Strike X Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 What will happen if you install Windows 7 on two PC's with same key? Of course It is legal key. Will Windows Update stop working or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicAndre1981 Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 you'll get an error message when you try to activate the Windows on a second PC. //edit: and no, installing Windows 7 on different PCs with 1 key is not allowed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGM Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 second one won't activate and you will be living in sin :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Anarkii Subscriber² Posted October 19, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted October 19, 2009 Bill Gates will come to your house and personally spank you. Other then that, the 2nd one won't activate, but searching google will fix your problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strike X Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Cheers I thought so.. If I install Windows 7 on 1 PC only and then after 2 years I decided to upgrade my PC (new motherboard, new HD, new graphic card, etc).. how to get activation to work then from same key? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Anarkii Subscriber² Posted October 19, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted October 19, 2009 It will work, im pretty sure the key is mapped to your mobo. Not all the components. So changing the mobo might *someone will have to clarify this* will just mean you need to call MS and make sure they can activate your machine over the phone. Long as the key is legit, you wont have any problems. I know this because I installed Vista on my home PC as well as my old laptop. I just rang them up and told them I upgraded, and gave them my product key, and had Vista running on the two machines at once. Pretty sure you can do the same with Windows 7, if you can get away with it like I did lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jamesyfx Subscriber² Posted October 19, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted October 19, 2009 Windows will keep a reference of certain bits of hardware, like processor type and serial number, amount of RAM and optical drive, and some other things. If these change, you'll need to reactivate over the phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeChipshop Member Posted October 19, 2009 Member Share Posted October 19, 2009 Constantly adding, changing and removing bits of my computer and never once have had to reactivate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberManifest Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Constantly adding, changing and removing bits of my computer and never once have had to reactivate. SLP OEM Preactivation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minifig Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 If you're talking about two pc's that are on simultaneously, with different parts and components, no. You cannot do that. It's not permissible with the same key. It will not activate. If you do the same computer -AFTER- you upgrade it, yes, it's possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryster Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Of course It is legal key. It's a legal key now. However the moment you install into onto the second PC then it becomes an illegal key :) And as others have said, you won't be able to activate that second machine. Constantly adding, changing and removing bits of my computer and never once have had to reactivate. There's a threshold that only Microsoft seems to know. Changing individual components in isolation will usually not cause reactivation. However if you change your motherboard, processor and ram in one go, you can be sure you WILL have to reactivate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leesmithg Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Cheers I thought so..If I install Windows 7 on 1 PC only and then after 2 years I decided to upgrade my PC (new motherboard, new HD, new graphic card, etc).. how to get activation to work then from same key? Two PC's only allowed one licence. If you then remove it from the licenced PC, you can then install it on the other PC. It should re-activate if not formatted 121 days before. I think the e.u.l.a. mentions a processor rather than PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWillens Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 So then how does this work with VM's? Let's say I want to install a Virtualbox Win7 virtual machine inside my retail (not OEM) licensed Win7 box. Can I do this? What if I delete and recreate my VM once a week? Any problems reactivating? If I cannot do this, then how would one create an activated Win7 virtual machine? Obviously you would not purchase another key just to do that. Damon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharos Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Actually, it may activate fine. I did this once when Vista came out. It activated, BUT... a few days later, Windows Genuine Advantage was triggered in my first machine telling my copy wasn't genuine. So then how does this work with VM's? Let's say I want to install a Virtualbox Win7 virtual machine inside my retail (not OEM) licensed Win7 box. Can I do this? What if I delete and recreate my VM once a week? Any problems reactivating? If I cannot do this, then how would one create an activated Win7 virtual machine? Obviously you would not purchase another key just to do that.Damon No, you can't. And yes, you need a separate license to use it in a VM, or use another operating system host like Linux and then use your 7 key inside the VM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I have a retail copy of XP which is used on an old laptop I rarely start up. After reading up on Technet about Win7 upgrades I decided I wanted to use that copy of XP for upgrading to Windows 7 on another machine which also has a legal license for a copy of XP Home which came with computer. But according to the EULA, once I put Win7 upgrade on the OEM XP, it is locked to that copy of XP and machine and cannot migrate like a retail copy. According to MVP's at Technet, I actually could continue using the XP (on a separate drive or partition) on the machine because it is not deactivated, plus I could even migrate the Win7 upgrade to another machine because it is not tracked except to be sure it is only used on one machine at a time. But to be sure that my Win7 upgrade is legallly portable to migrate to another machine of my choice, I want to install it on the retail XP which is also similarly portable and can migrate according to its EULA. Now my question for the activation detectives: Once I move the retail XP from the laptop where it is rarely used onto the p.c. I plan to upgrade, how will the activation proceed. Also, when putting the OEM copy of XP back onto the laptop where it hasn't resided for years, what will it's activation reception be? I am guessing I will have to call on the first, but the unused XP OEM will either self activate when put back on its native laptop or on the internet. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagisan Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 There's a threshold that only Microsoft seems to know. Changing individual components in isolation will usually not cause reactivation. However if you change your motherboard, processor and ram in one go, you can be sure you WILL have to reactivate. My legal key worked for 2 activations on the same exact hardware, the second I changed my hardware (mobo, CPU and ram) it stopped activating. Not sure what MS problem is but they seem to have screwed something up if legit keys only work for a single set of hardware, once you upgrade it seems you have to either call them to get a replacement key, buy another key, or use a crack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScorpioRGc1 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 My legal key worked for 2 activations on the same exact hardware, the second I changed my hardware (mobo, CPU and ram) it stopped activating.Not sure what MS problem is but they seem to have screwed something up if legit keys only work for a single set of hardware, once you upgrade it seems you have to either call them to get a replacement key, buy another key, or use a crack. Was it an OEM license? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeChipshop Member Posted October 20, 2009 Member Share Posted October 20, 2009 SLP OEM Preactivation? Nope Just lucky with the order i changed things in etc i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_crabman Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Not sure what MS problem is but they seem to have screwed something up if legit keys only work for a single set of hardware, once you upgrade it seems you have to either call them to get a replacement key, buy another key, or use a crack. Hm, normally after the second or third activation you just have to call them to activate with the same key again, it's really no problem, did it myself on my PC . You don't need a replacement key. And regarding the topic, it's of course 100% illegal but I know people that installed their Vista on a lot more than one PC with the same key. MS doesn't check if the key is in use, as long as it's not making the rounds on the Internet. I repeat: Whoever says you can't activate two or more PCs with the same key at the same time is wrong, that's not how activation works. But that doesn't change the fact that you're on the wrong side of the law. Go buy a second licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cropcircles Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 If you switch PC's and you install and it doesn't accept the product key you can call the phone activation system. It works pretty easy. It lets you change the product key over. I was wondering can I use the product key on 7 (86) (64) same computer. Dual boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted October 20, 2009 Veteran Share Posted October 20, 2009 Windows will keep a reference of certain bits of hardware, like processor type and serial number, amount of RAM and optical drive, and some other things.If these change, you'll need to reactivate over the phone. Ha, yeah, not really, because I have to reactivate every freaking time I reinstall windows on the same exact hardware over the phone! my custom built X58 chipset i7 system every time I do a reinstall of windows 7 ultimate it makes me call in due to activation failure.... it only worked the first time i ever installed it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagisan Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) Was it an OEM license? No, its a MSDN:AA Retail key, I'll try the phone activation, tried it once before but it didn't work for whatever reason. Ok, phone activation worked, kind of annoying that their automated online activation only works for a few installs then its finished. Edited October 20, 2009 by mwpeck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabimba Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 No, its a MSDN:AA Retail key, I'll try the phone activation, tried it once before but it didn't work for whatever reason.Ok, phone activation worked, kind of annoying that their automated online activation only works for a few installs then its finished. Looks like the key u got was from the academic alliance. So its better to contact your program admin in your institute. You are officially allowed to use the software in more than one machine if u OWN both machines. Just ask for another key to your program admin and he'll give it to u. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagisan Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Looks like the key u got was from the academic alliance. So its better to contact your program admin in your institute.You are officially allowed to use the software in more than one machine if u OWN both machines. Just ask for another key to your program admin and he'll give it to u. I already tried and they said their agreement with MS only allows each student to obtain 1 key per software package, I asked them why they couldn't disable the first key and give me a fresh, new key, but they never responded. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylde001 Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 There's a threshold that only Microsoft seems to know. Changing individual components in isolation will usually not cause reactivation. However if you change your motherboard, processor and ram in one go, you can be sure you WILL have to reactivate. not such a secret - http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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