Confessions of a Windows 7 pirate

Ed Bott: I've been hanging out with a bad crowd lately, trying out popular hacking tools to see if I could install Windows 7 without paying for it. Unfortunately, I succeeded. Now, I'm sharing my experiences, including close encounters with nasty malware and how the latest showdown between Microsoft and the pirates is likely to play out.
· Microsoft: 90 million copies of Windows 7 sold

Windows Activation Technologies: an unauthorized inside look
Ed Bott: Everything you've read so far about the WAT platform in Windows 7 has been based on what Microsoft said it was going to do. But can you really believe everything Microsoft tells you?
· Ed Bott: Windows 7 activation update aims at high-volume pirates￶
· Ed Bott: Microsoft releases updated Windows 7 deployment tools
Enterprise interested in Windows 7 upgrades, but timing uncertain
Larry Dignan: Business customers are showing “incredible interest” in Windows 7 deployments, but the exact timing of the upgrade cycle is up for debate, according to the software giant’s financial chief.
86 percent of Windows 7 PCs maxing out memory ... really?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Data collected by Devil Mountain Software’s community-based XPnet claiming their Windows 7 machines consuming 90-95% of the system RAM. Here's why it's way off base.
· Larry Dignan: Why we don't trust Devil Mountain Software (and neither should you)
Windows 7 memory usage: What's the best way to measure?
Ed Bott: Since Windows 7 was released last October I’ve read lots of articles about the right and wrong way to measure and manage the physical memory on your system. Much of it is well-meaning but just wrong.
Seven reasons to move on from Windows XP
Zack Whittaker: You should just be able to start Vista or 7 for the first time and be guided through everything, and comfortable enough using your prior knowledge to get everything out of it that you had with XP.
· Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: 7 reasons to stick with Windows XP
The Windows 7 honeymoon is over
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: In contrast to Windows Vista, Windows 7 has been receiving almost endless praise. But lately I’ve noticed the tide turning, and the shine is beginning to tarnish on Windows 7’s previously immaculate halo?
Microsoft's Windows 7 chief: It's not us; it's your batteries
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft President of Windows Steven Sinofsky said that Microsoft and its partners have been investigating reports and have found the battery-metering feature of Windows 7 to be working fine.
Is Windows 7 reliability fix making PCs less reliable?
Mary Jo Foley: There are reports in a TechNet forum that claim a recently released reliability and stability patch for Windows 7 may end up making some PCs less reliable and stable.
Will your new Windows 7 PC support XP Mode?
Ed Bott: My quick survey of the current PC market says you’re much less likely to run into virtualization problems since the launch of Windows 7, but at most online shopping sites you’ll have a hard time finding details about virtualization support for specific models. Here’s a recap:
· Apple Boot Camp - now with Windows 7 support
The ultimate 'God Mode' list: 39 secret Windows 7 shortcuts
Ed Bott: For some reason that only the gods of the blogosphere can explain, an old Windows trick took on new life this week. Here's the trick and even more lists to follow.
· Ed Bott: 94 more secret Windows shortcuts

Tests and reviews

Windows 7: An impressive upgrade

Ed Bott: After nearly a year of testing, Windows 7 is officially available to the public. I've covered its features and capabilities in detail over the past few months. Today, I look at Microsoft's graceful, even elegant new operating system and answer the big question: Who should upgrade?

Benchmarks: Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard
Reviews: Windows 7 Ultimate · Professional · Home Premium
Benchmarks: Windows 7 RTM versus Vista, XP
Shootout: 7 RTM vs. Vista SP1 vs. XP SP3 - Shootout
Windows 7 upgrade survival guide
Gallery: Windows 7's Aero in pictures
Gallery: Windows 7 Security
The Ultimate Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ

Microsoft confirms 'detailed' Windows 7 exploit
Ryan Naraine: Microsoft has issued a security advisory to acknowledge a crippling denial-of-service flaw affecting its newest operating systems — Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
Is your Windows 7 genuine?
Ed Bott: Microsoft does a generally poor job of explaining its complicated rules for how Windows licensing works. But one type of Windows license deserves its own special place in the Corporate Communications Hall of Shame.
Microsoft admits its GPL violation
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft admitted that it did, indeed violate the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) for a download tool used in Windows 7. The company will reissue the Windows 7 tool under open-source license.
Did Microsoft Windows 7 download tool violate the GPL?
Did Microsoft copy Mac OS for Windows 7?
Windows 7's first 100 days
Zack Whittaker: I’ll put this very simply: I have never used an operating system which works so well, is as stable as it is, is aesthetically pleasing, and is a pleasure to use still even after three and a bit months. How has your experience been?
Microsoft opens up Windows 7 to advertisers
Mary Jo Foley: The same way that it already allows advertisers to buy placement on various Microsoft sites and properties, Microsoft may allow them to extend their brands onto Windows 7.
Gallery: Getting personal with Windows 7
Your top Windows 7 questions, answered
Ed Bott: Since Windows 7 launched on October 22, my e-mail inbox has been deluged with questions, comments, and pleas for help. Here some of the most common/interesting/provocative questions.
Seven perfectly legal ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
Ed Bott: The Windows 7 price list usually ranges from $120 for a Home Premium upgrade to $320 for a fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. Guess what? You don't have to pay that much.
Seven great (and free!) applications for Windows 7
Ryan Naraine: Windows 7's default UAC bypassed by 8 out of 10 malware samples
A recently conducted test by malware researchers reveals that eight out of ten malware samples used in the test, successfully bypassed Windows 7’s default UAC (user access control) settings.
Windows 7 vs. Ubuntu 9.10 - Strengths and weaknesses
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Over the past few days, I've been thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of each of the operating systems. Is a free operating system really as good as one that you pay for?
Finally, some answers to Windows 7 upgrade questions
Ed Bott: My compatriots in the Windows blogosphere aren't always discriminating in giving out advice. I read a staggering number of rumors, many of them promulgated by people who should have known better.
Christopher Dawson: Netbooks worth the upgrade to Windows 7? Heck yes!
Potential Win 7 Achilles' heel surfaces
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: a potential Windows 7 Achilles’ heel has emerged around email, specifically the fact that Windows 7 doesn’t come with a built-in email client.
Students find Win 7 upgrade a tough assignment
My 7 favorite Windows 7 features
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Beginning today, you’ll be able to pick up a PC with Windows 7 pre-installed on it, or pick up a disc from your favorite virtual or bricks-and-mortar outlet. To celebrate, here are my top 7 favorite Windows 7 features.
Jason Perlow: Ding, dong, the Vista's dead
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Windows 7's killer feature?
Jason Perlow: My Must Have Windows 7 Utility: Stardock Fences
Christopher Dawson: Relax, kids...Windows 7 is just another OS
Microsoft starts selling hardware, third-party software online
Mary Jo Foley: The first brick-and-mortar Microsoft retail store is opening in Scottsdale, Ariz., today. But Microsoft has opened its revamped virtual store today, as well, and has added PC hardware and third-party software titles to its mix.
Mary Jo Foley: New ads: Was Windows 7 your idea?
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft, PC makers offer Win 7 deals
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: 7 Days of Windows 7 offers
Gallery: Windows 7: the first wave of system reviews
Mary Jo Foley: Amazon to release Kindle reader for Windows PCs
Gallery: Kindle for PC
Ballmer kicks off Windows 7
Andrew Nusca: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage today in New York to officially kick off the worldwide availability of Windows 7, the company’s highly-anticipated next-generation operating system.
Sam Diaz: Preview Party: Windows 7 in a Mac house
Microsoft offers USB key to upgrade netbooks
Mary Jo Foley: On October 22, Microsoft announced it will enable netbook users who want to upgrade from XP (or Vista) to Windows 7 to use a special version of Windows 7 preloaded on a USB stick.
Windows 7 in the real world with real PCs
Ed Bott: I've been testing the final version of Windows 7 in my home and office on six desktops and four notebooks to answer the question that keeps Microsoft's product managers awake at night: Will their new OS work properly on new PCs and upgraded machines?.
Windows 7 in action: a closer look at Windows XP Mode
Ed Bott: If a mission-critical program originally written for XP won't run under Windows 7, you're stuck. And the economics can get ugly if an expensive or hard-to-replace peripheral doesn't have Windows 7 drivers. A feature called XP Mode is Microsoft's way of handling compatibility problems.
Windows XP Mode Q&A
How long until Windows 7 beats Mac OS X Leopard/Snow Leopard?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: OK, time for a bit of fun. Windows 7 hits the General Availability make on October 22nd. How long until Windows 7 market share beats Mac OS X Leopard/Snow Leopard?
Nine out of 10 corporate PCs can run Windows 7
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Seems like there’s huge potential for a massive upgrade wave on the face of it. However, we need to be cautious when drawing conclusions.
Looking beyond Windows 7 and Office
Larry Dignan: Gartner is telling customers to upgrade to Windows 7 and the latest Office, but adds that it may make sense to at least ponder the alternatives and move toward a more operating system neutral stance.
Windows 7 stability and reliability update
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Microsoft has posted the first stability and reliability update for Windows 7. This is the first such update for Windows 7 since it hit the RTM stage.
Gartner: Windows 7 is 'all but inevitable'
Mary Jo Foley: Gartner Group analysts are telling business users that they should look at Windows 7 as an “all but inevitable” Windows release. There's no need to wait for SP1, start planning now.
Mary Jo Foley: Custom PC makers finally get Windows 7 preinstallation kit
Windows 7 upgrade - Questions answered
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: As the October 22 official public launch of Windows 7 looms, many of our readers are asking the same questions as they evaluate Microsoft's newest operating system: What are the system requirements? How easy/difficult is upgrading to Windows 7? Is it true that you can't upgrade directly to Windows 7 from XP? And more...
Preview Party: Windows 7 in a Mac house
Sam Diaz: For one night, Windows 7 took center stage in my living room as a half-dozen or so friends stopped by for one of the official Windows 7 preview parties hosted by Microsoft employees last night.
Gallery: Windows 7 preview party
Ballmer blames testers for Vista disaster
Mary Jo Foley: In an attempt to lower expectations for Windows 7, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pointed to Vista as an example that tester feedback may not always be the best measure of the success of a new operating system release. Could this be true of Windows 7?
Windows 7 judge and jury: Your mom
Ballmer: Microsoft never recovered from Vista
Ballmer on the flavors of Windows 7, the economy and XP
Andrew Nusca: Study: 67 percent of Mac users would install, try Windows 7 if it was free
Measuring Windows 7 performance
Ed Bott: I’ve personally installed, tweaked, and used beta and Release Candidate versions of Windows 7 on no fewer than 15 desktop and notebook PCs. Here are my first set of observations - more coming next week.
Microsoft releases XP Mode virtualization to manufacturing
Mary Jo Foley: XP Mode is a Microsoft virtualization technology aimed primarily at small/mid-size business users (SMBs), and is designed to allow them to run legacy Windows XP applications on Windows 7.
Can you upgrade an old XP PC to Windows 7?
Ed Bott: How old is too old? My friend owns a four-year-old laptop, once a triumph of Sony hardware engineering, that could easily be deemed ready to retire. Is it worth upgrading to Windows 7?
Zack Whittaker: XP to Vista? If it ain't broken, don't upgrade it
Windows 7 action: Smart way to manage Windows
Ed Bott: You've no doubt heard about Aero Snap and Aero Shake -- Windows 7's new set of gestures and shortcuts to help you move, resize, and arrange windows more intelligently? In the first of my four close-up video looks at the Windows 7 interface, you get to see these features in action.
Video: Windows 7 demo: A power saver
Video: Windows 7 demo: Windows XP Mode
Video: Windows 7 demo: Search tools
Video: Windows 7 demo: Taskbar features
Video: Windows 7: A worthwhile upgrade?
Video: Steve Ballmer and licensing
Video: Five Windows 7 features that enterprises may love
Windows 7 reliability scorecard
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Since December Windows 7 has been my default OS on several systems that are in daily use. During that time I've captured a lot of real-world reliability data for the OS.
Windows 7 OEM pricing...some serious discounts
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Online retailer Newegg.com has listed various editions of Windows 7 OEM, and there are some deep discounts to offer - including Windows 7 Professional at more than half off.
Probably the most awful thing I've ever seen
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: OK, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch this Microsoft Windows 7 Launch Party video. I feel like my soul has been wrung out of my body.
20 hours to upgrade Windows 7?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: A Microsoft Software Engineer, posted benchmark result data to show how Microsoft had managed to get the Windows 7 upgrade time to be faster than Vista. But one configuration took 1215 minutes to complete.
Ed Bott: How long should a Windows 7 upgrade really take?
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft pushes Win 7 upgrades - now
Microsoft trains Best Buy "Linux assassins"
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: A whistle-blower posted details of how Best Buy staff are trained to counter buyers’ interest in the Linux operating system - and direct them toward Windows 7.
Microsoft steps up push for Win 7, related products
Mary Jo Foley: Starting September 1, the Softies began cranking up the business-focused marketing machine around Windows 7 and a number of other soon-to-be-shipping enterprise products.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: 90-day Win 7 Enterprise trial - for whom?
Dissecting the FSF's 'Windows 7 Sins'
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Several Hardware 2.0 regulars have dropped me an email wondering what my take is on the Free Software Foundations “Windows 7 Sins” campaign.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: FSF launches "Windows 7 Sins" campaign
Is Apple worried by Windows 7?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Apple’s latest set of ads takes more swipes at the PC platform. But is Apple worried by the good press that Windows 7 has received so far and is now shifting attention to bad-mouthing the PC platform?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Snow Leopard and Windows 7: Two flavors of the same GUI?
My top three Windows 7 annoyances ... and fixes!
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: It’s true to say too that in that time I’ve noticed several annoyances that seem to suggest to me that Microsoft is putting design ahead of usability.
Windows 7 Starter edition introduces genuine "Microsoft tax"
Video: Three critical issues to consider before upgrading to Windows 7
Windows 7 customers still paying for Microsoft's Ultimate mistakes
Ed Bott: as Windows 7 approaches its official launch date, will Vista Ultimate users get another gouging? Or is Microsoft getting ready to unveil another “special deal”?
Windows 7 to sell in UK for half the US price
Confusion over Windows 7 upgrade path
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: The top Windows 7 related question I'm getting related to upgrade options, and it's clear that not are people confused, but that information from Microsoft on upgrade paths isn't helping much.
Ed Bott: Microsoft blunders with a confusing Windows 7 upgrade chart
Sony laptops can't use Windows 7 XP mode
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: The top Windows 7 related question I'm getting related to upgrade options, and it's clear that not are people confused, but that information from Microsoft on upgrade paths isn't helping much.
A killer Windows 7 bug? Sorry, no
Ed Bott: The blogosphere is abuzz over a newly publicized bug in Windows 7. It's alarming behavior if you're unaware of what's happening. But when you look more carefully, it's arguably a feature, not a bug.
Windows 7: The waiting is the hardest part (for Microsoft)
Larry Dignan: Microsoft’s fourth quarter results reveal just how much is riding on Windows 7. In a word: Everything. The company's client revenue was weaker than expected due to increasing sales of netbooks, a base that’s still in love with Windows XP and customers that never quite got around to upgrading to Vista.
Windows 7 pricing: Some users fume as the rose-colored discounts fade
Mary Jo Foley: The dust is beginning to settle a week after Microsoft went public with its Windows 7 retail pricing plans. Now the details (and lack of details) are starting to sink in with some Windows users.
Ed Bott: Microsoft sticker shock: Anytime Upgrade, Family Pack details
Mary Jo Foley: Beware the gotchas in Windows 7 pricing
Mary Jo Foley: Tech testers to get free copy of Win 7
Robin Harris: Why Windows 7 should be free
Windows 7 upgrade pricing is too expensive
Windows 7 activation ... FAIL!
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Microsoft’s activation and Windows Genuine Advantage mechanisms do little to prevent piracy. Exhibit A: Windows 7 activation mechanism cracked weeks before the release of the OS.
Microsoft confirms Windows 7 activation leak
Microsoft scraps Windows 7E
Mary Jo Foley: PC makers hated Microsoft's Windows 7E plan. The EC hated it. European consumers, as soon as they found out the new hoops they had to jump through to get on the Internet, were going to hate it. So nobody will complain about the end of "E."
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft: IE-free Win 7 'E' in Europe
Mary Jo Foley: European regulators, Opera weigh in on Windows 7 E plan
Poll: Is Microsoft's Windows 7 E a stroke of genius?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Windows 7 E - Will it harm IE's user share?
EC responds to Microsoft's browser move
Mary Jo Foley: Browser vote could be Microsoft's worst nightmare
The Scarlet V: What's a Vista business user to do?
Mary Jo Foley: Windows 7 has been released to manufacturing and is obviously the operating system that Microsoft and its partners will ￶be pushing for the next two-plus years. If you're one of those business users who is in the midst of deploying Vista, what should you do?
CIO Jury: Let's wait on Windows 7
They're soup: Windows 7, Server 2008 R2 released to manufacturing
Mary Jo Foley: Windows 7 has been tightly controlled from its first days on the drawing board. The last milestone is no exception: At 4:40 p.m. July 22, Microsoft announced the release to manufacturing of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. What's changed since May's builds?
Here are the 'real' Windows 7 testers
Mary Jo Foley: With Windows 7 RTM coming up, let's take a look at the 40 or so test pilots who are responsible for most of the feedback that led to tweaks and changes in Windows 7.
Who will get Windows 7 and when
Mary Jo Foley: In a posting on the Windows Team Blog, Microsoft shared its delivery timetable for the Windows 7 bits.
Windows 7 - Why, and why risk it?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: After reading hundreds of emails that readers have sent has given me tremendous insight into how people on the ground think about and see Windows 7 (rather than pundits, which, let’s face it, live in a different world.
Microsoft to offer Family Pack for Windows 7
Ed Bott: Apple's defenders point to the OS X Family ￶Pack as one of the biggest differentiators between ￶their favorite OS and Windows. That difference is ￶likely to go away when Windows 7 is released. The ￶proof: Text of a near-final license agreement for ￶Windows 7 Home Premium.
Windows 7 Family Pack, Anytime Upgrade prices leak
Windows 7: Now it's an economic savior too
It’s one thing to expect Windows 7 to juice a PC upgrade cycle, Microsoft’s earnings and tech industry growth. It’s quite another to think that Windows 7 is going to move the needle on gross domestic product. Yes folks, Windows 7 is now an economic savior.
XP to Windows 7 handoff expected to boost PC sales
Larry Dignan: The bandwagon of folks hoping for a big Windows 7 PC replacement cycle is beginning to fill up. This time, Jeffries analyst Katherine Egbert is expecting users to jump from XP to Windows 7 as companies replace long-in-the-tooth desktops.
The PC replacement cycle: Will Windows 7 light the fuse?
Do you need more than Windows 7 Home Premium?
Ed Bott: What would you get if you paid extra for Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate? I compare the full list of features in the Professional and Ultimate editions that are not in Home Premium edition. For comparison's sake, I include OS X too.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: And Windows 7's killer feature is...
What's really new in Windows 7? Not much
Windows 7 vs Snow Leopard: What that upgrade really costs
Ed Bott: In one of its "I'm a Mac" ads, Apple lampoons the complexity of Windows with a dizzying display of fine print. Maybe Microsoft ￶needs to take the same treatment with Apple's much-publicized $29 upgrade offer for Snow Leopard. The price sounds great until you look at the fine print. I did, and discovered that most Mac owners don't qualify.
Microsoft unveils 'screaming deals' for Windows 7
Mary Jo Foley: Is pricing too high, too low, or just right?
Why 'Standard User' should be Windows 7 default
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Admin accounts and "low nag" UAC settings will be the default for millions who buy Windows 7-based PCs. The problem? A code-injection vulnerability can run with admin privileges behind the user's back. Bad idea.
Are you ready to ditch XP for Windows 7?
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Windows XP is still the OS of choice for users out there in ComputerLand, with some two-thirds of users still making use of the aging OS. By comparison, Vista is struggling to capture a quarter of the market share.
The PC replacement cycle: Will Windows 7 light the fuse?
When's the best time to buy a new PC?￶
Gartner: Skip Vista and wait for Windows 7
Why are we surprised Windows 7 is so good?￶
Is Windows 7 really too expensive?
Windows 7's netbook success no slam-dunk
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft officials are trumpeting that the largest electronics retailer in the UK is removing Linux netbooks from all their stores and “going all-Windows.” Is the celebration starting a little early?

Featured Reviews

What to expect from Windows 7

Normally, software reviews don’t make sense until the code is officially released and you have to make a buying decision: upgrade, pass, or buy a new PC with the new OS. But Windows 7 is essentially finished.
Hands on: Windows 7 'XP Mode'

A huge number of electrons have been inconvenienced to bring you news about a new Windows 7 feature called XP Mode. Here's a closer look.
Windows 7 (Home Premium)

Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go.
Windows 7 (Professional)

How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now.
Windows 7 (Ultimate)

Strong design and Microsoft don't always go together, but they do in Windows 7. Users might take a while to get used to the new taskbar and Aero Peek, but they're a pleasure to use.

Featured Photo Galleries

Windows 7 RTM first look: More than just Vista fixes

A brief look at some key features and hidden gems in Windows 7.
Windows 7's Aero in pictures

Introduced for Vista, the translucent Aero skin has been heavily developed in Windows 7. See what this key design and interface feature looks like in the new operating system.
Security in Windows 7

See what security features are new and improved in Windows 7 in this slideshow gallery.
Windows 7 in the real world

Take nine PCs and one Mac. Add Windows 7. Shake well for three months. What do you get? A well-seasoned sampler of how Windows 7 will fare when it reaches the consumer market next week.
Windows 7 Preview Party

Sam Diaz, ZDNet Senior Editor and known Mac fan - opens his home for an official Windows 7 preview party.