Vista Grace Period can be Extended to 120 Days

[Jimmy 2004]

Although Microsoft isn't too keen to mention this, a well documented "Easter-Egg" for Vista is that you can actually extend the activation grace period up to three times. If you buy a one copy of Windows, when you go to install it you have the option not to enter an activation code and try out another version to see what it's like. By default, this will only last for 30 days without needing a code. However, DailyTech is reporting a supposedly legal Vista command that you can use to reset this 30 day countdown timer and get more use out of your install. All you have to do is simply launch a command prompt with administrator rights, type in slmgr -rearm and then you will be back up to 30 days. This won't give you unlimited time however - you can only do it three times at the most, so that's 120 days maximum. To test how long you have left, simply type slmgr -dli in a command prompt.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Alec§taar]

Thanks for that tip Jim,

Mainly because it may be a while before I go to actually buy into VISTA, & I for one would like PLENTY OF TIME to poke & prod @ it first.



* Gotta love it!

APK

 

[mullered07]

Thanks for that tip Jim,

Mainly because it may be a while before I go to actually buy into VISTA, & I for one would like PLENTY OF TIME to poke & prod @ it first.



* Gotta love it!

APK

ditto the only reason i havent installed it is because

a] im not buying it until a good few updates have been brought out

b] im not installing a "free " version for 14/30 days

so now i might install if it gives me a whole 120 days, chances are i format/clean install in that time anyway

 

[Jimmy 2004]

so now i might install if it gives me a whole 120 days, chances are i format/clean install in that time anyway

Good point... when you think about the scale of it, that's only three formats a year - not too bad. Admittedly after the first couple of days I think it will start nagging a little bit, but if you want to put up with that you should be ok. Plus there is probably some registry setting to stop that, but that might be illegal.

 

[zekrahminator]

Wait a minute...this whole "MS grace period" thing doesn't make sense to me. You spend $120 on a copy of Home Premium (thanks to Newegg OEM copies), and if you don't like it, you return it. You like it, activate it ASAP. What would be the point of leaving it un-activated, unless you like frequent bubble reminders "this copy ain't activated yet"?

 

[WarEagleAU]

same here. Thanks Jimmy.

 

[Jimmy 2004]

Wait a minute...this whole "MS grace period" thing doesn't make sense to me. You spend $120 on a copy of Home Premium (thanks to Newegg OEM copies), and if you don't like it, you return it. You like it, activate it ASAP. What would be the point of leaving it un-activated, unless you like frequent bubble reminders "this copy ain't activated yet"?

Or if a friend has a copy you could borrow that and see if you like it. I know it isn't strictly legal, but it's lets you decide if you want it and make your mind up... over a longer period of time.

And I guess some people interpret "friend" as being a metaphor for "torrent", but there you go.

 

[mullered07]

Or if a friend has a copy you could borrow that and see if you like it. I know it isn't strictly legal, but it's lets you decide if you want it and make your mind up... over a longer period of time.

And I guess some people interpret "friend" as being a metaphor for "torrent", but there you go.

lol

friends are the best *cough* biohazard4 *cough*

 

[Deleted member 24505]

heres the contents of the slmgr file,some nteresting stuff,and it has all the commands listed.

[Strings]
L_optInstallProductKey="ipk"
L_optInstallProductKeyUsage="Install product key (replaces existing key)"
L_optUninstallProductKey="upk"
L_optUninstallProductKeyUsage="Uninstall product key"
L_optActivateProduct="ato"
L_optActivateProductUsage="Activate Windows"
L_optDisplayInformation="dli"
L_optDisplayInformationUsage="Display license information (default: current license)"
L_optDisplayInformationVerbose="dlv"
L_optDisplayInformationUsageVerbose="Display detailed license information (default: current license)"
L_optExpirationDatime="xpr"
L_optExpirationDatimeUsage="Expiration date for current license state"
L_optClearPKeyFromRegistry="cpky"
L_optClearPKeyFromRegistryUsage="Clear product key from the registry (prevents disclosure attacks)"
L_optInstallLicense="ilc"
L_optInstallLicenseUsage="Install license"
L_optReinstallLicenses="rilc"
L_optReinstallLicensesUsage="Re-install system license files"
L_optDisplayIID="dti"
L_optDisplayIIDUsage="Display Installation ID for offline activation"
L_optPhoneActivateProduct="atp"
L_optPhoneActivateProductUsage="Activate product with user-provided Confirmation ID"
L_optReArmWindows="rearm"
L_optReArmWindowsUsage="Reset the licensing status of the machine"
L_optSetKmsName="skms"
L_optSetKmsNameUsage="Set the name and/or the port for the KMS computer this machine will use"
L_optClearKmsName="ckms"
L_optClearKmsNameUsage="Clear name of KMS computer used (sets the port to the default)"
L_optSetActivationInterval="sai"
L_optSetActivationIntervalUsage="Set interval (minutes) for unactivated clients to attempt KMS connection. The activation interval must be between 15 minutes (min) and 30 days (max) although the default (2 hours) is recommended."
L_optSetRenewalInterval="sri"
L_optSetRenewalIntervalUsage="Set renewal interval (minutes) for activated clients to attempt KMS connection. The renewal interval must be between 15 minutes (min) and 30 days (max) although the default (7 days) is recommended."
L_optSetKmsListenPort="sprt"
L_optSetKmsListenPortUsage="Set TCP port KMS will use to communicate with clients"
L_optSetDNS="sdns"
L_optSetDNSUsage="Enable DNS publishing by KMS (default)"
L_optClearDNS="cdns"
L_optClearDNSUsage="Disable DNS publishing by KMS"
L_optSetNormalPriority="spri"
L_optSetNormalPriorityUsage="Set KMS priority to normal (default)"
L_optClearNormalPriority="cpri"
L_optClearNormalPriorityUsage="Set KMS priority to low"
L_ParamsActivationID="<Activation ID>"
L_ParamsActivationIDOptional="[Activation ID]"
L_ParamsActIDOptional="[Activation ID | All]"
L_ParamsProductKey="<Product Key>"
L_ParamsLicenseFile="<License file>"
L_ParamsPhoneActivate="<Confirmation ID>"
L_ParamsSetKms="<Name[ort] | ort>"
L_ParamsSetListenKmsPort="<Port>"
L_ParamsSetActivationInterval="<Activation Interval>"
L_ParamsSetRenewalInterval="<Renewal Interval>"
L_MsgHelp_1="Windows Software Licensing Management Tool"
L_MsgHelp_2="Usage: slmgr.vbs [MachineName [User Password]] [<Option>]"
L_MsgHelp_3="MachineName: Name of remote machine (default is local machine)"
L_MsgHelp_4="User: Account with required privilege on remote machine"
L_MsgHelp_5="Password: password for the previous account"
L_MsgGlobalOptions="Global Options:"
L_MsgAdvancedOptions="Advanced Options:"
L_MsgKmsClientOptions="Volume Licensing: Key Management Service (KMS) Client Options:"
L_MsgKmsOptions="Volume Licensing: Key Management Service (KMS) Options:"
L_MsgMissingOption="Option is missing and it must be provided"
L_MsgUnrecognizedOption="Unrecognized option: "
L_MsgErrorProductNotFound="Error: product not found."
L_MsgClearedPKey="Product key from registry cleared successfully."
L_MsgInstalledPKey="Installed product key %PKEY% successfully."
L_MsgUninstalledPKey="Uninstalled product key successfully."
L_MsgErrorPKey="Error: product key not found."
L_MsgInstallationID="Installation ID: "
L_MsgPhoneNumbers="Product activation telephone numbers can be obtained by searching the phone.inf file for the appropriate phone number for your location/country. You can open the phone.inf file from a Command Prompt or the Start Menu by running: notepad %systemroot%\system32\slui\phone.inf"
L_MsgActivating="Activating %PRODUCTNAME% (%PRODUCTID%) ..."
L_MsgActivated="Product activated successfully."
L_MsgActivated_Failed="Error: Product activation failed."
L_MsgConfID="Confirmation ID for product %ACTID% deposited successfully."
L_MsgErrorDescription="Error description: "
L_MsgErrorConnection="Error 0x%ERRCODE% occurred in connecting to server %COMPUTERNAME%."
L_MsgErrorConnectionRegistry="Error 0x%ERRCODE% occurred in connecting to the registry on server %COMPUTERNAME%."
L_MsgErrorImpersonation="Error 0x%ERRCODE% occurred in setting impersonation level."
L_MsgErrorWMI="Error 0x%ERRCODE% occurred in creating a locator object."
L_MsgErrorText_1="Access denied: the requested action requires elevated privileges."
L_MsgErrorText_2="Could not find a KMS machine."
L_MsgErrorText_3="The software licensing service reported that the requested permission is not available."
L_MsgErrorText_4="The computer could not be activated. The returned count from your Key Management Service is insufficient."
L_MsgErrorText_5="The computer could not be activated. The Key Management Service could not be reached."
L_MsgErrorText_6="Run 'slui.exe 0x2a 0x%ERRCODE%' to display the error text."
L_MsgErrorText_8="Error: "
L_MsgErrorText_9="Error: option %OPTION% needs %PARAM%"
L_MsgErrorText_10="The maximum allowed number of re-arms has been exceeded. You must re-install the OS before trying to re-arm again."
L_MsgErrorText_11="The machine is running within the non-genuine grace period. Please run 'slui.exe 0x31' to go online and make the machine genuine."
L_MsgLicenseFile="License file %LICENSEFILE% installed successfully."
L_MsgKmsPriSetToLow="KMS priority set to Low"
L_MsgKmsPriSetToNormal="KMS priority set to Normal"
L_MsgWarningKmsPri="Warning: Priority can only be set on a KMS machine that is also activated."
L_MsgKmsDnsPublishingDisabled="DNS publishing disabled"
L_MsgKmsDnsPublishingEnabled="DNS publishing enabled"
L_MsgKmsDnsPublishingWarning="Warning: DNS Publishing can only be set on a KMS machine that is also activated."
L_MsgKmsPortSet="KMS port set to %PORT% successfully."
L_MsgWarningKmsReboot="Warning: a KMS reboot is needed for this setting to take effect."
L_MsgWarningKmsPort="Warning: KMS port can only be set on a KMS machine that is also activated."
L_MsgRenewalSet="Volume renewal interval set to %RENEWAL% minutes successfully."
L_MsgWarningRenewal="Warning: Volume renewal interval can only be set on a KMS machine that is also activated."
L_MsgActivationSet="Volume activation interval set to %ACTIVATION% minutes successfully."
L_MsgWarningActivation="Warning: Volume activation interval can only be set on a KMS machine that is also activated."
L_MsgKmsNameSet="Key Management Service machine name set to %KMS% successfully."
L_MsgKmsNameCleared="Key Management Service machine name cleared successfully."
L_MsgRearm_1="Command completed successfully."
L_MsgRearm_2="Please restart the system for the changes to take effect."
L_MsgLicenseStatusUnlicensed="Windows is unlicensed"
L_MsgLicenseStatusVL="Volume activation will expire %ENDDATE%"
L_MsgLicenseStatusLicensed="The machine is permanently activated."
L_MsgLicenseStatusInitialGrace="Initial grace period ends %ENDDATE%"
L_MsgLicenseStatusAdditionalGrace="Additional grace period ends %ENDDATE%"
L_MsgLicenseStatusNonGenuineGrace="Non-genuine grace period ends %ENDDATE%"
L_MsgLicenseStatusUnlicensed_1="License Status: Unlicensed"
L_MsgLicenseStatusLicensed_1="License Status: Licensed"
L_MsgLicenseStatusVL_1="Volume activation expiration: %MINUTE% minute(s) (%DAY% day(s))"
L_MsgLicenseStatusInitialGrace_1="License Status: Initial grace period"
L_MsgLicenseStatusAdditionalGrace_1="License Status: Additional grace period (KMS license expired or hardware out of tolerance)"
L_MsgLicenseStatusNonGenuineGrace_1="License Status: Non-genuine grace period."
L_MsgLicenseStatusTimeRemaining="Time remaining: %MINUTE% minute(s) (%DAY% day(s))"
L_MsgLicenseStatusUnknown="License Status: Unknown"
L_MsgLicenseStatusEvalEndData="Evaluation End Date: "
L_MsgReinstallingLicenses="Re-installing license files ..."
L_MsgLicensesReinstalled="License files re-installed successfully."
L_MsgServiceVersion="Software licensing service version: "
L_MsgProductName="Name: "
L_MsgProductDesc="Description: "
L_MsgActID="Activation ID: "
L_MsgAppID="Application ID: "
L_MsgPID4="Extended PID: "
L_MsgProcessorCertUrl="Processor Certificate URL: "
L_MsgMachineCertUrl="Machine Certificate URL: "
L_MsgUseLicenseCertUrl="Use License URL: "
L_MsgPKeyCertUrl="Product Key Certificate URL: "
L_MsgPartialPKey="Partial Product Key: "
L_MsgErrorLicenseNotInUse="This license is not in use."
L_MsgKmsInfo="Key Management Service client information"
L_MsgCmid="Client Machine ID (CMID): "
L_MsgRegisteredKmsName="Registered KMS machine name: "
L_MsgKmsFromDnsUnavailable="DNS auto-discovery: KMS name not available"
L_MsgKmsFromDns="KMS machine name from DNS: "
L_MsgKmsPID4="KMS machine extended PID: "
L_MsgActivationInterval="Activation interval: %INTERVAL% minutes"
L_MsgRenewalInterval="Renewal interval: %INTERVAL% minutes"
L_MsgKmsEnabled="Key Management Service is enabled on this machine"
L_MsgKmsCurrentCount="Current count: "
L_MsgKmsListeningOnPort="Listening on Port: "
L_MsgKmsPriNormal="KMS priority: Normal"
L_MsgKmsPriLow="KMS priority: Low"
L_MsgInvalidDataError="Error: The data is invalid"