(Unofficial) Windows 7 RC Build Out

[Nick]

Official Download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win.../download.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is this the official release? Yes. MSDN and TechNet subscribers were given access to the final Windows 7 RC build on April 30th. Clicking "Details" next to the two "Windows 7 Ultimate RC" entries in the release list here and comparing the SHA1 hashes to those I have listed below confirm the releases are identical.

Is this illegal to download? No. You are free to download and install this build for the purpose of testing the software. It is not final, it is not bug-free, and it will automatically send some anonymous data to Microsoft for the purpose of reporting bugs and determining how features are used. You must have a Microsoft supplied Windows 7 Beta key, you can get one here if you do not have one; alternately, you can install without a key and use the OS for only 30 days.

What's different from the official Windows 7 Beta? You can read a partial list here on the Engineering 7 blog.

What's different from 7077? Only bug fixes. No new features or functionality, just improvement in overall quality.

Can I upgrade from 7077 or another build? It is possible but not recommended. You should always do fresh installs with any OS.

Can I install this on my Mac? Yes, just use the Vista drivers and it will work fine.

How long can I use this pre-release OS? You can use this build until June 30, 2010 if you enter a key and activate.

Do I have to burn a DVD to install? No. You can install Windows 7 from a bootable USB drive. Any USB storage device over 4GB will work. Follow this guide.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to try Windows 7 out? Go download it.

Seems build 7100 (aka the RC build) has made its rounds today. If you have a Windows 7 Beta key, it will activate this build just fine; if you don't, then you have 30 days to try Windows 7 before you're forced to activate.

Microsoft should be releasing the official RC (which will be this same build as this was given out to Gold partners two days ago) on May 5th. You should also be able to grab a fresh key then as well, so it is well within the 30 day activation window.

Official Download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win.../download.aspx
Torrent: x64 Build | x86 Build
Newsgroups: x64 Build | x86 Build

Hash for untouched x86 ISO: SHA1: 7D1F486CA569EFFFFB719CFB48355BB7BF499712
Hash for untouched x64 ISO: SHA1: FC867FE1AB2E0A9796F9E4D155B44EA6998F4874
Hash calculation tool: HashCalc

Enjoy.

Nick