Using a product key more than once?

By Alex0856
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Neowinian

Alex0856

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[sORRY ABOUT THE DOULBE POST. TO WHICHEVER MODERATOR SEES THESE, PLEASE LOCK THE OTHER POST!]

At the moment I'm using Vista Home Basic. I used the Windows Anytime Upgrade + the product key from my friend's eMachines he got for his birthday (I upgraded from XP). When I initially installed it, I did a clean install. But, due to my stupidity, I had to reinstall, but this time with a full hard drive reformat. So now I'm back up and running. This product key is now being used on THREE computers, and neither of these people have had any problems. I've been using it as the 2nd user for 6 months or so.

Recently I got the opportunity to, for lack of a better word, "borrow" another friend's Vista Home Premium product key. I planned on using my Anytime Upgrade Disc and that Home Premium product key to do the upgrade. But I heard that if both computers are being used at the same time, then they are "locked" by Microsoft.

I'm not exactly sure what to believe, since I'm using a product key that is active on 3 computers at the moment, and I talk to these people online through MSN or AIM, so of course they're both connected to the internet at the same time.

So, my question is: What should I do? Does anybody think that it will work fine, or is there another factor that may cause some problems, or this rumored "lock up". I guess I'm just asking for advice.

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/651248-using-a-product-key-more-than-once/
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Neowinian

Alex0856

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I think this may solve some of the issue.

I don't if they are still down or not.

https://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/07/19/w...ga-servers-down

Ummm...WHAT? What does this have to do with wether or not I should use a product key twice?

Ask Microsoft themselves via their activation call center.

Radish?

Sorry, but I'm not going to ask MS wether or not I should use this product key. As I described before, the current Home Basic product key I'm using is being used on 2 other computers, and I am not using the computer that the key came with. I'm just asking advice on this upgrade.

Neowinian

Alex0856

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The why the product key is allowing to be installed on more than one computer without being locked up.

Though I see that the news article has been updated.

I've activated this product key that I'm currently using over the internet on 2 different computers, 6 months apart. The first activation was about 8 months ago, so the 2nd computer has been running fine, as well as mine. That activation 8 months ago was actually it's 2nd use, since its first is on the computer it came with. This Home Premium product key is on a brand new laptop. If I used it, that would be the 2nd time EVER.

Mentor

random_n

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Windows and Office will never "deactivate", unless you do significant-ish hardware changes. They can get flagged as non-genuine through updates to the WGA program, but I've never seen Microsoft do this for anything but the most extraordinarily obviously pirated keys (ie: they turn up results on Google).

That said, reusing the keys is still against the Microsoft licensing terms, even if it's technically possible. Just like you could reuse keys in Windows 2000 with total impunity in terms of functionality, every additional installation is still legally unlicensed. Just because your chances of being caught might be astronomically small doesn't make it right.

Off-topic: is it slightly sad that one of the (maybe) dozen telephone numbers I have memorized is the North America XP activation hotline? 1-888-571-2048. :laugh:

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