Aspire 5 Install Linux and reuse Acer's original Windows under Virtualbox - is it possible ?

PrivatePerson

Hello everyone,

I was thinking of buying Acer Aspire 5 laptop with Windows Home 10 installed but need to install Linux on it and re-use the Windows license and install it (the Windows) under Virtualbox under Linux.

So it would look like this:

Acer Laptop -> Linux -> Virtalbox -> Windows 10

Technically it is possible but the problem I have is that I don't know how to activate Windows 10 under Virtualbox.

I mean what activation code or product key do I need to use while installing Windows 10 under Virtualbox ?

Leostat

Yeh it would be fine, if you have anothe doc you can use a VMware tool to 'p2v' (physical to virtual) the disk, or re install and then activate 

To get the key open a poweshell window as admin and paste:
WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey"

If that doesn't work paste in 
wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey


And it should spit out the key  

PrivatePerson

This comment https://community.acer.com/en/post/quote/546534/Comment_741167 says that it is not possible.

PrivatePerson

That is why I am a bit confused whether it is possible or not.

Leostat

Nah it's fine, it is tied to the hardware but it will let you activate but may ask you to verify the activation when you go to do it in the VM . The key is the key at the end of the day and part of the EULA is allowing for a single virtual instance instead of the hardware 

Sometimes it asks you to ring ms though, you ring up a number , go through a verification and put in your key and it should accept it

PrivatePerson

But those WmiObject and wmic commands didn't produce any output. Are they correct ?

Leostat

Sorry i had typo'd it which means the first command would have left the interpreter open causing it to not work, so they were wrong sorry!

As long as the laptop came with windows they will tell you the windows key, the commands are below with what they should look life after:

This one is powershell only

WmiObject -query ('select * from SoftwareLicensingService') |findstr tKey

KeyManagementServiceProductKeyID               :

OA3xOriginalProductKey                         : 24P <rest of the key here>

OA3xOriginalProductKeyDescription              : [4.0] 

OA3xOriginalProductKeyPkPn                     : [TH]

This one can be ran from CMD or powershell

wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

OA3xOriginalProductKey

24P <Rest of the key here>

If there was no key you should at least have some output, if it still doesnt work do a screen cap and i will have a glance over it