Vista - 10 Vista Copies

Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies apply to the
product key or the actual downloaded file?

I'm confused.

it means that once you have downloaded and burned it to disc then you are
able to use the product key 10 times, so basically u can install it on up to
10 machines!

hope this makes sense lol

"Ryan" wrote:

> Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies apply to the
> product key or the actual downloaded file?
>
> I'm confused.

Not quite. It means that you may activate the product on ten different
machines. Reactivating on any of those ten different machines does not
count. You may do that several times without penalty. It is quite possible
to activate twenty or thirty times on the same product key as long as no
more than ten machines are involved.

"kierz521" <kierz521@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A5C3E0F1-5755-4278-9422-0BD15AB72660@microsoft.com...
> it means that once you have downloaded and burned it to disc then you are
> able to use the product key 10 times, so basically u can install it on up
> to
> 10 machines!
>
> hope this makes sense lol
>
> "Ryan" wrote:
>
>> Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies apply to
>> the
>> product key or the actual downloaded file?
>>
>> I'm confused.

I'm thinking of upgrading my motherboard and memory modules, does that count
as one machine or two?
It's the same box, same disk, same video card, same everything else. But I
think Microsoft counts it as 2 machines.

Mario

"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message
news:%23mAdrCPkGHA.4508@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Not quite. It means that you may activate the product on ten different
> machines. Reactivating on any of those ten different machines does not
> count. You may do that several times without penalty. It is quite
> possible to activate twenty or thirty times on the same product key as
> long as no more than ten machines are involved.
>
> "kierz521" <kierz521@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A5C3E0F1-5755-4278-9422-0BD15AB72660@microsoft.com...
>> it means that once you have downloaded and burned it to disc then you are
>> able to use the product key 10 times, so basically u can install it on up
>> to
>> 10 machines!
>>
>> hope this makes sense lol
>>
>> "Ryan" wrote:
>>
>>> Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies apply to
>>> the
>>> product key or the actual downloaded file?
>>>
>>> I'm confused.
>
>

Microsoft does not count it quite that way. A new mobo is not "counted".
It is certain hardware characteristics, some of which are on the mobo, that
are counted. It is a ten point system, with the accumulation of seven
points changed that triggers reactivation. At the time of activation, the
wizard generates a hardware hash that incorporates, among other things, the
hardware characteristics. The following is from:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...n-us;302878#5h

The 10 hardware characteristics that are used to determine the hardware
hash.

The following 10 hardware characteristics are used to determine the hardware
hash:
. Display adapter
. SCSI adapter
. IDE adapter
. Network adapter media access control address
. RAM amount range (for example, 0-64MB or 64-128MB)
. Processor type
. Processor serial number
. Hard disk device
. Hard disk volume serial number
. CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive


Note: Only the system drive is checked. Only the first cd/dvd drive is
checked. Ram is considered changed if the amount of ram changes by at least
64MB, but changing by more than that does not matter. Once one of the
hardware items changes, that hardware item is not counted as changed again
no matter how much swapping you do until reactivation writes a new hardware
hash. You could try out five video cards and it would only be one item
change (the first change sets the flag but further changes have no
additional effect.) You can change up to seven characteristics before
reactivation is triggered.

So if a lot of the items are built into your mobo, changing the mobo will
probably trigger reactivation. If your display adaptor and NIC are cards
and not integrated on the mobo you might not have to reactivate. In any
case, as you can see from the list, the mobo itself is not a hardware
characteristic.



"Mario" <mario@webacre.com> wrote in message
news:BA00DD10-7E8F-49F8-9DAC-FD098E482D3E@microsoft.com...
> I'm thinking of upgrading my motherboard and memory modules, does that
> count as one machine or two?
> It's the same box, same disk, same video card, same everything else. But I
> think Microsoft counts it as 2 machines.
>
> Mario
>
> "Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:%23mAdrCPkGHA.4508@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> Not quite. It means that you may activate the product on ten different
>> machines. Reactivating on any of those ten different machines does not
>> count. You may do that several times without penalty. It is quite
>> possible to activate twenty or thirty times on the same product key as
>> long as no more than ten machines are involved.
>>
>> "kierz521" <kierz521@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:A5C3E0F1-5755-4278-9422-0BD15AB72660@microsoft.com...
>>> it means that once you have downloaded and burned it to disc then you
>>> are
>>> able to use the product key 10 times, so basically u can install it on
>>> up to
>>> 10 machines!
>>>
>>> hope this makes sense lol
>>>
>>> "Ryan" wrote:
>>>
>>>> Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies apply
>>>> to the
>>>> product key or the actual downloaded file?
>>>>
>>>> I'm confused.
>>
>>
>

will RC1 release have the same 10 computer rule, I have installed vista on
three box's, so I may want to install RC1 on them same three box's

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

> Microsoft does not count it quite that way. A new mobo is not "counted".
> It is certain hardware characteristics, some of which are on the mobo, that
> are counted. It is a ten point system, with the accumulation of seven
> points changed that triggers reactivation. At the time of activation, the
> wizard generates a hardware hash that incorporates, among other things, the
> hardware characteristics. The following is from:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...n-us;302878#5h
>
> The 10 hardware characteristics that are used to determine the hardware
> hash.
>
> The following 10 hardware characteristics are used to determine the hardware
> hash:
> . Display adapter
> . SCSI adapter
> . IDE adapter
> . Network adapter media access control address
> . RAM amount range (for example, 0-64MB or 64-128MB)
> . Processor type
> . Processor serial number
> . Hard disk device
> . Hard disk volume serial number
> . CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive
>
>
> Note: Only the system drive is checked. Only the first cd/dvd drive is
> checked. Ram is considered changed if the amount of ram changes by at least
> 64MB, but changing by more than that does not matter. Once one of the
> hardware items changes, that hardware item is not counted as changed again
> no matter how much swapping you do until reactivation writes a new hardware
> hash. You could try out five video cards and it would only be one item
> change (the first change sets the flag but further changes have no
> additional effect.) You can change up to seven characteristics before
> reactivation is triggered.
>
> So if a lot of the items are built into your mobo, changing the mobo will
> probably trigger reactivation. If your display adaptor and NIC are cards
> and not integrated on the mobo you might not have to reactivate. In any
> case, as you can see from the list, the mobo itself is not a hardware
> characteristic.
>
>
>
> "Mario" <mario@webacre.com> wrote in message
> news:BA00DD10-7E8F-49F8-9DAC-FD098E482D3E@microsoft.com...
> > I'm thinking of upgrading my motherboard and memory modules, does that
> > count as one machine or two?
> > It's the same box, same disk, same video card, same everything else. But I
> > think Microsoft counts it as 2 machines.
> >
> > Mario
> >
> > "Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message
> > news:%23mAdrCPkGHA.4508@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> >> Not quite. It means that you may activate the product on ten different
> >> machines. Reactivating on any of those ten different machines does not
> >> count. You may do that several times without penalty. It is quite
> >> possible to activate twenty or thirty times on the same product key as
> >> long as no more than ten machines are involved.
> >>
> >> "kierz521" <kierz521@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:A5C3E0F1-5755-4278-9422-0BD15AB72660@microsoft.com...
> >>> it means that once you have downloaded and burned it to disc then you
> >>> are
> >>> able to use the product key 10 times, so basically u can install it on
> >>> up to
> >>> 10 machines!
> >>>
> >>> hope this makes sense lol
> >>>
> >>> "Ryan" wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies apply
> >>>> to the
> >>>> product key or the actual downloaded file?
> >>>>
> >>>> I'm confused.
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
>

You're covered. If RC1 takes the same product keys, installing RC1 by
upgrade or clean install on the same machines will not decrement the
counter. If RC1 uses fresh Product Keys you are starting over at ten again
anyway.

"Dave" <Dave@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1679D2C7-FD99-4A81-B4C3-2C4E4F79EAC5@microsoft.com...
> will RC1 release have the same 10 computer rule, I have installed vista on
> three box's, so I may want to install RC1 on them same three box's
>
> "Colin Barnhorst" wrote:
>
>> Microsoft does not count it quite that way. A new mobo is not "counted".
>> It is certain hardware characteristics, some of which are on the mobo,
>> that
>> are counted. It is a ten point system, with the accumulation of seven
>> points changed that triggers reactivation. At the time of activation,
>> the
>> wizard generates a hardware hash that incorporates, among other things,
>> the
>> hardware characteristics. The following is from:
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default...n-us;302878#5h
>>
>> The 10 hardware characteristics that are used to determine the hardware
>> hash.
>>
>> The following 10 hardware characteristics are used to determine the
>> hardware
>> hash:
>> . Display adapter
>> . SCSI adapter
>> . IDE adapter
>> . Network adapter media access control address
>> . RAM amount range (for example, 0-64MB or 64-128MB)
>> . Processor type
>> . Processor serial number
>> . Hard disk device
>> . Hard disk volume serial number
>> . CD-ROM/CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive
>>
>>
>> Note: Only the system drive is checked. Only the first cd/dvd drive is
>> checked. Ram is considered changed if the amount of ram changes by at
>> least
>> 64MB, but changing by more than that does not matter. Once one of the
>> hardware items changes, that hardware item is not counted as changed
>> again
>> no matter how much swapping you do until reactivation writes a new
>> hardware
>> hash. You could try out five video cards and it would only be one item
>> change (the first change sets the flag but further changes have no
>> additional effect.) You can change up to seven characteristics before
>> reactivation is triggered.
>>
>> So if a lot of the items are built into your mobo, changing the mobo will
>> probably trigger reactivation. If your display adaptor and NIC are
>> cards
>> and not integrated on the mobo you might not have to reactivate. In any
>> case, as you can see from the list, the mobo itself is not a hardware
>> characteristic.
>>
>>
>>
>> "Mario" <mario@webacre.com> wrote in message
>> news:BA00DD10-7E8F-49F8-9DAC-FD098E482D3E@microsoft.com...
>> > I'm thinking of upgrading my motherboard and memory modules, does that
>> > count as one machine or two?
>> > It's the same box, same disk, same video card, same everything else.
>> > But I
>> > think Microsoft counts it as 2 machines.
>> >
>> > Mario
>> >
>> > "Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst(remove)@msn.com> wrote in message
>> > news:%23mAdrCPkGHA.4508@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> >> Not quite. It means that you may activate the product on ten
>> >> different
>> >> machines. Reactivating on any of those ten different machines does
>> >> not
>> >> count. You may do that several times without penalty. It is quite
>> >> possible to activate twenty or thirty times on the same product key as
>> >> long as no more than ten machines are involved.
>> >>
>> >> "kierz521" <kierz521@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:A5C3E0F1-5755-4278-9422-0BD15AB72660@microsoft.com...
>> >>> it means that once you have downloaded and burned it to disc then you
>> >>> are
>> >>> able to use the product key 10 times, so basically u can install it
>> >>> on
>> >>> up to
>> >>> 10 machines!
>> >>>
>> >>> hope this makes sense lol
>> >>>
>> >>> "Ryan" wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Does the 10 Vista copies
>> >>>> apply
>> >>>> to the
>> >>>> product key or the actual downloaded file?
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I'm confused.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>>
>>
>>