Virtual Box & Activation


  1. Steve C
    Posts : 7,910
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       New #1

    Virtual Box & Activation


    I've installed Windows 10 in VirtualBox before upgrading to Windows 10 from 8.1 on my 2 PCs. How can I activate the clean install test copy of Windows 10 in the VM? I have a retail product code for Windows 8 but this doesnt work. I also don't want to affect the activation when I do upgrade my PCs. I could install Windows 8 in the VM using my retail key then upgrade the VM copy to Windows 10 - but what would happen when I upgrade my main PC since Microsoft would see two activation requests for the same key?
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  3. jimbo45
    Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       New #2

    Steve C said:
    I've installed Windows 10 in VirtualBox before upgrading to Windows 10 from 8.1 on my 2 PCs. How can I activate the clean install test copy of Windows 10 in the VM? I have a retail product code for Windows 8 but this doesnt work. I also don't want to affect the activation when I do upgrade my PCs. I could install Windows 8 in the VM using my retail key then upgrade the VM copy to Windows 10 - but what would happen when I upgrade my main PC since Microsoft would see two activation requests for the same key?

    Hi there

    You must have an Activated version of the old OS in order to get an activated copy of W10. You CANNOT initially do a CLEAN install of W10 -- you MUST do the UPGRADE first then the Clean install will work. You have to apply all the latest updates to the OLD OS too before upgrading.

    When doing the initial W10 upgrade DO NOT ENTER ANY KEY. !!!!!!

    A VM is equivalent to a REAL machine as far as licences are concerned so you will have to have TWO licences.

    What though does work -- you can clone the VM several times since it's Identical hardware !!!.

    To solve your dilemma -- I'd upgrade your REAL machine first. Once that is working -- forget VBOX - use VMWARE player (Free) -- the easy way to create a VM is to use the FREE conversion tool which will create a VM from your running system. (The OLD OS). Now do the upgrade again.

    Alternatively upgrade your OLD system first to W10 - do your clean install and NOW create a VM from the new W10 system using the same tool.

    VMware vCenter Converter: P2V Virtual Machine Converter | VMware United Kingdom

    You might also be lucky in that the VM might be Activated -- however even if it isn't you can use W10 for a while until Ms sorts out the whole activation nonsense.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

 

  Related Discussions
Nested Virtualization means that user can enable Hyper-V on existing virtual machines, and run virtual machines and Windows Sandbox on them. To make Nested Virtualization to work, it and MAC Address Spoofing or NAT networking must be enabled...
I have used VMware in the past with limited success though I suspect the hardware limitations had something to do with it. The leaning curve was modest if not at times tedious to confusing at times and I am not particularly looking forward to that...
So I want to know if using windows 10 as a clean install in a virtual drive may effect the success of activation windows 10 during an upgrade from windows 7? I don't want to take any risks but I do feel its needed to try out windows 10 before...
Hi there anybody else got this -- trying to personalize PC -got you need to activate windows before you can personalize PC. Now what do I do !!!!!?! Is this normal (I did an UPDATE rather than a new install BTW). Cheers
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

 © Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:18.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums