back to article MS warns testers to activate Windows 7 beta

Microsoft is nagging Windows 7 beta testers to activate their copies of the incomplete OS or else face a blackout after the 30-day grace period expires. The company reminded users yesterday that the Windows 7 beta has been configured to regularly remind them to register their copy. "If you do not activate the software within …

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  1. James
    Thumb Down

    Already did that

    Apparently yesterday, my activated Windows 7 wasn't genuine, then it was OK when I re-logged back in. Thought MS would have go the hang of all this product activation by now...

  2. Steve Davies Silver badge
    Joke

    In a further statement

    A Microsoft spokesman said that this was going to be the default behaviour for Windows 7 when it is released and that they had made changes to the update system so that it was impossible to switch off or change its behaviour.

    When asked why the spokesperson said

    "It is to enhance the user experience of our wonderful operating system"

    Then someone observed that the spokesperson had his tongue firmly in their cheek.

  3. Dogmanov

    Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss.

    So, users are going to get nagged by WGA again. Perhaps MS should invest as much effort into their OS than in their FearWare...

  4. J
    Gates Horns

    Why?

    Why the hell are they so worried about that? It's not like Windows 7 is out yet and these people are cannibalizing the sales or something. I don't see the point.

    That's what them suckers get for working for MS for free...

  5. Jeremy
    Coat

    Security...

    But Windows 7 is more secure and less vulnerable to malware, right? So then it's entirely safe to crack the activation, isn't it?

  6. Dick Emery
    Pirate

    No worries

    TPB to the rescue! Well that's if they don't get taken down by the IFPI first.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Up-what?

    "If Windows 7 isn't properly activated, users won't be able to apply updates to the operating system."

    Errrrrr.......are these the updates they said they wouldn't be providing?

  8. Alexis Vallance
    Gates Horns

    Blah blah

    Here we go.

    I don't know why people bother with such a deplorably patronising company who churn out nothing but broken crap and happily criminalise their customers.

    Enjoy your shiny 2009 versions of Windows 95 people. The world has moved on.

  9. Mike Hocker
    Linux

    Malware

    "We looked at this some time ago and found that many sites that offer or claim to offer hack tools will try pretty aggressively to infect systems that connect to them with malware"

    So if I try to connect without malware, I'm OK?

    Regardless, if the objects containing Win7 are hashed out OK, then it is just the drive by infections that are an issue. So, use a live Linux CD and verify the hash of Win7....

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    MS is trying to label a good many people as pirates

    Many people I know use a plain black background by preference and have for many years. By telling people that a black desktop background is a sign of piracy is going to cause quite a few wrongful accusations.

  11. R Callan
    Linux

    Can I please

    have a nagware screen for my windowing 8 (all right, 7.99 RC3) OS. An RC must be more valuable than a mere beta, even thought I did not get it from the original supplier, but some university server in the eastern western states

    I feel sooooooo left out.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why do they put up with this?

    Beta testers are going to be installing this software, it is not a case of it being preinstalled.

    Bizarre, they cannot be using it day in day out, that would just be sad.

    So, it must be people looking to have zero day cracks, and people looking perhaps to sell software, both groups are normally wise enough to have it running on non critical systems.

  13. rasputinsDog
    Pirate

    trust

    In many cases I'd trust that hack version over the m$ version.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    pirated windows 7 problem

    well, I downloaded a pirated windows7 iso, and ran the installer, and I caught a terrible virus: it installed ubuntu on my machine, and now I'm going to install it on other computers too! before you know it, everyone in my family will have destroyed their windows installations!!!

    suddenly I'm a free man, weaned from the poison teat of Microsoft.

  15. Keith T
    Coat

    How many of these so-called beta testers have a clue what they are doing?

    1. "Thought MS would have go the hang of all this product activation by now..."

    What kind of tester ever assumes the analysts and programmers got it right?

    2. "But Windows 7 is more secure and less vulnerable to malware, right? So then it's entirely safe to crack the activation, isn't it?"

    It is so secure it "fails safe" by doing a security erase the hard drives of any such malicious hacker (at least I wish it did). It then calls Redmond to arrange a UFO to abduct the hacker and transport them to the Andromeda Galaxy.

    If you want a free OS, why not install an OS whose makers offer it for free instead of stealing one?

    3. If there is a bug or vulnerability in the production version that wasn't reported during the beta test, that is a fault and error on the part of the beta testers. Beta testers share in the responsibility for bugs and vulnerabilities left in the production version.

    I don't want any testers complaining about bugs. Your job is to find bugs and report them to the vendor so they don't get into the production version.

    4. Microsoft (like other software vendors) is going to wrongly get a false sense that proper testing has been done by using such a lame method of selecting beta test volunteers.

    Volume doesn't not replace quality.

    It might not be 100% true for software, but for human testers it is: With free you get what you pay for.

    5. Have fun.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Tards are out in force again

    How many of you grape-brained milli-witted commentards has actually used Win7? (It is obvious that 2-3 are actual users, just like me). Instead of wanking here with your astonishingly small p**cks, why the hell don't you download it and try it? I use Win7 every day (on a netbook) and it is magnificient - it is stable, reliable, and a joy to use. I haven't had to reboot in days - suspend and resume is all I need. WGA took all of 30 seconds to get done and there has been no more nagware. I run FF 3.0.6 or IE8, depending on the sites that I am testing. The luser who talked about this being a shiny Win95 is just a frikking idiot! Please go away and try it or STFU!

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ballmer? Is that you?

    < Goes under the bridge to feed the troll>

    Um... as one Anonymous Coward to another, I've used it, it appears to be a much cleaned up version of Vista, I see no business case for migration, unless you count the loaded gun M$ is going to put to the heads of everyone using XP & Vista by dropping support.

    You haven't had to reboot in DAYS huh? Gee, that's pretty good. I never HAVE to reboot, but then I don't use Windows unless it is in a nice safe virtualized environment and I'm testing it. Yeah, I'm a Linux person, but thats OK.. I support you and everyone else who uses M$ Windows, you keep me in business, I'll bill you for cleaning up the spyware, viruses and rootkits, it's only money right? What's a little lost productivity here or there. Windows is my bread & butter, so I make it a point to keep up with what's going on with the OS from Redmond, what exploits are out in the wild, how to remove them, and how to set up roadblocks in their path.

    Just because I'm not going to trust my business with Windows does not mean others shouldn't, by all means go ahead, I need the money and well they want to use Windows.

  18. passionate indifference
    Thumb Up

    Re: Tards are out in force again

    I'm with AC on this one. Windows 7 seems quite nice actually, apart from the confusing HomeShare thing.

    Was it Eddie Izzard that advocated radical moderacy? Can we regain a sense of perspective for things like this? The spitting rage people get at things like this is dismaying. Perhaps it's the same mechanisms in place as road rage - there's the same abstraction of control there.

  19. stu wells
    Go

    Ummmmm

    Odd, I went to the beta site, it said I couldn't download the copy, but they would be happy to give me a key. Plugged that into the torrent version, passed activation. Sounds to me like M$ is just trying to avoid the hosting costs, but what do I know.

    I prefer linux over windows, but I will give MS props on the install time. From start to finish, 14 min. I remember when windows took 14 minutes to boot, not install :-)

  20. ChrisInBelgium

    Sorry, no activation needed

    I only used the beta to test the working of my own software that I sell to our customers. Running the beta made me realise it is just Vista in a slimmed down way anyway. And I don't need to activate it, it's not like I will actually be using it...

    When they bring out an OS whitout the activation pain in the neck, I might try it again. On the other hand...

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Tards are out in force again

    You really are an idiot. Do you know that.

    "it is magnificient - it is stable, reliable, and a joy to use"

    Errrmmm I would expect nothing less from an OS. It is supposed to be this way.

    Just wait until its actually released as a full product with bits cut out and nagware / scareware added in. And cut up into different version so they can get away with charging £300 for the big one.

  22. Charles King
    Alert

    MS *wants* people to hack it

    The point of enforcing activation now (even though TTBOMK beta keys are still freely available) is to goad hackers into trying to crack the activation system. This will expose any vulnerabilities ahead of the release of the retail version and give MS time to close the loopholes. XP's flaw was volume licensing (and a WGAcheck that could be simply redirected). Vista's was Royalty OEM licensing. MS would love to know what the flaws are in their current scheme before locking the system down for release.

  23. M
    Alert

    No Updates?

    "If Windows 7 isn't properly activated, users won't be able to apply updates to the operating system."

    I sincerly hope they DO let non-activated Windows 7 users download security updates or this will be a repeat on XP where all the pirate copies were vulnerable and spreading viruses/malware.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Tards are out in force again

    I've been running Win 7 a lot this evening (installed it a few weeks ago) and, imo, it is a severely under-whelming OS (yet again). It might be a stretch to call it merely a lip-sticked Win95, but it isn't too far off. So far I have not seen a good deal of anything that would make me pay to update to it from Windows XP.

    Btw, I have no experience of Vista to speak of, so it isn't as though I am pre-judging it against that version either.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    Hmmmmm I am an utter freetard.... true

    Microscoff?

    Windows?

    REALLY insane product variants.

    REALLY high prices

    Customer Service?

    Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm no.

  26. Gordon Crawford

    its a long way from 98

    but behind a smoothwall ,my 98 is still running , seems safe , easy to reload

    , any one got some old hardware thats supported by this software ? mail to... oops another comp in the trash , gotta check it out. c u later

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