Don’t Use Expired Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 M3 - After March 8, 2012

Early adopters currently testing the first public development milestone of Windows 8 lose all rights to use the Developer Preview release once Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) has passed its expiration deadline, according to Microsoft. 

As is the case with all pre-release software, and Windows 8 Build 8102 M3 is as pre-release as it gets, Windows Developer Preview is time-bombed. 

This means that Microsoft has slapped an expiration date onto the first public test Build of Windows 8. 

According to the information offered via the “About Windows” dialog box in one of the test copies of Windows 8 Developer Preview deployed here, the expiration deadline is March 12, 2012.

However, the EULA, or end user license agreement tells a story that’s a tad different, offering another expiration date, a few days ahead of the one revealed by “About Windows.”

“The term of this agreement will expire on March 8, 2012 (“the expiration date”),” reads an excerpt of the Windows 8 Developer Preview license terms. 

But the additional details that the Windows 8 Build 8102 M3 EULA contains are very interesting. It appears that the rights of early adopters testing the Windows Developer Preview will be drastically limited after the Build expires, namely after March 8, 2012.

As readers will be able to read below, the EULA covers not only Windows 8 Build 8102 M3 but also the applications that ship with it. 

“You have no right to use the software after the expiration date. Starting from the expiration date, you may not be able to access any unsaved data used with the software. Any applications you receive through the Windows Store will also cease to be available to you in future versions, unless they are made available for re-download and you re-acquire them. You may not receive any other notice,” the software giant reveals. 

As far as I’m concerned, testers have little to worry about. I’m more than sure that Microsoft will have already provided Windows 8 Beta before Windows Developer Preview expires, so testers will have a new toy to play with. 

Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.

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