WIN7 retail activation codes

[Miki666aargh]

Hi

Does Win7 retail version activation codes have language option put in the in it or can just change it while intalling?

I've got on one version installed on my computer but it's in finnish language and doesn't support voice recocnition because of that.
Yes tried vistalizator to change language to got that working but windows just end up loading black screen where I can move cursor but nothing else. So back up from restore point.

Cause I have extra win7 retail activation code out of use from computer that took some damage to mobo or prosessor from thunder I planned to use it and set up another win7 installation on this same machine but in english language to get Voice attack working and install my games on it while my wife can use other installation which is in finnish language.

Does anyone else have had two separate installation of win 7 on same computer? Do I need to take another SSD:s wires of out mobo to get another instance of WIN7 installed or can I just point installer that use that disk and do fresh installation and leave another win7 installation intact?

It's been a long while I have needed to install win7 last time and this forum seems to be only place to get responds to problems now when 7 is out back up from microsoft. Maybe someone have done same or just installed win7 lately and can remember?

 

[TrainableMan]

First off, if it is the FULL version then you can always move the license to a different computer but that was expensive so most people do not have that type, they have an OEM or system builders version that came preinstalled on a computer they bought. OEM or system builders versions are not a full version & they live & die with the computer/MOBO where they were first installed, so legally you can't move a version like that.

I have never done it with two copies of the same OS but a web search says yes you can dual boot two copies of an OS (assuming you can find an additional license). That can be done by putting it on a separate drive & each time you boot you would have to go to the BIOS and disable one of the drives, which would be inconvenient. Or you can partition a single hard drive with two logical drives & install a different OS on each partition & if successful you should then get a menu every time you boot. (See How-to-Geek on Dual-Booting) This is easier if they are different Windows versions though so you can chose "Windows 7" or, for example, "Windows 8.1". With two versions the same you will probably need a utility program like EasyBCD to modify the menu choices. (See Microsoft Answers).

 

[Miki666aargh]

Hi Trainnableman

At first no that's not FULL version. In full version you can change language from FI-> EN with no probs.
My second copy is not OEM either that's it sticked to one computer. It's Retail version which in my opinion is tranferable to other computer if one is down and that's been down for 1,5 half year by now and is really dead.

My only problem is that I've chosen wrong language when I installed win7 on my current computer and now I can't change it. If you choose language other than english you got crippled, shoot down on knee version of windows that don't do it's job.
Sucks to live in finland.

I've been seen this before and and I think that I use old method on this. Microswitch that cuts 12V from Finnish version of windows(it's hard drive) and use english version on 2nd booting device.
Flick of the Switch

BR Miki666

 

[TrainableMan]

When I say FULL version I'm not referring to the edition; they sold a full version with an unlimited license; it requires no upgrade, no previous license & could be installed on any single computer at one time which means it could legally be moved to another if the first went bad or you were getting rid of it. In the USA the FULL version cost about $300 and since this would add over $200 to the cost of a computer, if an OS came preinstalled on the computer there is a near 100% chance it is not a FULL license and therefore can never be legally moved from that MOBO.

Then they had upgrade versions that brought Vista or XP to Win 7 but the limits of the original Vista or XP license still controlled the rights of whether it was moveable which again, if the Vista or XP came preinstalled on the computer there is a near 100% chance that was not a FULL version license.

The OS that come on prebuilt computers are OEM (Dell version, HP version, etc) or custom ordered computers normally have a System Builder's license (non-branded Win7 which cost about $100 in USA) unless you specifically ordered & paid the extra money for a FULL license version. OEM & System Builder licenses cannot be moved and they die with the MOBO where they are first installed, so if it is not still in a computer using the same motherboard as where it is first installed then it is not legal.

NOTE: I have heard of exceptions where if you replace a bad MOBO with the same version MOBO, that Microsoft did allow them to be reactivated if you called them on the phone, but legally the license does not say Microsoft must.

So legally you cannot take the hard drive from another computer & use that Win7 OS with another MOBO unless that version is the very rare & expensive FULL version. At Windows7Forums we encourage people to follow the law, PERIOD.

Moving on from licensing ...

So FULL version is not the same as edition. The Ultimate edition was meant for switching languages easily, so that would probably be your best option. But having two hard drives and a switch that only powers one of them at a time might work as long as your BIOS automatically detects & accepts the drive characteristics dynamically each time you power on ... If not, however, then you would still end up having to enter the BIOS to accept the drive characteristics every time you flick the switch; so you would probably have to test it.