Windows 7 Linkfest: fresh meat edition

CC Photo Credit: by Choctopus on Flickr

Miscellaneous Windows Fun.

• Logon Windows7 Automatically – What’s My Pass blog – While I’m all for all Windows systems having a requirement for a user id/password for login, I know that under normal configurations this doesn’t mean it is “secure” and can be bypassed.  That said it could help discourage casual logon of system accounts around the home or office.  However, if you have Windows 7 and this just really annoys you, this is a nice tutorial on how to “auto-logon” to a user account after boot.

• Managing Windows 7 with DISM - Springboard Series Blog - The Windows Blog – Really helpful overview of the Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management Tool Microsoft offers to system deployments and imaging management.

• Changes to the Windows 7 install process – istartedsomething – Long Zheng clarifies how the versioning works for the Win7 install process as well as providing a small “hack” tip to make manual selection possible during the install process.

• Windows 7 activation cracked via OEM licensing exploit, 85 days ahead of general release – istartedsomething – Long also details that Win7 WGA authentication has been cracked.  Bummer.  He doesn’t bother to explain how.  So, we turn to….

• Bypassing the Windows 7 activation – Wouter Veugelen blog for just a bit more detail but it provides a link to…

• Windows 7 Ultimate Cracked and Activated Permanently with OEM SLP Master Product Key (with SLIC 2.1) – My Digital Life blog.  That breaks down the issue in detail.  I’m not at all posting this as an endorsement for someone to actually use this to steal activations (and $$) from MS.  However, I find it a good technical understanding of the deeper workings on product activation and WGA.  Seriously.

• Using virtual machines on Windows 7 RC with Windows Virtual PC beta - Harold van de Kamp’s Blog.  I need another post just on using Virtual PC beta on Win7.  It’s much different than on XP.  Took me a while to find the control interface for it (it’s on the Explorer bar now…). That said, it was a great help being able to run a virtual machine, shut it down, then mount the VHD file to extract files off.  Cool!

• Showing Our Thanks to Windows 7 Beta Testers…. - Windows 7 Team Blog & Microsoft does a 180: Tech testers to get a copy of Windows 7 for free - All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com.

For some reason, many folks who were testing the beta/RC releases of Windows 7 were hoping that Microsoft might out of the kindness of their deep pockets offer everyone a full key for the RTM build when it was all done.  Initially MS said no-one would be touched by the god of Redmond to receive this blessing.  However, favor seems to have been allocated a few.  Mary-Jo Foley in that last post above sums it up thusly:

The free copies of Windows 7 Ultimate will go to technical beta testers only — not every individual who participated in the public Windows 7 Beta and Release Candidate testing programs.

So it’s not good news for us peons but the dukes look happy now.

--Claus V.