Win 7 Pro COA's A question of compatibility...

[Smokestoomuch]

A received a bunch of Dell and (2) HP Win 7 Professional COA's and I need to find out if they're any good. I was wondering if the Dell and HP COA's will install on a Thinkpad if I use the Dell and HP Win 7 Professional OEM software, i.e., does Microsoft check the hardware for compatibility or do they check the software for compatibility?

[theterminator93]

Strictly speaking, the license key on a particular COA that is affixed to a certain piece of hardware is the proof of license to install and use the software on that hardware. OEMs use a generic "one for all" multiple activation key with some certificates slipstreamed into the OS which authenticate that particular key against information in the hardware (e.g. Lenovo OEM installations look for information in the BIOS to determine if that hardware matches information in the embedded security certificate to determine if the hardware meets the criteria to be activated based on the OEM license). Thus, the only way to utilize the certificate/BIOS method for activation is to use the manufacturer's customized OS recovery media. This is why a Dell OEM Windows 7 CD will NOT automatically activate on HP hardware etc.

The only way the license key on a COA would be uniquely tied to a particular piece of hardware would be if someone installed a copy of the OS on that hardware that did not have the OEM certificates installed and needed to input the license key from the COA to activate. An example would be using retail media to install on OEM licensed hadware, then using the product key to activate. Or by using Dell recovery media to install on HP or Lenovo hardware, and being required to use the product key to activate. Only then would that license key be tied to a certain set of hardware. If you tried using one of those keys to activate the software on another piece of hardware, you would know almost instantly if the key had been typed on another machine and tied to its hardware.

Having said all that, those license keys are only legal to use on the hardware for which it was intended. OEM Windows licenses are not "open", meaning if the software is removed from the hardware, you are not legally entitled to reinstall the software and reuse the license on another piece of hardware - even if using that license key permits you to do so through the automated activation system. If the OEM hardware is disposed of, the license/software that was installed on it goes as well.

On a somewhat related note - Windows 7 OEM hardware does NOT store or retrieve a product key in the BIOS. Activation is processed by the method I mentioned above. Windows 8, on the other hand, DOES store its software license key in BIOS and utilizes it for activation purposes. This greatly reduces illegitimate use of OEM license keys by restricting access to the license key AND by uniquely tying it to each piece of OEM hardware.

[pianowizard]

I once had an extra Dell Windows 7 Home Premium COA sticker. Its product key wouldn't enable me to activate 7 on a non-Dell computer -- I think it was my Gateway laptop though I'm not sure -- but it worked fine on my Dell Precision 390.

[ganon11000]

A received a bunch of Dell and (2) HP Win 7 Professional COA's and I need to find out if they're any good. I was wondering if the Dell and HP COA's will install on a Thinkpad if I use the Dell and HP Win 7 Professional OEM software, i.e., does Microsoft check the hardware for compatibility or do they check the software for compatibility?

Technically they can be used without issue with the retail Windows 7 DVDs (If they've never been used before) since Microsoft can't tell (Tested over 20 times - Don't do it anymore though). but that's almost guaranteed illegal.

[theterminator93]

Yep. The product key "can" be used to activate any identically flavored Windows 7 edition on any hardware provided the key hasn't already been entered manually for an activation previously, but it is against the terms of the software licensing agreement.

The key on the COA is the unique "proof of license" for the piece of hardware it is affixed to, to have that OS. It isn't legal to use that product key to activate the OS on any other piece of hardware, regardless of the state of the activation of that license key or whether that OS is currently installed on the hardware.