Windows XP activation for Virtual Machine

[A Friend of Yours]

Hello,

I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop. Now, I
have installed a different OS and installed xp from that CD in VirtualBox.

But XP asks for product activation now... Do I need to purchase the Windows
(again; sort of)? If no, what will happen when I want to switch back to
Windows XP on my bare machine?

Thanks
Omer Akhter

 

[Randem]

You have the product keys and you can use them if it is a MS retail CD. You
just cannot have XP installed on two machines...

--
Randem Systems
Your Installation Specialist
The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
Disk Read Error Press Ctl+Alt+Del to Restart
http://www.randem.com/discus/messages/9402/9406.html?1236319938

 

[A Friend of Yours]

I got the CD when I purchased the laptop... and XP was installed on the
machine. I am not installing XP on TWO machines, it is a VM on same
machine... Is it considered to be SECOND machine?

Please tell me the solution; What should I do?

 

[LVTravel]

I got the CD when I purchased the laptop... and XP was installed on the
machine. I am not installing XP on TWO machines, it is a VM on same
machine... Is it considered to be SECOND machine?

Please tell me the solution; What should I do?

If you have XP from the CD as the operating system that the VirtualBox has
been installed onto and you again used the CD to install into the
VirtualBox, that would be a violation of the EULA for XP and you can't
activate on both installs at the same time.

If you have a different operating system entirely that the VirtualBox is
installed onto, then yes, you can install the XP and activate as long as
this is not a bios locked CD (and if you got it installed, just not
activated, it appears it is not.) When you break down the VirtualBox and
reinstall XP as the primary operating system this will also be permitted and
you can activate. You may need to use telephone activation depending on how
and when you activated previously.

 

[VanguardLH]

I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop. Now, I
have installed a different OS and installed xp from that CD in VirtualBox.

But XP asks for product activation now... Do I need to purchase the Windows
(again; sort of)? If no, what will happen when I want to switch back to
Windows XP on my bare machine?

What is this "different OS"? Was it Windows Vista? If so, was it a
full retail version, an upgrade retail version, or an OEM version?

Was it an OEM version of Windows XP that was originally installed on the
laptop? If so, you are not allowed to install it anywhere else. Once
an OEM version is installed, it sticks to the computer on which it was
install. If you decide to uninstall the OS on that computer, you don't
get to use the XP license anywhere else.

 

[Nate Grossman]

I got the CD when I purchased the laptop... and XP was installed on the
machine. I am not installing XP on TWO machines, it is a VM on same
machine... Is it considered to be SECOND machine?

Yep.

 

[A Friend of Yours]

This is not XP, it is Ubuntu that I have installed on the laptop. And as I
need to do some assignments and course work in C#, I need windows. So,
installed VirtualBox and installed XP in it.

Now, if I activate it, will it work? And I reinstall it on VM (due to, for
example, accidental deletion hard disk image file) or directly on laptop,
will that work?

 

[Alias]

This is not XP, it is Ubuntu that I have installed on the laptop. And as I
need to do some assignments and course work in C#, I need windows. So,
installed VirtualBox and installed XP in it.

Now, if I activate it, will it work? And I reinstall it on VM (due to, for
example, accidental deletion hard disk image file) or directly on laptop,
will that work?

Go ahead and activate it. It should work just fine.

Alias

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop.
Now, I have installed a different OS and installed xp from that CD
in VirtualBox.

But XP asks for product activation now... Do I need to purchase the
Windows (again; sort of)? If no, what will happen when I want to
switch back to Windows XP on my bare machine?

Having seen the rest of your post and assuming it is factual...

Purchased a laptop - the laptop came with an OEM version of Windows XP
pre-installed and with the CD and product key sticker on said laptop. You
subsequently removed Windows XP from the laptop and installed *nix of some
flavor onto said laptop. You then determined you could use Windows XP
someplace - so you installed VirtualBox on the laptop (which was/is running
some version of *nix right now.) You installed your original OEM version of
Windows XP that came with said laptop on siad laptop but in a virtual
machine.

This is a very grey area. I would say *you win*. You technically have
installed Windows XP on said laptop as long as said VM doesn't float to
another physical machine. Activate your copy of Windows XP and move on.

 

[dadiOH]

Hello,

I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop.
Now, I have installed a different OS and installed xp from that CD in
VirtualBox.

But XP asks for product activation now... Do I need to purchase the
Windows (again; sort of)? If no, what will happen when I want to
switch back to Windows XP on my bare machine?

Just activate it.

You can install XP as many times as you wish on the same machine, either
"over the top" or as distinct (multiple) installs. You can do the same with
a different machine - depending somewhat on XP flavor - as long as it is no
longer on the original machine.

In your case, you are using it only once on the machine that originally had
it. Just activate it.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Eric]

Hello,

I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop. Now, I
have installed a different OS and installed xp from that CD in VirtualBox..

But XP asks for product activation now... Do I need to purchase the Windows
(again; sort of)? If no, what will happen when I want to switch back to
Windows XP on my bare machine?

Thanks
Omer Akhter

An OEM copy of Windows XP that comes with most brand-name desktop and
laptop PCs can be installed only on the machine it was provided with.
It does not matter how it is installed on the machine it came with. A
retail copy can be installed on as many PCs as you like as long it is
only installed on one at a time. You should have activated it to see
if that is the case, which, no doubt, it is. If you don't know how to
do that search for product activation in Help & Support.

Eric,
PC Buyer Beware!
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/

 

[VanguardLH]

This is not XP, it is Ubuntu that I have installed on the laptop. And as I
need to do some assignments and course work in C#, I need windows. So,
installed VirtualBox and installed XP in it.

Now, if I activate it, will it work? And I reinstall it on VM (due to, for
example, accidental deletion hard disk image file) or directly on laptop,
will that work?

"I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop."

Sure makes it look like Windows XP came pre-installed on the laptop. If
so, it was an OEM version and sticks to that computer. By you skirting
the question of what type of license for Windows XP came with the
laptop, it's a good bet that it is an OEM version. So you have a CD for
it. So what? That's the installation media for the OEM copy that got
installed on your laptop.

"Now, I have installed a different OS"

So you changed to the OS on the laptop from Windows XP to Ubuntu.
Doesn't change that it was an OEM license for Windows XP that sticks
with the laptop (and cannot be used on another computer, including a
virtual one).

"and installed xp from that CD in VirtualBox."

So you took the legit OEM license of Windows XP for your laptop and
violated its license by installing it inside a virtual machine.

If you only need some version of Windows to use for C# then why not get
the VHD (virtual hard drive) file from Microsoft for their Windows Vista
trial (includes Office) and use it under VirtualPC 2007? As I recall,
the trial expires after 2 months which is plenty of time to complete any
coursework. Then you aren't violating licenses.

 

[Alias]

"I have a windows xp sp2 installation CD which I got with my laptop."

Sure makes it look like Windows XP came pre-installed on the laptop. If
so, it was an OEM version and sticks to that computer. By you skirting
the question of what type of license for Windows XP came with the
laptop, it's a good bet that it is an OEM version. So you have a CD for
it. So what? That's the installation media for the OEM copy that got
installed on your laptop.

"Now, I have installed a different OS"

So you changed to the OS on the laptop from Windows XP to Ubuntu.
Doesn't change that it was an OEM license for Windows XP that sticks
with the laptop (and cannot be used on another computer, including a
virtual one).

"and installed xp from that CD in VirtualBox."

So you took the legit OEM license of Windows XP for your laptop and
violated its license by installing it inside a virtual machine.

If you only need some version of Windows to use for C# then why not get
the VHD (virtual hard drive) file from Microsoft for their Windows Vista
trial (includes Office) and use it under VirtualPC 2007? As I recall,
the trial expires after 2 months which is plenty of time to complete any
coursework. Then you aren't violating licenses.

You like to split hairs, don't you? I would bet it would activate and
become genuine no problem because it IS on the same computer. Same
processor, motherboard, ram, etc.

Alias

 

[Alister]

You like to split hairs, don't you? I would bet it would activate and
become genuine no problem because it IS on the same computer. Same
processor, motherboard, ram, etc.

Alias

No, it's on the VM hardware, which usually bears no relation to the actual
hardware on the machine.

Virtual PC 2007 emulates the following.

* Intel Pentium III (32-bit) processor (but virtualizes the host
processor on Windows versions) with an Intel 440BX chipset
* standard SVGA VESA graphics card (S3 Trio 32 PCI with 4 MB Video RAM,
adjustable in later versions up to 16 MB)
* system BIOS from American Megatrends (AMI)
* Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 ISA PnP
* DEC 21041 (DEC 21140 in newer versions) Ethernet network card.


Alister

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I got the CD when I purchased the laptop... and XP was installed on the
machine. I am not installing XP on TWO machines, it is a VM on same
machine... Is it considered to be SECOND machine?

Unfortunately, yes it is. You may not install two copies, even on the
same machine, whether you're using a VM or just dual booting.

Please tell me the solution; What should I do?

Buy a second copy.

 

[Alias]

No, it's on the VM hardware, which usually bears no relation to the actual
hardware on the machine.

And it isn't hardware but software, doofus. In a worse case scenario,
the OP can call for activation and NO information is required from the
OP to the dude in India.

Virtual PC 2007 emulates the following.

Emulating isn't the same thing as being.

Alias

 

[Alister]

And it isn't hardware but software, doofus. In a worse case scenario, the
OP can call for activation and NO information is required from the OP to
the dude in India.


Emulating isn't the same thing as being.

Alias

Uh yeah, but as far as the copy of XP is concerned that's the "Hardware" it
thinks it's on.

Alister

 

[Daave]

Uh yeah, but as far as the copy of XP is concerned that's the
"Hardware" it thinks it's on.

Just because XP "thinks" something is hardware doesn't mean that it
actually *is* hardware.

 

[dadiOH]

Just because XP "thinks" something is hardware doesn't mean that it
actually *is* hardware.

Agreed. I was having some problems with my wife's machine and XP decided
three times that the hardware had changed and begged to be activated.
Insisted, actually. Naturally I did so even though nothing - *NOTHING* -
had changed hardware-wise.

Not a big deal, the lady doing the activation was quite pleasant even though
she was a voice activated recording

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Alias]

Uh yeah, but as far as the copy of XP is concerned that's the "Hardware" it
thinks it's on.

Alister

What a copy of XP thinks is not relevant. Fact is it is being installed
on the same machine and that should be allowed.

Alias