Is it possible to run an OEM copy of Vista in virtual mode?

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Martin Healy - 28 Apr 2008 19:07 GMT

Hi,

It's my intention to install an OEM copy of Vista Business in virtual or
guest mode while deploying Virtual PC 2007. A full commercial retail copy of
Vista Ultimate will be installed as my host operating system. I'm just
wondering will it be ok to install an OEM copy of Vista Business in virtual
mode? or will I need a full retail copy of Vista Business in order to install
it in virtual mode? Likewise, would I be able to install a copy of Vista
Business from recovery disks by running it in virtual mode?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Martin

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Mark Rae [MVP] - 28 Apr 2008 19:21 GMT

> It's my intention to install an OEM copy of Vista Business in virtual or
> guest mode while deploying Virtual PC 2007. A full commercial retail copy
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> it in virtual mode? Likewise, would I be able to install a copy of Vista
> Business from recovery disks by running it in virtual mode?

An OEM copy of Windows is permitted to be installed only on the hardware
with which it was bought. Therefore, trying to install on OEM copy of
Windows in a virtual machine will be against the EULA. Chances are it won't
install anyway...

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Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

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Martin Healy - 28 Apr 2008 20:19 GMT

Thanks for the quick response. Please may I remind you that the OEM copy
will be installed as a virtual machine on the same PC that it came
preinstalled in. My apologies for not clarifying this in my initial post.
Once I will receive my new PC, I will uninstall or remove the OEM copy of
Vista Business that came with it and replace it by carrying out a clean
installation of my own retail copy of Vista Ultimate. After this I will
install Virtual PC 2007 and subsequently I will install my OEM copy of Vista
Business in virtual mode. Can this be done or does it make any difference?
Essentially, the OEM copy of Vista business will still be installed on the
same machine but in virtual mode instead. Or will it still not work in this
case? As far as I know, an OEM copy is locked to the BIOS of the machine that
it came preinstalled. By running the OEM copy in virtual mode on the machine
that it came with - will this render it unusable in this virtual machine mode
or will it prevent it from installing? Of course, I was aware that an OEM
copy had to be installed on the machine that it came with and no other
machine but I thought it might be possible to run it as a virtual machine on
the same PC.

I would appreciate one last clarification on this matter.

Thanks

Martin

> > It's my intention to install an OEM copy of Vista Business in virtual or
> > guest mode while deploying Virtual PC 2007. A full commercial retail copy
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Windows in a virtual machine will be against the EULA. Chances are it won't
> install anyway...

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Colin Barnhorst - 28 Apr 2008 20:37 GMT

I assume you are talking about a system builder copy such as sells on eBay
and not one made for a specific pc. I know of no technical issue. If the
OEM is installed in the vm as the first computer it is installed on then I
don't see why not. However, such a license is not transferrable to another
device, physical or virtual, so the issue is legal and not technical. I use
standard licenses for my vms so that I don't have to worry about deleting
and rebuilding vms.

I don't have any system builder copies of Vista so I have not read the EULA
on one but I assume that it does not prohibit virtualization. See if you
can find a copy of the EULA and check it out. The copies of the EULA
available for veiwing online at microsoft.com are stricly retail EULAs so
they would not answer the question (if indeed there is a question). Perhaps
another user can reply to this point.

> Thanks for the quick response. Please may I remind you that the OEM copy
> will be installed as a virtual machine on the same PC that it came
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
>> won't
>> install anyway...

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Mark Rae [MVP] - 28 Apr 2008 20:45 GMT

> I assume you are talking about a system builder copy such as sells on eBay
> and not one made for a specific pc.

That's not how I interpreted the OP, which talks specifically of an OEM copy
of Vista...

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Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

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Colin Barnhorst - 28 Apr 2008 20:42 GMT

Additional note: The EULA is specific that you may only install one copy of
the software. It does not matter whether or not the OEM copy is one that
came preinstalled on the machine, only one copy can be installed (and it
already is). Further, preinstalled copies are not transferrable to another
device, even a virtual machine. That it might be on the same computer is
irrelevant. Read the EULA for your preinstalled copy.

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Mark Rae [MVP] - 28 Apr 2008 20:42 GMT

> Please may I remind you that the OEM copy will be installed as a virtual
> machine on the same PC that it came preinstalled in.

Irrelevant.

> Of course, I was aware that an OEM copy had to be installed on the machine
> that it came with and no other machine

That is precisely correct. As far as your OEM copy of Windows is concerned,
a virtual machine will be completely different from the specific hardware on
which it is intended to be installed...

> but I thought it might be possible to run it as a virtual machine on
> the same PC.

Even if by some piece of good fortune you do manage to get it installed on a
virtual machine, doing so will still be contravention of the OEM EULA...

Signature

Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

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Martin Healy - 28 Apr 2008 21:00 GMT

Many thanks for resolving this issue.

> > Please may I remind you that the OEM copy will be installed as a virtual
> > machine on the same PC that it came preinstalled in.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Even if by some piece of good fortune you do manage to get it installed on a
> virtual machine, doing so will still be contravention of the OEM EULA...

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Bo Berglund - 29 Apr 2008 03:03 GMT

>As far as I know, an OEM copy is locked to the BIOS of the machine that
>it came preinstalled. By running the OEM copy in virtual mode on the machine
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>machine but I thought it might be possible to run it as a virtual machine on
>the same PC.

The virtual machine does not use the BIOS of the host machine, it uses
an emulated (and thus different) BIOS. The virtual machine is a
*separate* machine from your host, the only part of the host hardware
that is used is the CPU and RAM, everything else is emulated.

Bo Berglund

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Jordan - 30 Apr 2008 14:22 GMT

Possible Yes, legal No. Not under any circumstances can OEM be installed on
a VM.

OEMs are only to be sold with hardware (A full PC, MB and Processor combo,
etc.). VM by definition cannot have any OEM software installed on it
because the OEM copy could not possibly have been sold with the VM.

Some will say that as long as you remove the OEM version that came on your
host PC and replace it with say a Retail or other verision you should be
able to install the OEM on the VM, Right? Wrong!

If you read MS's definition of the VMs they need to be treated exactly as
another computer so despite this VM actually being on the physical hardware
you purchased it with, the VM is supposed to be considered its own entity.

If you just doing testing of Vista or XP and don't need it for more than 60
days (or 30 or whatever) at a time just install an X# of days demo. They
work the same and you can use MS's definition against them by just
destroying and recreating the VM since it is technically an new unit each
time.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> Martin

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Colin Barnhorst - 30 Apr 2008 14:51 GMT

System builder copies are available from such outlets as NewEgg. Are you
saying that it is not legal to use a system builder OEM copy in a vm as the
OEM copy's first installation on any device? An OEM EULA forbids transfer
but not virtualization.

> Possible Yes, legal No. Not under any circumstances can OEM be installed
> on a VM.
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>>
>> Martin

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Jordan - 01 May 2008 13:34 GMT

Correct. Because that OEM's first requirement to purchase it is that it
must be sold with a system. the second restriction is that you can't
transfer it.

You can use Retail or Volume Licenses on VM's because there is not a
requirement for it to be purchased with hardware and you can also transfer
them from VM to VM and PC to PC.

> System builder copies are available from such outlets as NewEgg. Are you
> saying that it is not legal to use a system builder OEM copy in a vm as
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
>>>
>>> Martin

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Colin Barnhorst - 01 May 2008 15:53 GMT

I am well aware of the transferrability clause but that is not the issue
here.

> Correct. Because that OEM's first requirement to purchase it is that it
> must be sold with a system. the second restriction is that you can't
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Martin

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