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I've just installed a Windows XP and Windows 7 virtual machine in Oracle VirtualBox, as I want to test that my domain certificates are good for the forthcoming MS patch 2661254 (which checks the minimum length of public certificate keys is 1024bits)

However the VM won't install the patch as it says Windows has not been validated. I've been told I can't use my own MS product key to validate it, so how do I get around this?

I might be missing the obvious but I'm a bit stumped - surley for development MS should let me download the patches without acquiring a new product key?

Thanks

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You can't use a product key in two simultaneous installations, but you can, however, use a product key again if you don't plan on using the previous installation again. It seems a bit overkill to install a complete operating system just to check your certificates, just use Firefox or many of the other available options.

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  • +1 but I just want to add, if you don't have any licenses available you need to buy a license to be legal, you can not re-use a license that is installed on a desktop (With some execptions)
    – Scott Chamberlain
    Commented Sep 17, 2012 at 14:40
  • Thanks - I wasn't planning on re-using the license but thought MS may have had some exception with regards to a MS VM on a validated MS OS
    – user1178602
    Commented Sep 17, 2012 at 15:08
  • Nope, every installation of a MS OS needs to have a valid license, it doesn't matter whether it's a VM or on real hardware.
    – Stefan Seidel
    Commented Sep 17, 2012 at 15:22
  • @StefanSeidel Not necessarily, see the "some execptions" link in my first somment. You don't see it on the consumer level, but if you go to the server level there are editions that entitle you to X number of licenses in VM's running on the server.
    – Scott Chamberlain
    Commented Sep 19, 2012 at 7:30

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