Windows 7 reactivation after clone to another ext disk.

[demon1]

Experts,

I have the following issue. After I clone (backup) my virtuals (Windows 7 + W2k8) to another ext disk, means to different HW, the cloned windows virtual machine is asking for windows activation. Just note, that orig virtual windows machine was properly activated.

I am looking for some settings in Windows or VMware Workstation to prevent this reactivation win behavior.

It is no problem to reactivate windows in newly cloned virtual machine, but I have no idea what can I do with lots of snapshot already created.

Ideally, after cloning I would like to see VM not asking me for this reactivation (like OS - XP, W2k3...)

Is this possible?

Thanks in advance for help!

demon1

[continuum]

there are hundreds of ways to clone a VM ... how did you do it ?

did you say "I copied the VM" when you started it for the first time ?

[demon1]

I usually clone virtual from Snapshot Manager window / choose the snapshot / clone.

Or physically copy all directory with my virtual files to another location.

Yes, when newly cloned VM starts, I say "I copied the VM".

[continuum]

try again and say "I moved it ..."

are the CPUs on both systems very different ?

[demon1]

OK, just testing this,...will report the result.

I think the CPU is used the same from host PC.

My host PC is i7 X920 2 GHz with 8 CPUs, and for my VM I normally specify this:

32-bit VM - with 2 CPU 1 core

64-bit VM - with 2 CPU 2 core

[continuum]

IMHO assigning 4 CPUs for a VM under Workstation makes no sense - but thats a matter of taste

[demon1]

You are right, just edited - it is 2 CPU and 2 core.

Better?

[continuum]

thats still 2 x 2 = 4 cores ? isn't it ?

[demon1]

Correct

Will give the result asap from my backup cloning.

[demon1]

My interesting testing results:

Workstation 8

I Used 2 different ways to backup 2 VM with W7:

1. RMB in snapshot and clone

2. just copy whole VM directory

Results in 2 different PCs:

In Company PC "A":

did not have any problem with activation with these 2 cloned/copied VMs. Tried few EXT disks.

Workstation even did not ask about if VM was copied or moved when VM started. Just open it normally, without ask anything. - Win activated.

In Home PC "B":

I need to run Workstation "as Administrator" because if did not run like that I got error "insufficient permission to access file"

Both 2 VMs ask at startup what to do, I clicked to "I moved it ..."

Then 1st VM which I cloned (RMB in snapshot and clone) - Win was not activated

2nd VM which I just copied all directory (just copy whole VM directory) - Win was activated

Any comments are very appreciated!

Thanks

[continuum]

are you aware that changing virtual hardware from v7 to v8 may trigger a rew-activation ?

[demon1]

Well, then I do not understand why when cloning and copying the same VM to the home PC

      1st VM was not activated and 2nd was activated.

No idea.

PS. yes testing VMs are still v.7 and both PCs have already v.8

[continuum]

copy with explorer works with current state of the VM
clone via snapshotmanager selects a snapshot - which maybe older than current state ?

[demon1]

Correct, snapshot may be older than current state.

However, it is pretty new, and current state is no different from snapshot state.

[demon1]

For this moment I have workaround:

Copy physically exact disk files to another EXT disk to the same path, and name the disk the same like old one eg. V:\

So, did not use clone function from VMware.
Start VMware Workstation, and if ask say "moved" (for me it did not asked).

Start normally image and windows was activated.

[SOLVED]