entered product key, but not yet activated, can I reuse on diff hardw?

Lokust2501 · 15 Jun 2012

Hi,

I ran into a weird situation where I was putting together a pc from spare parts for a friend. He bought a hard drive and a copy of windows (win 7 home premium 64). As it turned out the cpu I was using could not do 64bit, so I installed the win 7 home premium 32 bit trial, as I understood I could use the product key from the copy he purchased.

Now he is not happy with the performance of this computer and wants to purchase newer components to make a faster system - including CPU and 8 gb ram, so the 64 bit version would be more appropriate. I checked and the 32 bit windows had not yet activated. I used SLMGR to remove the product key from the registry and uninstall it. I think this puts it back into trial mode, if I'm not mistaken.

What I need to know is that, from Microsoft's point of view, has this key been used up and tied to this 32bit install, or can I still use the key from the 64bit product he bought on a 64bit install. If he's stuck tied to this 32 bit install I will tell him not to buy more than 4gb of ram.

Thanks in advance for any help.

NoelDP · 15 Jun 2012

The Key is valid for either 32-bit or 64-bit Windows.
The only problems arise if the License is an OEM one, rather than Retail, and the system was activated.
Upgrading CPU and RAM will not affect activation status anyhow, even if the system had been activated.
It's only the motherboard that is critical - and then only in the case of an (activated) OEM License.

Feel free to swap anything you like :)

Lokust2501 · 15 Jun 2012

So as long as it's not activated, I'm okay?

NoelDP · 15 Jun 2012

So long as it's not activated, you can play musical chairs with all hardware:)

Once it's activated, then the only restriction is the motherboard with an OEM License - although you may lose activation along the way, it's only the motherboard which is actually locked to an OEM Key and cannot be replaced - anything else and it just requires a telephone activation to reset it.

Lokust2501 · 15 Jun 2012

Thanks so much for the confirmation. I didn't want to start throwing together hardware and then have the windows build not accept the key. Thank you as well for the info about the motherboard being the key factor - though I have a windows 7 build on my own desktop that survived a transplant from an intel core 2 duo motherboard to an AMD APU system motherboard without complaining about it. Maybe I was just lucky?

NoelDP · 15 Jun 2012

Lokust2501 said:

I have a windows 7 build on my own desktop that survived a transplant from an intel core 2 duo motherboard to an AMD APU system motherboard without complaining about it. Maybe I was just lucky?

Possible explanations....
1) You have a Retail license (would certainly have required re-activation, but that may have been over the internet)
2) You sweet-talked the Activation Operator into allowing the change - it does seem to depend on the way they are approached as to whether OEM license motherboard changes are allowed or not.
3) You have a hacked copy of Windows. (not good!)

Lokust2501 · 15 Jun 2012

It's a windows 7 professional 64 bit OEM - I even logged into my order history with NewEgg to double check - and never had to reactivate. I'm pretty sure it's legit since NewEgg has always been reliable for me, and applications that do Genuine Windows validation, like Microsoft Security Essentials, run on it fine.

I guess I really was lucky.

NoelDP · 15 Jun 2012

Sure sounds like it!
Newegg are definitely safe - as are all major vendors - it's generally only on-line ripoff merchants that flog the fakes (and one or two small 'repair shops' who ignore the rules and eventually get closed by MS).