I can't quite see how the guest OS would affect the host OS in this way. Are you sure that you didn't somehow 'test' some other tool that broke your XP installation or changed the actual hardware around the same time?
A couple of bits of information that I do know of XP licensing: I understand that a single XP key can be activated at most 5 times (I guess this allows for re-installs and such). I haven't tested this myself. If I remember correctly the item of hardware that has the most effect on activation is the network card possibly determined by the burned in Mac address). I think it has a weighting of seven (or something) whereas memory and CPU have a weighting of one each respectively. XP determines 'how much' hardware has changed using this weighting. Thus you can change memory and cpu without requiring re-activation but if you change the network card and memory the chances are much higher that re-activation will be required. Still I learned this stuff in 2001 whilst doing an MCSE so it may be out of date or down right wrong. To answer q3, I would think it would only in-validate your key if it has been used a few times. Q4. Short answer: no and/or yes. Long answer: If you have an oem key that came pre-installed with your hardware then technically you can only use it on that hardware. If you have a retail key then you can install it on any hardware even virtual hardware. Q5 Not exactly. You can install any Microsoft 'trial' OS/Software achieving the same end. Still none of this information explains your particular situation. Hope this helps you somehow. R -----Original Message----- From: vbox-users-boun...@virtualbox.org [mailto:vbox-users-boun...@virtualbox.org] On Behalf Of Fernando Cassia Sent: 25 January 2010 19:31 To: VirtualBox end user list Subject: [vbox-users] Can a non-legit XP cd key in a VM trigger ade-activation in the host OS (perhaps over the net by IP?) This is strange... I am running WinXP SP2 here (the XP Home that came pre-installed in my Gateway 7422 notebook). I was in a rush to install another XP virtualized to run some "password cracker" downloaded from one of those "security sites" with unknown reputation. So instead of risking to infect my host OS with some trojan, I created a Virtualbox VM. I used a XP Pro CD I had lying around, but since I didn´t want the legit cd-key invaldated due to the additional installation, I googled for a XP cd-key and entered it in the XP install screens. At some point during the install (i don´t remember if during the install or right after the first boot) it warned that the serial number or cd was was not valid -or known pirated number I really don´t remember- and that activation was needed. So it put the XP guest in a 21-day countdown. I ran the "password cracker" on the VM, then closed the VM and erased it. When I rebooted the host system, my copy of XP became "de-activated". I had to go through the WPA activation over the phone with Microsoft´s local branch. Luckily, it all worked, and my system was active 30 minutes later. Now the questions that come to mind are: 1. could it be possible that some service in the host OS was contacted from Microsoft.com and the host OS "de-activated" because of what happened in the guest OS?. 2. Is there a way to pass the host OS activation to the guest OS? 3. If I use a legit XP cd-key (that I have but never installed it in a VM) would that invalidate my legit XP installation?. 4. What is Microsoft´s position with regards to this? Do they allow running the same Windows license in a VM? Or is one supposed to purchase an additional license just to run virtualized?. 5. Doesn´t Microsoft offer any ready-to-run XP appliance (even if with a time limit) that we could import into XP?. Thanks for any thoughts. FC _______________________________________________ vbox-users mailing list vbox-users@virtualbox.org http://vbox.innotek.de/mailman/listinfo/vbox-users _______________________________________________ vbox-users mailing list vbox-users@virtualbox.org http://vbox.innotek.de/mailman/listinfo/vbox-users
