I have yet to try and activate a Windows 7 install, but there is such a slew of info out there about dozens of different versions and activation methods. Also not much info available about this latest BIE version out there, and which method is best to use on it. I got an Acer laptop, of course it came pre-loaded with Win7 Home Premium which is fine by me except the mountain of s**t they pre-install on it and its not optional (cant just cleanly install the Windows copy they give). Checked the ram usage and it was around 40-45% at idle (are you KIDDING me?!?) and that was after I removed the heavy antivirus/internet security programs which were running on it at first. So decided to format it and install latest BIE copy since that was easiest floating around with still working files to download. This version has some form of pre-activation on the disc, I ran it, and said it finished. About a week or 2 later it says Windows has 3 days left to activate to be genuine. So do I actually click the "activate online" now and see if BIE's method fools it, has anyone actually tried this? The default activation method they include with their release... or do I use DAZ loader (and from what I read, gotta use the Uninstall feature of DAZ before installing it, correct?). I hope someone has installed this version on these forums already and knows exactly what to do. P.S. What happens in Windows 7 these days if you just dont activate it, dont make it genuine? Are M$ still doing the days of fear where your Windows will simply stop working one day and you're f***d with all the current data on it? If the only detractor is a message saying its not genuine and not being able to download windows updates then it doesnt bother me. If however I cant manually install, for example, later versions of DirectX in the future, that would be a problem. Thanks again for any valid info and help.
Thanks for your info guys but Ive spent the last 2 days on and off setting this PC up installing all the drivers, customizing windows such as classic shell and installed every program I need, internet related software, settings, everything set up how I want it. Besides I have copied over 500gigs of data from my desktop via 100mbit line (thats 12mb/sec, it takes houuurs to copy that much at that speed), so to reinstall I would need to format and do it all over again. Basically I might do what you guys suggested sometime in the future but right now Ive prepared this laptop because Im about to go on a trip and dont have time to redo all of it right now. So basically the question is, what method is best to activate this BIE version (and I have used BIE releases of XP and Win 7 in the past with no problems... although I dont recall which activations I used). If anyone has used one of these newer BIE's with SP1, please let me know whats the best activation. If there is none because its Enterprise version, then I'd even go for the "infinite trial" method if nothing else works. The only thing I want to make sure of is that my Windows wont simply not boot up one day in the near future
Alright I am downloading it now, whatever this tool is, I hope the readme inside it is more informative as the first post on that thread doesnt describe how it activates windows at all. One more question guys, has anyone just tried running the Activation online using a newer BIE release? Maybe BIE has built-in a self cracking method so it bypasses activation? No? But their NFO and readme's are very poorly written with no real info at all (something the entire scene seems to suffer from). But I might just try that first, whats the worst that can happen? It will say "this copy isnt genuine" I presume and nothing more...
Regarding the Windows KMS tool (Microsoft Toolkit), the readme only talks about the Office 2010 activation. Just want to make sure I am using it right before I go ahead with it... so in the Windows Toolkit, Activation Tab, I will select "Tool: AutoKMS", then "Install". Then press the "Activate" button? Then I would go under the Product Keys tab and select Product: Windows 7/2008 R2, Edition: Windows 7 Enterprise, and select "Install"? If this seems correct to you guys, Ill go ahead with it tomorrow. By the way I attempted to "Activate Online" from the System menu, and I got a message of "Cant find activation server/program" or such (internet was connected), and then Windows gave up the attempt. So looks like BIE blocked the activation protocols at the very least. Now Im kind of curious to see what happens in 2 days when it reaches the "automatic activation" time limit. When it cant find the activation server/method, will it simply give up or block Windows from running? Or is it best not to let it get that far without some activation method? Maybe this is a good experiment to conduct because it seems no one here even knows what will happen for sure.... I can be the first to confirm it for this particular BIE release.
BIE release is based on same KMS method used in 'Microsoft Toolkit', but if i were you i would go urie's suggested direction, downgrade to Ultimate/HomePremium and use loader
Thanks, I will likely try this. One question about the install steps.... it says you need to insert the windows dvd for the version which you are trying to downgrade/upgrade to, so this means I want to have Win7 Ultimate SP1 integrated March/April 2012 x64 version?.... time to start looking for working links again ;p
You'd be better off downloading from the link that Freestyler provided for you. These are clean and untouched Win7 x86 - x64 isos, and may i recommend that you download the SP1 media refresh version.
Nope, as you can see we both replied at exactly the same time (me apparently seconds earlier) steven4554 edited his post afterwards, as it contained same info and links
But there is always yesterday. Btw - regarding BIE kms stuff - Could OP just use what he already has to reactivate for another 180 days ? (Not that we should try to support BIE releases here)
He probably could but there is no way I would be running enterprise rather than Ultimate if I already have OEM:SLP 2.1 in my bios. For some reason most install enterprise because they seem to think it is better because of the name.
I had a look at it. The activator is in the BIE folder of the dvd. It needs to be run manually after Windows installation is finished. No indication that it reactivates automatically like MS Toolkit. OP probably never found it or ran it. Yes, agree on switch to Ultimate, especially with slic bios.
Thanks again for all the info guys, just giving an update on what happened with the BIE release. Like some mentioned in the thread, BIE must activate KMS like the KMS Tool you speak of, because after it said "Windows has 2 days left to activate" I turned the laptop on 2 days later and then it said "Windows has 120 days left to activate" (or maybe it was 180 days). Anyway it did it by itself so it must just keep repeating this every half year or so automatically. Thats good enough for me because I am quite lazy to do the downgrading stuff right now. This seems to work fine and I am happy with it. I dont need any Windows Updates, but if a new Service Pack or DirectX comes out in the future which requires genuine windows to update (and games will require it), then I may do that Downgrade/DAZ tool method eventually.