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Question

Volume License

Apr 7, 2016 8:43AM PDT

The company I work for currently has Volume Licenses applied for several Windows VM's. When we sell are product we want remove our volume license so the buy can apply theirs. Is this possible?

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Data Erasure Info
Apr 7, 2016 9:11AM PDT
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Clarification Request
What's the advantage of doing this?
Apr 7, 2016 9:53AM PDT

Something doesn't sound right with this idea. What product or type of product are you selling? Is it something with a Windows PC attached or connected to it? If so, your company retains the license but you include the cost to procure that license in the price of the product. I would think that such a practice could lend itself to issues with customer support. Another issue is comes with activation instances. When you by volume or MAK licensing, you have some fixed number of activations. Removing the product code won't undo an activation instance. If having the customer provide their own license is an advantage somewhere just don't install the software they are already licensed for.

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Answer
A great question for Microsoft.
Apr 7, 2016 8:53AM PDT

Now while there are license key changers on the web, this one is best answered by Microsoft since they control all the keys and licenses.

You don't want your Volume License Key revoked by breaking their rules.

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Answer
Format and then make it look like Windows for free
Apr 7, 2016 9:07AM PDT


Leaving your windows on there, even if you remove the Volume Key activation from it, still may leave backups and restore points on some computers. Drives should always not just be deleted, but wiped, because recovery software free on the internet can still bring back all your data. That's why you would use DBan to overwrite it all, or use DD in a Linux to overwrite the entire drive with zeros first, then again with random characters. You can also encrypt the entire drive first, and then not give anyone the key to decrypt it.

Never give or sell computers unless the drive has been totally wiped at least once, preferably twice by different means of overwrite. (such as zeroed and then random characters)


http://www.pcworld.com/article/261702/how_to_securely_erase_your_hard_drive.html

Example from my Linux computer. This is my "guest" desktop environment. I do so any visitor can use it and feel comfortable, not realizing it's not windows at first.

http://glenburniemd.net/CNET/GuestMintSetting.png
http://glenburniemd.net/CNET/GuestMintMenu.png

Personally, I'd just put Ubuntu MATE, Linux Mint MATE, or some other system on there and sell/give with that on it.
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Answer
one more suggestion
Apr 7, 2016 9:21AM PDT