Uninstalling Vista Product Keys Activates the Platform's Kill Switch

Windows Vista introduces a new tool on top of what its predecessor Windows XP had to offer in terms of dealing with licensing resources, from the product key to information related to the activation status of a machine. The Windows Software Licensing Management Tool can be accessed via the "slmg.vbs" command and will offer users the possibility to activate, rearm and display the activation status of Vista, but also to install and uninstall product keys. In this context, the "slmgr.vbs -upk" command, designed to uninstall a Windows Vista product key, may result on the Business and Enterprise SKUs of the operating system into the scraping of all the licensing information, synonymous with a lost activation status, and the transition of the platform into reduced functionality mode.

"After you run the slmgr.vbs -upk command on a Windows Vista-based computer, you cannot see the licensing information as expected. Additionally, the Windows Vista activation status is lost. For example, after you run the slmgr.vbs -upk command, you may decide to run the slmgr.vbs - dli command or the slmgr.vbs - dlv command to display the Windows Vista licensing information. However, no result is returned in this situation. Additionally, you may receive the following error message when you check the Windows activation information: 'This copy of Windows is not activated. Click here to activate Windows now.' Finally, when you restart the computer, you may be prompted to insert a product key. In this situation, Windows Vista may enter reduced functionality mode," Microsoft informed.

This scenario will only happen if the user enters the slmgr.vbs -upk command and in this way manages to clear all product keys present on the Vista machine, even Multiple Activation Key (MAK) and the Key Management Service (KMS) key. Although in Vista SP1 the activation status may also be lost, the operating system will no longer move into reduced functionality mode. This because Microsoft has scrapped the RFM kill switch from Vista with SP1. In the eventuality that you lost the Vista activation status through the use of the slmgr.vbs -upk command, all you will have to do is re-enter the product key and re-activate Vista.

"In the Start Search box, type command prompt, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type a command that resembles the following, and then press ENTER: cscript cscript c:windowssystem32slmgr.vbs -ipk {ProductKey}Type a command that resembles the following, and then press ENTER: cscript c:windowssystem32slmgr.vbs -ato," Microsoft stated.