Additional license for Vista Business

[Lois]

I have a new desktop with Vista Business and a new Laptop with Vista Home
Premium. Someone told me they thought I could pay Microsoft the difference
in the cost of the two softwares and get an additional license and put the
Business edition on the laptop. I talked to a woman in sales who said it
would cost $179 for an additional license. Does this sound right?

 

[DL]

Thats the upgradeprice, whether you can upgrade Home to Business I didnt
check!!

Retail Business is about $270

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

There is no supported upgrade path from Vista Home Premium
to Vista Business. You would need to purchase a "retail upgrade"
edition of Vista Ultimate.

Download and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx

Upgrade to another edition of Windows Vista:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/3af7e05f-4d2a-4af7-a168-9242f9093bb81033.mspx

Anytime Upgrade FAQ:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/37070041-1b90-4433-be0c-ab2855841b981033.mspx


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

:

I have a new desktop with Vista Business and a new Laptop with Vista Home
Premium. Someone told me they thought I could pay Microsoft the difference
in the cost of the two softwares and get an additional license and put the
Business edition on the laptop. I talked to a woman in sales who said it
would cost $179 for an additional license. Does this sound right?

 

[Sinner]

I have a new desktop with Vista Business and a new Laptop with Vista Home
Premium. Someone told me they thought I could pay Microsoft the
difference
in the cost of the two softwares and get an additional license and put the
Business edition on the laptop. I talked to a woman in sales who said it
would cost $179 for an additional license. Does this sound right?

You can buy an OEM Vista Business package at TigerDirect for $139. I just
bought one, and it worked just fine on my new tablet PC.

 

[Beoweolf]

Instead to talking to "some lady". Call Microsoft! It is my understanding
that you already have the right to run it on a desktop and a
laptop...however, they can not both be active at the same time. Generally,
you will not be able to trade up, especially if it is a pre-installed,
vendor version, you may be able to contact the original vendor/seller - see
what he has to offer?

If all else fails - Call Microsoft for the facts.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Instead to talking to "some lady". Call Microsoft! It is my understanding
that you already have the right to run it on a desktop and a
laptop...however, they can not both be active at the same time. Generally,
you will not be able to trade up, especially if it is a pre-installed,
vendor version, you may be able to contact the original vendor/seller -
see what he has to offer?

If all else fails - Call Microsoft for the facts.

Microsoft Office allows for activation on a desktop and laptop as you
describe but no edition of Vista does. The license permits installation of
one copy of the software, period. If it is a retail copy it may be
transferred to another computer as long as it removed from the first. If it
is a preinstalled copy then it may not be transferred at all. From the
retail EULA located at C:\Windows\System32\License:

"a. Licensed Device. You may install one copy of the software on the
licensed device. You may use the software on up to two processors on that
device at one time. Except as provided in the Storage and Network Use
(Ultimate edition) sections below, you may not use the software on any other
device."

The EULA does not permit licensing to a second device. (A blade or
partition is a separate device.)

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Instead to talking to "some lady". Call Microsoft! It is my understanding
that you already have the right to run it on a desktop and a
laptop...

Sorry, but that understanding is completely wrong. It has never been
true of any version of Windows (but is true of some versions of
Microsoft Office). The Windows license is for a single computer only.

 

[Beoweolf]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Sorry, but that understanding is completely wrong. It has never been
true of any version of Windows (but is true of some versions of
Microsoft Office). The Windows license is for a single computer only.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks for clearing that up.

You're welcome. Glad to help.