I've recently switched my laptop from Windows 11 to Linux Mint and it's going pretty well so far. However, I need to run a specific work application that only works on Windows, and I'm not keen on dual booting. My colleagues suggested using WINE, but that hasn't worked out either. So, I'm looking at setting up a Windows VM on my Linux machine. The tricky part is figuring out if I can use my OEM Windows license in a VM. Some sources say it's not possible, while others hint that it could work without much detail. Can anyone clarify whether I can use my OEM license for a virtual machine? If it's not doable, what alternatives are there for running a Windows VM?
4 Answers
You might still want to look into WINE; it can work for some applications, depending on what you need to run. No need for a VM if you can get away with using WINE instead!
Yes, it’s totally doable! I did it myself. Just extract the OEM key and enter it in the Windows activation dialog in the VM. This typically deactivates your old activation and transfers the license over. There’s a guide online about finding your Windows 10 OEM key on Linux — check it out!
This is super helpful! I’m not very tech-savvy, but I managed to follow your instructions for my Windows 11 key and it worked! Thanks a ton!
If nothing else works out, remember that you technically don’t need an activated license to use Windows. You’ll just deal with a watermark asking for activation and lose some customization options like changing the wallpaper, but it will run fine otherwise.
You should be able to extract your OEM activation key from the firmware and use it to activate Windows in a VM. I suggest using a frontend for QEMU/KVM, like Virt-Manager, though be aware it's technically deprecated. If you need guidance, there’s a good article by Chris Titus on optimizing Windows performance in a QEMU VM, just give it a quick search!
That’s exactly what I needed to know; I’ll give it a shot!