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[Resolved] VirtualBox and the Windows License

Posted: 20. Feb 2021, 11:08
by Leloup78
Bonjour,

The OS of the host PC has changed from Win7 to Win10. As a result, the license of Win7 is retrieved and used for the guest.
Its installation went roughly well. However, popup windows arrive with messages saying "This copy of Windows is not authentic". How is this possible? :?: When this license was used with the host for years, I never had this kind of problem.
Is this a known problem with VirtualBox or Windows? Do I need to buy a new Windows license? This does not prevent it from working, but it is painful and incomprehensible.

Do you have any idea what is problem? :?:

Regards,
Leloup

Re: VirtualBox and the Windows License

Posted: 20. Feb 2021, 13:22
by mpack
Are you saying that the host and guest are activated using the same product key? That would be a violation of the license: and I'd be thankful that it's the VM that's "not genuine" rather than the host!

Otherwise it's possible that it's an OEM license and it expects to find a Dell or HP (or whatever) BIOS.

Btw this has nothing to do with VirtualBox. Microsoft determines the licensing rules for Windows.

Re: VirtualBox and the Windows License

Posted: 20. Feb 2021, 19:45
by Leloup78
Thank you for your message.
No mpack. This is not the same license for both Win. There is one license for Win7 and another one for Win10.

For quite some time I had this message about a license problem and today I entered the license key once again and the software accepted it. I don't understand why this time it finally accepted the license key. Incomprehensible.

Regards,
Leloup

Re: VirtualBox and the Windows License

Posted: 21. Feb 2021, 03:26
by BillG
That does not surprise me. Windows activation is a world of its own. Even two members of the Microsoft licensing staff can give you two different answers to a licensing problem (and may both be wrong when you actually try it).