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> **Possible Duplicate:**  
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> [When reinstalling Windows 7, does the language, version, architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) or source (OEM, retail, or MSDN) matter?](https://superuser.com/questions/303136/when-reinstalling-windows-7-does-the-language-version-architecture-64-bit-or) 
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Theoretically, can you activate Windows XP, Vista, 7, on identical machines? For example, if peter and tom got the same machines at BestBuy, can they activate Windows 7 on both machines since the hardware ID / fingerprint is the same?

I think the normal use is to activate it multiple times on the same machine on different partition, for example, if Win 7 on one partition is slowed down by various app installation, then reinstalling Win 7 on a different partition as a fresh start is allowable.