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Microsoft to ease XP activation rules with SP3
Following its decision earlier this month to drop Vista’s “kill switch,” which puts Vista in reduced functionality mode if the license key fails to validate with the WGA system, Microsoft will also tweak its product activation and anti-counterfeit technology in XP with the release of Service Pack 3.
According to the company, new installations of Windows XP SP3 will give users the same optional 30-day grace period currently offered to Windows Vista customers instead of requiring the activation key during the installation process itself. After the 30-day grace period expires, users will have to enter a valid product key and activate the system before they can log on. As with previous service packs, no product key will be requested or required to existing Windows XP installations being upgraded to SP3.
According to the company, new installations of Windows XP SP3 will give users the same optional 30-day grace period currently offered to Windows Vista customers instead of requiring the activation key during the installation process itself. After the 30-day grace period expires, users will have to enter a valid product key and activate the system before they can log on. As with previous service packs, no product key will be requested or required to existing Windows XP installations being upgraded to SP3.
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User Comments (3)
Post a comment| cfitzarl on December 31, 2007 3:46 AM | Wow, I think they lost the battle with pirate's and hackers  .
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| canadian on January 1, 2008 3:50 AM | Nope. Not yet
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| MParra on January 3, 2008 8:55 PM | I don't think so either, the Windows Genuine Advantage, or WGA is still going to be there, but instead of (Apparently) disabling Vista users, it gives them a month to get things straighten out. The same with XP. I don't think they are going to simply delete the WGA Activex, and as the article says, after the 30 days are out, you have to enter a valid license number. This doesn't mean that in the first 30 days you can put ant old license and expect it to run forever. 30 days free windows. That's all they changed.
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