Wow, Win7 runs even though it's "not genuine"?

[VirtualLarry]

I'm really surprised. I installed a test install of Win7 onto some slimline computers I built, just for testing.

This was some time last month. I know that you can install Win7, and choose not to install a product key, and it will run for 30 days.

Well, when I booted it for the first time in a long time, today, it said not genuine in the lower-right corner, but I still had the blue background.

I rebooted, and this time, I got some prompts about activation, and a black background.

But it is letting me run apps, and hasn't shut down on me.

What's with that? I know that XP, if installed in 30-day trial mode, would prompt you to activate, and if you didn't, it wouldn't let you log in, except in safe mode.

Is MS now getting more lenient? I'm genuinely surprised that they are still letting me use the OS, even though it was supposed to be just a 30-day trial.

Has anyone else tried this? "Free" Windows 7, if you can get a hold of an install disc?

I'm not advocating piracy, I have plenty of Win7 licenses to go around (lots of family packs purchased), but this just seemed curious enough to mention.

I don't have SP1 installed, in fact, I didn't install any updates I don't think when I initially installed the OS. Perhaps it reacts differently if SP1 is installed?

 

[lxskllr]

I think it'll periodically restart(1/2 hour intervals?) if you don't activate. I guess that works if you're desperate for Windows, and are broke, but someone in that situation should just run Linux.

 

[nitrous9200]

I believe this changed starting around the time of XP SP3 (and Vista SP2). Before then, XP would only allow you to activate after the 30-day period or log off, and Vista did something like allow you to go online for an hour to buy a product key, then you would be booted off. An XP install CD with SP3 on it will allow you to go through setup without entering a product key, which never used to be the case.

But now, as you saw, they allow you to keep using the system even if not properly activated (or cracked). Your background will get changed to black, annoying nag screens will come up at various times (optional update delivery is not working) and you won't be able to install some updates or certain Microsoft software. Even pirates get security updates, though.

 

[Modelworks]

The ability to keep using it will not last. I forget what the exact time period is, but once the black background starts to appear it will eventually get to a completely locked state.

 

[yinan]

Win7 doesnt lock ever. I have various Win7 VMs at home that I dont activate that just have a single purpose and they are fully functional - the background.

 

[airdata]

I'm actually still using RC1 on my main computer at home I may or may not have used removewat, but nonetheless it's been chugging along since whenever RC1 was released.

 

[stash]

The ability to keep using it will not last. I forget what the exact time period is, but once the black background starts to appear it will eventually get to a completely locked state.

This was true with Vista RTM, but it was removed in SP1 (IIRC) and never added back in. So Win7 will never stop functioning if not activated.