Blogging for the 99% and the preservation of our Democracy against the Corporatists and the Citizens United ruling.
Here’s a nice little email I got from Microsoft. I run Windows Vista x64, so I shouldn’t be getting the email anyway.
However, it’s remarkable that the attitude that Microsoft displays is so heavy-handed and threatening. Suppose a person was running Windows 7 Release Candidate, and had not had a chance to upgrade the operating system to the full Windows 7 version?
Well, with only two weeks warning, Microsoft tells you that you better finish that upgrade soon, specifically by March 1st (emphasis mine):
While most people who tested Windows 7 have now moved to the final version, some are still running the Release Candidate. If you haven’t moved yet, it’s time to replace the RC.
Starting on March 1, 2010 your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Your work will not be saved during the shutdown.
The Windows 7 RC will fully expire on June 1, 2010. Your PC running the Windows 7 RC will continue shutting down every two hours and your files won’t be saved during shutdown. In addition, your wallpaper will change to a solid black background with a persistent message on your desktop. You’ll also get periodic notifications that Windows isn’t genuine. That means your PC may no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads requiring genuine Windows validation.
To avoid interruption, please reinstall a prior version of Windows or move to Windows 7. In either case, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the RC. As with any clean installation, you’ll need to back up your data then reinstall your applications and restore the data.
The idea that your computer will shut down without saving your data is quite threatening, and could result in damages to your data that would be hard to recover. As you can see, you must wipe your computer clean of your data and applications. Backing up your data for the whole PC is quite a process in these days of one and two terabyte drives. I use Mozy for offsite backup, but my biggest backup has only been 21 gigabytes.
I guess people who had plans for the next two weekends are going to have to postpone them if they are running Windows 7 RC. Too bad they didn’t have more warning about the hard deadline.
