Win 7 activation

[fasterthanlight]

So if I burn an ISO to a flash drive and have several keys for Win7, will I be activating the same copy of 7 or would they all act like separate CD's would?

I have 3 servers that I don't have an optical to and the USB Flash is the best idea for this. I did this with Vista and think I deactivated the first install with a second install and separate key for the second machine. The first machine immediately told me I had to re-register it. Does the installation ID bounce?

 

[rflcptr]

Keys for the Win7 Beta or RC will work over and over again, even if the keys are identical.

 

[fasterthanlight]

I should have qualified this question, I meant when I buy OEM copies of it from NE. (4 of them)

 

[rflcptr]

You can use the flash drive over and over again, if the keys are non-identical.

 

[fasterthanlight]

Yeah, they will be. No seriously, seriously.

 

[Catweazle]

I did this with Vista and think I deactivated the first install with a second install and separate key for the second machine. The first machine immediately told me I had to re-register it.

Not possible. If that first machine somehow failed validation then it's because of a different reason, not because you used the same install media and a different install key on the second machine. Coincidence, not cause.

All Vista install disks are identical in everything other than the printed disk label. (You gotta use a 32-bit disk for a 32-bit install and a 64-bit disk for a 64-bit install, but that's the only difference which exists.) Windows 7 will be the same. Everything on the disk, and it's the interaction between the installer and the install key code which determines what gets installed off the disk.

If you have different keys for Windows 7 and use them for different installs, it won't matter if you're using the same install media every time. They won't be the 'same copy' over and over. They weren't for Vista either!

 

[MrGuvernment]

did they say that the Windows 7 disks will be limited to some 25 installs per disk, some new thing they are putting on the disks that generate a code basically counting down the 25 activiations / installs per disk

 

[Joe Average]

Installation and activation has nothing to do with what's on the installation DVD, I don't know where this concept is coming from...

Cat just covered the bases with the post above, but seriously folks... where do you all come up with this stuff?

 

[Private_Ops]

did they say that the Windows 7 disks will be limited to some 25 installs per disk, some new thing they are putting on the disks that generate a code basically counting down the 25 activiations / installs per disk

Nearly impossible if that information was written back to the disk, because not EVERYONE has an optic drive that burns (yea, I know in this day and age but, its true).

Now if they had a unique code for each disk that the installation read off and sent to the activation servers when Windows it self was activated....... but, any of this seems HIGHLY unlikely.

 

[heatlesssun]

did they say that the Windows 7 disks will be limited to some 25 installs per disk, some new thing they are putting on the disks that generate a code basically counting down the 25 activiations / installs per disk

Never heard this so if you have some references that would be great.

I do think that more is made of Windows Activation than reality warrants. I understand that a lot of people around places like [H] rebuild machines constantly. The average user would probably NEVER come close to activating a Windows copy 25 times. For people like that there's TechNet and MSDN that can be reactivated until doomsday online.

 

[Catweazle]

did they say that the Windows 7 disks will be limited to some 25 installs per disk

Considering you can't even google up a mention of that amongst random forum gossipings I'd love to know WHO said it?

It won't be happening, by the way. A Windows license is a perpetual license. If it'sOEM and tied to one machine you can keep on reinstalling it until the machine is dead. If it's retail and tied to you then you can keep on reinstalling it until YOU'RE dead!

 

[Joe Average]

If that poster is meaning a limited number of installations per key then it may have some merit, coming from the perspective of them being actual Retail keys, but but but... per installation DVD? Nah, there's no way each disc could possibly have a unique fingerprint or ID string. Not even Microsoft would go that far...

 

[MrGuvernment]

i thought i read it on itbuisnessedge but now i cant find it, i know i read it, cause basically it would screw IT admins deploying large numbers of the OS at one time.

 

[Catweazle]

IT admins deploying large numbers to multiple machines will be using Volume Licensing arrangments, not standalone licenses.

If that poster is meaning a limited number of installations per key...

...then it still wouldn't really have any merit!

Admittedly, the perception held by some people that Microsoft have contemplated limited 'per key' installations is Microsoft's own fault though.

If a person installs and tries to activate too soon after their previous attempt, exceeding the 'allowable' trigger during the period before the counter is reset again, the error message which gets generated is:

"Activation has failed because you have exceeded the maximum number of permissible activations." or somesuch. It's a misleading message, which is followed by one stating "If you believe this decision to be incorrect please press...."

Intentional misleading? I think so. It'll always get manually activated if you use the available facilities and explain that it's a Windows install on the rightful and only machine. I suspect MS are just skating the edge of acceptability here, in the hope that numerous people will pay out the denarii to get a new license!

 

[MrGuvernment]

^^ could be, and the wording may have been wrong on the article, as it was directed towards IT and doing mass deploys a limitation with volume licensing, i think to try and cut back on piracy... one of those stupid ideas.