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Still running Windows 7 RC? Time to upgrade!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software,
If you got in early on the whole Windows 7 thing with the RC and never upgraded, you may wanna get cracking with that, because as of yesterday, Windows 7 RC will be bugging you a few times a day leading up to the expiration of the product. Here’s the rundown:
As of February 15, 2010, Windows 7 RC users will receive the following alerts:
- Windows 7 RC users receive an expiration notification in the task bar one time per day.
- Windows 7 RC users are presented with the Notification Wizard one time every four hours and then one time every hour.
If that’s not annoying enough, starting March 1 (that’s two weeks from now,) the next phase of the expiration process begins:
- Windows 7 RC users receive an expiration notification in the task bar one time per day.
- Windows 7 RC users are presented with the Notification Wizard one time every four hours and then one time every hour.
Yup, your computer will restart every two hours, no matter what you are in the middle of doing. Your work won’t be saved or anything. Of course, we can’t blame Microsoft, since the product has been available at retail for month. Still, there’s one more phase to the expiration process, and that happens on June 1:
- Windows starts to a black desktop.
- Windows 7 RC users are presented with a Windows Activation screen. The screen states that the Windows that you are running is not genuine.
- Computers that are running Windows 7 RC restart every two hours.
So there you have it, a friendly reminder that if you are on Windows 7 RC, it’s time to make some decisions. Things are about to get very annoying, very quickly.
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Windows 7 direct download links
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: CES, CES 2009, Internet, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software,
As we told you the other day, the Windows 7 beta went live today. However, apparently there was a bit more demand than Microsoft had planned for. Thanks to NeoWin, we’ve got the direct download links for both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7:
Be sure to check out the post on NeoWin for specifics on what to do with those files once you download, and also know that you will still need a key from Microsoft to use this through the August 1, 2009 expiration date, otherwise it will stop working after 30 days, cool?
Windows 7 beta goes public January 9th
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: CES, CES 2009, Corporate News, Microsoft, Software,
During the kickoff Microsoft keynote that marks the start CES, Steve Ballmer announced that Windows 7 beta is available starting today for TechNet and MSDN subscribers. Nothing too exciting there for the average Joe, we know, which is why we were excited when he also mentioned that the beta would also be publicly available beginning this Friday, January 9th. You’ll be able to grab either the 32-bit version, or the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 beta software if you are one of the first 2.5 million people to hit the download button. You just need to head to the Windows 7 product page to do so. Just be aware that the beta software will expire on August 1, 2009.
As part of the release, Microsoft was also happy to note that Windows Live Essentials, “a free suite of communications and sharing applications that make it easy for people to communicate, share and keep their online lives in sync and in one place with one login,” is now also available on a worldwide scale.
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