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Windows 7 RC expiration prompts begin in two weeks

Tom Warren
01 February 2010 - 18:46
45 Comments
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Microsoft has issued a reminder that in two weeks Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) users will begin receiving expiration notifications.

Windows 7 RC does not expire until 1 June 2010 but from February 15 users will begin seeing expiration notifications in the task bar one time per day and then a Notification Wizard one time every four hours and then one time every hour. After March 1 Windows 7 RC users will experience shut-downs every two hours. A brief summary of the events can be found below:

Effective February 15, 2010, the expiration notification 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.

Effective March 1, 2010, Windows 7 RC enters the next phase of expiration:

  • Expiration notifications in the task bar continue.
  • Computers that are running Windows 7 RC restart every two hours. 

Effective June 1, 2010, Windows 7 RC expires:

  • 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.

Comments (45)

  1. mpg187 - 01 February 2010 - 18:49

    Is there a way to patch this to stop it?

  2. NeoandGeo - 01 February 2010 - 18:50

    mpg187 said,
    Is there a way to patch this to stop it?

    There is a way to take a retail disc contents and change a value in a text file to make it upgrade without doing a fresh install.

  3. Mike415 - 01 February 2010 - 18:51

    mpg187 said,
    Is there a way to patch this to stop it?
    Get the RTM

  4. cabron - 01 February 2010 - 19:08

    mpg187 said,
    Is there a way to patch this to stop it?

    If at this point in time you did not bought the Windows 7 Retail disk, you don't rights to keep Windows 7 RC running in your PC. Go to Ebay and bought a cheap OEM disk. I bough the Home Premium 64bit for $75 dollars in eBay.

    Edit (cabron, 01 February 2010 - 19:09):

  5. artfuldodga - 01 February 2010 - 19:15

    mpg187 said,
    Is there a way to patch this to stop it?

    you can't buy an upgrade? if you're enjoying it, buy it
    or switch to Linux, you don't need to pay for it
    or spend $1400 for OS X

  6. DaveGreen - 01 February 2010 - 19:36

    Mike415 said,
    Get the RTM

    Or get the OEM copy

  7. DaveGreen - 01 February 2010 - 19:36

    cabron said,

    If at this point in time you did not bought the Windows 7 Retail disk, you don't rights to keep Windows 7 RC running in your PC. Go to Ebay and bought a cheap OEM disk. I bough the Home Premium 64bit for $75 dollars in eBay.


    That's nice. :)

  8. +neo158 - 01 February 2010 - 19:49

    Mike415 said,
    Get the RTM

    Exactly, if you aren't running the RTM by now then you should be!!!!

  9. roadwarrior - 02 February 2010 - 12:53

    artfuldodga said,

    or spend $1400 for OS X

    Not sure what planet you are from, but on Earth, the current version of OS X is $29.

  10. Mikeyx11 - 02 February 2010 - 13:24

    DaveGreen said,

    Or get the OEM copy


    Or?? How can you get the OEM _OR_ RTM? He should get an OEM RTM copy...

    roadwarrior said,

    Not sure what planet you are from, but on Earth, the current version of OS X is $29.


    Yes... because with that $29.00 disc, you could, you know, just pop it in any computer and install it, like Windows or Linux...

    That $29.00 OS X you speak of Sir, is an upgrade disc, and "requires" a Mac, which last time I checked, would cost about $1400+ to get something halfway decent.

  11. roadwarrior - 02 February 2010 - 14:47

    Mikeyx11 said,
    Yes... because with that $29.00 disc, you could, you know, just pop it in any computer and install it, like Windows or Linux...

    Actually, you can do this fairly easily if you have hardware that is somewhat similar to a Mac, or just a little harder if your hardware isn't similar (AMD processor or unsupported video or sound cards).

    That $29.00 OS X you speak of Sir, is an upgrade disc, and "requires" a Mac, which last time I checked, would cost about $1400+ to get something halfway decent.

    Good point about the price being for an "upgrade" disc, however it doesn't actually check that you have a previous version installed, so it can be used for a clean install. And Macs (even "halfway decent" ones as you put it) start far cheaper than $1400, especially if you shop Apple's refurb section (IMHO, refurb items are usually better than new because the item has been thouroughly tested instead being assumed to be good because it's fresh off the assembly line).

  12. Mikeyx11 - 03 February 2010 - 04:16

    roadwarrior said,

    Actually, you can do this fairly easily if you have hardware that is somewhat similar to a Mac, or just a little harder if your hardware isn't similar (AMD processor or unsupported video or sound cards).

    Yes, hence why I said "requires" with the quotation marks. Doing that is illegal as far as I am aware, as it violates Apple's license, so although possible, it is irrelevant.

  13. owziee - 01 February 2010 - 18:53

    There's also a patch to stop it but I don't wanna promote warez so don't even ask me where to find it. I don't see a reason in why to nuke the timebomb in the RC instead of downloading a full copy of windows 7.

  14. NeoandGeo - 01 February 2010 - 18:55

    owziee said,
    There's also a patch to stop it but I don't wanna promote warez so don't even ask me where to find it. I don't see a reason in why to nuke the timebomb in the RC instead of downloading a full copy of windows 7.

    Many people probably don't want to do a fresh install. I would gladly buy a copy and leave it boxed if I could just convert my RC to retail.

  15. ccoltmanm - 01 February 2010 - 19:09

    NeoandGeo said,

    Many people probably don't want to do a fresh install. I would gladly buy a copy and leave it boxed if I could just convert my RC to retail.

    You can't be serious. It's a RC. It has security holes and factors that will never be patched. UPGRADE!

  16. NeoandGeo - 01 February 2010 - 19:13

    ccoltmanm said,

    You can't be serious. It's a RC. It has security holes and factors that will never be patched. UPGRADE!

    You can upgrade it to RTM with a text document hack. I did not say I wanted to keep it RC.

  17. +neo158 - 01 February 2010 - 19:52

    owziee said,
    There's also a patch to stop it but I don't wanna promote warez so don't even ask me where to find it. I don't see a reason in why to nuke the timebomb in the RC instead of downloading a full copy of windows 7.

    So instead of promoting warez you promote the idea of pirating it!!!!

  18. Mikeyx11 - 03 February 2010 - 06:24

    neo158 said,

    So instead of promoting warez you promote the idea of pirating it!!!!


    Because pirating and warez are two completely separate things. Hah.

  19. 216 - 01 February 2010 - 19:08

    Sadly, I knew this day would come....o well, off to newegg for an OEM copy!

  20. artfuldodga - 01 February 2010 - 19:12

    it was fun while it lasted, thankfully i've been prepared since Oct 22nd ;)

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