Using device bound windows key to activate windows 11 in VM(lcx) running on ubuntu but the same device

Question

Hello!

I installed Ubuntu on my device but I still wants to be able to use windows. So I installed windows 11 in a VM(lcx) and then wanted to activate my windows with my key. Since I'm running the VM on the same device as the key belongs to I thought it would accept it. Worked for my friend but he is running virtual box and had some issues with it crashing.

In the VM it says it is activated on another device but thats not true. I do understand that it might not recognize the machine because of the vm layer. But it is still the same device so I should be allowed to activate my windows key.

Answer 1

Hello there,

Virtual machines running any version of Windows require valid licenses. No matter whether you create a new VM or migrate the PC to the virtual machine, you need another Windows license for a virtual machine.

You will need a separate license because the number of Windows licenses depends on the number of processors and processor cores and for that, you are licensing the hardware instead of software and if you will use the same license that already exist on the physical device where this particular VM is running then it will state that the license is already in use.

A Windows 10/11 licence can only be used on one device at a time whether it is a physical or virtual machine.

Hope this resolves your Query !!

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