Microsoft won't fix Vista upgrade workaround
Last week, Paul Thurrott from Windows IT Pro found a loophole that allows owners of "upgrade" versions of Windows Vista to install the new operating system without the need to own a previous version of Windows. The procedure essentially involves installing Vista in trial mode and then "upgrading" from the trial installation. A week has now passed since word of the loophole got around, and VNUNet has learned straight from the horse's mouth that Microsoft doesn't actually plan to do anything about it:
"People without a licensed copy of XP that use this workaround are violating the terms of use agreed to when they purchased the upgrade version of Windows Vista," a Microsoft spokesman told vnunet.com.Of course, since there is no apparent downside to violating the Vista terms of use in this case—aside from the not-so-straightforward nature of the workaround, perhaps—enthusiasts might be all too tempted to go ahead and save a few bucks. "Upgrade" versions of Vista are between $80 and $140 cheaper than full retail copies, depending on the edition."As such, we believe only a very small percentage of people will take the time to implement this workaround, and we encourage all customers to follow our official guidelines for upgrading to Windows Vista."
