Multiple Windows 10 installations by copying a VM?

[chcsep]

We are updating our 6 or so Windows 7 installations to Windows 10, using new Windows 10 licenses.

Can we just install Windows 10 onto one virtual machine, get it configured as desired, copy the VM and update the license key on the copies?

(My colleague is trying to do this and I'm inclined to believe that this is not a good idea due to licensing issues, but maybe Windows 10 works in such a way that lets this work?)

Thanks in advance.

[daphnissov · Accepted solution]

Shouldn't be a problem to do that as Windows will require reactivation anyhow once it detects it's been cloned. I haven't done this with Windows 10 but with earlier versions this was fairly straightforward and I imagine not much has changed.

[chcsep]

Oh, good. That's reassuring! Thanks!

[wila]

Hi,

Just one additional note.

If you start up the copy, you get a question "did you copy or move" the VM.

Be sure to select COPY as otherwise your copied VM will use the same virtual hardware ID's and you'll end up getting problems when you use those VMs in the same network as they would have the same network MAC address etc..

--

Wil