Microsoft: download IE7 without WGA validation

by Brad Linder Oct 4th 2007

Microsoft has released an updated version of Internet Explorer with a few minor changes. For example the menu bar is now visible without any user interaction needed. Oh yeah, and you don't need Windows Genuine Advantage validation to download the software.

Wait, what? That's right, first Microsoft goes and starts selling songs without DRM, and now the company's giving away a flagship program without requiring proof that you paid for your copy of Windows. You'd think the company actually wants people to download stuff.

The move makes some sense. If Microsoft wants to maintain its market leader position, the company might have to reach out to people using unofficial copies of Windows. After all, by Microsoft's own estimates, that could be 35% of all Windows users.

Windows XP users will be able to download Internet Explorer 7 through Windows Update or from Microsoft's IE7 home page.

[via All about Microsoft]

Tags: ie7, internet-explorer, internet-explorer-7, validation, windows-genuine-advantage

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ted Wallingford said 5:55PM on 10-04-2007

Perhaps Microsoft just doesn't want to make it any more difficult to install IE than to install Firefox.

Christina Warren said 10:13AM on 10-05-2007

What Ted said. Plus, making it freely available to all XP users will surely ebb IE 6-related security attacks.

michael said 5:14PM on 10-05-2007

This is great, now my younger brother's computer can have something much better than that slow-going, memory-eating, non-secure browser they call Firefox.

At least IE7 won't have any of those problems.

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