Windows 7 Multiple Install

[ThomasKeeping]

Hi, I got Windows 7 Ultimate not long ago now. I have really enjoyed using it and I am happy I chose to.
I installed it using a "Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade From Windows Vista" and I used the clean install.
Anyway, that doesn't matter. For starters I was wondering if the same product number etc... can be used twice? I guess not. And second of all I was wondering if it would work as an upgrade from "Windows 7 Starter" as I am planning to get a netbook and it seems that they only come with that or XP.
Thank you
Tom

 

[Habitats]

Unfortunately, no you can't.

However, I thought buying the Ultimate would make it possible to install it on you new computer, if you bought one. I don't see how that's possible because you can't activate the key more than once.

How is this any different from an OEM-key, that is half the price? I feel scammed.

 

[gregrocker]

If you bought a retail copy of Win7 - upgrade or full retail - then it can migrate to the computer of your choice for life as long as it is on only one machine at a time.

I'm not sure what an "Anytime upgrade from Vista" is. You must mean you did an in-place Upgrade from Vista?

Anytime Upgrades are done between versions of Win7, although there is a workaround to get your Win7 installer to upgrade another version of Win7.

 

[Habitats]

Well, how exactly does it determine that the copy is on one computer at the time?

Can I deactivate it on either?

What if I didn't have internet. Could I activate it on an infinite amount of computers?

 

[bobkn]

There is no de-activation.

When you use a key to activate Windows, you have to send information to a Microsoft activation server, and receive an activation key back. That can be done online, or by phone. (I suppose that you could do it by mail, if there were no net or phone, but I haven't heard of anyone ever doing that.) If the key has been used, you won't be able to activate online. You'd have to do it by phone. If you couldn't get the automated system to give you a code, you'd have to persuade a live MS rep that you were following the license agreement.

The main advantage of a retail license over an OEM one is that the OEM one is not supposed to be transferrable to a new PC. The retail license is transferrable, within the restriction of being activated on only one PC at a time. (That's pretty much on the honor system, although I expect that Microsoft might get suspicious if you upgraded systems many times in a year.)

Actually, the system builder (generic OEM license) supposedly isn't for use by individuals for their own systems:

Is it OK to use OEM Windows on your own PC? Don't ask Microsoft | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com

but as far as I know, there's no enforcement of that.

As regards an Anytime Upgrade from Starter to Ultimate, it appears to be supported:

Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade

I doubt that it's a good idea, though. I think that Starter is usually put on notebooks with limited RAM and graphics adapters that can't do Aero Glass effects.

 

[Habitats]

Yeah alright. So technically I could just call them and activate all of my computers with the key, as in the end, it's all about trust - though, it'll clearly be against the license agreement.

What happens if you don't have internet then. Does the windows disable itself after 30 days? The OS can't require people to have internet, can it? If it doesn't, why do we need to activate?

Sorry if I'm asking the for the obvious, but I'm kind of curious about this - apparently I've got no clue how it works.

 

[bobkn]

Yeah alright. So technically I could just call them and activate all of my computers with the key, as in the end, it's all about trust - though, it'll clearly be against the license agreement.

What happens if you don't have internet then. Does the windows disable itself after 30 days? The OS can't require people to have internet, can it? If it doesn't, why do we need to activate?

Sorry if I'm asking the for the obvious, but I'm kind of curious about this - apparently I've got no clue how it works.

If the PC isn't on the Net, it must be activated by phone.

Basic method: you enter the license key into the PC. Windows generates a many-digit system ID code. On the phone, you give the code to a robot or a person. If it is accepted, you get a many-digit activation code back. You enter that, and activation is complete. It.s annoying, but it takes less than 10 minutes. (More like 5, if the robot is the only one you need to speak to.)

The same thing happens online, but it takes seconds, and it's transparent to the user.

If you don't activate Windows 7 (or Vista, or XP), it becomes unusable after 30 days. If the activation is invalidated due to system changes, I believe that you get 3 days to activate again.

 

[gregrocker]

Well, how exactly does it determine that the copy is on one computer at the time?

Can I deactivate it on either?

What if I didn't have internet. Could I activate it on an infinite amount of computers?

If you have to make the robo call to MS, it means MS activation computers have that key linked to another hardware signature.

The robocall exchanges numbers which deactivate the old installation and activates the new one.

If you don't have internet, the call you make to activate ties that key to the current hardware signature until activation on another hardware config transpires.

 

[bobkn]

If you have to make the robo call to MS, it means MS activation computers have that key linked to another hardware signature.

The robocall exchanges numbers which deactivate the old installation and activates the new one.

If you don't have internet, the call you make to activate ties that key to the current hardware signature until activation on another hardware config transpires.

You make it sound like when you activate Windows (retail) on a new system, and left it running on an old system, that Microsoft would reach into the old system and de-activate it, should it ever be connected to the Net.

I believe that isn't correct, if that's what you meant.

If you mean that the key is re-defined as activating the new system, I believe that's right.

 

[gregrocker]

I don't believe that activation will continue on a prior activated OS if the key is reactivated on another OS.

I'm not sure exactly how deactivation works except that MS won't allow the same key to be used on two computers at the same time, and has a way to ensure this during the robocall number swap.

 

[Habitats]

Well thanks for the enlightenment.

One thing is certain though, they're making it pretty damn complicated being an honest user. Arrg...

In my opinion the licenses should be personal, and you should be able to use it on all of your private machines - just like pretty much any other software.