Nuisance Warning: Windows 7 Beta Expiration and Bi-Hourly Shutdowns
If you are using Windows 7 Beta on your machine, then you are very well advised to upgrade to Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) or any other operating system for that matter, in the following couple of weeks. There is one very simple reason why you need to switch/upgrade – on the 1st of August the Beta version of Windows 7 will expire, but on the 1st of July, which is only two weeks away, the OS will start to shut down every couple of hours. And once that happens, you are in for a very annoying user experience.
The TechNet Plus Product Team issued this forewarning: “Heads up! The Windows 7 Beta will expire on August 1, 2009 so be prepared and plan to rebuild your PC with either the Release Candidate (RC) or another valid version of Windows before July 1, 2009. You will receive a warning two weeks prior to July 1; after this date, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours.”
The upside is that you will be able to use Windows 7 Beta even after the 1st of July with no functionality limitations; the downside is that every couple of hours, the operating system will shut down. What should you do? The answer is a simple one: switch to the Release Candidate version of Windows 7. Please note that I based that piece of advice on the assumption that you are a Windows fan since you have Win7 Beta installed on your machine.
Getting Windows 7 RC is a very straightforward process: download the software, burn it onto a DVD, install Win7 RC, activate and enjoy. Windows 7 RC will be available “at least through July, 2009” said Microsoft, so you will need to hurry up (keep in mind that on the 1st of July the Beta will start its annoying bi-hourly shutdown process). Just to make it easier for you, here are some Win7 RC download locations and activation keys.
Windows 7 download locations
Windows 7 dedicated web page here.
TechNet dedicated web page here.
MSDN dedicated web page here.
Windows 7 RC 32-bit and 64-bit processor version activation keys
MM7DF-G8XWM-J2VRG-4M3C4-GR27X
KGMPT-GQ6XF-DM3VM-HW6PR-DX9G8
MVBCQ-B3VPW-CT369-VM9TB-YFGBP
KBHBX-GP9P3-KH4H4-HKJP4-9VYKQ
BCGX7-P3XWP-PPPCV-Q2H7C-FCGFR
RGQ3V-MCMTC-6HP8R-98CDK-VP3FM
Q3VMJ-TMJ3M-99RF9-CVPJ3-Q7VF3
6JQ32-Y9CGY-3Y986-HDQKT-BPFPG
P72QK-2Y3B8-YDHDV-29DQB-QKWWM
6F4BB-YCB3T-WK763-3P6YJ-BVH24
9JBBV-7Q7P7-CTDB7-KYBKG-X8HHC
C43GM-DWWV8-V6MGY-G834Y-Y8QH3
GPRG6-H3WBB-WJK6G-XX2C7-QGWQ9
MT39G-9HYXX-J3V3Q-RPXJB-RQ6D7
MVYTY-QP8R7-6G6WG-87MGT-CRH2P
Windows 7 RC expiration date: 1st of June, 2010. Bi-hourly shutdowns will start one month earlier, on the 1st of March, 2010.
The TechNet Plus Product Team issued this forewarning: “Heads up! The Windows 7 Beta will expire on August 1, 2009 so be prepared and plan to rebuild your PC with either the Release Candidate (RC) or another valid version of Windows before July 1, 2009. You will receive a warning two weeks prior to July 1; after this date, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours.”
The upside is that you will be able to use Windows 7 Beta even after the 1st of July with no functionality limitations; the downside is that every couple of hours, the operating system will shut down. What should you do? The answer is a simple one: switch to the Release Candidate version of Windows 7. Please note that I based that piece of advice on the assumption that you are a Windows fan since you have Win7 Beta installed on your machine.
Getting Windows 7 RC is a very straightforward process: download the software, burn it onto a DVD, install Win7 RC, activate and enjoy. Windows 7 RC will be available “at least through July, 2009” said Microsoft, so you will need to hurry up (keep in mind that on the 1st of July the Beta will start its annoying bi-hourly shutdown process). Just to make it easier for you, here are some Win7 RC download locations and activation keys.
Windows 7 download locations
Windows 7 dedicated web page here.
TechNet dedicated web page here.
MSDN dedicated web page here.
Windows 7 RC 32-bit and 64-bit processor version activation keys
MM7DF-G8XWM-J2VRG-4M3C4-GR27X
KGMPT-GQ6XF-DM3VM-HW6PR-DX9G8
MVBCQ-B3VPW-CT369-VM9TB-YFGBP
KBHBX-GP9P3-KH4H4-HKJP4-9VYKQ
BCGX7-P3XWP-PPPCV-Q2H7C-FCGFR
RGQ3V-MCMTC-6HP8R-98CDK-VP3FM
Q3VMJ-TMJ3M-99RF9-CVPJ3-Q7VF3
6JQ32-Y9CGY-3Y986-HDQKT-BPFPG
P72QK-2Y3B8-YDHDV-29DQB-QKWWM
6F4BB-YCB3T-WK763-3P6YJ-BVH24
9JBBV-7Q7P7-CTDB7-KYBKG-X8HHC
C43GM-DWWV8-V6MGY-G834Y-Y8QH3
GPRG6-H3WBB-WJK6G-XX2C7-QGWQ9
MT39G-9HYXX-J3V3Q-RPXJB-RQ6D7
MVYTY-QP8R7-6G6WG-87MGT-CRH2P
Windows 7 RC expiration date: 1st of June, 2010. Bi-hourly shutdowns will start one month earlier, on the 1st of March, 2010.
