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Asked: 2024-09-13 05:40:09 +0800 CST

Will moving Windows VM's from VMware ESXi to RH9 KVM cause Windows activation?

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We are planning to migrate away from VMware ESXi for our company servers. We have a LOT of Windows virtual machines used for testing (different configurations, combinations of options, etc) in our test lab. These include Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 VM's.

I want to ensure that all of our test VM's don't trigger activation when Windows detects the hardware signature has changed, as I suspect would happen when moving to a new hypervisor.

We are considering what hypervisor to move to next, and we like the Red Hat 9's KVM.

Does anyone have experience with this migration?

Do your Windows VM's require activation after moving?

Please note that our test lab containing the VM's is air-gapped, and must never connect to the Internet.

So don't suggest 'just reactivate'...not an option.

windows

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    You will absolutely need to do that. Even a moderate hardware change triggers the need in Windows re-activation.

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reactivating-windows-after-a-hardware-change-2c0e962a-f04c-145b-6ead-fb3fc72b6665

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