I have a single copy of Windows 7 Pro OEM. I would like dual boot Windows 7 on a single PC, one for games and one for applications.
Am I allowed to do this, will Windows pop up a message telling me one of my installs is not valid or something? I really don't want to get to the point where I have to phone up to validate my copy of windows, because that's just rubbish.
Thanks in advance
There is no obvious reason why you can't install Windows twice on the same computer.
As you're using an OEM version it'll be tied to your computer's motherboard so there shouldn't be any activation issues.
By virtue of the fact it's physically impossible to run both operating systems at the same time in a dual-boot scenario you shouldn't encounter any activation problems.
Just to clear up what may be a misunderstanding: activation and validation are two different things.
Product activation confirms that the product key you are using is the correct one for your operating system and takes place just once after you have installed Windows. It may be necessary to activate by phone if there is a problem with Microsoft's activation database or you install the software on a different computer.
Product validation is an anti-piracy measure and is carried out in the background at regular intervals by Microsoft when you are using the operating system and it confirms whether or not you are using a genuine copy of Windows.
You're welcome.
If you decide to go ahead, post back if you encounter any problems.
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