Windows 7 Activation

DocBrown said:

Considering your hardware listed in your specs, win7 prof student prices is a great investment as it can always be moved to another computer or upgrade MB & CPU.

If I could move it to another PC, do I need to deactivate it in the older PC? Otherwise, what's stopping me to install Win 7 Prof in multiple PCs?

I'm thinking alone the line of iTunes authorize/deauthorize a computer. I guess Windows doesn't do that. Is it an honor system thingy?

No theres no such thing as "deactivating" - just uninstall it completely on the older PC. What'll stop you from using the same retail key on multiple computers is online activation. When you activate online, the key gets tied to a hardware hash unique to that computer, frequent and significant hardware changes will trip MS's piracy alarms.

How do you uninstall an OS?

I mean, normally you would just reformat.

But yeah, if they tied it to the computer and subsequent activation will check it, I guess that's smart.

So, do they tie it to CPU or the mobo? What's consider a new PC? New mobo?

habibi said:

How do you uninstall an OS?

I mean, normally you would just reformat.

But yeah, if they tied it to the computer and subsequent activation will check it, I guess that's smart.

So, do they tie it to CPU or the mobo? What's consider a new PC? New mobo?

Habibi, if you're going on to dissect every single word, your education stops right now.

Ya, they tie it to several components, most important being the mobo. For MS, a new mobo IS a new PC, you can tinker with other the other ingredients.

If you own a Vista or XP license which either came with the same computer (OEM), or is retail and therefore can migrate, then you qualify to use Upgrade version on that machine whether the qualifying OS is installed now.

However, you'll likely need to do the quick registry workaround which Doc Brown previously posted to get an Upgrade version key to work, unless the current Pro install was installed over Vista/XP and saw the previous install when it was booted or run.

Try inserting the Product Key at Computer>Properties. If it rejects it, then do the workaround given in the tutorial: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

If you want to move the installation to another computer and it also qualifies for Upgrade version, then Sysprep the HD in the old machine then move it or it's image to the new hardware before activating: Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer

alright. and if i have any problems, im always a member here... so thanks guys! i appreciate all your help!