Installing too many Antivirus licenses

[MIDIman]

If you have a 3-user license for NOD32 or Kaspersky - what happens when you install the fourth? They all use a single user/key. I'm sure the software obviously calls home, but how does it know you're using it on four systems?

What if the fourth install was never on at the same time as one of the other installs?

 

[santz]

I don't understand you, the 3 user license can be used on 3 different PCs anywhere in the world. Are you asking how the company finds out if you have installed this on the 4th PC as they use the same code??.............No Idea, although I would like to find out about that myself.

 

[MIDIman]

Correct - just curious what happens. What if someone installs three copies and mistakingly installs a fourth?

 

[Scouzer]

I don't understand you, the 3 user license can be used on 3 different PCs anywhere in the world. Are you asking how the company finds out if you have installed this on the 4th PC as they use the same code??.............No Idea, although I would like to find out about that myself.

While you may be technically correct that a 3 license setup can be installed anywhere, it's generally against the user agreement. Norton for example says specifically three of your own personal PC's... so unless you have 3 PC's scattered around the world... lol

 

[GaryJohnson]

Correct - just curious what happens. What if someone installs three copies and mistakingly installs a fourth?

Most online activation schemes send a profile of your PC so that if you reactivate on the same PC you won't run into problems. In the case of a three license key, they simply store three different profiles. If you try an activate on a fourth system, then it won't activate because that systems profile doesn't match the three profiles that they already have stored.

 

[corkyg]

I have a three-pack for Sunbelt's Vipre. I have it installed and activated on three machines. However, one of those machines has three separate HDDs in mobile racks and 3 OS's, and Vipre is activated on all three. But - it is still one machine. I guess it is one machine with three sub-profiles.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Corky-G/SATArack.jpg

 

[GaryJohnson]

And on the other hand some products don't send a hardware profile at all when they activate, so you may be able to install and activate those products on as many systems as you want without suffering any ill effects.

What each different activation scheme puts in it's hardware profile is also different. It might be looking at a hash based on the IDs of all the hardware on the system or maybe just the MB S/N.

 

[santz]

so for example, your system crashed, and u decide to buy a new laptop to replace your old one, could you uninstall from one system and the install it on another as a once only permanent thing?

 

[santz]

bump

 

[Emulex]

say if you use MSE - you don't have to worry about licenses any more and it is really just as good. no nag screens - free to use in a business environment too.

 

[tcsenter]

I installed BitDefender AV onto a fourth computer before removing it from one of the previous three (moving it from an old laptop to a new laptop) using a 3-user license without any issue at all. It activated/registered just fine.

 

[CKTurbo128]

say if you use MSE - you don't have to worry about licenses any more and it is really just as good. no nag screens - free to use in a business environment too.

I initially thought that MSE was free for businesses too, but apparently not:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com...t/thread/8c55b1a5-3598-47b4-a9bc-28827e2bf729
EULA: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/eula.aspx#mainNav

Unless it's for personal use or home-based businesses, using MSE in business environments is a violation of it's EULA.

 

[hypn05]

While you may be technically correct that a 3 license setup can be installed anywhere, it's generally against the user agreement. Norton for example says specifically three of your own personal PC's... so unless you have 3 PC's scattered around the world... lol

Installing license software that against principle's user agreement technically is illegal.
Basically its no different than using illegal.

 

[Emulex]

well yeah they expect you to use forefront for business. but how many people use PSI, AVG, etc at work? lots. and lots.