Switch Visual Studio 2010 License keys

Question

I have used one license key and want to switch my configuration to use another key.

I tried to launched the uninstall wizard from "Add/Remove Programs" in the Windows Control Panel. When I reinstalled, the license still work.

How can I modify my Visual Studio 2010 installation to use another key, and possibly without uninstalling and reinstalling?

Sorry for not clarifying it at the beginning. Actually, a valid key is not available to me for now. Is there a way to remove the original license completely and use VS as a trial version for days.

Answer 1

Change the serial number after Visual Studio 2010 installation

1. Go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features, locate and highlight Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate/Premium/Professional installation, and click on Uninstall/Change button.

2. Upgrade Visual Studio 2010 Product Key for Activation

3. A Visual Studio setup maintenance screen should be shown. After clicking Next button, an option to enter a valid serial number to upgrade product license is available.

4. Enter the upgrade key accordingly, and click on Activate button. No re-installation required.

Answer 2

There is a way to edit the product key in a file called Setup.SDB. It should be located in

\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional - ENU\Setup.SDB

Edit this file in a notepad and search for Product key. You can then update the product key.

I actually repaired the installation after this change just to make sure everything was working. This was tested on VS2008 and VS2010