Tutorials to Prolong the Windows Vista Evaluation Period

I have just come across two different tutorials that reveal methods to circumventing the limitations imposed by the 30 day default evaluation period of Windows Vista. Both tutorials involve nothing more than minor tweaks to the operating system in order to prolong the no activation 30 day period indefinitely.

The first tutorial presents a method to modify Vista settings via a registry hack.

1. Open registry editor.
2. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_xxxxxxMicrosoftxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx
3.Edit the registry subkey of "xxxxx" (you should see current value as xxx:000xxx) and set the "xxxx" value to any positive integer ("x" should do the trick).
4. Open command prompt with administrative rights.
5. Type "xxxx -xxxx" or "xxx xxx.dll,xxxxxxx".
6. Restart computer. You should now have a fresh 30-day of trial period on Windows Vista, which by end of 30-days time bomb, you can repeat the procedures again to skip Vista activation.

The second method involves a combination of installing Windows Vista in the future and ghost image.

1. Boot up to xxx.
2. Change the date to xxx or xxx.
3. Install Windows Vista with default product key or no product key.
4. Go to xxx again to change back the time to current date and time. You can use Windows Vista without activating for 43200 minutes.
5. Make a ghost image of current Vista installation state.
6. After each month or after 43200 minutes almost used up (to check how many time left for activation, type "xxx.xxx -xxx" or "xxxxxx.xxxxx -xxxxx"), go to elevated Command Prompt with administrator rights, and type "xxxx.xxxx -xxxxx" or "xxxxx xxxx.dll,xxxxxxx". You have have additional 30 days to use Windows Vista skipping activation.
7. After the third time, you won't be able to "xxxx" Windows Vista without activating it. Restore the ghost image of the system you made initially, so that the Vista system is now like just installed.
8. Go to xxxx, and change the date to year xxxx or xxx again.
9. Log on to Windows Vista and open command prompt as administrator.
10. Type xxxx.xxx -xxxx in the command prompt and press Enter.
11. Change back to date and time to current date and time.
12. The 30 days activation time bomb will be reset again and there are 43200 minutes more when you can use the not activated Vista. However, note that you will lose your existing documents and customization if you follow this way to crack the Vista activation.

Both tutorials have been altered and are no longer genuine and valid guides to increasing the evaluation period in Windows Vista. They are presented herein for informative purposes only.