Windows 10 activation on linked clones...??

[markanderson]

Virtual Box ver: 5.2.4 r119785 (Qt5.6.2)
Windows 10 Pro: ver: 1709 (OS Build 16299.192)

Using previous versions of Virtual Box and Windows 10 I was able to create a fresh Windows 10 VM (using a dedicated product key) and then create any number of linked clones that had an activated version of Windows 10.

After reinstalling VBox (ver listed above), when I create a linked clone, the cloned version of Windows 10 is not activated. I have no idea what I am doing differently? Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can create an activated Windows 10 linked clone??

TX

[mpack]

As far as I'm aware there has been no change in VirtualBox behaviour in this area: ever.

I would expect every version of Windows from Win7 onwards to fail an activation check in a clone (linked vs full clone making no difference), unless you took prior steps to freeze DMI information. Otherwise all VMs have a unique motherboard signature which Windows detects.

I suspect that your Win10 clone was never activated, it's just that there's a certain lag before the next time it checks with the server, and a certain grace period to avoid it being too finicky.

[markanderson]

Well, I was using the linked clones for over a year and they were always downloading the most recent Windows updates???

So, regardless, I actually have several spare Windows 10 product keys, but there must be a more elegant solution to get around the problem?? Anyone have any suggestions??

[socratis]

Ask Microsoft? Just saying, because they're the ones doing the activation and the whole thing, not VirtualBox...