Windows 7 post RTM build 7700 spotted

Screenshots of a Windows 7 post RTM build have shown up on the web this week fueling speculation that Microsoft is compiling early Windows 8 builds.

Russian site, Wzor, leaked a series of screenshots from build 7700.winmain.100122-1900. Although nothing appears to have changed visually, the jump from 7600 (Windows 7 RTM build) to 7700 may suggest some kind of early milestone towards the Windows 8 alpha and beta stage. Microsoft has slowly been compiling post RTM builds of Windows 7 since its July RTM in 2009.

Wzor also published a list of builds that have been compiled after the final Windows 7 RTM. Judging by the list, the software giant has been hard at work compiling builds throughout September 2009 to January 2010:

7650.0.winmain.090917-1843
7651.0.winmain.090924-1802
7656.0.winmain.091015-0833
7658.0.winmain.091019-1850
7659.0.winmain.091020-1830
7660.0.winmain.091021-1736
7661.0.winmain.091022-1755
7662.0.winmain.091023-1645
7664.0.winmain.091027-1825
7691.0.winmain.100106-1825
7692.0.winmain.100107-1735
7693.0.winmain.100111-1820
7694.0.winmain.100113-1753
7695.0.winmain.100114-1855
7696.0.winmain.100115-1725

It does not appear that these builds are service pack builds for Windows 7 SP1 as Wzor has confirmed those began from 7601.winmain_sp. Last week an ex-Microsoft worker penned July 2011 as the RTM date for Windows 8.