am i allowed to run windows 7 OEM on VM ?

MaGoOoDy

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Jan 2016
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hi ,
i would like to install windows 7 OEM vertual machine, and i am wondering if i am allowed to do this with OEM copy, i have my laptop which is running windows 7 pro , and i would like to create some VMs to experiment some software like TIA portal from Siemens and software from other companies also do some testing and experiment some Modbus exercises , i don't want to miss with my laptop so i think creating VMs will be a good choice, can i ran the VM with windows OEM version ?

any suggestions ?
 
If the software you are wanting to install is already in use and licensed on another system, then you must get a new license for each vm.

when you authenticate the windows vm, it will need internet access to complete the registration process or else the system will quit after a specified time ( 3 days typically).

james
 
I am allowed to do this with OEM copy, i have my laptop which is running windows 7 pro...any suggestions ?

I would advise to access the MS webs site and read the license if you do not have it. Here is a link. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/useterms

Here is one portion of the license. (W7 Pro)

d. Use with Virtualization Technologies. Instead of using the software directly on the licensed computer, you may install and use the software within only one virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed computer.

So, as I read it (not legal advice), you can have one VM running on the one licensed computer (the computer W7 was installed on from the manufacture), using the same license as the computer uses.

Some have argued, "only one" means only one running instance at a time. That a copy of a VM, not running, does not violate the license. "Install and use" is the argument. More than one running instance is a license violation. Others argue the "Install and use" limits to one installation in a VM. Then it leads to arguing about "snapshots", etc..
 
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You can:

OEM only:
Run Linux bare bones, and run one instance of windows vm that has your OEM licence. You can take backups of this VM in various states, eg one backup with Siemens installed, one backup with Rockwell installed.

*RECOMMENDED*Volume Licencing:
Buy Volume Licencing, with a minimum of five seats, and one win pro OEM to win Enterprise upgrade. Note that if your company already has volume licensing, you only need one seat.
This allows you to do as you proposed, with one install of Windows that is ONLY to administer the VMs and up to four other RUNNING instances of win 7 VMs. You can have thousands of VMs that aren't running.

+Retail licence:
You can purchase additional retail licences for each running VM. This gets messy though, as if you have 3 instances running, you have to ensure those three have three separate licenses installed.
 
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thank you guys for the advice, my plan is to create around 4 VMs maybe and i will use run VM each time , there will be no more than VM running each time, and i think if i buy one license it will be enough.
 
Hopefully this isn't a thread hijack but I'm also about to do what the OP is and am wondering about activation.
Where is the Windows activation of the VM tied to? The physical hardware of the host computer or to some ID of the virtual machine?
If I change host computers in the future and I need to move my VM to a new host, will I run into Windows activation problems?
 
[Method 1: Two Windows 7 OEM/Retail Licences]
OK, so you purchased two OEM/Retail licences.

Use one to activate your Host OS.
Use one to activate your first Guest OS, tying it to the virtual hardware, lets call it Blank_Win7_64.
Take a backup / copy of your VM, name the copy backup_With_Rockwell.
OK, now to create your siemens VM, you need to:
'Revert' to Blank_Win7_64. make sure you (or anyone else) don't run your backup_With_Rockwell at the same time, else the police etc will be called.
Take a backup of this VM and call it Backup_With_Siemens.

If at any stage you run two of these backups at the same time, your microsoft karma goes down. You are 'reverting to different backup states of the same OS instance' every time you switch VMs.

[Method 2: One Windows 7 OEM/Retail Licence]
Same as above, but you need to run Linux as your Host OS. You may have difficulty if your OEM Windows 7 is already activated for your Hardware, as you need to change it so that it is activated to your virtual hardware.

[Method 3: Volume Licencing]
Volume Licencing is awesome, because you don't actually 'activate' anything. You get a special install medium that lets you install without activations. This means you can change hardware, whatever, you just have to keep a record of where you used the licence, and make sure you are compliant. I have heard rumours of Microsoft Auditors coming and double checking your work for you, free of charge. So friendly!

Anyway, purchase Win 7 Pro to Enterprise upgrade for your laptop with software assurance, and you can run anything as below. Management only means that it is ONLY used to manage the VMs. You can't use it for emails/word/excel etc:
Code:
Host OS                   Win VMs                Linux VMs
---------------------------------------------------------------
Linux                     4 + 1Management only   Unlimited
Win Management only       4                      Unlimited
Win                       3 + 1Management only   Unlimited
 
You can:

OEM only:
Run Linux bare bones, and run one instance of windows vm that has your OEM licence. You can take backups of this VM in various states, eg one backup with Siemens installed, one backup with Rockwell installed.

*RECOMMENDED*Volume Licencing:
Buy Volume Licencing, with a minimum of five seats, and one win pro OEM to win Enterprise upgrade. Note that if your company already has volume licensing, you only need one seat.
This allows you to do as you proposed, with one install of Windows that is ONLY to administer the VMs and up to four other RUNNING instances of win 7 VMs. You can have thousands of VMs that aren't running.

+Retail licence:
You can purchase additional retail licences for each running VM. This gets messy though, as if you have 3 instances running, you have to ensure those three have three separate licenses installed.

[Method 1: Two Windows 7 OEM/Retail Licences]
OK, so you purchased two OEM/Retail licences.

Use one to activate your Host OS.
Use one to activate your first Guest OS, tying it to the virtual hardware, lets call it Blank_Win7_64.
Take a backup / copy of your VM, name the copy backup_With_Rockwell.
OK, now to create your siemens VM, you need to:
'Revert' to Blank_Win7_64. make sure you (or anyone else) don't run your backup_With_Rockwell at the same time, else the police etc will be called.
Take a backup of this VM and call it Backup_With_Siemens.

If at any stage you run two of these backups at the same time, your microsoft karma goes down. You are 'reverting to different backup states of the same OS instance' every time you switch VMs.

[Method 2: One Windows 7 OEM/Retail Licence]
Same as above, but you need to run Linux as your Host OS. You may have difficulty if your OEM Windows 7 is already activated for your Hardware, as you need to change it so that it is activated to your virtual hardware.

[Method 3: Volume Licencing]
Volume Licencing is awesome, because you don't actually 'activate' anything. You get a special install medium that lets you install without activations. This means you can change hardware, whatever, you just have to keep a record of where you used the licence, and make sure you are compliant. I have heard rumours of Microsoft Auditors coming and double checking your work for you, free of charge. So friendly!

Anyway, purchase Win 7 Pro to Enterprise upgrade for your laptop with software assurance, and you can run anything as below. Management only means that it is ONLY used to manage the VMs. You can't use it for emails/word/excel etc:
Code:
Host OS                   Win VMs                Linux VMs
---------------------------------------------------------------
Linux                     4 + 1Management only   Unlimited
Win Management only       4                      Unlimited
Win                       3 + 1Management only   Unlimited

so currently my laptop is running windows 7 pro, i have to buy another windows 7 OEM to activate the guests VMs, am i right ?
 
There is an outfit out of Hong Kong that sells valid windows 7 OEM activation's for 20 Dollars US. I have purchased several for my VMs. At this price it is easy to be in compliance with licensing requirements.They deliver the key as an image of the authentication sticker. A little strange I know, but I have never had a issue validating with Microsoft.Use at your own risk.

https://www.kinguin.net/category/13922/windows-7-ultimate-oem-key/

Admins if this post is out of line please feel free to delete.
 
I highly, highly doubt those are legit keys. There's a difference between a key that works and a key that is legit. I could get a key off of bittorrent that "works" too.

Although I guess you never know. I couldn't get their online chat to confirm or deny.
 
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I do not know the legitimacy of these keys. The site has been selling the keys for a long time over 2 years. It seems to me that Microsoft would have stopped this a long time ago if they are bogus.IMHO
 

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