Key scams on the Internet

[lawmichigan]

It started when my friend told me that I could get a free upgrade from my W 8.1 to Win 10 Pro.  I figured it would take me an hour or two to accomplish.

I was mistaken.  There was so much drivel and misguidance available on the internet that it took over 12 hours to download W 10 Pro 64, and W 10 Pro 32 bit.

When I looked to buy a key,  there were hundreds of companies selling keys.  I mistakenly bought a key from "Cheapdigitaldownloads.com"  The name has many iterations because the website is a scam.  I paid $18 which I thought a reasonable price, but when I tried to install W 10 Pro, it first  asked me for a key.  I of course used the key I just bought.  It didn't work.  Then someone told me that I could NOT update 8.1 to w 10 pro.  After 2 days of wasting my time, I dropped the urge to update.

Anyone have some advice that will accomplish my update.

Herb

[Jimmywick]

There are several types of key scams on the internet, including:

Fake key generators: Some websites offer key generators that claim to generate product keys for popular software products, including operating systems and antivirus programs. However, these generators are often fake and may contain malware that can compromise your system.

Pirated keys: Pirated keys are often sold on online marketplaces or auction sites. These keys are usually stolen or obtained illegally, and their use can result in legal consequences. Moreover, these keys may be deactivated by the software company, rendering the software useless.