Jedno uobičajeno pitanje koje stalno dobivam je na koliko računala mogu instalirati Windows? ^{(How many computers can I install Windows on?)} Ako čitate okolo, dobit ćete razne vrste odgovora. Međutim, u pravne svrhe, najbolje je držati se onoga što Microsoft navodi u svojim licencnim ugovorima za krajnje korisnike.

Uvijek postoje načini na koje možete zaobići granice, ali to nije poanta ovog članka. U ovom članku navest ću službene opcije instalacije za  Microsoft za Windows 7 , Windows 8 i Windows 10 . Preskočite^(Skip) dolje na odjeljak koji vas zanima.

Windows 10

Sa sustavom Windows 10^{(Windows 10)} stvari su vrlo različite od prethodnih verzija sustava Windows . Od sada i do 29. srpnja^{(July 29th)} 2016. možete besplatno nadograditi bilo koje računalo sa sustavom Windows 7 ili Windows 8.1 na Windows 10 . Nakon toga, nitko zapravo nije siguran što će se dogoditi.

Očigledno ćete morati platiti za nadogradnju, ali nakon što dopustite ljudima da se nadograde besplatno godinu dana, bit će teško prodati ih natjerati ljude da je plaćaju. Nakon datuma u srpnju 2016.^{(July 2016)} , cijena za Home edition bit će 119 USD, a za Pro izdanje će biti 199 USD.

Dakle, ako želite instalirati Windows 10 , najbolje je to učiniti prije tog datuma. Također je vrijedno napomenuti da kada obavite besplatnu nadogradnju, ostat ćete na izdanju koje je najbliže onome što ste imali.

Iznad^(Above) je tablica koja objašnjava koju ćete verziju sustava Windows 10 imati ovisno o tome koju verziju sustava Windows 7 ili Windows 8.1 trenutno imate. Da biste nadogradili sa Windows 10 Home na Pro , i dalje biste trebali platiti 99 USD, što je ono što Microsoft trenutno naplaćuje.

Još jedna stvar koju treba napomenuti je da ako nadogradite Windows 7 ili Windows 8 na Windows 10 ili ako imate OEM verziju sustava Windows 10 , nakon 29. srpnja^{(July 29)} , nećete moći premjestiti tu kopiju sustava Windows 10 na drugo računalo. Upravo sada možete ponovno instalirati Windows 7 ili 8.1 na drugo računalo, a zatim izvršiti besplatnu nadogradnju na 10. Ako imate maloprodajnu verziju sustava Windows 10 , moći ćete ga premjestiti na drugo računalo čak i nakon 29. srpnja^{(July 29th)} .

Ako se vaša licenca za Windows 10 temelji na licenci za Windows 7 ili Windows 8.1 (čak i maloprodajnu licencu) i morate zamijeniti matičnu ploču na računalu, Windows 10 više neće biti aktiviran. Radi samo s trenutnim hardverom na tom računalu. To može biti problematično jer ako ste dobili besplatnu nadogradnju na Windows 10 , a zatim zamijenite hrpu dijelova na računalu nakon 29. srpnja^{(July 29)} 2016., na kraju ćete dobiti neoriginalnu verziju sustava Windows .

Tada će se od vas tražiti da platite nadogradnju! Postoje samo dva rješenja u ovom trenutku za koja znam: ili nemojte mijenjati glavne dijelove na računalu ili ako morate zbog loše matične ploče, itd., nazovite Microsoft , objasnite svoju situaciju i oni će vam dati novi kod. Microsoftov ^(Microsoft)potpredsjednik^{(Vice President)} inženjeringa javno^{(Engineering)} je objavio na Twitteru^(Twitter) da ćete se morati obratiti podršci u ovakvim situacijama.

Što se tiče virtualizacije, Windows 7 je bio sjajan jer ste mogli instalirati jednu kopiju na svoje računalo i koristiti isti ključ za instaliranje virtualne kopije Windowsa^(Windows) , što objašnjavam u nastavku. Međutim, s Windows 10 , Microsoft se vratio na stari način. U novom licencnom ugovoru^{(new license agreement)} virtualna kopija sustava Windows 10 treba svoj vlastiti licencni ključ.

(iv) Use in a virtualized environment. This license allows you to install only one instance of the software for use on one device, whether that device is physical or virtual. If you want to use the software on more than one virtual device, you must obtain a separate license for each instance.

Windows 7 i 8.1

Za Windows 7. ovisi koju verziju na Windows 7 imate. Možete imati unaprijed instaliranu kopiju koju ste dobili s vašim računalom ( OEM ), maloprodajnu verziju kupljenu u trgovini ili obiteljski paket^{(Family Pack)} kupljen od Microsofta^(Microsoft) .

Broj računala na koja možete instalirati Windows 7  je isti bez obzira na izdanje Windowsa^(Windows) koje imate:  Ultimate , Home Premium , Starter , Professional itd.

Evo sažetka cijele stvari o licenciranju i službenog teksta iz Licencnog ugovora za krajnjeg korisnika^{(End User License Agreement)} za Windows 7 :

PRAVA NA INSTALACIJU I KORIŠTENJE.^{(INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.)}

a. One Copy per Computer. You may install one copy of the software on one computer. That computer is the “licensed computer.”

b. Licensed Computer. You may use the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at one time. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not use the software on any other computer.

c. Number of Users. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, only one user may use the software at a time.

d. Alternative Versions. The software may include more than one version, such as 32-bit and 64-bit. You may install and use only one version at one time.

Dakle, to prilično govori na koliko računala možete instalirati Windows 7 ! JEDAN! Sada, ako imate Family Pack , možete čistu instalaciju ili nadogradnju do 3 računala. Imajte na umu da za maloprodajne verzije sustava Windows 7^{(Windows 7)} također možete deinstalirati Windows 7 s jednog računala i instalirati ga na drugo, iako ćete možda morati nazvati Microsoft kada ga aktivirate.

Jedno upozorenje koje je prilično dobrodošlo je činjenica da možete instalirati još jednu kopiju sustava Windows 7 na isti licencirani stroj u virtualnom stroju. Međutim, mora biti na istom računalu. Evo službenog teksta:

d. Use with Virtualization Technologies. Instead of using the software directly on the licensed computer, you may install and use the software within only one virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed computer. When used in a virtualized environment, content protected by digital rights management technology, BitLocker or any full volume disk drive encryption technology may not be as secure as protected content not in a virtualized environment. You should comply with all domestic and international laws that apply to such protected content.

To znači da možete instalirati VirtualBox ili Hyper-V  i ubaciti svoj Windows 7 DVD i tamo instalirati još jednu kopiju besplatno! Ovo je jedini dio licencnog ugovora koji se razlikuje od prethodnih verzija sustava Windows .

Za Windows 8.1 pravila su prilično ista. Ako imate OEM verziju sustava Windows 8.1 ili verziju koja je nadograđena sa Windows 7 , tu verziju možete koristiti samo na tom jednom računalu. Ako ga trebate premjestiti na drugo računalo, morat ćete nazvati Microsoft i objasniti situaciju.

Ako imate maloprodajnu verziju 8.1, prvo morate deaktivirati licencu na računalu, a zatim upotrijebiti ključ proizvoda na novom računalu za aktivaciju. Ključ proizvoda može se koristiti samo za aktiviranje jednog računala istovremeno.

Za virtualizaciju, Windows 8.1 ima iste licencne uvjete kao Windows 10 , što znači da ne možete koristiti isti ključ proizvoda u virtualnom okruženju. Navodno vam je samo Windows 7 dopuštao da instalirate još jednu kopiju pomoću softvera za virtualizaciju bez dobivanja druge licence.

Nadamo se da vam ovaj članak objašnjava kako možete instalirati različite verzije sustava Windows na svoja računala. Komplicirano je i nisam objasnio svaki detalj i upozorenje, stoga slobodno napišite komentar ako imate pitanja. Uživati!

How Many Computers Can You Install Windows 7, 8, 10 On?

One common question that I get all the time is How many computers can I install Windows on? If you read around, you’ll get all sorts of different answers. However, for legal purposes, it’s best to stick with what Microsoft states in their end-user license agreements.

There are always ways you can get around the limits, but that’s not the point of this article. In this article, I will list out the official installation options for Microsoft for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. Skip down to the section you are interested in.

Windows 10

With Windows 10, things are very different than previous versions of Windows. As of now and until July 29th, 2016, you can upgrade any Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC to Windows 10 for free. After that, no one is really sure what’s going to happen.

Apparently, you’ll have to pay for the upgrade, but after letting people upgrade for free for a year, it’s going to be a tough sell to start making people pay for it. After the July 2016 date, the price for the Home edition will be $119 and the Pro edition will be $199.

So if you want to install Windows 10, it’s best to do it before that date. It’s also worth noting that when you do the free upgrade, you’ll stay at the edition that is closest to what you had.

Above is a table that explains which version of Windows 10 you will have depending on which version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 you currently have. In order to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro, you still would need to pay $99, which is what Microsoft is currently charging.

Another thing to note is that if you upgrade Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10 or if you have an OEM version of Windows 10, after July 29, you will not be able to move that copy of Windows 10 to another computer. Right now, you could reinstall Windows 7 or 8.1 on another computer and then perform the free upgrade to 10. If you have a retail version of Windows 10, you will be able to move it to another computer even after July 29th.

If your Windows 10 license is based on a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license (even a retail license) and you have to replace the motherboard on your computer, Windows 10 will no longer be activated. It only works with the current hardware on that computer. This can be problematic because if you have gotten the free upgrade to Windows 10 and then you replace a bunch of parts on your computer after July 29, 2016, you will end up with a non-genuine version of Windows.

You’ll then be asked to pay for the upgrade! There are only two solutions at this point that I know of: either don’t replace any major parts on your computer or if you have to because of a bad motherboard, etc, then call Microsoft, explain your situation and they will give you a new code. Microsoft’s Vice President of Engineering has publicly posted on Twitter that you’ll need to contact support in these types of situations.

In terms of virtualization, Windows 7 was great because you could install one copy on your computer and use the same key to install a virtual copy of Windows, which I explain below. However, with Windows 10, Microsoft has reverted back to the old way. In the new license agreement, a virtual copy of Windows 10 needs its own license key.

(iv) Use in a virtualized environment. This license allows you to install only one instance of the software for use on one device, whether that device is physical or virtual. If you want to use the software on more than one virtual device, you must obtain a separate license for each instance.

Windows 7 and 8.1

For Windows 7. it depends on what version on Windows 7 you have. You can either have a pre-installed copy that came with your computer (OEM), a retail version bought from a store, or a Family Pack bought from Microsoft.

The number of computers you can install Windows 7 on is the same regardless of the edition of Windows you have: Ultimate, Home Premium, Starter, Professional, etc.

Here’s the lowdown on the whole licensing thing and the official text from the End User License Agreement for Windows 7:

INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.

a. One Copy per Computer. You may install one copy of the software on one computer. That computer is the “licensed computer.”

b. Licensed Computer. You may use the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at one time. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not use the software on any other computer.

c. Number of Users. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, only one user may use the software at a time.

d. Alternative Versions. The software may include more than one version, such as 32-bit and 64-bit. You may install and use only one version at one time.

So that pretty much states how many computers you can install Windows 7 on! ONE! Now if you have the Family Pack, you can clean install or upgrade up to 3 PCs. Note that for Windows 7 retail versions, you can also uninstall Windows 7 from one PC and install it on another, though you may have to give Microsoft a call when activating it.

The one caveat that is pretty welcome is the fact that you can install one more copy of Windows 7 on the same licensed machine in a virtual machine. However, it has to be on the same computer. Here is the official text:

d. Use with Virtualization Technologies. Instead of using the software directly on the licensed computer, you may install and use the software within only one virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed computer. When used in a virtualized environment, content protected by digital rights management technology, BitLocker or any full volume disk drive encryption technology may not be as secure as protected content not in a virtualized environment. You should comply with all domestic and international laws that apply to such protected content.

So that means you can install VirtualBox or Hyper-V and pop in your Windows 7 DVD and install another copy there for free! This is the only part of the license agreement that is different than previous versions of Windows.

For Windows 8.1, the rules are pretty much the same. If you have an OEM version of Windows 8.1 or a version that was upgraded from Windows 7, you can only use that version on that one computer. If you need to move it to another computer, you’ll need to call Microsoft and explain the situation.

If you have a retail version of 8.1, you first have to deactivate the license on the computer and then use the product key on the new computer to activate. The product key can only be used to activate one PC at a time.

For virtualization, Windows 8.1 has the same license terms as Windows 10, which means you cannot use the same product key in a virtual environment. Apparently, only Windows 7 allowed you to install another copy in using virtualization software without getting another license.

Hopefully, this article help explains how you can install different versions of Windows on your computers. It’s complicated and I didn’t explain every detail and caveat, so feel free to post a comment if you have questions. Enjoy!

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