I am a long time Windows user and have used JAWS for about 20 years. I have been thinking for a while about getting a Mac and I just found out that my brother is getting me a MacBook Pro for Christmas. I think that I will be able to do most things in the Mac OS but I do want to set it up so that I can use Windows, using Boot Camp. I have not purchased a standalone copy of Windows but I have two HP laptops, one running Windows 7 and one running Windows 8. Obviously, when I purchased these computers, I purchased a license to use the copy of Windows that is on them. However, they did not come with Windows installation media and I do not have a product key for their copy of windows. Given all of this, can I use one of these copies of Windows to be able to install Windows on my Mac? I don't want to purchase another copy of Windows if I can help it.
Comments
Will need a valid product key
There won’t be any legal way of installing Windows without a product key. Sometimes this will be on a sticker on the laptop itself, so it might be worth checking. However, some OEM licenses will be specific to the laptop manufacturer, so may not work on other hardware (or at least this used to be the case). Depending upon how Microsoft’s activation system works these days. it’s also possible that using the product key on a Bootcamp installation might result in the existing license on your laptop being deactivated.
Not Possible
You will need to install a fresh copy of Windows into BC on your Mac. If you're getting a fairly recent or current Mac, you will probably have to install Windows 10. If you want to do this legally, you will need to purchase a product key after installing WIndows from the Microsoft Windows Store for $120.