Windows 10: Activate Windows 11 on a New Virtual Machine

I created a new VMware virtual machine and used a brand new Windows 11 ISO, but I needed to delete that VM and create an entirely new one. Now I cannot activate Windows on the new VM, since it was already activated on the previous one. I seriously no longer have and didn't even make use of the previous VM, and it seems like I should be able to use the same activation key for Windows on the new VM. I have left my phone number for Microsoft help like 3 times now and never receive a call back. Help?

:)

 

Windows 11 Virtual Machine "Activate windows"

I've got a Windows 11 virtual machine running on an activated copy of Windows 11 Pro with an OEM key.

I'd like to get Windows in the virtual machine activated also. Can I use the same key to activate the virtual machine, or is there a different method?

 

Clean install of W10 not possible in Virtual Machine.


Please get a cup of coffee, lean back and think an answer for these two questions. Take your time, then check the answers below the questions:

Questions:

1. If you do a clean install of let's say Windows 10 Insider Build 10525 on a totally new computer which has never had an activated Windows 10 on it, does it activate?
2. If you do a clean install of Windows 10 Insider Build on a computer where the underlying Windows 10, upgraded from a qualifying old operating system has already been activated, does it activate?

Answers:

1. No, of course not.
2. Yes, of course.

Why do you think that a virtual machine would make any difference? You have tried to install Windows 10 on a totally new machine which has never had an activated Windows 10 installed, therefore the Microsoft activation servers block the activation due invalid machine ID. In the highlighted part in below quote you admit your mistake yourself, plain and simple, yet you when doing this wrong draw conclusion that even if done correctly it would not work:

What you have tried is essentially the same as if you took a brand new real physical PC without any operating system, which has never had any operating system, and then installed Windows 10 Insider Preview wondering why it does not activate! Virtual Machines behave exactly the same way; if you want to clean install Windows 10 Insider Preview and get it activated you must do it on an existing virtual machine, one which has already had an upgraded Windows 10 activated. This "computer", the virtual machine, its machine ID is marked on activation servers as valid and activated and it will of course activate.

Be it a virtual machine or a physical computer, you cannot activate a clean installed Windows 10 Insider Preview on a totally new machine. How difficult can this be to understand?

When clean installing Windows 10 Insider Preview on a computer which has already had a previous Windows 10 Insider activated, you do not use the product key! It will be asked twice, once before the installation starts and once after the last reboot to OOBE phase. In both cases you skip the product key and your Windows will be automatically activated.

 

Windows 10 won't activate in virtual machine on Mac

I had Windows 10 installed on a virtual machine created by Parallels on a MacBook Pro. I had a software problem and had to delete the virtual machine and recreate a new one. This happened twice. I am now on my third virtual machine, on the same device,
and Windows will not activate because it says it is already activated on another device. I went to my Microsoft account and tried deleting the other virtual machines (listed as laptop devices) but this did not help. Can anyone let me know how to solve the
problem? Thank you.