What happens if I miss the rearm?

gurm42 · 15 Jul 2009

"Reduced functionality" is ... nothing to worry about. You lose your background and screen saver. You can still rearm. No worries.

DataMan47 · 15 Jul 2009

Brink said:

Hello DataMan,

Sorry, but you cannot activate the 7260 with the RC or Beta keys as that would be illegal and is not to be discussed here at all.

As some of the posters above have pointed out, 7260 was the last leaked build to still support RC/beta keys--7264 is the one where that's not possible.

The only legal way to keep it going until Windows 7 is for sale with legal keys is to use the rearm method.

Nitpick: If you want to get technical about legality, then the rearm method is just as illegal. The 30-day activation grace period is not meant to be used as a "trial period". Nor is the rearm meant to be used for anything other than returning the system to a clean activation slate by OEMs for preinstalls or install imaging. Use the rearm to extend the grace period is technically a violation of the license agreement and thus technically illegal.

Brink · 16 Jul 2009

Correct, I was thinking of the 7264 build instead as the OP did as it turned out as well.

The rearm method is an approved provided method by Microsoft for the very purpose of extending the grace period up to 120 days. Doing a clean reinstall and doing this rearm trick over and over to avoid paying for Windows is a violation of the license agreement and is most definitely illegal. It really depends on the purpose that you use it for.