Windows 10: Clone a virtual machine on a different system

Hello,I want to make a 1:1 copy of some Virtual Machines from system A and import them on a different system B using Hyper-V. Some have Windows Server 2016, Some Windows 10. I was wondering, will the Product ID be the same on both virtual machines after import?How can I proceed to change it and license the virtual machines that I will import on system B, so that I don't violate any license agreement or anything like that? I know, it would be easier to create a new VM and just import some databases and stuff, but I was wondering if it is possible and what is the legal path to "clone" a VM and

:)

 

Legality of Cloning Host OS to a Virtual Machine

Hello, I have a question regarding virtual machines and Windows. I apologize if this has already been asked. I have a situation where I would want to test a piece of malware on a Windows virtual machine, but I have no product keys available. I am wondering
if it would be legal to clone my host operating system (Windows 10 Pro) into a virtual machine (guest) that will be running on the same exact machine as the host, or would that be considered software piracy as I would not be using two product keys? I am aware
of how one could do this illegally, but I do not wish to do that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

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.

 

Installing a Virtual Machine in Windows 10

Step #1 is to decide which virtual machine software you wish to install.

The three most popular choices are:

• VirtualBox (from Oracle)
• VMWare Workstation Player (from VMWare); and
• Hyper-V (from Microsoft)

Once you've made your choice you can find detailed, illustrated instructions for installing each one on the internet.

As a personal suggestion: You might find it easier to use either VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation Player. Hyper-V is more complicated to setup.

Between VirtualBox and VMWare, I think you'll find VirtualBox more user-friendly, and it has the advantage of allowing you to create checkpoints - backups of your virtual machine - whereas to do that in VMWare you'll need to upgrade to their (expensive!)
paid version.