For my Windows 11 laptop, can I use the same Windows product key on my VMs, without having to pay for a license for each VM?

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For my Windows 11 laptop, can I use the same Windows product key on my VMs, without having to pay for a license for each VM?

frob 4,261

Hi there

For my Windows 11 laptop, can I use the same Windows product key on my VMs, without having to pay a license for each VM?

Thanks.

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Answer 1

Anonymous

From this document

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/OEM/Windows/10/Useterms_OEM_Windows_10_English.htm

Use in a virtualized environment. This license allows you to install only one instance of the software for use on one device, whether that device is physical or virtual. If you want to use the software on more than one virtual device, you must obtain a separate license for each instance.

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Anonymous

2023-01-20T02:23:39.49+00:00

Just checking if there's any progress or updates?

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Gregory McGee 0 Reputation points

2024-06-05T09:28:49.9566667+00:00

Interesting, it has been explicitly allowed since Win7, perhaps earlier.

I guess that's why win11 uptake is still ~20%.

Also, most of those 200 million "can't run win 11" core2 duos and ryzens make great Linux boxes,

Absolutely no one is going to buy another $$$ retail license to run windows in a vm on already licensed hardware. You argue the license is on the hardware: its running on THAT exact licensed hardware.

Additional VMs running at same time could see, but you could run one at a a time for testing purposes (many folks do) and still be legal.

No one in there right mind sets up a server farm of Windows VMs unless they are building a honeypot.

Answer 2

S.Sengupta 24,871 MVP

No, you cannot use the same product key.

The number of Windows licenses depends on the number of processors and processor cores, so you are licensing hardware instead of software. If you use the same license of your PC for a virtual machine, it will state “This product key is being used on another PC”.

Gregory McGee 0 Reputation points

2024-06-05T09:33:31.1833333+00:00

Then how has it been (explicitly) allowed since windows 7?

Its the same hardware. License is on the hardware. If you are running Linux, with Windows in a VM, you are running one copy of windows on the licensed hardware.

Convince anyone otherwise and I will be impressed.

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For my Windows 11 laptop, can I use the same Windows product key on my VMs, without having to pay for a license for each VM?

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