Do I need to buy new windows 7 to install into virtualbox?

[vboxman]

1) I am using win 7. After installing virtual box on my win 7, how do I install a win 7 into the virtual box? Do I need to buy a new win 7 with a new key to install into the virtual box? or can I use the win 7 cd that comes with my current desktop PC?

2) Is there any free OS similar to win 7?


Thanks

[stefan.becker]

1) You must activate it again. If this is legal, depends on your windows version.

2) No, if you mean compatibility. Yes, if you mean free. Linux is a free OS, but it cant work with windows appiications.

[vboxman]

My windows is win 7 64 bit. Genuine that comes with my new pc. I thought if the windows key is used once, it cannot activate another time?

Linux can surf internet correct?

[stefan.becker]

Yes. But for testing purposes you dont need a Virtual Machine. There are Linux Live Distros available. Look for Knoppix or the Ubuntu CDs. You can download a iso file, burn it on cd and start the pc from this cd.

[vboxman]

Yes. But for testing purposes you dont need a Virtual Machine. There are Linux Live Distros available. Look for Knoppix or the Ubuntu CDs. You can download a iso file, burn it on cd and start the pc from this cd.

What do you mean by Yes?

Does it mean that after installing the virtualbox, if I want to have win 7 in virtual box, i can install the same win 7 cd (that I use to install win 7 in the desktop) into the virtual box? So that means the same win 7 key is actiavted 2 times (1 time in desktop, 1 time in virtualbox) is ok?

[stefan.becker]

Linux can surf internet correct? => YES.

[vboxman]

Nobody knows if the same genuine win 7 cd can be installed in the desktop and virtual box and cd key actviated twice? (once in the desktop and once in the virtualbox)

How do you guys install win 7 in virtual box?

[Perryg]

The number of times you can activate a product really has nothing to do with VirtualBox but I do know that you have a very few number of times that you can activate Windows before you need to call and explain what is going on. I believe that you should be able to activate it if you have only do so once on the original.

My suggestion is to not activate it right away. You have 30 days to make sure that it will work for you. Just remember to take the check mark out of the activate on line.

Other than that it is up to the user to verify if this falls within the EULA.

[vboxman]

I am asking if the same cd can be installed in the virtualbox and activated once again.

I will breakdown my question in steps

1) I have a desktop win 7 OS and the win 7 is genuine and activated.
2) I installed virtual box and I intend to install win 7 inside the virtual box.
3) Can I use the same win 7 cd in step 1 to install it inside virtual box and activate it in virtual box? If i activate it again in virtual box, will it my current desktop win 7 become invalid or something? Or do I need to buy a new win 7 cd?

If I am not wrong, each win 7 cd can only be activated once and it will be tied to the motherboard. My win 7 is oem.

I am sure many of you here have installed win 7 in virtual box. Please share how did you all do it?
Thanks

[mpack]

It isn't clear whether you are asking a technical, legal, or practical question.

Technically, yes it is possible to use the same Win7 setup cd used by your host to install and activate a Win7 VM.

Legally? Probably your license does not allow this, but that is something you should query with Microsoft. We have no certain knowledge of what your license agreement covers.

Practical problems? The virtual machine has completely different hardware than your host. Activation of the VM will probably invalidate the activation of your host (not directly, it just won't match at the MS server end), which may be discovered the next time you use Windows Update.

[vboxman]

I guess 1 win cd key can only be activated once.

Seems like nobody mention they need to buy a new win cd/cd key to install into virtual box.

How do you guys install win 7 in virtual box? Please share your personal experience.

[mpack]

As you have been told already, license terms vary between versions of Windows, and between users. We can't give you definitive answers about what your license allows - ask Microsoft about that.

But if it makes you feel better to get a definitive answer here: yes you need to buy a new Windows license to associate with your VMs.

[MasterKGB]

Lets say If you haven't an Enterprise License for your desktops/Laptops you need to buy a new one.

Normal Delivered PC (desktops or laptops) are single device Licensees, means use once

So, You have a CD, its preinstalled on your device, for a VM you need a new license

You can use your cd and try it for 30 Days then you have to make the decision who stay legal your host or your VM

[abcuser]

Linux can surf internet correct?

vboxman, first of all, it would be nice why are you installing some operating system inside VirtualBox. What are your needs? Are you installing for production like system or you are just testing something? What are you testing? Would you only like to run a web browser from your virtual machine? What else? Because Linux is a "term" for 300+ different distributions. But it is important to use version for your needs - for beginners I would recommend Ubuntu. Look at following web page for a tour to see what it can handle: http://www.ubuntu.com/tour/ If you like it you can download it for free from: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download Also if you would like to know which of the programs are available on Ubuntu you can also search for programs from Ubuntu Apps Directory web page: https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/

But as I said before, you need to tell as why do you need virtual machine for...

Linux is a free OS, but it cant work with windows appiications.

Actually you can run Windows applications on Linux using Wine, but before doing that I suggest to see if Linux distribution has some similar native program, because running program inside Wine can be tricky and not fully supported.

[stefan.becker]

WINE is not a good solution for often needed applications (except of games).

Typical scenario for WINE and a Windows App: Running with Version x, not running with version x+1, after trying some days working with version x+1, again not working with version x+2.

I dont give any newbies the advice to test this. Linux with linux apps, windows with windows apps, VMs for crossover.

The only windows app i start with WINE is CloneVDI.