Windows XP license on Bootcamp AND Parallels?

[cheewaga]

Lets say I just bought a Mac Pro and I purchased a Windows XP Professional single-user license. I use bootcamp to dual boot into the Mac OS and into Windows XP. Fine and dandy. Now what if I got the Parallels software and wanted to run Windows inside Mac OS? Will this run with a Windows XP single users license? XP activation and identification is based on hardware, correct? So I should be able to use bootcamp and Parallels with one copy of Windows XP, correct? Has anyone tried this?

 

[D3v1L80Y]

Physically it is the same computer.
Technically, it would be two computers.
Paralells creates a virtual machine so if you were to be extremely literal about it, it would be a second machine you are installing a single-user license OS on.

 

[dtravis7]

That is a very good question. I have never thought about it. Does anyone know for sure? Since it's on the same hardware, I wonder if it will work? But since it's emulating some things it might not. There are people who have both Parallels and Bootcamp installed.

 

[coach_z]

that is an amazing question!!!!!!!!

probably be no real answer until it ends up in court or something
-chris

 

[D3v1L80Y]

This should answer the question:

Windows XP activation with Both Boot Camp and Parallels on One Mac
Activation worked fine with Boot Camp for a licensed copy of XP that had not been previously activated on any PC. But once I rebooted into OS X to install Windows again using Parallels the activation failed with the same Product Key.

Like I had mentioned, Parallels creates a "second" computer, thereby rendering a single-license unusable. To be 100% compliant and legal, you would need to get a second license.

The person who wrote the article got around this, but only by telling a "white lie"...

A quick call to I Microsoft solved the problem. ........ I think the key phrase to use is, “reinstalling” on the same machine. She then gave me the confirmation number ....

He wasn't reinstalling anything, he was completing a second install of a single-user license.

Link

 

[dtravis7]

That makes sense as Parallels is an emulation and not like running natively. Thanks for the info as usual DB. I really do not need Parallels and the little I would need windows on a Mac would be fine with Boot-camp. I have 4 Licenses of XP Pro though if the need ever arises.

 

[cheewaga]

Thanks everyone! This has been really helpful!