Do I need to enter a product key during Windows Vista installation?

A. No, the Vista installation differs from earlier versions in that the image contains all the versions of Vista. When prompted for a product key, you can just click Next. When you click Next, you'll be prompted to enter whether you want to enter a key. Click No.

A list of all the images in the installation image are displayed. You need to select the version to install, then confirm that you selected the edition you purchased and therefore have a key for, as the figureshows.

After the installation is complete, you can enter the final product key to use to activate. If you don't enter the key, after 30 days the system will no longer operate and will be in lock down mode.