Win7 Enterprise activation

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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daytooner
Posts: 2
Joined: 2. Apr 2018, 00:27
Primary OS: Fedora other
VBox Version: OSE Fedora
Guest OSses: windows, linux (fedora,ubuntu)

Win7 Enterprise activation

Post by daytooner »

First off, I have a legit version of Win7 Enterprise (32 & 64 bit). I have installed and activated this successfully on 1 physical machine, as well as on 1 virtualbox guest (running on a linux host). And I am NOT trying to get around any licensing issues.

As I understand, I can only activate 1 guest box. Is that per host?

More important though, can I "de-activate" a guest box, and then activate another new guest?

All I really want to do (at this point) is to simply re-install the first guest installation and still get it activated. The reason for a complete re-install is that the current install is a 32 bit install, and I would like to have a 64 bit install.

Any help and/or clarification on this would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

ken
BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5102
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Win7 Enterprise activation

Post by BillG »

That is a question for Microsoft, not for this forum. Even if you ask two qualified Microsoft resellers (or two Microsoft licensing specialists) you may get different answers.

Even if it will activate you could still be in breach of the terms of the user agreement.

On a practical level, if you reinstall it on the same machine (physical or virtual) I would expect it to activate.
Bill
daytooner
Posts: 2
Joined: 2. Apr 2018, 00:27
Primary OS: Fedora other
VBox Version: OSE Fedora
Guest OSses: windows, linux (fedora,ubuntu)

Re: Win7 Enterprise activation

Post by daytooner »

I could re-install and activate on the same physical machine (also on other physical machines). But I could not re-install and re-activate on the virtual. That was my real question.

As I said, I was not trying to breach their (microsoft's) agreements. But I am trying to understand the virtual world.

Thanks for the response.
BillG
Volunteer
Posts: 5102
Joined: 19. Sep 2009, 04:44
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows 10,7 and earlier
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Win7 Enterprise activation

Post by BillG »

As far as Microsoft is concerned, a vm is treated as another machine for licensing. The only exceptions are for Windows Server OS running as vms on a physical Windows Server. It does not apply to a Windows client OS even under those conditions, only a server OS.
Bill
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