Reversing this is a real pain in the tail. If you have a recent Complete PC Backup, by all means use it. Boot from the Vista DVD, restore the backup and catch up from there. This time, uncheck and hide the damn update.

If you're stuck without an image, well, here's what you have to do.

You'll need:
1) Your Vista DVD
2) the RC1 tokens.dat
3) a CPP product key

but that is exactly what got us in this mess, so you probably have them.

- Backup everything important before you do this. Seriously.

- Reboot into Safe Mode. Make sure "Show Hidden Files/Show protected system files" is checked in Folder Options. Duh.

- Zap the WPA encrypted store. Delete the following (hidden) files:
"C:\Windows\System32\7B296FB0-376B-497e-B012-9C450E1B7327-2P-0.C748345 6-A289-439d-8115-601632D005A0"
"C:\Windows\System32\7B296FB0-376B-497e-B012-9C450E1B7327-2P-1.C748345 6-A289-439d-8115-601632D005A0"

-Uninstall the WGA update. Run the following command:
regsvr32 /u c:\windows\system32\LegitCheckControl.dll

Reset Software Licensing tokens:
- Copy the RC1 tokens.dat to "C:\windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData \Roaming\Microsoft\S oftwareLicensing\"

Remove the WPA data from the registry. You can't do this to a running install. So…
- Restart and boot from the Vista DVD. Choose "Repair my computer" and choose your Vista install. Select "Command Prompt"
- Run regedit from the cmd prompt
- Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then select File -> Load Hive
- Navigate to [your system disk]:\windows\system32\config and choose the SYSTEM hive. Give it key name of "temp"
- Delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\temp\WPA\ to remove it and the subkeys under it.
- Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\temp\ and then select File -> unload hive
- Close regedit, close the prompt, and restart.

Reactivate:
- Boot normally.
- When you log on you will in RFM and told "Your copy of windows is not genuine" Whatever. Rolling Eyes
- Run slui.exe, enter your CPP product key and fire away. It should activate as genuine! Log off and back on to get Aero back.

Run windows update, uncheck that piece of crap, and hide it. RIGHT NOW.