If you click "I copied it" Windows Activation will trip on the clone 2. When asked, click "I moved it" VERY IMPORTANT. To avoid confusion, right-click and change it to something like "Windows 10 Clone" This will add it to the top of your VM list but it will have the same name as VM1. Navigate to the directory of the cloned machine and select the. From Home menu (top of the list of VMs on the left side), select Open a Virtual Machine. Rename the new folder to something appropriate, e.g., "Windows 10 Clone" Henceforth refer to this as "VM1."Ĭopy the entire VM1 folder to a new folder, for example "Windows 10 Master - Copy" Shut down this VM and NEVER, EVER RUN IT AGAIN.
And I don't know if I might run into problems reactivating my license more than X times? Microsoft is kind of shady on that topic.įirst, create a VM and call it, for example, "Windows 10 Master." Instructions for creating a new VM from scratch are beyond the scope of this tutorial - I assume you already know how to do that, and if not, there are many fine tutorials on Youtube and elsewhere.Īctivate Windows inside the VM with a genuine Microsoft license. The problem is, if a piece of software does turn out to be malware or otherwise messes up my Windows VM, sure I can just delete the VM and be rid of it, which is way better than having to disinfect my host machine, but then I've lost the VM and have to recreate it and reactivate it.
So I keep a Windows 10 VM handy at all times. I like to test any new software, including major Windows updates, in a VM for obvious reasons. Therefore, this post does not violate sub rule #2 IMHO. Linux/Mac host users, skip to next paragraph, nothing to see here.) Microsoft will see the hardware changes and trip activation, possibly on both the host and guest, but definitely on the guest. Also, I am almost positive that the license (Product Key) you use to activate the VM cannot be the same one you used to activate your host PC (assuming, of course, that your host is also running Windows. These instructions assume you own a genuine Microsoft Windows license. I have no idea if they would or will work with any past or future versions of VMware Player. These instructions were made using VMware Workstation Player v16.1.2, build-17966106.