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User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

Windows 8 from Bootcamp on Mac running in VMware Licensing Issue

---- Background ----


I'm using an Apple Macbook Pro

I have Windows 8.1 Pro installed on a Bootcamp partition, it is successfully activated

I am using VMWare Fusion 7 to load the Bootcamp partition as a virtual machine

When booted as a virtual machine, Windows 8.1 Pro says it's not activated

I understand this is because it's running on different hardware

VMware provide instructions for getting around this by modifying the .vmx file and installing VMware tools

The instructions do not work

After following them, windows still knows it's not on the same computer it was activated on

My understanding is, it's likely I will have to buy another license and activate it while running in the vm


---- My questions are ----


Does windows 8 remember more than one license it has been activated using?


Once activated in the vm, if I restart the computer in Bootcamp mode and load windows natively, will it ask be to be activated again?


Or can I boot the windows installation either natively or in the vm and will windows know which key to use in both?


Do I have to re-enter the corresponding key every **** time I load windows a different way?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), Intel Core i5 2.7 GHz, 8 Gb, 128 Gb

Posted on May 21, 2015 7:10 PM

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8 replies
User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

May 21, 2015 7:31 PM in response to Loner T

but this doesn't work

when i go to activate windows, i get a screen in the immersive settings windows that tells me the current key is activated on another machine, and it gives me three options - enter a new key, buy a new key, or contact microsoft.

that is no options to actually activate

when i try entering the same key it fails

the instructions in the link you added does not work for me

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User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

May 21, 2015 7:42 PM in response to Loner T

1. the install was first activated when booted in natively, not in the vm

2. you posted the link to the instructions above

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User profile for user: Community User
Community User Author

May 21, 2015 10:23 PM in response to Loner T

it's uefi


iv'e just tried this on a fresh install completely unmodified of windows into the bootcamp partition

activated successfully, then straight away rebooted into mac OS X and started up vmware

it booted and installed vmware tools then restarted

exactly the same issue, no option to activate because the key is being used on another computer

i can't be the only one with this problem ...


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Windows 8 from Bootcamp on Mac running in VMware Licensing Issue

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