Key Takeaways
- Windows activation is crucial in avoiding restrictions and watermarks in your system, and it seems like Microsoft is testing a new Edge feature to remind users to activate.
- Flags in testing mode to notify non-activated OS users about limited customization features in Edge; potential impact on customer base.
- Microsoft aims to enhance the activation process but must consider customer response; impact on competition and browser market share.
Microsoft is a bit of a stickler when it comes to Windows activation. As it stands, if you install Windows without a product key, you’ll be treated with a watermark on the corner of your screen and will also face some restrictions when customizing the operating system. That said, your PC will continue to work fine for the most part, so it’s arguably fair that the company places some barriers for customers who don’t activate their Windows using product keys. Now, it seems like the Redmond tech firm wants to go a step further in this area.
Living on the Edge… literally
As spotted by Windows LatestMicrosoft has started testing several new flags in the latest versions of Edge, namely:
- msEdgeActivatedStateCheckAndUpdate
- msEdgeNonActivatedOSTrigger
- msEdgeLockSettingsInNonActivatedOS
While these flags aren’t present in our builds of Edge, the outlet got the msEdgeLockSettingsInNonActivatedOS flag working. Once this flag was enabled, a banner notification started showing up on the Edge Settings page with the text “We notice your Windows is not activated, some customization has been limited.” For now, only a single customization feature appears to be limited, which is the ability to configure a launch page in Edge. However, it’s natural to assume that Microsoft may build upon this implementation further.
So, when am I getting this “feature”?
It is important to note that Microsoft is just experimenting with this capability for now, and it has not confirmed that this flag will be integrated into a stable build of Edge. If it does go live, the change will likely irk some Edge customers, which probably isn’t the outcome that Microsoft wants, considering that the browser already faces stiff competition. It will be important for Microsoft to measure the impact of such a modification, and it’ll be interesting to see how its customers respond once (or if) this configuration sees the light of day.