If, for some reason, you're looking to grab a genuine, legal copy of Windows 7 operating system or if you want to jump on the Windows 10 bandwagon and still have the option the option to revert back to something tried and trusted, then we've rounded up the best places to get the source the most popular Windows operating system on the market.
The cheapest Windows 7 at the time of writing comes from Tekheads where the 32-bit version costs £67.50. Ebuyer and Amazon sell the 64-bit version of the operating system for £67.95. Note that both deals are for the Home Premium edition, come with free delivery and are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10. Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate SKUs (stock keeping units) are far more expensive.
Cheapest Windows 7 PC
If you are after a computer with Windows 7, then there are plenty of options on the market, a marked change from last year when Windows 7 PCs were far and few. One popular online tech retailer is currently stocking more than 40 desktop computers from five vendors that offer both Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 Professional.
At the time of writing, the best Windows 7 PC deal is arguably the HP Prodesk 405 G2 MT from Ebuyer. It costs £199.98 but should you have an old XP PC around that you can send back, then trade it in and get £100 cashback to bring down the price of the Prodesk 405 G2 MT to less than £100.
Otherwise, the Lenovo Thinkcentre E500-00 costs £150 with a similar configuration; both those models target SMBs and provide with an excellent upgrade route for Windows XP users.
Given that Amazon sells the cheapest Windows 7 Professional version for £106.56, buying a new computer with a new OS makes financial sense especially for smaller businesses.
Cheapest Windows 7 laptop
Laptops with Windows 7 are as common as their desktop counterparts, as surprising as it seems, with dozens on offer, almost always with Windows 8.1 as an upgrade option. The cheapest Windows 7 laptop without any trade in is the Lenovo ThinkPad E555 which we reviewed earlier this month. If you have an old computer or laptop knocking around, then the HP 455 G2 might be a better bet with a stonking £150 cashback, bringing the price down to £266 after a trade-in scheme that ends later this year.
5 things you need to know about Windows 7 licenses
A word of warning: peddlers of illegal versions of Windows 7 licenses have successfully managed to position themselves high on Google's search engine result page for a vast number of keywords. Buying from them doesn't mean that you've got yourself a bargain, it means that you have landed the equivalent of a virtual paperweight.
If you are in the UK and the prices are displayed in US dollars or if you notice that they offer download-only option or if the site is poorly designed, has pictures of Microsoft logos without any links and contains a fair amount of grammatical errors, then proceed at your own risk; you've been warned.
The majority of counterfeited copies being sold are likely to come from Microsoft's MSDN network which usually provides developers and IT professionals with a healthy amount of free Microsoft software. The keys will activate the target Windows OS but will more than likely end up with the end-user getting a limited copy of Windows.
We would also urge you to avoid getting Windows 7 stickers or so-called DVD disc with COA product key. While they will definitely work on the target computers, they usually violate the terms and conditions of the original OEM; the OS is usually tied to the product it came on (i.e. when activated) and cannot be transferred.
Dell reinstallation Windows DVDs clearly stipulate that it can only be distributed with a new Dell PC. Not a refurbished, second hand one or a PC from a different brand. Many eBay resellers get around that by selling the disks with one piece of the original computer (usually the motherboard).
This is a grey area, one where Microsoft has been reluctant to act forcefully, perhaps out of fear that it might impact negatively on the brand. While consumers will probably get away with it, businesses are always at risk of being hit with a surprise audit with heavy fines for culprits.
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