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So, I bought a whole new setup and I want to transfer my Vista Home Premium license to the new box (probably turn the old one into a linux server).

Anyone have any experience with this and have 'gotchas' to avoid?  Or should it be pretty transparent?  Do I have to un-register and then re-register with MS?

Procedurally, I'm thinking backup old stuff, install Vista on new box, restore from backup.  Or, is that naive?

Hey!  Something I can help someone with.

When I built my last 'new' rig, I bought the Vista Premium 64 System Builders Pack from newegg.  A buddy said I'd be screwed if I ever made 'significant' changes to my computer, and would be required to buy another OS.  A couple weeks ago, I replaced my mobo, added another vid card for SLI, and a different HD.  Before hand, I contact MS to find out, and this was the conversation:

MS rep said: "If you make significant changes to your computer, you will be prompted to re-activate your copy of Windows Vista."
I said: "I wasn't sure if it was good for one hardware configuration forever, if that makes sense"
MS rep said:  "No, you can upgrade or make hardware changes on your computer.  You can also re-install and re-activate your copy of Windows Vista any number of times"

Hope that helps.

If its a non-OEM copy, you can reinstall it all you like.  But it will detect when you 'make significant changes' - i.e. install it on something else since the last time you activated it with Microsoft.  I have two copies of XP that I've had installed on a half dozen machines that I've upgraded to in the past six or so years.  Each time requires a call to Microsoft, but they always activate it. 

Unless its OEM, its your copy of the OS and not the machine's.

As far as your procedure, I wouldn't have both machines online running the same OS because MS will definitely not like that and may hassle you when you try to re-activate.

Nah, it's a full retail version.

I did some research and from what I understand I can actually install it (Vista) to the new machine use the easy transfer utility to migrate my stuff to the new one across the network, take the old system off line and then register the new one.  Apparently there is a period between install and registering to allow for just such an activity.

I'll give it a shot and post how it goes.

If that's true, I hate Vista a little less.   :awesome_for_real:

The way Microsoft's official party line views it is thus:

The only OS versions that possess stand-alone licenses are OEM and Full Retail.

OEM validations are not transferable to new computers and are tied to the system's motherboard.  If you change the motherboard for any reason and try to reinstall the OS, it'll snag on validation.

Full Retail can be transferred wherever.

Upgrade can be transferred, but there must be a 'base' OS already existing on the machine that the upgrade is installed on.  So you can't install an upgrade copy on a new machine, it must have an OEM or Full Retail copy on it first.

Volume License copies are for all intents and purposes Upgrade editions.


Now, this is of course Microsoft's will rather than the technical reality of the matter.  Upgrades can be fairly easily installed on bare computers, OEMs can usually be reactivated on new motherboards by calling in to Microsoft and telling 'em that the old motherboard died.  If you're in a situation where you have to follow the letter of the license contracts, the above rules will apply to you.  If you're a home user sneaking an upgrade license onto a new computer, they probably aren't going to come and kick down your door over it.