Guides

Installation and activation guides and buying advice – step by step, with the publisher’s sources.

Installation and activation

• Install Office 2024, 2021 and 2019: redeem the key and download
  How to redeem your Office product key with a Microsoft account and install Office on a PC or Mac – step by step.
• Install Office Professional Plus, Standard, Project and Visio (2024, 2021, 2019)
  Installation via the download link from your order or with Microsoft's Office Deployment Tool, online activation with your product key – step by step.
• Install and activate Windows 11 and 10: create a USB drive, enter the key
  Create installation media with the Media Creation Tool, reinstall Windows and activate it with the product key – step by step.

Buying advice

• Office without a subscription: buy once and use it permanently
  Office without a subscription: you buy these editions once. What the one-time purchase includes, where its limits are and when a free program is enough.
• Buying Word, Excel and Outlook individually: when it pays off
  Buy Word on its own or the Office suite right away? Which programs are available individually, what the suites include and when a free program is enough.
• Buying Windows 11 Pro: what to look out for
  Buying Windows 11 Pro: check your needs, hardware and starting point first. How to tell whether you need a key and what to do after the purchase.
• Buy Office for Mac: which version fits your Mac
  Buying Office for Mac: Home 2024 or Home & Business 2024, macOS requirements, end of support and what is not available for the Mac. With a recommendation.
• Buy software once or subscribe: which suits you?
  Buy software without a subscription or subscribe? The comparison using Office 2024 and Microsoft 365: devices, updates, end of support and a decision rule.
• Buying software keys: how to recognize a reputable shop
  Buying a Windows or Office key online? With this checklist you check a shop in ten minutes: seller, support, invoice, delivery and payment.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2025 – Express vs. Standard vs. Enterprise
  Which SQL Server 2025 edition do you need? Express, Standard and Enterprise compared: limits, features, licensing (server + CAL or per core), FAQ.
• Buying Windows Server 2019 or 2022 today
  Still buy Windows Server 2022 or 2019 today? It makes sense if software or hardware require it or matching CALs exist. Remaining lifetimes and cases.
• Windows Server license: what the costs are made up of
  What does a Windows Server license cost? The total results from edition, core licenses, CALs and RDS CALs. How to work out your quantities, with examples.

Free software

• 7-Zip: extract ZIP and RAR files for free
  7-Zip packs and extracts archives such as ZIP, 7z and RAR – free of charge, also in companies. Installed in two minutes.
• Install Firefox: free browser for Windows and Mac
  Firefox is a free browser from Mozilla. System requirements and a safe installation from the official site.
• LibreOffice: install the free Office alternative safely
  LibreOffice is a free office suite with word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. How to download it safely from the official site.
• Create a bootable USB flash drive from an ISO file (Rufus)
  With the free tool Rufus you turn a Windows ISO into an installation drive – for example for Enterprise, LTSC or Server versions.
• Thunderbird: free email client with calendar and contacts
  Thunderbird manages email, calendars and contacts in one app – free and without ads. Installation and setup of your first mailbox.
• VLC media player: play videos, music and DVDs for free
  VLC plays almost every video and audio format, DVDs and streams – free, without ads and without tracking. How to install it safely.

How-to

• Activate Windows 11 with a product key
  Activate Windows 11: enter the product key under Settings > System > Activation, check the status, understand error codes, link the license to your account.
• Find your Windows product key: where to look
  Find your Windows 11 key: where the product key is depending on how you bought it, how to read it from the firmware with PowerShell, and when you need none.
• Office activation: common errors and how to fix them
  Activating Office, fixing errors: what 0xC004C060, 0x80070005 and 'Unlicensed Product' mean and which steps Microsoft names to resolve them.
• How ordering, delivery and activation work at VivaKeys
  From cart to activated software: how to order and pay, when and where your software key arrives, how to activate it and what applies if problems occur.
• Transferring an Office license to another PC: how it works
  Transferring an Office 2021 license: how Microsoft describes moving Office 2024 and 2021 to a new PC, step by step and with the 90-day rule.
• Transfer a Windows license to a new PC
  Transfer a Windows license: remove the key on the old PC, enter it on the new one and activate. Plus the wording of the Microsoft license terms.
• Moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11
  Windows 10 to 11 upgrade step by step: check the PC, back up data, move via Windows Update, Installation Assistant or USB flash drive, and how to go back.
• Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro
  Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro without reinstalling: enter the key under Settings > System > Activation, restart, done. With help for errors.

News

• Exchange 2016 and 2019: end of support and your options
  Exchange 2019 end of support and Exchange 2016: both without updates since October 14, 2025. What this means and which three paths exist now, with steps.
• Exchange Server SE: what changes with the Subscription Edition
  Exchange Server SE explained: technically an update of Exchange 2019; lifecycle and license terms are new. Upgrade paths, dates and CALs at a glance.
• Office end of support: 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024 at a glance
  Office end of support at a glance: 2016 and 2019 without updates since Oct 14, 2025, 2021 since Oct 13, 2026, Office 2024 until Oct 9, 2029. What to do now.
• Windows 10 end of support: what to do now
  Windows 10 end of support was on October 14, 2025. Your options: free upgrade to Windows 11, ESU updates until October 12, 2027, or a new PC.
• Windows Server 2025: the most important new features
  What is new in Windows Server 2025? Hotpatching via Azure Arc, SMB over QUIC in all editions, a more secure Active Directory, upgrade directly from 2012 R2.

Comparison

• Exchange CAL: Standard or Enterprise?
  Exchange CAL Standard or Enterprise: features compared, the add-on rule of the Enterprise CAL, user or device, and worked examples for the quantity.
• Buy an Office 2021 license: editions compared
  Buying an Office 2021 license: Home & Student, Home & Business, Professional and Professional Plus with included programs, requirements and end of support.
• Buy Office 2024: Home, Home & Business and LTSC compared
  Buying Office 2024: Home, Home & Business or Professional Plus? Included programs, system requirements and end of support in one table, with a recommendation.
• Office 2024 or Microsoft 365: one-time purchase and subscription compared
  Office 2024 or Microsoft 365? The comparison shows number of devices, updates, cloud storage and support, so you know when the one-time purchase is enough.
• Office 2024 or Office 2021: differences and recommendation
  Office 2024 vs 2021: support, new features, editions and system requirements compared. This is how you decide whether the switch is worth it for you.
• Project Standard or Professional: the differences
  Project Standard vs Professional: Team Planner, generic resources, timesheets and Project Server compared. This is how you choose the right edition.
• SQL Server 2025 or 2022: differences and decision guide
  SQL Server 2025 vs 2022 compared: higher limits in Standard and Express, new features, discontinued services, system requirements and support dates.
• Licensing SQL Server: per core or server + CAL
  Choose the right SQL Server license: per core or server + CAL, minimum quantities, rules for virtual machines and worked examples in license quantities.
• User CAL or device CAL
  User CAL or device CAL? Count people and devices: the smaller number decides. With Microsoft's rules, five practical cases and special points for RDS.
• Visio Standard or Professional: the differences
  Visio Standard vs Professional: templates, data connectivity and supported standards compared. This is how you tell whether the smaller edition is enough.
• Visual Studio 2022 or 2026: differences and recommendation
  Visual Studio 2026 vs 2022: new interface, .NET 10 and C# 14, code coverage in all editions, new support rhythm. When switching is worthwhile.
• Visual Studio 2026: Community, Professional or Enterprise?
  Visual Studio 2026 Professional, Community and Enterprise compared: who may use Community, what only Enterprise can do and how the license counts per person.
• Windows 10 LTSC 2021 or Windows 11 LTSC 2024
  Windows LTSC compared: Windows 10 LTSC 2021 ends on January 12, 2027, Windows 11 LTSC 2024 on October 9, 2029. Lifecycles, hardware and advice per case.
• Windows 11 editions at a glance: Home, Pro, Workstations, Enterprise, LTSC, IoT
  Windows 11 Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, Enterprise, LTSC and IoT in one table: features, limits and updates, so you can choose the right edition.
• Windows 11 Home or Pro: the differences
  Windows 11 Home or Pro? The differences in BitLocker, Remote Desktop, Hyper-V, domain join and memory in tables, with a recommendation for typical cases.
• Windows 11 Pro or Pro for Workstations
  Windows 11 Pro for Workstations or Pro? The comparison shows the four differences in processors, memory, ReFS and SMB Direct and when they matter.
• Windows Security or Bitdefender Total Security?
  Bitdefender Total Security or the built-in protection of Windows: what Windows Security already does, what Bitdefender adds and who benefits from it.
• Windows Server 2025 or 2022
  Windows Server 2025 or 2022? Support until 2034 instead of 2031, new features, stricter CPU requirements and different CALs. With tables and typical cases.
• Windows Server 2025 Standard or Datacenter
  Standard or Datacenter? The difference lies in virtual machines, Storage Spaces Direct and a few features. With tables, cases and a sample calculation.

Licensing knowledge

• Licensing Windows Server and virtualization correctly
  You license the host, not the VM: all physical cores, with Standard once per two VMs. Rules for Hyper-V, VMware and clusters, with examples.
• Microsoft end of support: calendar for Windows, Office, Server and SQL
  When does support end? All dates for Windows 10 and 11, LTSC, Office 2016 to 2024, Windows Server, SQL Server, Exchange and Visual Studio at a glance.
• Office 32-bit or 64-bit: which version you should install
  Office 32-bit or 64-bit? Microsoft recommends 64-bit from 4 GB of memory. When 32-bit is still right, and how to check and change your version.
• Office LTSC 2024 explained: editions, support and differences
  Office LTSC 2024 is the Office release for businesses without feature updates. What is included, how long support runs and who it is suitable for.
• Retail or OEM: types of Windows product keys explained
  Windows OEM or retail? What Microsoft's license terms distinguish: the tie to the device, moving to a new PC, support and where to find the key.
• RDS CAL: licensing Remote Desktop Services
  For Remote Desktop sessions you need one RDS CAL per user or device in addition to the Windows Server CAL. Rules, license server, versions, examples.
• SharePoint Server SE explained: Subscription Edition, license, migration
  SharePoint Server Subscription Edition explained: continuous updates instead of year-numbered versions, license only with Software Assurance, migration.
• License glossary: CAL, core, LTSC, SE and other terms explained
  What do CAL, core, LTSC, OEM, retail, ESU or extended support mean? 53 software licensing terms explained briefly, each with a link to the matching guide.
• SQL Server end of support: all versions from 2008 R2 to 2025
  SQL Server end of support for all versions from 2008 R2 to 2025 with exact dates, plus Extended Security Updates and the right upgrade path per version.
• SQL Server Express: limits and when you need Standard
  SQL Server Express limits at a glance: 50 GB per database, 4 cores, 1,410 MB buffer pool, no Agent. How to tell that you need Standard.
• Windows 11 LTSC 2024: who it is intended for
  Windows 11 LTSC 2024 gets security updates until October 9, 2029, but no new features. Who the release is intended for and when Pro is the better fit.
• Windows 11 system requirements: TPM, CPU, RAM
  Windows 11 system requirements: TPM 2.0, supported processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI with Secure Boot. How to check your PC in a few minutes.
• Windows 365 Business explained: the Cloud PC for small businesses
  Windows 365 Business explained: what a Cloud PC does, which sizes exist, where the limits compared with Enterprise are and when a normal PC is enough.
• Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC explained
  Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is Windows Enterprise for fixed-purpose devices: ten years of updates, lower minimum requirements, lifecycles, use cases.
• Windows Server CAL: when you need client access licenses
  A Windows Server CAL is the access right for one user or one device. When it is needed, which exceptions exist and how to count correctly.
• Which CAL version fits which server
  CALs are valid for their version and for earlier servers, never for newer ones. Table for Windows Server 2016 to 2025, rules for mixed setups, VMs, RDS CALs.
• Windows Server end of support: all versions
  End of support for all Windows Server versions 2012 to 2025 with exact dates: 2016 ends on January 12, 2027, 2019 on January 9, 2029. What it means for you.
• Windows Server 2025 Essentials: limits and use
  Windows Server 2025 Essentials: up to 25 users and 50 devices, one processor with at most 10 cores, no CALs. Who it suits and when Standard is needed.
• Licensing Windows Server: cores, VMs, CALs
  How Windows Server is licensed: all physical cores, at least 16 per server, two VMs with Standard, plus CALs per user or device. With examples.