Windows 7: Win7 ultimate - how many time can i activate key?

zinbart · 10 Jan 2010

Guyz,

I am planning to buy Win7 ultimate soon, and i have 4 Hard drives on my same Single PC.

So, will i be able to install Win7 on all my 4 HD's and activate without a problem ? OR i can activate only 1 HD with 1 key?

Confused

(anybody using more than 1 Hd on same computer plz respond)

Tews · 10 Jan 2010

You can install it on as many as you like... since it is going to be on the same machine, it wont make any difference as far as MS is concerned...

Jonathan_King · 10 Jan 2010

Hello zinbart,

According to the licensing, you can only have one copy activated at one time. I don't know how long you can re-activate without Windows giving you trouble, but a quick call to Microsoft will do the trick.

So, you could activate all of your copies, but as soon as you do, all others become de-activated.

Hope this helps,
~Jonathan

ignatzatsonic · 10 Jan 2010

Can you tell us why you would want to do that?

SIW2 · 10 Jan 2010

It is unusual, but you will be able to activate the same key on the same machine.

It is no different from installing x86 - then changing your mind - installing x64 , then changing your mind - you can do that as often as you like. Having them in dual boot is no different -you can't boot into more than one at a time - you can only ever have one of them up and running.

I suppose people dual boot x86 and x64 for a variety of reasons - not sure why 4 are wanted.

MacGyvr · 11 Jan 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonathan_King

Hello zinbart,

According to the licensing, you can only have one copy activated at one time. I don't know how long you can re-activate without Windows giving you trouble, but a quick call to Microsoft will do the trick.

So, you could activate all of your copies, but as soon as you do, all others become de-activated.

Hope this helps,
~Jonathan

Actually, not true. Microsoft doesn't "deactivate" keys. They simply maintain a count of the number of activations and require a phone call if the limit is reached or exceeded.

gregrocker · 11 Jan 2010

The robocall is required if installing to different hardware only. The numbers traded actually deactivate the installation on previous hardware and activate on new one.

Same machine is not detected as a change in hardware, so there is no robocall required no matter how many times.

Jonathan_King · 11 Jan 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by MacGyvr

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonathan_King

Hello zinbart,

According to the licensing, you can only have one copy activated at one time. I don't know how long you can re-activate without Windows giving you trouble, but a quick call to Microsoft will do the trick.

So, you could activate all of your copies, but as soon as you do, all others become de-activated.

Hope this helps,
~Jonathan

Actually, not true. Microsoft doesn't "deactivate" keys. They simply maintain a count of the number of activations and require a phone call if the limit is reached or exceeded.

Alright, I stand corrected. Although if you read through the EULA, it allows 1 copy to be installed at a time. I had been running the 32 and 64 bit versions on my machine with the same key, and it worked fine, but I later found out it was illegal, technically.

The Apathetic · 11 Jan 2010

Okay, I have a related question. If I bought win7 ultimate x64 and activated it on my current rig, a year later I bought a new pc and wanted to activate the same copy on it, would that be possible or am I gonna have to get a new copy?

Tews · 11 Jan 2010

You would need to get a new copy, or delete it from your original machine..