Are Windows 7 product keys language-dependent?

I am a student in a computer science school which is part of the MSDN Academic Alliance program.

Recently Windows 7 Pro showed up in the list of available software on ELMS. Problem is, it is in the French language (I am in a French school).

I would prefer to have Windows 7 in English. Question is: can I use the product key I got for the French version when installing an English (and otherwise identical) version of Windows 7?

In other words, is the product key dependant of the product language?

Etienne Dechamps

Posted 2009-08-27T11:43:22.373

Reputation: 1 662

Careful, you ask in the text the opposite question from the title. – Gnoupi – 2009-08-27T11:59:05.540

I miss my SO rep... could someone swap "language-dependent" with "language-independent"? – Svish – 2009-08-27T12:36:33.477

And inverse the answer :p – Svish – 2009-08-27T12:37:09.310

Answers

No. Product keys are SKU dependent. They are not language dependent.

Cnkt

Posted 2009-08-27T11:43:22.373

Reputation: 314

Windows itself became largely language agnostic starting with Vista. Once Windows is installed with the French disk you can change the language and everything should convert.

That said, versions for different countries may have different software based on different legal requirements (i.e. Windows 7 N versions for Europe that don't have Windows Media Player).

Bob

Posted 2009-08-27T11:43:22.373

Reputation: 285