How to get the Windows 7 Release Candidate
It’s almost here. In fact, it’s so close I can almost sniff the shiny new OS smell wafting in from Microsoft HQ. The Windows 7 Release Candidate is already available to some, including our own Jonathan Schlaffer, but the rest of us eager beavers will be able to get our hands on the RC on May 5. Here’s how to do exactly that.
The RC is the final version of Windows 7 offered up for public consumption before it ships. It will, in effect, be as near as damn it to the RTM version of Windows 7 Ultimate Edition. And its license will not expire for a whole year, on June 10, 2009. Meaning those who want it can have Windows 7 free for a whole year.
Where and when?
As rumored for a while, on Tuesday, May 5, the Windows 7 RC will be available to download from the official Windows 7 site. No specific time has been set, so it would be worth checking from around midday onwards. You may want to wait a few days for the initial rush to die down, however, as the chances of Microsoft’s servers being able to handle the traffic is virtually zero. Remember too that unlike the beta versions, the RC will be available to download until the end of July. Patience could be a virtue.
What do I need?
A PC with a 1Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16 GBs of hard drive space, and a DirectX 9 capable graphics card is the absolute minimum. You’ll also need a recordable DVD drive, DVD-burning software, and an activation key which will be issued directly before download via a Microsoft Live ID.
What else should I know?
Many people will be looking to upgrade from the Windows 7 beta to the RC. Which is fine. But Microsoft doesn’t want you to upgrade as that wouldn’t provide any feedback to how a usual consumer will experience the install. Instead, Microsoft wants everyone to do a clean install of the Release Candidate.
While you can upgrade from Windows Vista, you cannot upgrade from Windows XP to the Windows 7 RC. Also, do not expect any kind of support from Microsoft for the Release Candidate. Any problems you encounter with the RC are yours to solve, and Internet forums may be the only solution. Which is why I wouldn’t recommend the Windows 7 RC to anyone who doesn’t at least know their way around a PC.
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May 5th, 2009
just downloaded it, took about 45 min. will install tomorrow.