Can I use my copy of Vista, unactivated, in a VM for testing?

[ColKurtz]

I recently upgraded my home media server from XP to Vista 64. I like test out new applications/applets in a VM (Vmware workstation) before installing on the "production" server. Mostly I'm wary of applets and free-/shareware, and want to do post-install malware scans and see if they are trying to phone home or have other annoying behavior.

Can I use the same copy of Vista that is currently installed to install into a VM, as long as I do not try to activate it?

Second, since without activation Vista quits running after 30 days (right?), will I experience any problems if I do this repeatedly? Vmware workstation makes it easy to do fresh installs from templates, but I don't want to get my legit copy of Vista "blacklisted" or something unintended.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[TheStu]

Well, you can run without a key for almost forever now, just make sure you update to sp1 first thing. That is what makes it so that it just nags you, not kill itself.

 

[ColKurtz]

Even better -- thanks!

 

[bsobel]

Can I use the same copy of Vista that is currently installed to install into a VM, as long as I do not try to activate it?

Why not activate it, this is a fully supported scenario from a license point of view...



MICROSOFT SOFTWARE SUPPLEMENTAL LICENSE TERMS
WINDOWS VISTA HOME BASIC, HOME PREMIUM, BUSINESS, ULTIMATE, AND THEIR
SERVICE PACK 1 VERSIONS

If you are licensed to use Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate, or
Service Pack 1 of any of these Windows Vista editions (the ?software?), you have the following license
right. If there is a conflict with any past or future license terms for the software, this supplemental
license term applies.

Use with Virtualization Technologies. Instead of using the software directly on the licensed device,
you may install and use the software within only one virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on
the licensed device. When used in a virtualized environment, content protected by digital rights
management technology, BitLocker or any full volume disk drive encryption technology may not be as
secure as protected content not in a virtualized environment. You should comply with all domestic and
international laws that apply to such protected content.

 

[ColKurtz]

Originally posted by: bsobel

Thanks. I'd love to activate it, but unless I'm misreading the license you posted I don't think I can.

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

Since VMware Workstation runs on top of my activated copy of Vista, the "Instead" clause would seem to imply I can't activate it on both. Am i reading that wrong?

 

[bsobel]

Ill have to double check, for some reason I remember the license changed applied to things like Fusion (where your running on a MAC and need to install Vista in a vm). I thought Vista under Vista was covered with the 1 license exception, but I might be thinking of 08 server.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: bsobel
Ill have to double check, for some reason I remember the license changed applied to things like Fusion (where your running on a MAC and need to install Vista in a vm). I thought Vista under Vista was covered with the 1 license exception, but I might be thinking of 08 server.

Come on Bill, you should know better. It's Mac(intosh), not MAC.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Pretty sure that the only edition of Vista that allowed running on the physical hardware AS WELL AS inside a VM, was Vista Ultimate. At least I remember that the Ultimate license allowed more things involving VMs.

The fact that the other Vista editions license agreement says "instead of", seems to indicate that you can NOT install it on the physical hardware as well as in a VM.

Personally, I don't see it costing MS much if they allowed running an OS inside a VM, as well as on the bare hardware. After all, the user paid for it, and they're still only using it on one "machine".

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Well if you're just doing this to test for malware ect, find a copy of Windows 7 beta and a key and use that. It's free. There's only 5 keys so finding one won't be hard.

 

[ColKurtz]

Bsobel - you were right... it seems you just copied the EULA from some version of Vista other than Ultimate. Ultimate and Enterprise appear to be the only versions that allows you to re-use the license within a VM. Home Basic and Home Premium don't allow you to re-use the license.

There seems to be a lot of confusion and disagreement about it on the various forums I scanned, even among otherwise experienced admins, but I think the Ultimate EULA is pretty unambiguous:

You may use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device.

There are some limitations, such as bitlocker and DRM-enabled apps not working in a VM. And another quirk seems to be that the Vista VM is tied to the host just as the base OS is -- which one could argue defeats one of the advantages of VMs: portability. But whatever... I have Ultimate so this will allow me to replicate my system in a VM, so I'm ahead of where I thought I could be. That's not to say I don't expect to have all kinds of issues activating it .

Anyway... thanks for the tip. This blog post sums it up pretty well.