General MS-BETA-VISTA_KEY :
Vista Beta 2 and RC1 / RC2 can be activeted with the legit Ultimate Key you
received from MS per mail as much times as you like on the same Hardware or
on up to 10 different machines.
The OS runs until 1st June 2007 and that is the date you cannot install the
DVDs anymore nor activate these editions.
LAST PUBLIC BUILD TO WORK WITH B2-Key :
Also you cannot install any Build higher than 5744 ( RC2) with that Key, as
the Keys have changed with Builds 58xx .
The latest Build as of today is 5840 and is entitled as (Pre)RTM, e.g has no
timebomb and no build-tagging on the Desktop, and all those that come from
now on need a non-Beta-Key but one you have paid lots of $$$s for
Only few Days until the absolute last Build is set and goes into the
manufacturing process - but the features are now locked and the RTM-Branch
is already done, so we can call Vista from now on "99 % shop-ready" . Only
few things are missing like the bootscreen and the like. No major surprises
more to come I would guess.
Those new Builds ( 58xx series ) are NOT going legaly public.
5744 RC2 was the last official and legit one . And the last for your Key to
work until - see above.
SBJ
DISCLAIMER :
My sources are Vista enthusiasts pages all over the web that can be found by
anyone.
To talk about these Microsoft internals is no secret when one can read it by
using only google and some well-hinted keywords.
I do not encourage anyone to have a look for the non-public builds as this
would be piracy from now on that Beta-Phase is over, also you cannot use
those builds without a key - that nobody has - , remember this.
SBJ
