Moving Windows 7 Enterprise

[raygg]

How do I move Win7 Enterprise to another pc using recovery disk or a similar method?

My thinkpad video died and I determined it was a hardware problem. I bought a same model refurb Thinkpad, swapped the HD with the old laptop and I am back in business, and I did not even have to reinstall a driver. The new one came with 32 bit Win 7 enterprise installed on the HD. The broken laptop originally had windows xp 32 bit which I replaced with win7 Pro 64 bit.

Now I have a dead laptop with the win7 enterprise on the HD that came with the refurb. I did nothing to the hd with the win7 Ent - I just removed the HD. Is it possible to create a recovery disk with the win7 Ent and install it on a desktop (not a Lenovo) that is currently running Vista so I can utilize the Win Ent7 in place of the vista on my desktop?

Now I know the Lenovo can handle either a 32 or 64 bit OS install. The pc where I want to install the Enterprise 7 has a 32 bit board.

The replacement PC came with no paperwork - how do I find out the installation key for the enterprise 7?

Is moving the ent7 possible without an ISO installation disk?

Is there anything illegal about this? I own all the PCs in question and none are being used commercially.

 

[goombawaho]

Is there anything illegal about this?

Yes. The license that comes with your computer, an OEM license for Windows, CANNOT be moved to a different computer - period. It is supposed to live and die with the computer it came on with the only allowance being that if the motherboard dies and you can't find the exact same model replacement, you can use the next most similar available to you at the time. But, that's not what you did.

In your case, you are in clear violation of the Microsoft product license. I don't think anyone is going to call the Microsoft cops for what you did with the old hard drive/new laptop scenario. But, moving the license from the dead laptop to a desktop is way beyond the beyond in terms of licensing.

Read this my brotha:

http://download.microsoft.com/downl.../OEMSoftwareLicensingRulesandRestrictions.pdf

Is it technically possible to do what you asked, possibly, but I don't think that telling you how to do something improper would be appreciated here. Just like telling you how to hack into someone's wireless would not be tolerated. KnowWhatIMean?

 

[raygg]

Thank you for your response - but you missed something. You said "In your case, you are in clear violation of the Microsoft product license." Not sure you read what I wrote. I did nothing. I posed a technical question. How can I be in violation of a license?

If you are referring to the win7 Pro license - that license is a retail license which was never installed on the original harddrive, and was not obtained from Lenovo. I can remove it from that laptop and install it anywhere I want.

The license on the refurb laptop cannot be identified as either a retail license or an OEM license. The COA on the laptop is for Vista - and there is no documentation with the laptop of ANY KIND. Nothing nada nyet. Isn't there some license requirement by Microsoft that OEM licenses must be accompanied by a COA and a license agreemnet? If it's not there then I have to presume it is a retail license.

Does anyone have a technical response to the original questions?

 

[goombawaho]

I read the whole thing, carefully, but it wasn't that clear to me that it was a RETAIL copy on the moved hard drive. My bad - "would be in violation".

If you swapped a RETAIL version on dead laptop to the new laptop, that's fine. But, you can't move the Win 7 Enterprise from the new laptop to a desktop. There's no debate - if it comes on a branded machine, it's OEM license and it can't be moved.

Does anyone have a technical response to the original questions?

I'm sure they do, but..... I don't think an answer is coming because they don't like people talking about finding key codes especially with the aim of violating the license. Why is the key code not on the bottom of the new computer anyway?

 

[raygg]

Why is the key code not on the bottom of the new computer anyway?"

Good question. I paid a reasonable price - received what appears to be a used machine built 4 years ago in very good condition - no paperwork, no manual, no COA, no warranty doc, no license info, no sticker. Just a vista COA on the bottom of the machine and a shipping document. You tell me. Why should I think this is an OEM license with such a delivery? Isn't there an equally good speculation this could be a retail license? I know next to nothing about resale of hardware or microsoft licenses - just call me one of the unwashed masses. I just use it. What should I know about this that I do not know that makes you so certain this is an OEM license?

 

[strongm]

>The license on the refurb laptop cannot be identified as either a retail license or an OEM license

The mere fact that you cannot say which it is means that you do not have a COA for it (as you in fact specifically then state) and if you don't have a COA then it is illegal (whether it is retail or OEM).

 

[goombawaho]

The mere fact that you cannot say which it is means that you do not have a COA for it (as you in fact specifically then state) and if you don't have a COA then it is illegal (whether it is retail or OEM).

I don't know what to make of this whole thread now, but I'm suspicious of everything at this point. Not saying the OP is a scammer, but in fact maybe he GOT scammed with the used laptop/license situation.

I agree with STRONGM that we don't know what, if any, legal license came with it, but it's certainly suspicious. Time to give up on this thread and the OP should just break down and buy a new legal license. I don't think any reputable T-T members will want to help out nor would T-T management appreciate it.

If I had to bet, I'd say the OP got the used laptop from a disreputable supplier who used a volume license key code (read: bootleg) on many computer that he supplies - thus no COA for Windows 7 on the laptop.

 

[rclarke250]

No lenovo laptop ships with an enterprise copy of windows, it is most likely a company used asset, that was never wiped of the enterprise key used by said company, find them all the time on ebay. Sometimes Lenovo puts the COA under the battery, which I like. If there is no COA on the Lenovo, it may be a refurb, that someone replaced the bottom plastics and that would not have a COA either, you have to make a request at the time of service, and send the old plastic in, and get a new COA sent to you. The only legal copies we can discern at this point is the original XP key, and the retail windows 7 key from the original Lenovo laptop. In other words, there is no way to transfer that windows 7 enterprise key legally. A new windows 7 key would need to be purchased.

 

[goombawaho]

Thanks to RClarke250 for agreeing with my conclusion and a good thought on the license origin.

How crazy is a company that lets a laptop out the door without wiping the HDD OR giving it to an IT re-purposing company that didn't actually wipe incoming hard drives. That's kind of sad for this day not to have a corporate HDD wiped. Minimum loss = the enterprise product key, maximum loss = ??????

 

[raygg]

All very interesting.

"How crazy is a company..."
The HD appeared to be wiped with a clean install of Ent7. So I don't think that's the case.

" Not saying the OP is a scammer, but in fact maybe he GOT scammed with the used laptop/license situation."
So it appears based on what you guys are writing that if the price I paid included a portion for the invalid license then I got scammed. It would appear that I would have a justifiable case to go back to the seller and request a partial refund since the original description for the item for sale included "Enterprise Win7 OS" - and the license is invalid without a COA or other doc. Is that correct? BTW is there something else they could send me in lieu of the COA sticker that would make this legal? Like an installation disk with a key?

 

[strongm]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/genuine/what-to-look-for

 

[goombawaho]

Yeah, the seller disregarded the rules. No COA for Windows 7 - only a Vista COA. Questions I would ask: "Okay, how did it get Win 7 on it?" "Are you using the same stolen/bootleg Win 7 Enterprise key code on tons of computers?" "Maybe I should turn you in to M$ if you don't cooperate"

Like an installation disk with a key?

Not a substitute for a COA. A DVD and a key code minus COA sticker = bootleg

 

[raygg]

Having said all that - what about when university students get free, authorized and legal downloads of M$ OS and other MS software - they never get a COA with that yet those are legitimate and legal software copies - and I believe they can move them from one laptop to another without violating the license, if for instance, they have to replace a laptop. I have a good friend taking grad courses in CS who told me almost any M$ product is available to him as a legit grad student to use just like a retail copy. He also has the option for a small price like $10 or $20 to get the DVD version in addition to the downloadable version. The downloadable version is an ISO copy. I think the license expires when he graduates, tho. But he, like most people, is taking a few years to do an MS at night.

 

[strongm]

>what about when university students get free, authorized and legal downloads of M$ OS

They are normally licensed through their educational establishment's Academic Volume Licensing. So the licence and COA exist, they just are not in the hands of the student. And they sure as heck cannot resell it.

 

[raygg]

OK.

 

[goombawaho]

So the license and COA exist, they just are not in the hands of the student.

Same thing goes for corporate licenses. The COA on the computer may say Windows 7 Professional and it will be different on each PC because it's purchased from an OEM, but each computer actually has the same Key Code on it from the corporate licensing agreement.

I see a guy on C.L. all the time that LOOKS like he's selling those - "Windows 7 $39 downloaded onto a DVD..with key code."

You could have your buddy get you one of those and we'd never know. It's not that I'm that pious personally but when giving advice on here, we stick to the rules, i.e. not to help people bootleg software, bypass digital rights management, or hack into a (stolen) laptop. Those posts disappear................

 

[raygg]

I emailed the seller to 1) request them to substantiate that the win7 Ent is a valid license, or 2) give me a partial refund so I can buy a valid key, or 3) send me a valid license. This is a quote from their response (which came in a matter of hours). I'm suspecting the person who wrote this response does not speak English as a first language.

I quote their response but protect the name of the seller.

" Thank you for the reply,
As you may or may not know Lenovo T61 do not come with a Windows 7 from the manufacture but they come with Vista Business installed.
The Windows 7 license is a corporate license [NAME OF SELLER CO].

The key its an enterprise key. We did not provide the key because we do not want the key to be shared or used to install more windows 7 ENT on other systems. Windows 7 ENT its only a [NAME OF SELLER CO] license. We purchased enough licenses to be also installed on our lenovo T61 machines.

There is a way to retrieve the license from the windows registry, but its a [NAME OF SELLER CO] license and not an OEM license.

We apologize if we did not specified that in the AD, "we tough that buyers would know that an enterprise version of the OS is not a regular version like PRO and so on.
If the version of the OS was a bootleg when you would try to install Microsoft updates it would fail. Microsoft has stepped up against piracy.

If you are not fully satisfied with the product and you feel it may be scam of a sort, we will be more than happy to refund you the full price of the laptop plush the shipping, no questions asked.
We want our buyers to be 100% satisfied.

We apologies for any inconvenience. Please let us know how we can be more of assistance.

Best Regards
"

Comments?

 

[goombawaho]

So, to me, it sounds like they got these laptops OFF-LEASE from Ditzy Incorporated and then sold them again with their corporate license. I don't think that's kosher from Microsoft's perspective and I don't think that Ditzy Incorporated would appreciate it either. I think they should have wiped the drives and installed Vista to be legal.

They were, however, very forthcoming about what they did AND offered a 100% refund, either to keep you happy AND/OR keep you quiet.

Your move - return for refund, which would snafu your laptop swap or move forward and buy a license for the desktop. As stated before, you COULD ferret out the key code and use it, but that would be naughty and not recommended by us (T-T or T-T posters).

I'd say, if you got a good deal on the laptop then you are doing well because you have a functioning "new" laptop without having to reload the OS or your programs. What you do for your desktop up to you.

 

[goombawaho]

Just wanted to include this link. That company you bought the laptop from pretty much did everything wrong.

http://www.microsoft.com/refurbishedpcs/AvoidPiracy.aspx

 

[strongm]

They've clearly stated that it isn't your license ... but I disagree that they are very forthcoming, as they then try to con you into believing that it this is perfectly legitimate with the meaningless "If the version of the OS was a bootleg when you would try to install Microsoft updates it would fail. Microsoft has stepped up against piracy" (the Microsoft Update service, of course, has no way of determing that this is what has happened, and thus will not fail; this does not make it a legitimate version), and also "we tough that buyers would know that an enterprise version of the OS is not a regular version like PRO and so on" (it is their responsibity, not the purchaser's, to ensure that the PC they are selling is properly licensed).

And they sure as heck are not allowed to resell a corporate volume license. Me, I'd get my money back, and then report them to Microsoft. Or, as goombawaho says, buy yourself a license and still report them.

Note that there's a genuine refurb program run by Microsoft which allows AUTHORIZED refurbishers to provide cheap, new, legal copies of an OS with a refurbished machine, including a nice new COA and license. The guidelines are pretty clear ...