Windows 7 Professional Retail Key For 4 PC

Retail keys are licensed for a single computer. The fact that you got one retail key to successfully activate four computers doesn't mean a thing legally. Likely all four will upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but still you have only one legal license and technically that is determined by your proof of purchase/certificate of authenticity/product key card.

 

Yes, you can activate up to 8

 

I was kidding, only 1

 

ROFL

 

I've a WMC key that has activated 4 computers but I had to call Microsoft to confirm activation on each computer.
With the Windows 10 upgrade, maybe calling Microsoft by phone will be necessary to activate them.

 

Doesn't the action pack have a retail MAK?

 

MAK only Volume license not retail.

 

I have a so-called Family Pack which has one key inside that can be used to upgrade 3 PCs. But it is a RETAIL key so they must have the possibility to allow more than 1 activation per RETAIL key.

 

Normal retail allow for I believe 3 changes. Not 3 simultaneously usually. If this is the family pack as you say (never used one) then the 3 would still make sense. Probably setup in MS's DB as 3 simultaneous systems in this case. So technically I guess it could be called a retail MAK. *shrugs*

 

I have tested with a MSDN and Technet Retail Windows 8.1 key, that I can use on 10 computers at the same time. I created some VMs, used the same key (first from MSDN, then Technet).
I get the icon on all VMs, if I don't click on the icon first on the first VM. Then the icon will not appear at the other VMs.
And I can't reserve on other VMs, after I have reserved at one of them. And since MS says Windows 10 "consume" the key used on the "free" offer, my test seems to confirm that.

 

And that is also true with windows 8 retail keys and vms.

 

I had the Win7 Family Pack for three licenses, too. Unfortunately, as I discovered, the Family Pack keys are not properly identified by Microsoft's activation servers, so you can activate 1 of the 3 licenses via the Internet, but you will have to use phone activation for the other two. And when you call be sure and say "one" when asked how many machines you are installing to; if you say "two" or "three" you will be told that you cannot activate the key--you'll then have to call right back and go through the whole thing up to that point again--so be sure and say "one" even if you are putting it on three machines. That is a poor way to handle it--the activation servers should know that the FP key is good for three licenses...and you should be able to activate them all over the Internet without having to pick up the phone.

 

I did activate all three over the Internet.

 

Good...maybe they've fixed it, finally... I hope so...