Microsoft gives up on activation...

[SkyHog]

Well, sort of, but this is interesting. Its not really anything bad to have on these forums, as everything listed in this article is done perfectly within the rights of the EULA of Windows Vista....I also can't cite it as I got it in an email from my father, but hell if this ain't decent information:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/070315/#story1

PCWorld.com posted a report on my story on Feb 17. The magazine quotes a Microsoft spokeswoman as saying that extending Vista's activation deadline as I described it "is not a violation of the Vista End User License Agreement."

This is almost as cool as the trick to do a clean install using the upgrade CD in Windows Vista (the secret is that Windows Vista recognizes Windows Vista as a former version of windows...)

edit: Thanks to \/\/\/\/, I can add the link and comply with the copyright stuff here on PoA!

 

[RotaryWingBob]

Here's the source:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/070315/#story1

 

[jesse]

This is almost as cool as the trick to do a clean install using the upgrade CD in Windows Vista (the secret is that Windows Vista recognizes Windows Vista as a former version of windows...)

You can do a clean install with an upgrade CD by installing Windows XP Prof. You start the Vista install in Windows XP Prof and tell it you want it to do a clean install. It'll do it.

Although a pain in the ass versus the old way.

I'm not sure what you gain by extending the activation. If your license for Vista is not legal you are not in compliance with the EULA. The only way you *might* be is to have a legal license and choose not to activate. You don't gain much by doing this.

 

[SkyHog]

Ahh, but you don't even need a version of windows to do a clean install with the Vista Upgrade.

Install Vista, choose "I'll enter my product key at a later time"

Go through the install process, when it is finished, at the desktop, you'll have 30 days to enter your key. Enter the CD again, and run the install option as a "Clean install."

The benefit is that Vista installs about 30 minutes faster than XP on my computers.

 

[jesse]

Ahh, but you don't even need a version of windows to do a clean install with the Vista Upgrade.

Install Vista, choose "I'll enter my product key at a later time"

Go through the install process, when it is finished, at the desktop, you'll have 30 days to enter your key. Enter the CD again, and run the install option as a "Clean install."

The benefit is that Vista installs about 30 minutes faster than XP on my computers.

The Windows Vista Business CD I have with our Microsoft subscription does not do this. After setup loaded it stated immediately that no previous windows was installed and to continue setup from within Windows.