping it updated for the latest security fixes and compatibility improvements.

Yes, activation requires a free Microsoft account. Creating one only takes a couple of minutes, and most Windows 10/11 users already have one they can reuse.

Windows Server 2016 uses the per-core licensing model: the number of licenses you need is based on the physical processor cores inside your server, not the number of users or devices.

Every licensed server needs at least 16 core licenses, with a minimum of 8 core licenses per physical processor. This applies to Windows Server Standard and Datacenter editions (Essentials is exempt). Each of our keys includes 16 cores of activation; additional cores require extra keys.

Yes, Windows Server 2016 is still officially sold by Microsoft partners, and keys are available at PCKEY.NET. Just be aware that full technical support for this version is scheduled to end in 2027.

Pricing depends on the edition and license type, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Windows Server 2019 Standard, for example, is available at PCKEY.NET for around $399.99 — far below the Microsoft retail price.

Yes, for full production use. Server operating systems need activation to unlock management, remote access, and other core features, and running an unlicensed server limits what the OS will do for you.

With corporate volume keys, Microsoft eventually retires the key pool — meaning the OS stops being sold and activated through that channel. Already-activated servers continue to run normally; only new activations are affected.

Use the Windows Server Core Licensing Model: a minimum of 16 core licenses per server, including 8 per physical processor. If your server has more than 16 cores, each extra core requires additional licenses. Microsoft and HPE both publish a free Server Core Licensing Calculator that makes this easy.

Yes. Without activation, Windows Server 2022 will not receive critical security updates from Microsoft, and running unlicensed server software is illegal and can carry fines. A genuine key keeps you compliant and protected.

Retail pricing for the 16-core Standard edition is around $1,069. At PCKEY.NET the same OEM license starts well below that, letting you bring a fully licensed server online without paying full retail.

The rule is simple: at least 16 core licenses per server, with 8 per physical processor, for Standard and Datacenter editions. Servers exceeding 16 cores need additional licenses for the extra cores — the Microsoft Server Core Licensing Calculator can give you an exact figure for your hardware.