I would like to be able to use a Windows VM under Parallels like this: - make a Windows VM,activate it, install nothing else except updates - clone the VM by duplicating the PVM and use it to install one product (for software testing) - have multiple clones based on the same original Windows, all now separate and running their own copy of Windows. The idea would be that if I want to test a particular software configuration I just bring up the VM set up for that, with no need to install anything, and no other software to interfere; I might be testing several things at once. There are two things concerning me: licensing (legal) and activation (technical). My current reading is that I can do this from a licensing point of view so long as the Windows copy is full retail. But what about the activation? Does the activation remain valid on each virtual machine without complication? One particular concern is, as I have been doing the same thing with Mac OS virtual machines, Parallels invites me to change the ethernet address for each one, something that sounds as if it could break the activation. Also, assuming we are OK so far, can I reinstall the Windows 7 from scratch, and freely activate again (rather than starting from a clone)?
Changing the Mac address does not trigger (re)activation. Technically there's no problem. But there are other methods to achieve the same purposes, you can use snapshots (to roll back in time), or 'undo disks' (which doesn't save anything to the VM, everything is discarded once you shut the VM down).
