Access Internet and Files on an expired Windows installation

You got 30 days to activate your windows operating system, once the time period is over you can’t log into Windows anymore and most users feel a little desperate. What can they do to access their important files, where can they find help about this problem ? Steve discovered a clever way to access the internet and file folders from the login screen of an expired windows installation.

Once you try to login an error message should appear explaining that Windows can’t be started before it is activated. Click Yes on that screen which opens up a Lets activate window. Press Windows + U and click on the computer icon on the left corner of the new window. Select About Narrator in the drop down menu which opens some information about this function and a link that is called Microsoft Web Site.

Clicking that link opens the Internet Explorer and you can surf the web as usual to find information about the problem. Instead of opening a url you can also use the Internet Explorer to display folders on your operating system, et voila, you can access the internet and your files on a locked Windows system.

This is of course only a temporary solution, you will need to find a way to activate your windows system. A better way for situations like these would be to have a linux live cd handy which could be used to access the internet and your files.

• Reddit
• StumbleUpon
• Delicious
• Digg
• Twitter

Tags: activate, activation, blocked, expired, install, login, microsoft, Windows
Categories: Operating Systems, Windows

Read Related Posts

1. Access Windows Folders Quickly
2. Quick Folder Access with Direct Folders
3. Move files automatically from the Internet Cache
4. Add Flickr Access To Windows Explorer
5. Windows Explorer: Quickly Jump To Files
6. Windows XP SP3 Update Breaks Windows Home Server Remote Access
7. Internet Explorer: Expired Cookie Remover
8. Qpedia Adds Wikipedia Search to Internet Explorer

2 Responses to “Access Internet and Files on an expired Windows installation”

1. tash says:

   December 15, 2006 at 4:05 am

   usually you can just press CTRL+ALT+DEL and goto file > new task and run explorer.exe
   I used this for a few weeks when i hadn’t activated windows yet

   Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

1. Come recuperare i tuoi files quando la licenza di Windows è scaduta » downloadblog says:

   December 15, 2006 at 12:40 am

   [...] [via ghacks] PUBBLICITÀ PUBBLICITÀ postato da Antonio Parziale il venerdì 15 dicembre 2006 in: [...]

   Reply