Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) without Windows Genuine Advantage validation

Microsoft are now making Internet Explorer 7 available without having to go through the process of validation (WGA) for your Windows installation.

By visiting their site, you can now elect to have your os automatically detected and updated, or, download the installation files for you to do on multiple machines.

This development – or change of heart – was announced by Microsoft on October 4th. They described it as a firm step to ‘take [Microsoft's] commitment to help protect the entire Windows ecosystem seriously’, presumably by offering to Windows XP users some of the anti-phishing techonology
and other goodies inherent in IE7 to those who use Windows illegally. Others might cynically say that they simply want to keep market share as Firefox continues to grab users who have until now been stuck with IE6 and have taken the migration plunge.

Anyway, whatever the reason, if you are still using IE6 and want to upgrade to IE7 then now is your chance. No questions asked.