A license key is not like a physical product: it either activates or it does not, and when it fails it usually fails for a reason we can identify and fix. This page sets out what we do when that happens.
What is covered
For 30 days from your purchase date, if a key we sold you stops working through no fault of your own, we replace it. That includes:
- A key that will not activate at all
- A key that was already used when you received it
- A key that deactivates on its own after working correctly
- A key that Microsoft rejects as invalid
Replacement is free. There is no restocking charge and no limit on how many times we will try to get you working.
What is not covered
- The wrong edition was installed. A Pro key will not activate a Home installation. This is the single most common cause of failure and it is fixed by installing the correct edition, not by replacing the key — we will tell you which one you need.
- Hardware changes. Replacing a motherboard usually breaks activation. Depending on the license type this may be recoverable; contact us and we will tell you honestly whether it is.
- The key was shared or published. A key used on more devices than the license permits, or posted publicly, is outside this warranty.
- Damage from unofficial software. Activation tools, cracks and modified installers can break a legitimate key. We cannot replace a key that failed this way.
How to claim
Write to us with two things:
- Your order number
- The exact error message or error code shown on screen
Please do not keep retrying a key that is failing. Repeated failed attempts make the cause harder to identify and can complicate the replacement.
We aim to diagnose within one exchange of messages. Most problems turn out to be an edition mismatch and are solved without a replacement at all.
If we cannot replace it
If a key cannot be made to work and we cannot supply a working replacement, we refund you in full — even if the 30-day refund window has passed and even if the key was activated. A license that does not work was never a sale.
How this relates to our refund policy
Both run for 30 days from purchase. What separates them is whether the key was ever activated:
- Refund policy — you changed your mind, and the key has not been activated. You get your money back.
- Warranty — the key was activated and then stopped working. You get a replacement, or a refund if we cannot replace it.
You do not have to work out which applies. Tell us what happened and we will.