Windows + VM licenses

[Ed Smits]

A while ago there was a discussion here about running Windows (Vista
and XP as I recall) inside VMWare host sessions in Linux, and there
was some discussion about the "legality" of the licensing. I just got
a Dell with Vista Home Premium pre-installed. Never ran it, wiped the
drive clean and set up a dual boot with Feisty and FC7.

I just installed VMWare Workstation 6 in Feisty and then installed
Vista inside that, using my Dell disk, wasn't asked for any S#, but
when it came up after installation I noticed I had 30 days for
activation, then tried to activate it on-line through the supplied
GUI, didn't work, dumped me at a screen with an 800 number and 9
groups of 6 numbers per group to read to the on-line sign-up machine.
I called and read off the numbers, the system wasn't able to find me,
and dropped me into a human's lap, he asked me for the same 9x6 number
set, he asked if the OS was pre-installed, I explained it was but I
had blown it away and was now installing it in a VM, he didn't blink
but gave me a set of 9x6 numbers in return and I am now activated.
Since he gave me the numbers AFTER knowing it was in a virtual machine
I suggest that I am now a legal Vista owner, no need to do anything
else.

Now, where it does get interesting and quasi-legal, or at least open
to argument - if I copy the VM image files to another machine is there
any way for MS to stop me from running 2 or more Vistas with the same
activation code? Probably not, although that would most assuredly be
illegal....

Too bad I only have the 1 laptop fast enough to even consider running
Vista - the Vista rating by MS for this setup is a 1 - basically due
to the vmware virtual video card having only 16MB of video memory, and
so the Aeron effects were deadly slow and so turned off. Everything
else runs fine.

I still don't like it but since I do own a legal copy I figured I may
as well have it set up.


ED