How to legally activate an OEM WinXP license in Fusion

[gschober]

All,

I have a WinXP SP2 laptop that I want to virtualize, run the image off my MacBook Pro via Fusion so I can finally get rid off the Win laptop.

I built the image with Converter and was able to start it up in Fusion but then I got the Windows activation page. The following thread basically states that an OEM version of WinXP cannot be used for Fusion - at least not legally: http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=541889򄓁

Does anybody know whether there is a way to actually "upgrade" an OEM Win version to a full retail one? Preferably I would like to keep the laptop the way it is and just pay some extra $$$ to MS to get my Fusion image up and running legally.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

GS

[RDPetruska]

Well, you can purchase a retail copy of XP, and use that CD-KEY to license it, I believe.

[gschober]

Thanks for the quick response...

But how would that work? I think WinXP "knows" that it is an OEM version and if I just type in a CD-KEY from a full retail version during the activation it would upgrade itself to a retail version in that process?

GS

[akinsd]

OK So i installed OEM winxp (bought oem myself, not from old PC) on bootcamp, activated it, and then tried out VMware fusion only to find that i cannot re-activate...a problem that has been discussed before.

So if I had bought the retail version instead i could have RE-activated in vmware fusion (after installing vmware tools, setting memory amount, etc) and it would not have affected my bootcamp right?

My dilemma is that i have another copy of winxp OEM lying around that i don't see myself using but thought, what if i entered that product key in the fusion-accessed bootcamp partition of winxp. Would it work? Would using two different product keys in fusion and bootcamp partition mess things up?

Also, anyone have luck trying to re-activate OEM version through fusion by calling up MS customer service???

I wanna know the best way to deal with this. Windows xp works well in bootcamp, but i soooo wanna run it in fusion as well. And i don't wanna waste a perfectly good windows xp oem product key unless i have to (better then buying full retail version after buying two oem's)

Any ideas would be welcome,

THanks,

-AK

[gschober]

Thank you all for your replies...

Well, here's what I did:

I went through the whole activation spiel until I got to the point where Win creates the activation key for phone activation, then I called MS.

I told the lady that I know that using an OEM version to virtualize my laptop was not legal and that I am looking to switch the current version (virtual one) to a retail one asking her whether she can help me with what I would have to do. At this point she interrupted me and said that I CAN use an OEM for virtualizing XP(!). I was totally surprised because I didn't expect the folks that take these calls to even understand what I was trying to do...

All I had to do was to change the product ID (button on the screen for phone activation), type in my OEM PID, quit the current activation process, reboot and reactivate over the Internet - DONE!!!

I could have tried this myself, but I was not aware that the PID that initially came up when I first tried to activate was NOT the one that is actually on the OEM label of my laptop; I have no idea where Win got this one from.

Long story short: Had I checked the PID that came up, I could have typed in the correct one and the activation would probably have gone through. I am glad I did call MS though since I got confirmation what I am doing is legal.

There ARE surprises in dealing with MS - this was a good one!

Thanks,

GS

[jithan]

Hi gschober,

Just wanted to know whether your Windows XP laptop still works fine? Or is it asking for an activation? Are you able to get updated from Microsoft for your laptop???

Waiting for your reply,

Thanks,

Jithan

[DvdHenry]

GS,

I am new to VM Fusion and to the Mac. I tried the process you describe and it failed - again -- as did my attempt to speak to a human at Microsoft. I purchased a boxed set retail copy from Amazon planning to use that Product ID to keep things legal. Thanks in advance for any help.

David

[asatoran]

I am new to VM Fusion and to the Mac. I tried the process you describe and it failed - again -- as did my attempt to speak to a human at Microsoft. I purchased a boxed set retail copy from Amazon planning to use that Product ID to keep things legal. Thanks in advance for any help.

If the copy you purchased is a actual retail copy and not a whitebox OEM copy, then you can do a repair install. Boot the virtual machine with the retail disk. Get to the point where the installer detects the existing installation of Windows. (Not the part asking if you wish to use the Repair Console. After that.) Let the installer do it's thing, it will eventually ask you for a product key. Type in the product key for your retail copy.

[DvdHenry]

You say:

+Boot the virtual machine with the retail disk. Get to the point where the installer detects the existing installation of Windows. (Not the part asking if you wish to use the Repair Console. After that.)+

I have a virtual machine which is a copy of my old PC installed within Fusion. (I followed the "Migrate your PC.." link in Vmware Fusion to create the virtual machine:

http://www.vmware.com/download/fusion/windows_to_mac.html )

I insert my new retail copy CD of Windows XP - then what? I am sitting at the window "to begin click your user name". If I try to restart the machine, it doesn't look at the disk but returns to the Windows sign on screen. First thing that happens is it asks for my activation code (it has the code for my old PC, of course). I have tried to contact Microsoft - unable to contact a human - have emailed, chatted ( the chat "person" told me to contact "chat") - an endless loop to nowhere. Thanks for any help you can offer.

[asatoran]

...I am sitting at the window "to begin click your user name"....

The virtual machine did not boot from the CD. It is booting from the (virtual) hard drive, thus starting the Windows that is already installed. When you start the virtual machine and you see the VMWare spash screen, press ESC once to get to the boot menu, then choose to boot from the CD. (You can also press F2 to get to the BIOS and change the boot order there.)

[DvdHenry]

I have been able to reach the boot menu and the bios setup. In both

cases I have tried to select to boot from the CD. It boots from the

virtual HD in both cases. The boot menu seems like it it offering to

boot from CD and the bios will not let me change the boot sequence.

Boot from CD will not allow it to be selected "shift + 1" does

nothing. Not sure if it is a keyboard issue or not. any ideas?

[asatoran]

Boot from CD will not allow it to be selected "shift + 1" does nothing.

Shift + 1 says it enables or disables devices It does NOT change the boot order. You need to highlight the "CD-ROM drive" selection and press "+" to move it up in the boot order, as is described on the right half of the screen. In the case of my attached screen shot of the BIOS boot menu (the gray one that you get to by pressing F2), my virtual machine will boot from Removeable Device first (a.k.a. floppy), then CD-ROM, then hard drive. The default is normally Removable Device, Hard Drive, then CD-ROM. The second screen shot is the Boot Menu you get by pressing ESC. (The black one.) That shows the boot order of Removable Devices, Hard Drive, then CD-ROM. You use the up & down arrow keys to select the device you want to boot from.

...Not sure if it is a keyboard issue or not.

Be sure you click inside the virtual machine window first to direct your keyboard & mouse to the virtual machine.

[DvdHenry]

My answer was too brief- sorry for the confusion. I was able to make

the changes but thought the lack of "+" meant it wasn't selected. In

any case, here are the settings but still boots from HD. Doesn't

matter if I select it from the boot menu or "change" the bios boot

sequence.

Attachment(s)

ATT00002.txt   1 KB 1 version

[asatoran]

...still boots from HD. Doesn't matter if I select it from the boot menu or "change" the bios boot sequence.

Then you do not have a bootable disk that can be used for a repair install. You need to obtain a bootable CD. (i.e.: retail copy of Windows.)

[knapplisa]

Find someone who attends or works for an university. You can typically purchase a full version of Windows for substantially less than full retail. At my university, you can get XP for $5 and Vista for $10. They can usually only purchase one copy per year. Considering XP has been out so long, they may not have purchased one for a while.