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VMWare/Bootcamp ~ This Copy Windows Not Genuine

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Saladsamurai

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
152
0
I have windows 7 installed via Bootcamp. Then I installed VMware and had it point to my BC partition. I never noticed it doing this before, but now it keeps telling me that "this copy of windows not genuine" when I run in VM (not sure if the Bootcamp partition - version says this; I'll test it now) I was fairly confident that there was no licensing issue since the "point to BootCamp" option even exists.

I did some searching, but not too many solutions that I am finding. Anyone familiar with a remedy for this one?

Thanks :)
 
Saladsamurai said:
I have windows 7 installed via Bootcamp. Then I installed VMware and had it point to my BC partition. I never noticed it doing this before, but now it keeps telling me that "this copy of windows not genuine" when I run in VM (not sure if the Bootcamp partition - version says this; I'll test it now) I was fairly confident that there was no licensing issue since the "point to BootCamp" option even exists.

I did some searching, but not too many solutions that I am finding. Anyone familiar with a remedy for this one?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

It's been a long time since I did this, but if I recall correctly... When you Activate your copy of windows on bootcamp, then install Fusion and have it open the bootcamp partition as a VM, the activation breaks. This is because Windows thinks it has been copied to a new/different system because you are now running on very different (virtual) hardware - different amount of RAM, different CPU, different NIC, etc...

I know that I was able to reactivate Windows - but I think I had to call Microsoft to get a new activation code. If you find the section in windows that allow you to activate, there should be a link that will help you find the appropriate phone number for your location.

Like I said, it's been a long time, but I think the activation under bootcamp still worked for me. I don't think I had to reactivate yet again under bootcamp, but there were definitely some issues.

Best of Luck!
 
Saladsamurai said:
I have windows 7 installed via Bootcamp. Then I installed VMware and had it point to my BC partition. I never noticed it doing this before, but now it keeps telling me that "this copy of windows not genuine" when I run in VM (not sure if the Bootcamp partition - version says this; I'll test it now) I was fairly confident that there was no licensing issue since the "point to BootCamp" option even exists.

I did some searching, but not too many solutions that I am finding. Anyone familiar with a remedy for this one?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I am thinking of doing the same thing. Please let me know....

1. is the bootcamp windows losing activation?
2. could you somehow activate the vm version of windows?
 
chris650 said:
I am thinking of doing the same thing. Please let me know....

1. is the bootcamp windows losing activation?
2. could you somehow activate the vm version of windows?
Click to expand...

I will update this thread when I have called MS. :)
 
my nightmare with installing vmware:

installing on the imac... no problem
my bootcamp partition has a windows 7 64bit.

when i opened up virtual machine, my windows 7 boots up perfectly (i have a limitless installation version of windows)

Then when i lauchned word 2007.....it asked for validation again. from reading here, i understand that ms software regard vm as new machine.

So, when i called MS. they told me my installation code is invalid, whcih means that something is broken with my office software.
then referred to customer service, waited for an hour. an indian rep came online... another hour later, diagnosis... two opa12.dat files are corrupted by VM. and we had to go through regedit to remove registration and start installation again. another hour later, finally got a confirmation number based on new installation code....
now it's working.... that night, i had a nightmare......vm and bill gates want to kill me...
 
Vm'ing the boot camp partition is a bad idea on many levels. I've been there and done that. Never going back.
 
I've had the same issue in the past with both Parallels and VMWare Fusion. Here's what I've found solves it:

  1. Reactivate Windows from within Boot Camp. You might need to use the phone method (which takes about 10 minutes).
  2. Reboot into OS X and start up VMWare Fusion
  3. Install VMWare Tools when you are running Windows from within the VM.
  4. Reactivate Windows within Fusion (again, you might need to use the phone method). You might be asked whether you installed any new hardware on your "PC." Just say Yes and it should let you proceed.

VMWare Tools (and Parallels Tools) is equipped to "save" the activation information so that after you get it successfully reactivated on both setups, it shouldn't need to reactivate.
 
ActionableMango said:
Vm'ing the boot camp partition is a bad idea on many levels. I've been there and done that. Never going back.
Click to expand...
I am beginning to experience this myself.

Tomorrow will be the first time I am installing Windows 7 directly into a Parallels virtual machine, and we'll see how that goes and maybe I'll delete the Bootcamp partition completely.

The Bootcamp partition works great, but you know how it is...we bought Macs because we want to be on Macs, not on Windows.
 
chris650 said:
really?

please elaborate...so i might reconsider...
Click to expand...

You might notice when you are creating the virtual machine form the Bootcamp installation, you get a popup warning you not to ever start the Bootcamp Windows after you've created the virtual machine, not to make any hardware changes after you've created the virtual machine, or install major software updates on the Bootcamp partition.

You end up with the feeling, after using it for a while, that Bootcamp is great but not necessarily for creating virtual machines.

I do not know what I am doing, yet. I have to admit that. :)
 
George Knighton said:
You might notice when you are creating the virtual machine form the Bootcamp installation, you get a popup warning you not to ever start the Bootcamp Windows after you've created the virtual machine, not to make any hardware changes after you've created the virtual machine, or install major software updates on the Bootcamp partition.
Click to expand...

There are two ways to use a Boot Camp install in VMWare.

The way that gives you that warning is migrating/importing the Boot Camp to a VM, which is a one way street. The other way is the shared way, launch a Boot Camp partition, which generally works well if you want Boot Camp, but occasionally want to use it in VMWare or vice versa.

Launch: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/mi...nguage=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1014618

Import: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/mi...nguage=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1015088

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George Knighton said:
You might notice when you are creating the virtual machine form the Bootcamp installation, you get a popup warning you not to ever start the Bootcamp Windows after you've created the virtual machine, not to make any hardware changes after you've created the virtual machine, or install major software updates on the Bootcamp partition.

You end up with the feeling, after using it for a while, that Bootcamp is great but not necessarily for creating virtual machines.

I do not know what I am doing, yet. I have to admit that. :)
Click to expand...

Really? Is that Parallels or VMWare? If it's VMWare, they are just covering themselves in case something does happen - their solution is solid.

I've had several Bootcamp partition which I run in VMWare and Boot Camp and haven't had any problems with them apart from activating twice - running XP, Vista and 7 on four different macs, and installing/uninstalling lots of software, swapping in hardware cards.
 
So far this morning, I am impressed with how well the Parallels virtual machine non-Bootcamp works in relation to the machine that was created with Bootcamp.

The way that the Bluetooth keyboard, Magic TrackPad and Magic Mouse work equally well across the two platforms is very nice.

Definitely grabs some huge chunks of memory, though, while using OSX the same way I'd usually use it. 7.92GB in use out of 8.00GB total. No lagging or anything...just surprised.
 
George Knighton said:
Parallels. Happens on both the MacBook and the iMac.
Click to expand...

Ah OK. I was concerned I'd clicked through a warning without reading it in VMWare there :).

I did use Parallels for a while, and found that the speed was very impressive, but the stability when using Boot Camp wasn't as good as VMWare - I had to reinstall XP at one point. I didn't have any major problems running VM's with file based disks though.
 
George Knighton said:
Parallels. Happens on both the MacBook and the iMac.
Click to expand...

bobnugget said:
Ah OK. I was concerned I'd clicked through a warning without reading it in VMWare there :).
Click to expand...

Parallels has the same two ways of dealing with Boot Camp partitions as VMWare. A shared mode and an import mode. The warning is most certainly for the import mode.

I don't have links to the Parallels KB articles, as I am a VMWare user on all but my lowly 2006 iMac where I still use Parallels/XP.

EDIT: This link http://www.askdavetaylor.com/use_winxp_boot_camp_partition_in_parallels.html covers the bases.

All three of the methods here: http://download.parallels.com/desktop/v5/docs/en/Parallels_Transporter_Users_Guide/30980.htm lead to a new VM that is decoupled from the original Boot Camp partition and should generate the warning.

This describes the shared install for V4. http://download.parallels.com/desktop/v4/docs/en/Parallels_Desktop_Users_Guide/22183.htm

B
 
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