Technet Home Basic Product Key

[Burt Johnson]

I've got Windows vista Enterprise via my volume licensing/software assurance.
Supposedly this allows me to run as many instances of Vista as I want as
virutal machines running on my Vista Enterprise host system. I want to run
an instance of Vista Home Basic as a virtual machine for testing purposes but
don't seem to have a product key that will work with it. I've got Business,
enterprise, and ultimate, but none of those work with Home Basic.

What I'm trying to do seems to be legal under the licensing agreements so it
seems like there should be a way?

 

[Joe Morris]

I've got Windows vista Enterprise via my volume licensing/software
assurance.
Supposedly this allows me to run as many instances of Vista as I want as
virutal machines running on my Vista Enterprise host system. I want to
run
an instance of Vista Home Basic as a virtual machine for testing purposes
but
don't seem to have a product key that will work with it. I've got
Business,
enterprise, and ultimate, but none of those work with Home Basic.

What I'm trying to do seems to be legal under the licensing agreements so
it
seems like there should be a way?

A Technet subscription does not include the home flavors of Vista, only the
business versions. See the charts at

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/bb892756.aspx

If you have a current MSDN subscription you can get the product ID for all
flavors of Vista from the MSDN web site (a different key for each flavor).
Go to

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

and enter your Passport credentials (or, if you've never registered your
subscription, create a Passport). Registering a subscription will require
the subscription ID and the exact name under which the subscription was
opened. If you need help, contact the Software Assurance benefits
administrator at your office and/or the software distributor through which
your volume license purchases are executed.

H'mmm...just now checked those links...Microsoft must have changed them in
the past day or so; they now refer to "Microsoft Live" rather than
"Passport."

If you have a current registered subscription, just go to the "Downloads"
page and click the "Product Keys" link for a complete list of all keys to
which you are entitled. Alternatively, go to the Vista download list,
locate the appropriate image (probably "Windows Vista with Service pack 1
(x86) - DVD (English)" and click the KEYS link.

Joe Morris

 

[AJR]

A subscription via Softwasre Assurance provides for MAKs (Multiple
Activation Keys) for Vista .

Vista Enterprise license provides for installation of four (4) virtual
computers - note "Virtual " - does not refer to OSs.

 

[Joe Morris]

A subscription via Softwasre Assurance provides for MAKs (Multiple
Activation Keys) for Vista .

A MAK is usable only on system built from volume license media, and Vista
Business and Vista Enterprise are the only flavors of Vista for which volume
license media exists. (Volume license customers *do* have rights to Vista
Ultimate, but there is no MAK for it: you have to obtain a separate product
ID for each installation. Stupid, but that's the way Microsoft wants it.)

A Technet subscription under a VLA does get you the ability to download
volume license media for Enterprise (and an MAK for it), but not for
Business VLA media, and not for either of the home-flavored versions.

Joe Morris

 

[Peter Foldes]

Go and buy a license.

 

[Paul Montgomery]

i need window vista home basic product activation key.

You get one FREE when you buy a retail copy of Vista.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

i need window vista home basic product activation key.

It comes in the package when you purchase a legitimate licnese.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[AJR]

All downloads via a TechNet subscription (includinmg volume licensees)
include MAK
Multiple Activation Keys - default of ten installations. Does not mean
separate keys but one key for all installations.

Also ALL flavors of Vista are available - including Home version.
..

 

[Joe Morris]

All downloads via a TechNet subscription (includinmg volume licensees)
include MAK
Multiple Activation Keys - default of ten installations. Does not mean
separate keys but one key for all installations.

Also ALL flavors of Vista are available - including Home version.

With respect to the MAK key issue we may be arguing semantics. "MAK" has a
very specific meaning, and MAK product IDs are usable only with VLA media.
MSDN and Technet users, however, do get retail keys for most of the covered
products that act like MAK but with the retail product bits, although MS
seems to be moving to single-use keys, with the option (see below) of
obtaining additional keys when needed.

As for what's in the Technet subscription, perhaps you and I have different
contracts. Going to the public Technet page

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/bb892756.aspx

where it compares Technet Plus Direct and Technet Plus Single-User, both
have an entry for Vista saying "Ultimate/Enterprise/Business" (and saying
nothing about Home or Home Premium), and when I go to the downloads page for
my VLA subscription no keys are offered for Home or Home Premium. A VLA key
is offered for Enterprise (not surprising, since it's offered only as VLA
bits), but for Business only retail keys are offered -- although with an
option to obtain additional keys as needed.

Having said that...I've got a suspicion that MS has changed the rules
(again) without bothering to tell the users (again) so both of could be
right.

Joe Morris