windows 7 OEM licensing? (boot camp vs. virtualization)

Great information you guys; I apologize to the OP if I've taken this thread off-topic.

Right now both progs are selling for $45 bucks at newegg. What to do... oh, maybe I should buy a Mac first! 😊

And given I may wait for a Mac with Mountain Lion preinstalled, I'd best wait too to buy one of these, as it seems they may ask for $ when upgrading the MacOS...

There is another option no one mentioned its to install without the key. Windows 7 allows you to install the OS without a key and it will run like its activated for almost a year before it asks for a key. VM does not work properly on intel based macs (based on information from about 4-6 months ago) parallels is more stable than VM and offers more features and ease of use but recently I have heard (including me) and seen problems with making hard drives in parallels right now I think it has something to do with one of the updates apple put out.

Parallels lets you do a 14 day trial so get the trial and install windows without the key this will allow you to test the software on the virtual side instead of losing space doing the partition for bootcamp.
Another note using bootcamp you can also corrupt the apple side doing certain tasks ex is repartitioning within bootcamp windows.

jason215 wrote:

There is another option no one mentioned its to install without the key. Windows 7 allows you to install the OS without a key and it will run like its activated for almost a year before it asks for a key. VM does not work properly on intel based macs (based on information from about 4-6 months ago) parallels is more stable than VM and offers more features and ease of use but recently I have heard (including me) and seen problems with making hard drives in parallels right now I think it has something to do with one of the updates apple put out.

Parallels lets you do a 14 day trial so get the trial and install windows without the key this will allow you to test the software on the virtual side instead of losing space doing the partition for bootcamp.
Another note using bootcamp you can also corrupt the apple side doing certain tasks ex is repartitioning within bootcamp windows.

Nonsense except for the free trial.

Do as you wish, but installing Windows in a VM first will then cause an issue with licensing when you then install using Boot Camp Assistant. You will need to start all over. Do it the correct way by installing Windows using Boot Camp Assistant first.

For the sake of clarity, use VMware or Fusion to refer to a product, and VM only as a technology.

No one should be using or endorsing making partition changes and definitely not after the setup is done.

Activation. Where do you find these things? yes, the internet is full of rubbish but 30 days maybe?

If you want a free trial, VirtualBox (VB is probably safe to say) works. And can support Windows 8 CP as well. For free. No partitioning or headaches.

I have read that one of the VMs does now request non-Boot Camp users to install Apple (Windows Support Software, aka "Boot Camp") drivers even in a VM-only.

The audience of users here are probably new to VMs and to Windows in many cases, though not all of course, some are new to Mac ("switchers").

robert pfile wrote:

> No one should be using or endorsing making partition changes and definitely not after the setup is done.

in the past i have used a gparted ISO several times to increase the size of my XP virtual disks.

that's one big reason why i don't want to use a boot camp partition. the risk and complexity of resizing a native disk partition is orders of magnitude more than increasing the size of a virtual disk file.

As W7 OEM 64-bit is on sale today at newegg, I reviewed this thread again to make sure it's what I want (and it is). But next I'll be concerned about partitioning, particularly if I get an iMac with both an internal 256GB SSD and a 1TB drive.

What would you guys do insofar as partitioning for all of (Mountain) Lion, Boot Camp W7HPx64, and either Parallels or VMware also? Do I simply partition the SSD 50-50 i.e. 128MB and 128MB? Or allocate more to the MacOS?

Am I correct in assuming that the 1TB drive would also need to be partitioned between MacOS and W7?

My current W7 PC has a 120GB SSD which has been more-than-enough FWIW, so I feel I could allot more of the SSD to MacOS/VMware than for W7 if you experts feel that would be appropriate.

An SSD needs TRIM or BCG but enough free cells for freely operating. Mine are 45GB used and 60GB? free which is about right. The upgrade to Windows 8 temporarily used 30GB chunk that I could then remove later.

you do not need to unless you want NTFS volumes.

OS X tends to be very small. Ideal is OS (and apps) on SSD (and the 1GB ~/Library can be left there) and all the data folders on the platter 1TB+ drive.

There are hidden 128MB (and now 350MB for Win8) but I know you meant GB or 50/50.

VMs can go anywhere. Unless they are attached to native Windows and Windows can go on either drive.

robert pfile wrote:

thanks Bob. right, the reason i was worried about this is that the HAL is different between Boot Camp and VMWare, etc. and so i figured that would trigger something with microsoft. but as you have explained it sounds like Redmond is cool with that since it's just a single installation.

It will trigger a flag during activation but nothing serious, you will be unable to automatically activate the second install, instead take the 'Activate by Telephone' option, you will be asked how may computers you have installed this copy if Windows on and you will be able to truthfully answer 1. Then you'll get the activation code.

The hatter wrote:

There are hidden 128MB (and now 350MB for Win8) but I know you meant GB or 50/50.

Yeah, sorry I mis-typed. Thanks for your comments.

.... to think that only 20 yrs ago how much a 300MB or even 120MB drive costs us, too! now you can buy 512GB SSD or most anything you want.

The hatter wrote:

.... to think that only 20 yrs ago how much a 300MB or even 120MB drive costs us, too! now you can buy 512GB SSD or most anything you want.

You ain't just whistlin' Dixie friend:

Our first Apple Mac 10MB external hard drive cost over $1,000 in 1985 or 86.

The 16K RAM card for my IMSAI 8080 cost $750 in 1976.

I will gladly pay $2,000 for the Ivy Bridge iMac 27 if/when it comes-out this year! Hasn't even been announced yet though...

😟