maybe a dumb question about upgrading

I have a laptop from my employer with Windows 7, one of 50 MAK license keys he bought thru Microsoft, but he has no intention of buying Windows 8 upgrades since he is happy with 7.

I bought the upgrade but am hesitant to install it since from what I have read, installing the upgrade disables the Windows 7 license key, so my maybe dumb question is, how does that affect the rest of his license keys, will it just disable the one on my laptop or will it cause problems with all his other computers using the same key?

You can download the PDF Volume Licensing Guide which includes MAK upgrades and activations. I hesitate to interpret the guide for you so I would ask you to read it yourself:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...utRMarNmR1MJodZ13glepmQ&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmg

In my own experience, with companies that provided me a PC for work, I was forbidden BY POLICY to install any SW to the PC, including a new OS.

Just to be on the safe side, you should check both with your boss, and with your IT organization, to find out:
1) Is such an OS upgrade performed by you allowed
2) Who then owns the software on the PC -- you or your company
3) What happens to company support for the PC after the OS upgrade -- will they still support the PC, or are you responsible for all the support, then.

Welcome to EightForums.


As you are using Company hardware & software have a word with the Company IT Administrator.
As your employer owns the NoteBook.

To be clear, my boss has no objection to me installing the Windows 8 upgrade and regards me as the guinea pig since I am the one who has the upgrade and is willing to use it. I am the one who is worried about the other license keys being voided if one of them is used for an upgrade, since I read about the limitations on the Windows 7 license once the computer is upgraded to Windows 8. My boss thinks since each key being used for a computer is counted down from his original total that just that one computer with that one key will be affected. He isn't worried, and he isn't going to do the research or contact anyone. I am the one who doesn't want to complicate matters.

edit: I had read something similar to the pdf posted above but for Windows 7, since that's really the OS in question, and it appeared that I could upgrade and downgrade, same as what appears to be written in the pdf about Windows 8, but that all has to do with SA Volume Licensing, which we have for Windows 7, but not for the Windows 8 upgrade that I have.

Sorry if I am reiterating or going into too much detail, but I just really was hoping I could get feedback/advice from anyone who has experience with this particular issue.

I suggest the following:

1. Make a clean install with the upgrade license: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/13375-clean-install-windows-8-upgrade.html

2. Install it with VMWare Player, then you do not disturb your Windows 7 installation and can run both systems side by side: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2899-vmware-player-install-windows-8-a.html

whs said:

I suggest the following:

1. Make a clean install with the upgrade license: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/13375-clean-install-windows-8-upgrade.html

2. Install it with VMWare Player, then you do not disturb your Windows 7 installation and can run both systems side by side: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2899-vmware-player-install-windows-8-a.html

Click to expand...

Thank you! From everything I read prior to getting the upgrade, it was made very clear that one could not do a clean install with it!! thanks for pointing the link out and I guess I need to search some more around here

Just to give you an idea, I made a little demo video running Windows 8 in VMWare Player. That should give you an idea of the advantages of such a setup.

VMware Player - a Windows 8 Demo - Windows 7 Help Forums