How to extend activation period of Windows 7 free for 120 days

Posted Date: 13-Aug-2010		Category: Microsoft Windows
Author: Raghav	Member Level: Gold
Rating:	Points: 29 (Rs 19)

When you install Windows for the first time, you will be given a trial period of 30 days to activate Windows 7. But now you can extend this period upto 120 days. This article explains how to extend the activation period of Windows 7 foir 120 days.

How to extend activation period of Windows 7 free for 120 days

Normally when ever you install Windows 7 or any other windows operating system from Microsoft, you get a free trial period of 30 days to use it. After 30 days you need to activate your Windows 7. Microsoft normally allows any one to install Windows and use it without any activation key for 30 days. But now Microsoft has allowed us to extend this activation period upto a maximum of 120 days. Let us see how we can do this so that we can use Windows 7 for a total period of 120 days.

Once you install Windows 7 and if you do not enter the installation key, the activation clock starts running and goes on reducing. You can even check how many days is left for activation by clicking on Start -> right-click on Computer and choose Properties. At the bottom of the dialog under windows activation, you can see the number of days left for trial period. Let us see how we can extend the trial period of Windows 7 to 120 days.

The trial period of Windows 7 can be extended to 120 days either by using Registry or from Start menu.

How to extend trial period of Windows 7 computer from Start Menu

Here is the procedure to extend trial period of Windows 7 Computer from the Start menu.

First you click on Start -> All Programs -> Accessories. Now right click on Command Prompt. Then choose Run as Administrator option. Now you will be asked to enter administrator password, please enter it.

Now type the command and press Enter button in your key board.
slmgr -rearm

Now you restart your Windows 7 computer.

Once you restart your computer, you can check the Computer properties dialog as described above, and you will notice that Windows 7 activation period is once again reset to 30 days

You can use this technique for a total of three times. So you do this at the end of 30 day trial period every time, so that you can get a total activation period of 120 days.

Another way to extend the activation period is to use Registry. Let us see how this is done.

How to extend trial period of Windows 7 computer from Registry

Open the Registry Editor by typing 'RegEdit' in seatch box of Start menu

Now goto the following entry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform

In the right pane of this window, see if SkipRearm is reset to 0 or not. If it is not set to 0, then right click on SkipRearm and click on Modify. Now you type 0 and click on OK.

Now restart Windows 7.

Now close RegEdit

Now restart your computer so that the changes will be applied and the trial period is extended to another 30 days.

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