KVM and virtualizing Windows

The Doctor · Moderator Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 2678

Basically the situation is that I have a new box and several old windows machines laying around. The new box doesn't include windows. Since it might come in handy to have windows available I would like to visualize my old windows installs without paying extra money to MS. I can't seem to find any clear answers on if I can do this or not.

I have an two computers which had xp and vista on them although both no longer do and a vista and windows 7 boxes that still have windows installed, although I won't have physical access for a few weeks. All of these are factory instillations. Can any of these be used for visualization purposes?

Basically, if I can the question is if it is legal and if so how to do it.
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First things first, but not necessarily in that order.

Apologies if I take a while to respond. I'm currently working on the dematerialization circuit for my blue box.

Princess Nell · l33t Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 916

No conclusive answer here.

There are tutorials out there how to vitualise an existing install. Best case, it just works. Next best, 'doze asks for reactivation and it works. Next best, too many hw changes and it will not allow reactivation.

Worst case, virtualised install won't even boot because of drivers missing for the new (virtual) hw. There are remedies for that, supposedly, but I could never get it to work, at least in the case of moving an image from one hypervisor to another.

The Doctor · Moderator Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 2678

Thanks for the reply.

I was kind of afraid it was going to be something like that. I guess I'll try it out once I have access to the boxes again.
_________________
First things first, but not necessarily in that order.

Apologies if I take a while to respond. I'm currently working on the dematerialization circuit for my blue box.

schorsch_76 · Guru Joined: 19 Jun 2012 Posts: 450

The MS Eula thing is very difficult to answer. Following things i know:

It depends on the location where you life. e.g. In Germany (where i live) i could use a system builder version of windows. I can do with it what ever i like. But only run it on one machine. Be it virtual or physical. I can switch then around, when i buy a new machine, i can use this licence. But this only affects Systembuilder Licences and Germany.

On preinstalled versions of licences, OEM ones, this does _NOT_ apply. Outside of Germany there are other laws, maybe even stricter ones.

That is the reason, why i recommend my friends, when they buy windows, to buy SB versions of it. The OEM Version from their old machine, they are not allowed to take to the new PC.

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/de/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/windows-licensing-for-personal-use.aspx

1clue · Advocate Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 2569

I've done it, and I still can't give you an answer.

It depends on the exact license you have.

Seriously, call Microsoft. I was allowed to do the ones I asked about, and basically I'm under the impression that they're not going to argue about old hardware being virtualized. But they wanted to hear about each box and what Windows was on it, serial numbers, etc.

OEM Windows will just plain not work. This only works with a real Windows that came in its own box, OEM versions are designed to work only with a very few boxes.

Microsoft has a phone number for advice on which license to buy. These guys can't even sell you a Windows so you aren't pressured one way or another. Be completely honest about it, one thing they know is that if you called this number you're TRYING to be legal, and they'll give you the best advice they can.

One thing that might be an issue is whether you're technically able to convert. We wound up going with VMware because I couldn't convert the images to KVM, they just wouldn't boot because of lack of hardware support. The image was not bootable on KVM.

fernan82 · n00b Joined: 24 Jul 2014 Posts: 70

Whether it'll work depends on the OEM installation. Some are just a regular Windows CD with customized logos (some Dells) and an OEM key, others are customized so they only run on specific hardware. There's even a hack to turn OEM CDs into non-OEM ones by just editing a text file. You can also buy OEM versions on ebay and you get a regular Windows CD and an IDE cable of something of that sort and the license is legal as long as you use that cable on the PC. But even if it works it's still illegal as with an OEM license you're only allowed to use it with the equipment it came with.

I've done it though, not with a VM but to a new box. It asked me for a new activation key and wouldn't accept the old one so I called the activation line and told them that my motherboard broke and I had to replace it and they gave me an activation code. If you tell them you're virtualizing or using a completely new system they'll probably won't let you activate it.

frostschutz · Advocate Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 2977 Location: Germany

I just reinstalled it in KVM, after I abandoned dualboot/gaming. It works fine that way.

Anon-E-moose · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: KVM and virtualizing Windows

The Doctor · Moderator Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 2678

Anon-E-moose · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:43 pm Post subject:

1clue · Advocate Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 2569