Re: [Qemu-devel] qemu version updates break Windows activation

[Jamie Lokier <jamie@shareable.org>]

Avi Kivity wrote:
> Frederik Himpe wrote:
> >Every time qemu/kvm is updated, the version strings in the virtual 
> >hardware change, which breaks an activated windows installation in qemu. 
> >Windows thinks it's running on other hardware, and requires manual re-
> >activation by phone.
> >
> >Could the version strings please be made optional in the hardware?
> >
> >  
> 
> Perhaps we should switch the version strings not to include the qemu 
> version, but instead carry their own version numbers, which would bump 
> on on incompatible change (presumably, never).

Microsoft Virtual PC lets you override the version strings and UUIDs
yourself for some things, I think.  They are in the XML VM description
file, which is what you click on start a VM.

This is helpful for moving existing VM images from one hypervisor to
another without needing Windows re-activation.  VMware probably does
the same, to be able to run Virtual PC images unchanged.

-- Jamie