http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msestart/thread/22930cda-a0bd-4263-890b-ddf812859ca4
3rd hit on Google. You must be a project manager.
You missed the point by a mile, so that probably makes you upper management... 1) This "fix" you reference doesn't work for me. Yes, I can google for stuff. 2) Users shouldn't have to jump thru hoops like this, _ever_. If you think making legit users do things like this is acceptable... well, I'm sorry for you. 3) M$ seems to have at least three different ways to check for activation status (the one at System Properties, one at Web and one at MSE)... WTF?
Someday somebody has got to decide whether the typewriter is the machine, or the person who operates it.