Vista Activation in Virtual Machine

After restoring an image of my HP xw4600 Workstation (running OEM Windows
Vista Business 32-bit) into a virtual machine, I received the following error
message: “Windows Activation -- The Windows Vista Business product key you
typed is invalid for activation.�

I have confirmed with Microsoft (800-426-9400) that a Windows Vista Business
license – whether OEM or retail – can be legitimately run on a virtual
machine. In fact, the license file installed on HP xw4600 Workstation
explicitly states: “You may use the software installed on the licensed
device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system� (see
C:\Windows\System32\en-US\Licenses\OEM\business\license.rtf).

My question: How do I properly activate Windows Vista Business in a virtual
machine?

Thank you for your assistance.

P.S.: The image of my HP xw4600 Workstation was created with ShadowProtect
3.1, and successfully restored into a virtual machine using VMware
Workstation 6.0.

"Pleonasm" <> wrote in message
news:48E337FE-2F0B-4272-B9AD-...
> After restoring an image of my HP xw4600 Workstation (running OEM Windows
> Vista Business 32-bit) into a virtual machine, I received the following
error
> message: "Windows Activation -- The Windows Vista Business product key
you
> typed is invalid for activation."
>
> I have confirmed with Microsoft (800-426-9400) that a Windows Vista
Business
> license - whether OEM or retail - can be legitimately run on a virtual
> machine. In fact, the license file installed on HP xw4600 Workstation
> explicitly states: "You may use the software installed on the licensed
> device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system" (see
> C:\Windows\System32\en-US\Licenses\OEM\business\license.rtf).
>
> My question: How do I properly activate Windows Vista Business in a
virtual
> machine?
>
> Thank you for your assistance.
>
> P.S.: The image of my HP xw4600 Workstation was created with
ShadowProtect
> 3.1, and successfully restored into a virtual machine using VMware
> Workstation 6.0.
>

If you are locked out...since it's in a virtual machine...then a network
activation may not be possible...
thus you will need to activate over the phone.

I just did my very first phone activation a few days ago on a machine I had
upgraded for someone.
and though I was not pleased that I had to do it...
truth is...it was no big deal...
it's all done in a 6 minutes or so.

Pleonasm wrote:
> After restoring an image of my HP xw4600 Workstation (running OEM Windows
> Vista Business 32-bit) into a virtual machine, I received the following error
> message: “Windows Activation -- The Windows Vista Business product key you
> typed is invalid for activation.�
>
> I have confirmed with Microsoft (800-426-9400) that a Windows Vista Business
> license – whether OEM or retail – can be legitimately run on a virtual
> machine. In fact, the license file installed on HP xw4600 Workstation
> explicitly states: “You may use the software installed on the licensed
> device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system� (see
> C:\Windows\System32\en-US\Licenses\OEM\business\license.rtf).
>


While it's true that Vista Business can be run from within a virtual
machine, there must be a unique license for this vitruual installation.
From your description, it sounds as if you're using the same single
Vista license as both the host OS for the virtual machine, and for the
installation within the virtual machine. In other words, two
simultaneous installations of the same license. (For licensing
purposes, Microsoft licensing considers a virtual machine to be the same
as a physical computer.)

Secondly, you're using what is most likely a BIOS-locked OEM
installation, which will install only on the specific hardware for which
it was specifically designed. A virtual machine emulates a computer's
components with generic equivalents, rather than allowing the guest OS
direct access to the hardware components. Therefore, your
non-transferable OEM license rightly reacts as if it were being
illicitly installed on another computer.


> My question: How do I properly activate Windows Vista Business in a virtual
> machine?
>

If you really must run a copy of Vista Business from within Vista
Business (some kind of testbed scenario?), you'll need to purchase a
retail license of Vista Business for that purpose.


--

Bruce Chambers

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Bruce, the phrase “on the licensed device� in the license condition “You may
use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual … hardware
system� seems to imply that a single Windows Vista license may be
simultaneously installed [1] “on the licensed device� (i.e., the host,
physical PC) and [2] “within a virtual … hardware system� (i.e., the virtual
machine).

When I described to Microsoft (on two separate occasions) that I was
attempting to activate the same Windows Vista license used on the host PC
within the virtual machine, they indicated that it should work properly. Of
course, these individuals may be mistaken in their understanding.

Has anyone else encountered this problem?