Microsoft is still delivering product keys for Windows Vista Release Candidate 1. Although Vista RC1 was completed on September 1, 2006 and available for testers via the Customer Preview Program on September 6, and then rolled out to MSDN and TechNet subscribers the following week, a few days short of four months later, Microsoft is still offering product keys for the RC1 build of Vista.

Back in September and throughout the development process of Windows Vista the Customer Preview Program (CPP) participants enabled registered users to receive product keys for Vista Beta 2, RC1 and RC2, and to download the respective products.

Currently, the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program is closed and is not accepting new registrations. However, Microsoft still delivers product keys for Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 via this link. I must emphasize that this is a valid and legitimate CPP RC1 product key. You can see the Windows Vista RC1 product key that I have obtained in the screenshot included at the bottom.

Having a valid Windows Live ID is mandatory for successfully accomplishing the task at hand. You have to sign in and simply follow the instructions presented to you. After filling in the details in the forms displayed by Microsoft, the Windows Vista RC1 product key will be displayed on the screen and also sent to the email address you provided.

You will additionally be able to read the following message: "Thank you for your interest in Microsoft Windows Vista. Your Windows Vista RC1 Product Key is listed below. A confirmation email has been sent to your registered email address containing your Product Key. If you do not receive this email in 24 hours, please check your filtered mail (junk mail) folder." Each Vista RC1 serial can be used to activate up to ten copies of the release candidate 1 build of the operating system.