


For the five percent or so who purchase Windows 7 at retail, 30 days is likely enough to punch in the product key. Most users won't have to bother with these three steps since the majority, about 95 percent, get new versions of Windows with a new computer.

Step 2: Type the following command and press Enter: slmgr -rearm (note the space after slmgr and the hyphen in front of rearm.).Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. Step 1: Click Start, All Programs, Accessories.The Windows Secrets newsletter outlined the step-by-step instructions for extending the grace period: Thus, if the user resets the countdown on the last day each time, he or she can gain up to 90 extra days to use Windows 7 legally and for free. The rearm command can be used up to three times without violating the Windows 7 EULA. Windows typically comes with a 30-day time limit for users to activate their copy of the operating system, but there's a command that is often used by corporate administrators to reset the 30-day countdown. Just like Windows Vista, Windows 7 can be used legally for up to 120 days without activating with a valid 25-character alphanumeric product key.
