Microsoft Has Introduced a Kill Switch in Office 2007 System

Reduced-functionality mode has been introduced as a kill switch in Windows Vista and was transitioned by Microsoft to the Office 2007 System. After the Redmond Company has introduced mandatory validation for Office as well as for Windows via the Office Genuine Advantage program, it has also integrated reduced-functionality features.

Both Windows OS and Office will go into reduced-functionality mode if improperly activated or validated. Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word, OneNote, Project, Publisher, SharePoint Designer and Visio will all reduce their functionality following failed activation processes.

The usability of the Office 2007 System is diminished to such a low scale that the product will be virtually unusable in reduced-functionality mode. After installing Office 2007, the users will be able to launch the applications only 25 times. If they fail to activate Office by the 25th execution, the application will switch to reduced-functionality mode.

"Failure to validate your copy of the 2007 Office system as being genuine does not result in moving to reduced-functionality mode...or de-featuring the product," revealed Ashim Jaidka, director of Office Genuine Advantage, in a statement. "However, if the product is not activated, it will go to reduced-functionality mode after starting up a Microsoft Office application 25 times."