Parallels & BootCamp - 2 separate Windows licenses?

B

btownguy

macrumors 6502a
If I were to have a MBP with both BootCamp & Parallels for Windows (BootCamp for gaming, Parallels for day-to-day stuff), would I need 2 separate Windows licenses? Or can I use the same license for both?
 
According to Microsoft's terms, you need a Windows license for each VM. Even though you are not accessing both at the same time, it is equivalent to having two physical machines, and only using one at a time.

So, you need two licenses.
 
If it's two seperate installations, then yes. You will need two licenses.

However, VMWare can use a boot camp partition as a virtual machine, so you might want to look at that as it will only require one license. Dunno if Parallels can do this. Not looked into it
 
Same license

I can tell you how it works for Fusion, and I believe it works the same for Parallels

In Fusion, the steps are:

Install Windows in Boot Camp first
Activate Windows

Install Fusion
Run Windows from your Boot Camp Partition through Fusion
Install VMware Tools (important)
Activate Windows again using the same Key

At that point, you should not need to activate any more

Woof, Woof - Dawg
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belvdr said:
My bad on terminology, but if you have two separate installations of Windows, you need 2 licenses, plain and simple.
Click to expand...

That is true, but Parallels and Fusion run the installation that is on Boot Camp, not a separate installation. The detect the Boot Camp partition and run that copy of Windows without requiring a new installation.

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
MacDawg said:
That is true, but Parallels and Fusion run the installation that is on Boot Camp, not a separate installation. The detect the Boot Camp partition and run that copy of Windows without requiring a new installation.

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
Click to expand...

Agreed, doing it the way you are suggesting only requires one license. I recall being able to do this in VMWare a long, long time ago.
 
btownguy said:
If I were to have a MBP with both BootCamp & Parallels for Windows (BootCamp for gaming, Parallels for day-to-day stuff), would I need 2 separate Windows licenses? Or can I use the same license for both?
Click to expand...
I have done this. It works with only one license. Google the topic and you'll find this has been discussed and explained over the past two or three years.
 
Or, alternately, you can just read the answers to the original post in this thread that explain it

Woof, Woof - Dawg
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