When the initial 30-day activation-free grace period going to expire, users can for additional 30 more days of activation grace period, for up to 3 times, effectively allowing Windows 7 to run legally for 120 days without a legit or genuine product key to activate the system.

When the WPA registry key is deleted, the whole licensing status of Windows 7 is re-initiated to the Initial Grace Period as if Windows 7 has just been installed.Īfter installing Windows 7 on a non-OEM machine without a product key for activation, Windows 7 operating system will run in Initial Grace Period license status, which lasts 30 days as evaluation or trial period.

This WPA vulnerability is related to a WPA registry key which contains the ‘Last Rearm Time’. There is no limit to the number of times that the rearm count can be reset, meaning that a user could theoretically run an unlicensed copy of Windows 7 forever, without the need for proper activation, and without applying any activation hacks. Through a Windows Product Activation (WPA) vulnerability that Microsoft introduced in Windows 7, it is possible to reset the remaining rearm count back to 4.

Users will then be subjected to certain annoyances such as black desktop background, repetitive notification messages stating that this copy of Windows is illegal or counterfeited, and a reminder to register the software at login.

When a user uses up all three rearms available rearms, the only option left is to enter a genuine product key to activate Windows 7, or leave the operating system in a crippled, non-genuine state.

Windows 7 rearm forever download