this is what they get for integrating IE

[stlouis1]

so, i finally reinstalled windows on my main desktop today....i think mentioned a few times recently its been crashing outta nowhere.

so i put anything i needed backed up to my seconday partition (or d: ). i put my 40gb drive that i had vista running on in the system. wanted to boot it up and use it to format the c: partition and move my windows profiles since i keep them on the d: drive before i reinstall and windows starts making new folders with numbers and symbols since it cant use teh existing folders

anyway, i boot up vista RC1, and what do it tell me, its expired, or needs activation, of course it never recognized my modem to get on my internet. (wish i had screen shots) but anyway, i think its the second option it gives, will open IE in full screen adn try to bring u to a microsoft site to activate or get a new key, i dunno, something like that

so when IE opens, if you type explorer.exe in the address bar, it will load up the rest of windows, no need to activate in order to keep using.

figured id post the simplicity of bypassing vista's activation

if the mods feel this is inappropriate, by all means remove it. i thought it might be a topic for conversion. keep in mind this is an RC1 copy of vista, not a full release

[BAM!]

i don't think it's anything illegal, but rather, some bug in the initial release that microsoft will eventually address.

none the less, a good find tho. it's like one of those easter egg findings.

[stlouis1]

id try it when i get vista, but far as i know the full release of vista ultimate wont have the activation

ima try and get an RC2 or RTM or something and try it with those.

but as long as that option launches IE, i dont think there'll be any way to avoid this