I have an activated boot camp install. After installed Parallels v3 and setting up the VM using the bootcamp. Whenever I run the VM it says I must activate windows and requires a phone activation. I have already activated this copy using bootcamp. I was under the impression that with Parallels I would not be required to have a second windows license. Any help with this?
Have you tried calling the Microsoft call center? I did when faced with your situation, and they gave me a new activation code. More recently, others have reported that the whole process was automated.
Usually after I activate through the VM everying works fine. Just confirm that you are not running the license on multiple machines... It's pretty pain free and takes less than 15 minutes usually.
So just to clarify, You set up XP on Bootcamp, activate it. All OK. You set up Paralells using the bootcamp install of XP, you get asked to reactivate. You make your phone call, you get XP activated a second time. Ok. Does this not de-activate your previous (bootcamp) installation so that it then in turn needs re-activation? If it does not de-activate it, then I will be a happy monkey indeed. However this seems unlikely. My assumption is that unless you have a corporate licence, you will have to buy 2 copies of XP. Am I right? This then begs another question: Lets say you buy another copy of XP to get another licence, and use that licence to re-activate your bootcamp XP under Paralells, what happens when you go back to bootcamp? Any thoughts on this would be really appreciated. cheers!
Same Problem - easy solution You set up XP on Bootcamp, activate it. All OK. You set up Paralells using the bootcamp install of XP, you get asked to reactivate. You make your phone call, you get XP activated a second time. Ok. Does this not de-activate your previous (bootcamp) installation so that it then in turn needs re-activation? I had the same problem - already activated under Boot Camp and then asked to reactivate when I installed Parallels. As suggested I simply called the Windows activation line and explained that I needed a new activation number but that I was only using them on one computer. I activated Windows again and thus far I can boot in under Boot Camp or under Parallels/Boot Camp and both work fine so I don't think the re-activation process deactivates the Boot Camp installation. Try it and see. Good luck.
