Reinstalling windows 7 on a different VM

[jeremy283]

I am running windows on my mac but I reinstalled it once on the same VM but I would rather have formatted the drive, but I am unable to do that on parallels VM so if I deleted my current VM and reinstalled widows 7 on the new VM would that create activation problems?

 

[Brink]

Hello Jeremy, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If it doesn't activate online normally, then you could just do a phone activation instead since you do not have it installed on another computer or VM.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[jeremy283]

Would I need a new key for my Microsoft office too?

 

[Brink]

No, since it's the same Windows 7 VM, you wouldn't need to. Plus, you can install and activate MS Office on up to 3 different computers.

 

[jeremy283]

Can windows 7 be installed on more than 1 computer?

I was in the middle of reinstalling windows 7 yesterday then I decided I didn't need to do that so I exited the installion and my computer looked to be the same as it was before, were there any changes made or is my OS fine?

Is a windows 7 custom install that generates the windows.old file essentially the same as reformatting and reinstalling?

 

[Brink]

A retail Windows 7 copy can be installed and activated on any computer, but must be uninstalled from any previous computer first.

A OEM Windows 7 copy can only be reinstalled on the exact same computer that it was first installed and activate on. It is permanently tied to that computer once activated on it.

It depends on how you were installing it, but usually if you cancel a Windows 7 upgrade installation, it may backout and restore your previous installation intact.

Yes, that would be correct for a custom Windows 7 installation.

 

[jeremy283]

And with Microsoft office, if I reinstall windows 7 then reinstall office will that mean that I can only activate office on one other computer?

 

[Brink]

You can install it on 3 different computers. If you reinstall Office on the same computer, then it will not count as a different computer no matter how many times you reinstall it on that computer or VM on that computer.

 

[jeremy283]

A retail Windows 7 copy can be installed and activated on any computer, but must be uninstalled from any previous computer first.

A OEM Windows 7 copy can only be reinstalled on the exact same computer that it was first installed and activate on. It is permanently tied to that computer once activated on it.

It depends on how you were installing it, but usually if you cancel a Windows 7 upgrade installation, it may backout and restore your previous installation intact.

Yes, that would be correct for a custom Windows 7 installation.

So if I quit the installation and it looks the same is there any possibilty that I screwed anything up?

 

[jeremy283]

You can install it on 3 different computers. If you reinstall Office on the same computer, then it will not count as a different computer no matter how many times you reinstall it on that computer or VM on that computer.

What about if I delete the old vm, make a new one, and reactivate, that was my question

 

[Brink]

So if I quit the installation and it looks the same is there any possibilty that I screwed anything up?

Always a chance when you cancel a installation. If it's working fine, then you should be ok. You might create backups to be safe though.

What about if I delete the old vm, make a new one, and reactivate, that was my question

As long as it's on the same computer, you're ok since the other was deleted.

However, you would be better off just installing Office on your main host computer that on a VM. It would run much better.

 

[jeremy283]

I each vm on one computer unique?