Vista Ultimate and running within a virtual machine...

[andyd]

I like to install apps into a virtual machine before actually installing it on my desktop. Imagine my happiness when I read through my license and found this....

USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may use the software installed on the

licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device. If

you do so, you may not play or access content or use applications protected by any Microsoft digital,

information or enterprise rights management technology or other Microsoft rights management

services or use BitLocker. We advise against playing or accessing content or using applications

protected by other digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other rights

management services or using full volume disk drive encryption.

But even though it's supposed to be supported, I have run into only issues. Has anyone tried running Vista Ultimate within a virtual machine on desktop already activated for Vista Ultimate? Clearly the license says I can but it's not working out that way. I now have to call Microsoft whenever I need to reactivate my desktop (tendency of reinstalling everything every quarter) regardless of the fact that I have not changed any of my hardware since I first got my retail (not OEM) copy back in January. On top of that, when I now try to activate within VMWare it says the key is not genuine. It appears I'm unable to actually run both at the same time even though it clearly says that I can.

Can anyone comment on this? I've had no luck with Microsoft support so far. No one knows the specifics about this. One genius thought I was talking about running Vista within a Mac OS

Edited November 8, 2007 by andyd

[tjhart85]

Have you tried this on VirtualPC, perhaps you're running into a problem with VMWare that wouldn't exist in M$ VirtualPC?

You could potentially take M$ to court over it, since they are violating the EULA, but that wouldn't be a speedy resolution & still wouldn't get your answers to your questions.

You could just not enter the key when you install in the VM, giving you a 30-day trial period?

Then, see if snapshots can get around the date issue, if they can't, you could re-install every 30 days.

(worst case scenerio).

Please keep us updated on how this works out. I personally don't like Vista, but I do have a valid license, so I would like to know about this.

[andyd]

I actually just downloaded Virtual PC to give that a go. Was using VM Ware since it supports 64 bit hosts but I'll try it now within Virtual PC

[gosh]

ive had no problems with vista in VM's.

-gosh

[andyd]

Within VM Ware?

[dkhandel]

Hi dude,

Windows Vista Piracy protection in place. When you install Windows Vista "single user license" more than one machine, every unregistered copy will be active for xx days and you have to renew it again if do not get a valid license key. However, you are attempt to install on the same machine, this may be one of the reason it fails.

As far as Virutal Machine / Virtual PC is concerned it should work fine.

Please read http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resourc...ol/default.mspx

You can try this,

If you have another machine , install VM on it and try to install Vista. It should work, but not top of already installed vista machine. This may break existing one also.

Let us know how it goes,

Best wishes,

Dilip.

Edited November 9, 2007 by dkhandel