image 

The long awaited Release Candidate for Windows 7 is out!  I’ve just installed 7100 on my machine and it’s working like a dream :)

If you’ve got a TechNet or MSDN subscription, you can download it today.  If not, don’t fret, you’ve only got to wait until May 5th to get your hands on it! :)

Here are some things you should know about the RC, taken from the Springboard Series blog:

  • Please plan ahead for Windows 7 Beta and Windows 7 RC expiration dates. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to rebuild your test machine using a genuine version of Windows 7 before the software expires. Windows will remind you when the expiration process is beginning; two weeks after this notification your PC will begin shutting down every two hours.

      • Windows 7 Beta expires on August 1, 2009, and bi-hourly shutdowns will begin July 1, 2009.

      • Windows 7 RC will expire June 1, 2010, and the bi-hourly shutdowns will begin on March 1, 2010.

          • In both cases, you’ll need to rebuild your test PC to replace the operating system and reinstall all your programs and data.

      • Since Windows 7 RC is not the final release, your PC will gather and send information to Microsoft engineers to help them check the fixes and changes made based on testing of Windows 7 Beta.

      • Windows 7 RC requires that you do a clean install. Before installing Windows 7 RC, please read the Release Notes and Things to Know for important information.*

      • Keep your PC updated. Be sure turn on automatic updates in Windows Update in case we publish updates for Windows 7 RC.

      • Microsoft doesn’t offer technical support for prerelease software, including Windows 7 RC. If you have problems or questions, we encourage you to visit our online forums, where you can get answers from our Windows Community and Support Professionals.

      Have fun!