(link)

I’ve been at it for a couple days, and I’m still migrating data onto the server.

p.s. I’m running the Windows 7 release candidate, and have 12GB of RAM. I would have opened more programs, but I ran out of them.

site note:  look at the funky wallpaper that is included with the release candidate via Flicker.

I believe WGA in XP is basically just a nag from the system notification area.  In Vista RTM (pre service pack 1), WGA would disable AERO when the user logged in and only give an Internet Explorer window for the user to purchase a key.  (Of course, the IE window allowed the user to open up the command prompt to do various things to get the system back without paying, but that’s not what this post is about.)  Vista SP1’s WGA behavior was less of a show-stopper, and did allow the user to get to the desktop and use the computer semi-normally, but onto the Windows 7 behavior.

After a month of avoiding putting in my Windows 7 Beta key, I was greeted this dialogue box while using the computer:

You may be a victim of software counterfeiting.

To use all Microsoft Windows® features, such as all updates from Windows Update; get the latest updates and receive product support, your copy of Microsoft Windows® must be validated as genuine.

That was after the occasional reminder-to-activate message balloon from the system notification area before the 30 days was up.

With the 30 days up, whenever I logged in I was greeted with the following message box. (It’s taken with a camera because I had no other way of saving a screenshot.)

Clicking “Activate Now” brought me to this screen:

Clicking “Buy a new product key online” brought me to this webpage:

All of the other options in the activation wizard were to either type in a key or put off the task for later.

After neglecting to put in a key again, I was allowed back onto my desktop.  I found that the desktop wallpaper was changed to plain black, and an “This copy of Windows” is not genuine” was placed in the lower-right corner of the desktop.  (The other text is because the release of Windows that I am using is the public beta.)

I could change the wallpaper back, but every time I logged in the desktop would revert to plain black.

Finally, ever time I opened the Control Panel I was greeted with the following message.  (Apparently I also changed the window color sometime between the time the previous screenshot was taken and this one. )

That’s it.  In the end, it seems that the OS all together still works.  The desktop nag and login messages are nuisances, but the lack of Windows Update support is a strong motivator to get the thing activated.  For someone who doesn’t want to spend the money, however, it seems that the less he restarts the computer the less of a haste the WGA nags would be.

Keep in mind that this is the behavior in the Windows 7 beta, but I think it’s safe to assume that the behavior won’t change much in the coming release candidate and final release.

Clicking on it, this window opened:

This is great!  This tells me that Windows Update now has a streamlined path for new features and updates to current Windows-bundled applications.  In the past, Microsoft has been very timid about updating programs bundled with Windows, which is one reason why Microsoft pulled many of them out into Windows Live.  (Internet Explorer 7 was a big deal to update.  At some point Windows Update in XP would open up the installer, right in the user’s face.  The alternative would be to update IE automatically, that’s not fair to the user.)  Microsoft would never push a new program (with a whole new UI, etc.) to an end user without asking first, and it seems that this path allows Microsoft to easily ask that question.  (The question would be queued in the Action Center maybe?)

Since I’ve had the Windows 7 Beta running for a few weeks, I’m guessing that this Windows Update type was itself an update, which just goes to show the extreme flexibility of Windows Update.

I’m looking forward to the release candidate in April!

A simple double-click on an ISO file will bring up this simple interface:

It couldn’t be simpler, but you will still need some third-party software if you want to create a disk image.

Clicking “download now” brought me to a page that downloaded a download manager, which is downloading the ISO as I type this.  The speed seems to be pretty good for now… at least it’s the fastest I’ve seen a download go on this Internet connection.

The “Installation Instructions” page is a link to here: https://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/beta-installation-instructions.aspx

I’ll try to document more of the beta experience in later blog posts.

Hey, there’s stuff on windows7.com!

For more information, I highly recommend reading this article:  http://on10.net/blogs/sarahintampa/New-Features-In-Windows-7/

First open the control panel.

Next type “sound” in the search box, and click “Change system sounds”.  (If you have the control panel set to “Classic View” open “Sound” and click on the “Sounds” tab.  Alternatively just click “Control Panel Home” and follow the previous directions.)

A “Sound” window will open with the “Sounds” tab selected.  Uncheck “Play Windows Startup sound”.

Click “OK”.

That’s it… Congratulations!

(Note: This tutorial does not apply to Windows XP.)