1 common question that I get all the time is How many computers tin I install Windows on? If you read effectually, you'll get all sorts of dissimilar answers. Even so, for legal purposes, information technology's best to stick with what Microsoft states in their end-user license agreements.

At that place are always ways you can get effectually the limits, but that's not the point of this article. In this commodity, I will listing out the official installation options for Microsoft for Windows 7, Windows eight and Windows 10. Skip downwards to the section you are interested in.

Windows 10

With Windows ten, 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 eight.1 PC to Windows ten for free. After that, no one is really sure what's going to happen.

Apparently, y'all'll have to pay for the upgrade, but afterward letting people upgrade for free for a yr, it's going to be a tough sell to start making people pay for information technology. After the July 2016 date, the price for the Home edition will be $119 and the Pro edition will be $199.

windows 10

And so if you lot desire to install Windows x, information technology's best to do it before that date. It'south also worth noting that when yous practise the free upgrade, you'll stay at the edition that is closest to what yous had.

windows 10 upgrade paths

Above is a tabular array that explains which version of Windows 10 you will have depending on which version of Windows vii or Windows viii.1 you lot currently have. In order to upgrade from Windows x Home to Pro, you still would demand to pay $99, which is what Microsoft is currently charging.

Another affair to annotation is that if you upgrade Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows x or if you have an OEM version of Windows 10, after July 29, y'all will not be able to movement that re-create of Windows 10 to another calculator. Correct at present, you could reinstall Windows 7 or 8.1 on another computer and then perform the costless upgrade to x. If you lot have a retail version of Windows 10, yous volition exist able to movement it to another computer fifty-fifty after July 29th.

If your Windows x license is based on a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license (even a retail license) and you have to supplant the motherboard on your reckoner, Windows ten volition no longer be activated. It but works with the electric current hardware on that figurer. This can be problematic considering if you have gotten the free upgrade to Windows 10 and then you lot replace a bunch of parts on your computer later July 29, 2016, you will end upwards with a non-genuine version of Windows.

You'll then be asked to pay for the upgrade! There are merely two solutions at this point that I know of: either don't supersede any major parts on your reckoner or if you accept to because of a bad motherboard, etc, then call Microsoft, explain your state of affairs and they volition give you a new lawmaking. Microsoft'southward Vice President of Engineering science 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 considering yous could install i copy on your calculator and utilize the same central to install a virtual copy of Windows, which I explicate below. Even so, with Windows 10, Microsoft has reverted back to the sometime fashion. In the new license understanding, a virtual copy of Windows ten needs its ain license central.

              (iv)              Employ in a virtualized surround. This license allows you to install only one example of the software for use on one device, whether that device is physical or virtual. If you desire to use the software on more than than i virtual device, you must obtain a split up license for each case.

Windows seven and 8.1

For Windows seven. it depends on what version on Windows vii y'all accept. You can either accept a pre-installed copy that came with your calculator (OEM), a retail version bought from a store, or a Family unit Pack bought from Microsoft.

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

windows 7

Here's the lowdown on the whole licensing thing and the official text from the End User License Understanding for Windows vii:

INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. 

a.              One Copy per Estimator. You may install one copy of the software on one reckoner. That computer is the "licensed computer."
b.              Licensed Estimator. You may utilise the software on up to two processors on the licensed computer at i fourth dimension. Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, you may not apply the software on any other figurer.
c.              Number of Users.              Unless otherwise provided in these license terms, merely one user may use the software at a time.
d.              Alternative Versions. The software may include more than than one version, such as 32-bit and 64-bit. Yous may install and use just one version at one time.

So that pretty much states how many computers you can install Windows seven on! Ane! Now if yous take the Family Pack, yous tin clean install or upgrade up to three PCs. Note that for Windows vii 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 tin can install 1 more copy of Windows 7 on the same licensed auto in a virtual machine. However, it has to be on the same figurer. Here is the official text:

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

So that ways you can install VirtualBox or Hyper-V and pop in your Windows 7 DVD and install some other re-create there for gratis! This is the just function of the license agreement that is different than previous versions of Windows.

For Windows 8.i, the rules are pretty much the aforementioned. If you have an OEM version of Windows 8.1 or a version that was upgraded from Windows 7, y'all tin can but use that version on that 1 computer. If y'all need to move information technology to some other computer, you lot'll need to call Microsoft and explain the situation.

If yous have a retail version of 8.ane, y'all first accept to deactivate the license on the computer and so use the product key on the new computer to actuate. The product key can only be used to actuate one PC at a time.

For virtualization, Windows 8.1 has the same license terms as Windows 10, which means yous cannot use the same production key in a virtual environs. Apparently, simply Windows seven immune you to install some other copy in using virtualization software without getting another license.

Hopefully, this article assist explains how y'all can install different versions of Windows on your computers. Information technology's complicated and I didn't explain every detail and caveat, so feel free to mail service a comment if y'all have questions. Enjoy!