Virtual machines and Windows licensing

I am currently running a legitimate installation of Windows 8 Pro under Parallels Desktop 8. But I've read that Parallels can use a Bootcamp parition rather than a virtual hard drive. Once a Bootcamp parition is used by a VM, can it also be used by booting directly from Bootcamp? If so, how would Windows handle the different drivers? That is the drivers used by Bootcamp vs the drivers used by Parallels...

My Windows 8 installation is tied to specific Product Key. If the above scenario did work, would Windows treat it as a separate installation and request a new key?

I also own VMWare Fusion and would like to try it with Windows 8 Pro. I am almost certain two different VM hosts could not share a Windows Product Key. And I doubt a single VM could be shared between Fusion and Parallels?

It would be nice to try different VM platforms wo/ buying separate licenses on the same host machine.

skallal said:

I am currently running a legitimate installation of Windows 8 Pro under Parallels Desktop 8. But I've read that Parallels can use a Bootcamp parition rather than a virtual hard drive.

Click to expand...

This isn't the way it works. Parallels needs to be installed within the Mac OS. Windows itself can be installed via bootcamp in its own HD partition.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

This isn't the way it works.

Click to expand...

Ah, but it is (or can be).

skallal, take a look at pg 15 here. Nothing suggests needing two separate licences.

I have no idea how the drivers works but I imagine that this isn't much of an issue beyond perhaps graphics drivers which would be handled by the Parallels Tools.

you can choose parallels to use your boot camp partition. when your in bootcamp when rebooting you will use the regular bootcamp drivers, when you log into bootcamp using parallels it will use the parallels drivers. You dont get as good performance as if you reboot and went into bootcamp native. also windows in parallels will ask you for a key again. if you do it once when you install bootcamp and again when you install parallels both should be active and be ok. just be careful how you set up parallels and make sure you set up the amount of ram ect your going to use and dont change it otherwise you might trigger the license activation again and i dont know if that will cause problems being the third time and all.

i wouldnt try and activate on 2 different VMs + bootcamp. 1 vm and bootcamp works but 2 VMs and bootcamp one may de-register.