On February 12, Microsoft will deliver, via its Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) automatic update mechanism for businesses, an update to Internet Explorer 7 that is Windows-Genuine-Advantage-free.
Microsoft made the IE release — known as the IE 7 Installation and Availability Update — available on its software download site in October 2007. Microsoft did not push the update automatically to customers at that time.
The new update disables the WGA validation checking process that has been required for IE 7 installation, enabling IE 7 to run on Windows builds that are not deemed to be “genuine.” WGA is the anti-piracy mechanism Microsoft uses to check whether users are running non-pirated Windows before allowing them to download certain product updates, fixes, white papers and other related information.
The IE 7 Installation and Availability Update includes other new features, as well. The menu bar is on by default in this new update. A “first run experience” page for new users is added, as well. The page prompts users to select a default seach provider, set phishing-filter settings, opt into using ClearType, etc.
via ZDNet Blogs