I've installed it on my laptop as a testbed, and it works just fine with the Windows 7 Toolkit 1.8 -- fully activated/genuine and have downloaded the available updates. Does it make sense to install it on my main desktop? Will the toolkit's activation utility fail as the OEM and Retail version make their rounds, bricking the installation completely, or can I expect a RTM install to keep functioning forever?
Yes til maximum june 2010. After that the timebomb you activated with the toolkit will bring an end to sevens life.
I'm in danger of sounding redundant, but to answer your question, I would hold off on switching over your main system to Windows 7 via any kind of Toolkit. It uses RC files to get around truly activating the OS, and once Microsoft develops a detection method for this Toolkit, you'll be left with a bricked OS that may need a complete reinstall. Using RC files also brings the Timebomb back into play too, resulting in the same bricked OS in 2010. Not something I am willing to play around with. Do some reading in the Vista sections of the forums, and some of the newer posts here in the Win7 section. Stick with Rearms until Win7 OEM SLP Keys/Certs are made public, then mod your Bios. People here have been very helpful with my questions about bios modding, and one user was kind enough to mod my bios for SLIC 2.1, even though my board is an "economy" model ASUS. Good luck with your upgrading, --DKnight
Ah, thanks for the information. I'm currently using a SLIC 2.0 BIOS (Gigabyte 965P-DS3) given to me by someone on this forum, and have had Vista fully activated for a while. I was looking on this forum (but tend to be blind sometimes), are there any comprehensive howtos on BIOS modding and injection, from start to finish? I've got some assembly and debugging experience from my nifty CS degree, and actually want to learn how to do this stuff. Thanks again! [EDIT] Yeah, I'm blind, and looking in the wrong place. I've found everything I need in the Vista section. If there was anything extra that might be useful that isn't in the Vista area, I'd be very grateful if anyone could point it out. Thanks!
From what I have seen, the more exact how-to's are posted in the Vista forum section. I'm no programmer, so I can't comment beyond that. --DKnight EDIT: Yup, you found the Vista section 30 secs before I posted. Curse my slow typing!