Vista license

[hken]

I know we cannot share the license for two computers at the same time (retail version). We need to uninstall from one computer and use that on another one. But how does microsoft know a particular license has been uninstalled when I install the same copy on another computer?

[GJSNeptune]

Whoops. I read that a little too quickly. Didn't catch the un part. Good question.

Typically Microsoft will be notified if it detects that you've tried activating a single license too many times. At this point you'd call them and tell them your situation.

If you've uninstalled the license and installed it on another computer, you should be fine since the first computer will never send info back to Microsoft and therefore create a warning about a single license on two computers.

[hken]

thanks for your reply. so you mean when I share the copy for two computers, microsoft will know I share and possibly banned my license? Typically how do they know sharing same license? (I assume they set no limit for activation for vista, if activation is still required in vista)

[prof_HATE]

thanks for your reply. so you mean when I share the copy for two computers, microsoft will know I share and possibly banned my license? Typically how do they know sharing same license? (I assume they set no limit for activation for vista, if activation is still required in vista)
In the case of an OEM license, you won't be able to activate it on a 2nd computer without phoning Microsoft (and probably lying to them). If it's a retail license, you'll be able to activate a 2nd computer (and more over time), but don't plan on continuing to use the license with the 1st computer you activated on, if that computer has an Internet connection, and especially if you plan to use Windows Update with it.

When you activate a license on a PC, some information that is specific to your machine is collected (most notably your ethernet interface's MAC address), and recorded by Microsoft. In other words, MS associates that PC-specific information with the license key. If you then tried to use Windows Update with the 1st computer, I'm pretty sure MS would realize you were trying to use a single license on two computers simultaneously. So, whatever PC you most recently activated with that key should be the only one that ever goes online and tries to use Windows Update. And you could run into problems even if you didn't try to use Windows Update, I'm not sure about this.

Also, as GJSNeptune pointed out, if you activate the same license key too many times, you'll have to call MS and explain what's going on (i.e. "I'm upgrading my mainboard for the 7th time this year, now get off my back MS!!!").

-prof