Bundle any Windows licence with any Office suite and save 20%.
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What’s Already on Your PC (and What Isn’t)
Most retail laptops and pre-built desktops ship with Windows 11 Home already activated via an OEM licence tied to the motherboard. You do not need to buy Windows again unless you want to upgrade to Pro or your PC came without an operating system (common with custom builds and barebones kits).
What your new PC almost certainly does not include is a full copy of Microsoft Office. Manufacturers typically pre-install a 30-day Microsoft 365 trial or a lightweight version of the Office web apps — neither of which gives you the permanent, fully featured desktop applications. That’s the gap this guide fills.
Before you buy anything, check what you already have:
- Open Settings → System → About to confirm your Windows edition (Home or Pro) and activation status.
- Search for Word or Excel in the Start menu. If a full desktop app opens without a trial banner, you may already have a licence.
- If you’re reusing a licence from an old PC, check whether it’s transferable — our transfer guide walks you through it.
Find Your Profile
The right software depends on what you do, not what’s most expensive. Find the profile below that best describes you, and you’ll have a clear shopping list in under a minute.
Everyday browsing, email, documents and family use
You use your PC for web browsing, streaming, email, the occasional letter or spreadsheet, and managing family photos. You don’t need enterprise security features or database tools — you need reliable basics at a fair price.
Likely pre-installed. Only buy if your PC shipped without it.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote — everything most people need.
Budget alternative: If you only need word processing, a standalone Word 2024 licence costs just .
Go deeper: Office H&B 2024 Guide · Which Windows 11 Do I Need?
Essays, research, presentations and tight budgets
You need to write essays, build presentations, manage data for coursework, and ideally spend as little as possible doing it. Check whether your university offers free Microsoft 365 Education before buying — many do, but the licence expires when you leave.
Home edition handles every student task. Pro adds nothing you need for coursework.
Includes Access for database coursework. Cheaper than H&B and you own it forever — it won’t expire after graduation.
Go deeper: Microsoft Office for UK Students · Office Pro Plus 2024 Guide
Full productivity, business email, encryption and remote access
You work from home or run a freelance practice. You need BitLocker drive encryption for client data, Remote Desktop to connect to office machines, and the full Office suite including Access for lightweight databases. This is the combination most professionals should buy.
BitLocker, Remote Desktop, Hyper-V, Group Policy — the features that separate Pro from Home.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote — the full desktop suite, no subscription.
Go deeper: Windows 11 Home vs Pro · Office Pro Plus 2024 Guide
Multiple seats, domain join, data management at scale
You’re kitting out a team. Every workstation needs Pro for domain join and centralised management, and every user needs the full Office suite. Each licence key covers one PC — order the quantity you need. If your team manages projects or processes, consider adding Visio or Project.
Domain join, Azure AD, Group Policy, BitLocker — essential for managed environments.
Full suite with Access for every team member. No per-user-per-month overhead.
Also consider: Visio Professional 2024 () for process diagrams, or Project Professional 2024 () for scheduling and resource management.
Go deeper: Office for Sole Traders & Limited Companies · Best Software for Small Businesses UK 2026
Quick-Reference Comparison
| Profile | Windows | Office | Bundled Cost | Key Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home User | Home | H&B 2024 | Outlook included | |
| Student | Home | Pro Plus 2024 | Access for databases | |
| Professional | Pro | Pro Plus 2024 | BitLocker, RDP, Access | |
| Small Business | Pro × n | Pro Plus 2024 × n | /seat | Domain join, Group Policy |
What About Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 Personal costs £84.99 per year in the UK. You get the same core Office apps plus 1 TB of OneDrive storage and ongoing updates. For some people — particularly those who need cloud storage and always-current features across multiple devices — it makes sense.
For most new-PC buyers, it doesn’t. Here’s why: a one-time purchase of Windows Pro + Office Professional Plus 2024, bundled at 20% off, costs less than a single year of Microsoft 365. By year two, the subscription has already cost you more than the perpetual licence — and the gap keeps widening every year after that.
Perpetual prices based on current Software Supplies bundle pricing. Microsoft 365 Personal at £84.99/year based on Microsoft’s current UK pricing (as of July 2026). Perpetual licences include a lifetime warranty and never expire.
The only scenario where Microsoft 365 clearly wins is if you need the subscription-only features: 1 TB OneDrive, real-time co-authoring with SharePoint, or Copilot AI integration. If those don’t apply to you, the perpetual licence saves you hundreds over the life of your PC. For the full comparison, see our Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 breakdown.
Next Steps: Setting Up Your New PC
Once you’ve ordered your licences, the setup process takes around 15 minutes. Here’s the order of operations:
- Activate Windows. Enter your product key in Settings → System → Activation. If you’re doing a clean install on a custom build, use a generic setup key during installation, then activate with your purchased key afterwards.
- Install Office. Download directly from Microsoft using the method in our Office 2024 activation guide. Enter your key when prompted.
- Run Windows Update. Install all pending updates, including driver updates, before you start working. This can take 20–30 minutes on a fresh install.
- Set up your Microsoft account. Link your Windows and Office activations to your Microsoft account so you can recover them if you ever need to reinstall.
For a more thorough walkthrough, our complete new-PC setup guide covers everything from initial boot to privacy settings, and our USB installation guide covers clean installs from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. If your PC shipped with Windows 11 Home pre-activated, you already have a valid OEM licence tied to the motherboard. You only need to buy a Windows key if your PC came without an operating system (common with custom builds) or if you want to upgrade from Home to Pro for features like BitLocker, Remote Desktop and domain join.
It depends on the licence type. Retail Office licences (the kind we sell) are transferable — you can deactivate on your old PC and reactivate on your new one. OEM licences that came bundled with a pre-built PC are typically tied to that machine and cannot be transferred. If you’re unsure which type you have, our Office reinstallation guide explains how to check.
An OEM licence is tied to the first PC it’s activated on and cannot be transferred to a different machine. A Retail licence can be moved between PCs — you deactivate on the old one and reactivate on the new one. All Windows keys sold by Software Supplies are Retail licences, which means you can transfer them if you upgrade your PC in the future. For the full breakdown, see our Complete Guide to Windows Licensing 2026.
Yes. The upgrade from Home to Pro is an in-place edition change — Windows adds the Pro components to your existing installation without reinstalling. All your files, applications and settings are preserved. You just enter a Pro product key in Settings → System → Activation → Change product key. Our Home-to-Pro upgrade guide walks you through every step.
Add any operating system (Windows 11 Home or Pro) and any productivity product (any Office suite, standalone app, or other Microsoft software) to your cart and the 20% discount applies automatically to the combined total. There’s no code to enter and no minimum spend. The discount works on any OS + productivity combination in our store.
Gary Walsh is the Head of Tech Support at Software Supplies, with more than 20 years in the IT industry. Fully Microsoft-certified and experienced across the full business software stack — from Windows and Office to cloud infrastructure and device management — Gary delivers practical, no-nonsense advice that helps users and businesses get the most from their technology.
