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Windows 7 licensing in VMware

C

Chrisroman

Gawd
Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
692
I have a windows 7 license dedicated to a VM. However, I need to be able to move the VM from my desktop to my laptop for when I am traveling (3-4 times/year) then move the VM back from the laptop to the desktop.

Question: When moving the VM, back and forth, is this going to trigger the guest OS to activate each time? If so, can you recommend a better solution?


EDIT: Not sure if this even matters but host OS is windows 8 Pro on both the desktop and laptop. Guest OS is windows 7 Pro
 
If I remember, after you move a VM to a new machine and power it on it will ask if you moved or copied it. If you click 'copied' then you don't have to do anything with Windows keys. If you choose 'moved', I believe you have to put a key in.
 
FYI - licenses for the OS are assigned to the hardware, not the VM or you the user - so bouncing the VM back and forth between machines is against the license terms unless you have two licenses. Unless you move it less frequently than every 90 days. Don't ask me how I know this - Microsoft audits are a !@#$!@#$. [Edit, I know this applies to VL - not sure about retail].

But yes, if you choose moved instead of copied and it'll stay intact. The VM has virtual hardware, and this is what the activation is based on. Choosing copied changes the virtual hardware IDs, so might need to re-activate.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1541
 
Thanks for the help. I don't do it often, as I mentioned. 3-4 times a year... So I satisfy the 90 day stipulation.


Edit - Bit off topic, but isn't windows 7 licensed for 1 desktop and 1 laptop? Thought I read that somewhere.
 
You usually see the physical CPU in the VM so if you move it around I suspect it may ask you to reactivate. Or maybe it just sees it as only a CPU change and it's OK with it.

Read the EULA, the standard ones don't say anything about hardware changes.
 
And keep in mind it depends on to ogiginal license type. An OEM license is locked to the hardware it was ordered with, period. A retail copy can only be installed on 1 box/VM at a time, typically those keys will give you up to 5 activations to accomodate for reinstalls/moves/etc. Volume Keys are a different story yet as it depends on how they were purchased... So, OP, what type of key do you have?
 
Once you activate the license too many times, you can just call the phone number and they will reset it for you. I've done it a few times with OEM and retail licenses.

It may even be an automated phone call now?
 
af22 said:
Once you activate the license too many times, you can just call the phone number and they will reset it for you. I've done it a few times with OEM and retail licenses.

It may even be an automated phone call now?
Click to expand...

That's true to a point, then they'll start asking questions, and it's still against licensing protocol.
 
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