Microsoft Pulls the Kill Switch from Vista

By Jimmy Daniels of Windows Tips
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

The oft maligned, with reason, WGA, or Windows Genuine Advantage, is being returned to its roots with the release of service pack 1. You will be able to use Windows Vista freely, as it is now, when the timer runs out, your desktop turns black, its icons disappear, the Start menu vanishes, while you can copy your personal data files, you can’t open them, and you can use Internet Explorer for one hour before being forcibly logged off. Here is another reason to wait until service pack 1 is released before you upgrade to Windows Vista.

“Based on customer feedback, we will not reduce user functionality on systems determined to be non-genuine”

In its post-SP1 incarnation, the penalty for ignoring these activation notices is … more activation notices. The most annoying change is an Activate Now dialog box that forces you to wait 15 seconds before the matching Activate Later option is available to be clicked.

If your copy of Windows is flagged as ”non genuine,” you’ll have to deal with some minor annoyances: the desktop background is a solid black (the better to see the “non genuine” label in the desktop’s lower right corner). If you change your desktop to something less stark, a scheduled task will paint it black again one hour later, and you’ll see a small “Activate Now” alert in the same location, which you’re free to ignore.

Restrictions on Windows Update will remain unchanged. If your system is flagged as “non genuine,” you’ll still get critical security updates, but you’ll need to pass a WGA validation check before you can download optional updates and new, signed drivers. Source: Ed Bott

We Say: I myself have never had any trouble with WGA, but it doesn’t take one very long to find someone who has, heck, you could probably chuck a rock from where you are and hit someone who has, so this is good news on many fronts.