Windows activation on Windows 7

Question

Possible Duplicate:
When reinstalling Windows 7, does the language, version, architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) or source (OEM, retail, or MSDN) matter?

I'm testing Windows 7 professional on VMware, and I came across a setting saying I have 3 days to activate it.

Suppose I have it activated(on the virtual machine). I'm gonna stop running it virtually at one point and install it on an actual PC/laptop. I'll have to activate again. I wonder if there's any possible trouble I could run into.

Answer 1

No you won't have any problems when you install it for real on a machine, at least not with activation. I "reactivate" copies of windows all day long. At the worst I would imagine it wouldn't activate online and you would need to call Microsoft Sally (the automated help line) and try there. If you still have problems they will pass you onto a live person and he will ask how many machines you have this copy of windows installed on. As long as it's only going to be one machine he will give you an activation number. Like I said, I work for a shop and have to call and reactivate windows at least 10 times a week.

Answer 2

Also, it may be of use to know that you can extend the time without providing an activation key for 30 days at a time, up to 120 days. See this PC World article

Answer 3

To start with, you can stop the time synchronization between the VMWare image and the host computer by changing the "timeSync" value in the guest image configuration file.

That way, you can use the image longer than 3 actual days, as I'm assuming that you are not using the image 24/7.

Make sure though that there are no time synchronization functions running om the guest OS, for example the "Internet Time" function which can be found in the "Date and Time" options.