Cool Hand Luke Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Get Ready for Windows 7 'Release Candidate Will demand flatten Microsoft's download servers? Oh, and look out for a nasty expiration date surprise. By Stuart J. Johnston May 1, 2009 Microsoft is quietly gearing up for the last public test of Windows 7 before it goes to PC makers and software retailers. The question is, with so much pent up demand, will users be able to get a download to test? Put another way: Will Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) download servers be able to handle the crush? Early indications Thursday, following a preliminary rollout out to subscribers to Microsoft's key technical services -- MSDN and TechNet -- are that demand will be high on Tuesday, May 5, when Microsoft releases the Windows 7 "Release Candidate" (RC) to the public. Demand for the long-awaited RC overwhelmed Microsoft's servers for two or three hours on Thursday before the company was able to fix the glitch and get the downloads running smoothly again. It occurred on the first day that the RC was available for download -- though access to the RC was limited only to subscribers to Microsoft's MSDN and TechNet services, not the stress of a much broader public offering. In January, when the Windows 7 beta began, early demand for the RC stalled Microsoft's download servers. To remedy the problem, administrators brought more servers online. Thursday it was a different cause -- a case of a crashed database index. This time the shutdown was much shorter -- only three hours or so -- whereas the overload in January took nearly a day to fully remedy. "Due to very high demand, we are temporarily experiencing distribution issues on the download of Windows 7 RC. ? Our goal is to restore full download capacity as soon as possible," Microsoft said in a statement Thursday. It remains to be seen, however, whether demand will once again outstrip Microsoft's servers, when the public testing begins. The RC is the last test version of Windows 7 before it is "Released to Manufacturing" or RTM. A Rude Awakening? Microsoft recommends a clean installation of Windows 7 RC even if the PC has been running Windows 7 beta until now. Users who install the RC can run it until June 1, 2010. However, beginning on March 1, 2010, users of the RC will receive a warning that time is running out -- Two weeks later, the PC will automatically begin shutting down every two hours, according to a statement on Microsoft's TechNet site. For users running the Windows 7 beta, it's a little more immediate. The beta code expires on August 1, 2009 and the rude "bi-hourly" shutdowns start July 1, 2009. "In both cases, you?ll need to rebuild your test PCs with another valid version of the OS, and reinstall your programs and data," the statement continues. The RC download, meanwhile, will be available for two months. "The Windows 7 RC will be available May 5, and you'll be able to download it from this site through July," said a statement Friday on Microsoft's Windows 7 site. Are You eXPerienced? In the meantime, users will still be able to get PCs with XP installed, for a time. Customers who buy netbooks, for instance, will be able to get them with XP (instead of Windows 7) for six months after Windows 7 ships, a Microsoft spokesperson said in an e-mail to InternetNews.com. In addition, PC OEMs will be able to offer "downgrades" from either Windows 7 or Windows Vista to XP for the same six month period. "This is not the first time that Microsoft has offered downgrade rights to a version other than its immediate predecessor and our Volume Licensing customers can always downgrade to any previous version of Windows," the e-mail continued. However, according to recent reports, Microsoft gets far less -- as little as $15 per copy -- for XP on netbooks than it does for Windows on more full-function PCs, which is reportedly more in the neighborhood of $50 to $60 per copy. Therefore, the company is going to offer Windows 7 Starter edition and Home Premium for netbooks, with the idea that netbook makers and their customers will switch to Windows 7 when it's available. Of course, if the price for Windows 7 editions drives up the cost of netbooks, it could drive customers to other operating systems, such as Linux. So as it has several times in the past, Microsoft may choose to rethink that cut off as it approaches. Users have at least one reason to steer clear of XP, however -- mainstream support from Microsoft for the seven-year-old operating system ran out on April 14. Meanwhile, Microsoft today also announced the final minimum system requirements for running Windows 7. That includes a 1 GHz or faster, 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU, and 1 GB of RAM for 32-bit, or 2 GB of RAM for 64-bit versions. The computer will also require between 16 GB and 20 GB of disk space (depending on whether it is a 32-bit or 64-bit version) and a DirectX 9 graphics card with support for Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher. LATEST NEWS Microsoft has not yet committed to a date that Windows 7 will go on sale, although this week, at least one Microsoft executive was quoted as saying that it will likely ship in 2009. The company did not comment Thursday when PC OEM Acer said it will begin selling PCs with Windows 7 on October 23, 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antaris Veteran Posted May 3, 2009 Veteran Share Posted May 3, 2009 Download servers are gonna get absolutely ravaged on Tuesday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lannister Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I'll be doing my bit to ravage them for sure :) Anyone know what time (and time zone) on Tuesday the RC will be available for download? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbfc_uk Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 If Windows 7 is released in September, then there is no reason why someone should still be running it in March 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoDEAN Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Hmm, ok? I'd say that MOST Window 7 fans are already running RC 7100 that was leaked/released a week ago. But thanks for the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleSpellbinder Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Hmm, ok? I'd say that MOST Window 7 fans are already running RC 7100 that was leaked/released a week ago. But thanks for the topic. Maybe it's just the idea of being "official/legal" as opposed to a leaked build. Don 't get me wrong, I have 7100 RC 64-bit up and running. But there are plenty of folks who'd rather wait for the official release than dig for leaked builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoDEAN Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Maybe it's just the idea of being "official/legal" as opposed to a leaked build. Don 't get me wrong, I have 7100 RC 64-bit up and running. But there are plenty of folks who'd rather wait for the official release than dig for leaked builds. ' True, but they are going to find out its the SAME BUILD that was out last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Access Denied Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Yeah but, lol. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shokus Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Well we better hope that the RC coming up will indeed be the same build as the one leaked last week, else MS servers are going to be ravaged even more :p Not sure about the bi-hourly shut downs though. Yes, I am absolutely sure that no one should be running the RC build by then, but having this shutdowns don't seem to serve much of a purpose. Warnings of expiration and then a final cutoff would seem to suffice, no? Seems to me that it is some random thing thrown into the RC build by MS for fun and laughter to incite much hair-tearing and wrist-slitting by puzzled Windows 7 fans as they try to ponder the unfathomable depths of every aspect of Windows 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMELTN Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 now is Tuesday RC going to be any different than 7100 that most of us already have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSLJay Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 now is Tuesday RC going to be any different than 7100 that most of us already have? It will be the build 7100. I can confirm this as I am on TechNet and already have access to it. I can also say this. I downloaded it orig through other sources like a lot of people. I also downloaded it officially from MS and I have to say that the one I downloaded from MS seems better. I was getting freezes with the torrent, but it could have been a bad download too. The RC I downloaded from MS seems to be running awesome with no issues at all. Also, there was no virus on the one I downloaded from the other source. RC is very awesome and I am happy to have a nice working copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gate1975mlm Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 now is Tuesday RC going to be any different than 7100 that most of us already have? Thats what I would realy like to know also! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSLJay Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Thats what I would realy like to know also! The main differance is you can download it directly from MS and know that there isn't going to be a chance of a virus in it and it was not modified. It will be the same build though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dc'1 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 MS should upload torrents of the public RC the download speeds would be high with that many people downloading it rather than kill their servers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Access Denied Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Great idea. Im sure that would never happen though. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViperAFK Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Good thing I already have the RC :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InPCHell Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I've already prepped my 320GB Seagate with a complete format and am awaiting next weekend when I actually have time to install it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Spork) Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 had mine since it was leaked ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trek Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 It will be the build 7100. I can confirm this as I am on TechNet and already have access to it. I can also say this. I downloaded it orig through other sources like a lot of people. I also downloaded it officially from MS and I have to say that the one I downloaded from MS seems better. I was getting freezes with the torrent, but it could have been a bad download too. The RC I downloaded from MS seems to be running awesome with no issues at all. Also, there was no virus on the one I downloaded from the other source.RC is very awesome and I am happy to have a nice working copy. if the files have the same md5 hash, there is no difference between the images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakeshishere Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Installed and enjoying :pirate: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-byte Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 now is Tuesday RC going to be any different than 7100 that most of us already have? Yes.?no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 (edited) Honestly, considering they're the same builds, I'd just get it via a torrent. With thousands of seeders, the speeds will be just as quick, as you won't have to deal with crapped-out servers. Edited May 3, 2009 by Quillz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ba'al Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 now is Tuesday RC going to be any different than 7100 that most of us already have? No, not at all. There's no reason to wait, except downloading from MS at a snail's pace because of overloaded servers gets you off :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wguimb Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Amen, brother. Even though the leaked torrent of the images match exactly to that which was made available to Technet/MSDN/Connect (still verify the hashes and CRC with the known values) and they will be exactly the same on the public offering on May 5th. I still don't blame anyone for waiting and getting it directly from MSFT. Just please follow MSFT's recommendation to do a "clean" installation instead of an upgrade of any kind. Back up your important data (to a different partition or external device), use the MSFT Easy File Transfer (it really works) and then wipe your partition by deleting it, re-creating it, format it, and then install it. So many have done upgrades (in place or from boot) and are now flooding the various forums with issues caused by upgrading. Also, keep in mind that you will have to do a clean install of the RTM when it released, so think about that as you continue to enjoy this fantastic RC or Windows 7. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randolph Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I'll be at work lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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