7 License and Virtualization

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LstBrunnenG

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(Mods feel free to lock or delete this thread if you think this is over the line, I realize I may be tiptoeing rather close.)

When I'm in Windows, I like to access the physically installed version of Linux on my PC rather than setting up a dedicated version that will take up space on my Windows partition. So I give VirtualBox access to the raw disk, and choose Linux from the boot menu rather than Linux. (If you're curious, if you select Windows 7 the guest will BSOD while booting).

Recently I've started doing the reverse. I am booted into Linux Mint 14 as my host and I am firing up my 7 installation in VirtualBox using the same method. Just now I got a popup asking me to re-activate windows.

I'm worried that if I do, I'll be stuck in a loop of activations each time I reboot to the other OS. Is there any way around this? Does anyone else do this without issues? I am not interested in any cracks or warez solutions; do not post suggestions that are in violation of forum rules.

I'm not sure whether the exact wording of the EULA allows this, but since I'm using the same physical hardware and I'm not using more than one copy at one time I don't feel I'm violating the spirit of the agreement. But if anyone can point out a section that specifically disallows this I would be interested to hear it.
 
Whether you violate the spirit or not if you are presenting different hardware configurations to the OS then you are going to get pinged imho. I doubt there is a specific section in the Windows EULA though must confess I haven't read it :)
There may be one way around this without resort to the warez / hack approach, though it is almost certainly illegal. There are ways of presenting different BIOS' to virtual systems. If you have a SLIC BIOS (or illegally convert your motherboard BIOS to a SLIC enabled one) you can present the same hardware type to the OS and activate offline using an OEM license (also illegal I guess).

https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/9231 shows that VB supports SLIC
 
I just bought a new PC AND a retail Windows 7 Pro license (not the OEM license at 1/3 of the price which I was entitled to when buying a new PC) just to be able to run Windows legally inside a VM.

I really don't like to throw away my money, but as far as Windows licenses are concerned, you'll probably need to get a retail license. And even with a retail license that specifically allows you to use Windows in a VM you probably won't be able to run Windows on the hardware and next time in a VM and so on. On the other hand, the OEM license clearly states that Windows must run on the PC hardware it came with - i.e. not a VM and not another PC, even if only 1 copy is run at any time.

I don't know if Microsoft's licensing practice is legal or not, perhaps someday someone will put that to a test? As for now, I run my Windows retail edition legally within a VM, and never on bare metal. Since I use Xen with VGA passthrough, performance of the Windows VM is like bare metal (incl. graphics), and maintenance is easier than a bare metal install.

Good luck!
 
Yea basically you can't run a Windows (non-server) in a VM. Period. Unless...

Generally the unless is you have a volume licenses/perpetual contract where, for example, Win7 costs $99/year/copy.

This applies to businesses. I'm not exactly sure if they make stipulations for personal use, but the previous post is right; You might prefer a trip to hell rather than try to find out how you might "legally" run Windows.

Edit: I forgot that it *is* ok to run a local copy with a retail box copy of Windows IF it's not accessed remotely, and you aren't using anything like HA/DRS :rolleyes:
 
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LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
(Mods feel free to lock or delete this thread if you think this is over the line, I realize I may be tiptoeing rather close.)

When I'm in Windows, I like to access the physically installed version of Linux on my PC rather than setting up a dedicated version that will take up space on my Windows partition. So I give VirtualBox access to the raw disk, and choose Linux from the boot menu rather than Linux. (If you're curious, if you select Windows 7 the guest will BSOD while booting).

Recently I've started doing the reverse. I am booted into Linux Mint 14 as my host and I am firing up my 7 installation in VirtualBox using the same method. Just now I got a popup asking me to re-activate windows.

I'm worried that if I do, I'll be stuck in a loop of activations each time I reboot to the other OS. Is there any way around this? Does anyone else do this without issues? I am not interested in any cracks or warez solutions; do not post suggestions that are in violation of forum rules.

I'm not sure whether the exact wording of the EULA allows this, but since I'm using the same physical hardware and I'm not using more than one copy at one time I don't feel I'm violating the spirit of the agreement. But if anyone can point out a section that specifically disallows this I would be interested to hear it.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I follow what any of you are getting at with the volume licenses being required for VM's but I got a whole bunch of different Windows OS keys from my schools access to the MSDN and I have used many of those key's in VM's before. Not sure if they are registered as OEM keys or not, I doubt they aren't since they weren't sold in a retail store, but they work perfectly fine with me.

Whether Windows is being installed in a VM or physical host I don't think there's a difference, just as long as one copy is registered to that computer configuration.

Usually when I re-install a VM OS I just call the Windows Activation call center and tell them I'm re-installing the VM OS. They've never cared with me, just as long as its the same system otherwise they'll delete the old host config Windows sent them and retrieve a new one.

Have you tried re-activating the OS and calling Microsoft to verify it?
 
HalfJawElite said:
I'm not sure I follow what any of you are getting at with the volume licenses being required for VM's but I got a whole bunch of different Windows OS keys from my schools access to the MSDN and I have used many of those key's in VM's before.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that the OP is flipping between using the Windows installation from a physical computer and virtualbox. In that case its obviously presenting a different hardware config to the Windows OS which one assumes trips the activation process.
 
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