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Comment by orionblastar | Hacker News Reader

90 day limited demo version of Windows. Make sure you back up the original image in case your demo expires and you need to restore the image from the original.

I remember Microsoft used to offer ISOS of Windows with a 90 day limited trial key. There was a utility that would reset the demo clock as well as a command line option to reset it for another 90 days.

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I made a snapshot before booting the image for the first time and simply restore to that snapshot when the trial expires.

Haven't used Windows in a while, but I think it used to be: Command Prompt -> slmgr -rearm

this is still it, just the - is not required

Can I register a valid XP key with it?

Depends on the type of key you have. If it is a PRO(i am assuming that's the version of OS)/non-OEM license, then you shouldn't have a problem. Definitely worth a short though.

I don't see why not, as long as the license for that key matches the OS.

A friend of mine used to buy COA stickers from eBay that had XP keys on them for like $10 each. They are OEM keys so he used an OEM XP CD-ROM to install them with the keys on used systems. They would activate even if they have been used before. If activations run out you can call Microsoft and have them reset.

Windows 10 Keys are different, locked to the hardware. Windows XP keys can be transferred to a different system.

Just because you :can: do this doesn't mean it isn't a violation of the software license.

XP has some kind of hardware check too. I had to use a key off the internet when I cloned an ancient PC into a VM because it wouldn't accept the original key.

Legally no. They say this explicitly on the TOS.

The TOS shouldn't apply if you apply a separate license. Can you please point out their reference?

It's in their document. I am not a lawyer so I don't know how binding their document is but I would personally just follow what they say.

Microsoft does allow the option to remove a license from a copy of Windows on a PC and change the key: http://www.howtogeek.com/124286/how-to-uninstall-your-window...

http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/3721/Can-I-transfer...

In a word the EULA says you can't transfer a license to a different PC, but it hasn't been tested in a court yet. People have transferred an OEM license and activated it. So it can be done, but the question about it being legal might vary by nation as Germany allows it if other nations do not.

But since it hasn't been tested in a court yet, nobody can say how legally binding it is or is not.

Agreed on not tested and my philosophy with legal grey areas is to avoid being part of the test case... However, these specific images come with their own EULA that says that you can not apply a different license to them (I checked because I would have also liked to have done so if it were allowed).

Just use this as they suggest for testing. Keep your data elsewhere and roll back/re-install every few months.

You can rearm these VMs as IIRC up to 180 days.

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