BOOTCAMP and Parallels: continual need to re-authorize Windows 8.1

R

RayA1

Bit poster
Has anyone actually made a configuration like the one described below work?

I am trying to use a trial version of Parallels for Mac with my dual-boot (BOOTCAMP) Windows 8.1. That should (and to some extent does) let me run Windows in one of two ways: either natively (via dual-boot) or through Parallels access to BOOTCAMP. Every time I switch between the two modes (by rebooting in the Windows-BOOTCAMP or ordinary Macintosh partition), I have to re-authorize Windows 8.1. So far Microsoft support has been no help -- they just try to walk me through the authorization process again. I have tried re-setting the MAC address used by Parallels for its "virtual" Ethernet to the actual physical MAC address of the machine (as seen by either Yosemite or when running Windows natively). I thought that might fix the problem, but it did not. I can't get Parallels phone support because I am trying to decide whether to buy the product. Has anyone actually made Parallels work with a BOOTCAMP partion Windows dual-boot system? (I posted this in a different thread that seemed to be about the same issue but had Windows 7 in its title.)
 
My experience with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 has been if enough hardware is changed then Windows will require re-activation. I expect the same is true of Windows 8. If you start Windows by using the multiboot option before OS X starts then Windows has direct access to the hardware of your Mac and Windows is activated with that hardware. I haven't had a lot of experience with Parallels but I have experience with other virtual machine programs. I'm guessing there's an option in Parallels to start an operating system, installed in a hard drive partition, in a virtual machine in Parallels in OS X. If you do that with Windows 8 I expect Windows will find completely different hardware compared to earlier and require re-activation. Windows will find virtual hardware instead of the Mac's real hardware. Changing the MAC address of the virtual network adapter won't help. Windows is in a different computer from it's perspective. I doubt there is a way to avoid re-activating Windows if you switch between running Windows 8 in a virtual machine and running it native on your Mac's hardware.
 
I wonder if there's a way to have two hardware profiles tied in to activation- one for the VM and the other for native hardware- and switch between the two automatically when Windows starts.
 
I have the same issue. I called Microsoft and they really didn't get it. The tech knew what Parallels was, but he kept telling me that BootCamp was a Virtual Machine and I was trying to run two Virtual Machines. I tried to correct them, but all they offered me was the ability to buy TWO more Windows 8.1 Pro license keys at full retail price. He informed me that my "Legal" copy of Windows I purchased was actually pirated. Thanks for nothing Microsoft.
 
Was this problem rectified? I can find lots of entries on the forum but nobody seems to have a solution. I need to be able to boot via Bootcap or a virtual machine without continual reactivation. Thanks
 
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