120-Day Trial for Windows 7

You can now get Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system for 120 days without activating it with a paid-for license. Yes, that’s right – 120 days, instead of 30 days.

Microsoft confirmed that PC users could now initiate a reset command up to three times, hence adding 90 days further to the default 30-day grace period for activating the operating system with Microsoft. This came out after numerous rumors were published on the Web, including one article by Computerworld.

The extension can be done by calling up the “rearm” control that will automatically reset the countdown timer back to 30 days. The steps below will show you how it’s done:

1. Open up command line by clicking on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt (right-click and hit on Run As Administrator) – or for faster access, use the shortcut keys by pressing the Windows Key + R and typing “cmd”;

2. Enter in slmgr –rearm (only the bold letters) at the command line;
3. Restart your Windows 7.

The same procedure was also available for Windows Vista. Microsoft has confirmed that extending the grace period does not violate the Windows 7 End User License Agreement (EULA). For more details on the extension procedure, and some cautions, check out www.windowssecrets.com.

The process of product activation has been around for quite some, it started with Windows XP and later, Windows Vista. Starting 2008, if a computer was not legally activated with a license key code, it would fall down into a “reduced functionality” mode after 30 days, consequently resulting with the OS falling into a black background and flashing relentless reminders to the user to activate the product.

Retail versions of the new Microsoft OS go on sale in October of 2009.