Windows 7 testers - RC is a clean install
The latest post on Microsoft’s Engineering Windows 7 blog outlines what existing Windows 7 beta testers will have to do in order to be able upgrade to the release candidate.
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9.4.2009 Vista Hands On #4: Clean install with an upgrade key
I've been reading
the breathless reports this week about the "Vista upgrade loophole." Most of it is typical echo-chamber stuff, and most of the reports I've read so far have gotten the basic facts wrong.
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19.2.2007 Workaround Discovered For "Clean Install" With Vista Upgrade DVDs
DailyTech has posted a 7-step workaround courtesy of Paul Thurrott (via Microsoft internal documents) on how to perform a clean install with a Windows Vista Upgrade DVD.
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31.1.2007 Microsoft: Should You Install Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh?
Last week, on January 9th, 2008, Microsoft dropped Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate Refresh Build 17128 into the laps of some 15,000 testers.
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14.1.2008 Install Vista SP1 RC Refresh for the Added Performance
According to Microsoft, one reason to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate Refresh and test drive it is the added performance.
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15.1.2008 No Boot Clean Installs Using Windows Vista Upgrade Discs
Although it has been discussed to death here, some official coverage on the front page is needed. Thanks to Ambiance for posting a direct response from Microsoft about the issue.
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28.1.2007 Free Avira AntiVir Rescue System CD to Clean Unremovable Virus
Previously I’ve written about Kaspersky offering free Rescue Disk to clean virus without booting in to Windows.
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28.6.2008 Download Windows 7 XP Mode RC and Virtual PC RC
Redmond-based software giant Microsoft made available the release candidate flavor of Windows 7’s XP Mode add-on on Tuesday. The beta iteration of XP Mode was released on April 30, along with the beta variant of Windows Virtual PC, and the RC version comes as another step the company is taking towards launching the final iteration of the add-on.
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5.8.2009 Public Vista SP1 RC in a Few Days - XP SP3 RC Next?
Yes, we have come quite a long way since the initial introduction of the pre-beta releases of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 to a limited pool of testers, in mid July.
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6.12.2007 Vista SP1 RC Refresh Ships – Windows XP SP3 RC Refresh Next?
Should you hold your breath for a new version of Windows XP SP3? Currently, Microsoft has opened up the testing process of the third and final service pack for Windows XP, and, now, all users of the operating system have access to the first Release Candidate of the refresh, as of late 2007.
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10.1.2008 Notable Changes in Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC and Windows Vista SP2 RC
Microsoft® continuously improves the Windows Vista® and Windows Server® 2008 operating systems by providing ongoing updates while working with software and hardware vendors to help them deliver improved compatibility, reliability, and performance. These updates are provided to customers by Microsoft’s hardware and software partners, as well as directly from Microsoft in the form of regularly distributed updates delivered via Windows Update. Updates to Windows are also delivered directly to some affected customers and preinstalled by PC manufacturers.
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1.3.2009 All New XP SP3 RC Refresh 2 and Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2 Available for Download
Making headway with the development of Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Microsoft has made available new builds of both service packs.
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25.1.2008 How to Install Windows Vista
For people with access to the Vista betas through MSDN, there is an installation guide.
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How to Install and Enable DreamScene in Windows 7
Windows DreamScene, a feature which allows a video clip, movie show, slideshow or animated image and picture to be set as the desktop background in Windows Vista has been removed in Windows 7, in favor of Desktop Slideshow wallpaper auto rotator. Although Windows 7 no longer supports DreamScane, the DreamScene function can still be manually added and installed into Windows 7 with a little hack in order to turn on and enable the DreamScene support in Windows7.
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13.1.2009 Microsoft: How to install a browser on Windows 7 E
Microsoft have created a guidance page on the Windows 7 part of their website, detailing how users should go about installing a browser on Windows 7 E – the main version of Windows that will ship in the UK, that comes without a browser.
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15.7.2009 How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7
Google unveiled Chrome OS in an event yesterday where they demonstrated the upcoming cloud-based OS for the first time in public. Source code of Chrome OS was also released which folks over at gdgt have compiled in a ready-to-install .vmdk file.
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20.11.2009 Windows Post-Install Wizard (WPI) 6.1
Windows Post-Install Wizard (WPI) is a hypertext application designed for giving users choice. While Windows XP offers many ways of customizing the setup process out of the box, its major drawback is the lack of being able to select which applications an end user may install.
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29.7.2007 How to Install Microsoft Telnet Client on Windows 7
If you have been fan of traditional Microsoft Telnet client then you will be surprised to see that traditional Telnet Client is not available in Windows Vista & 7 by default and you have to manually install Telnet Client to use Telnet from command prompt.
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17.7.2009 Install Any Version of Windows 7 with Universal ISO
Those of you who own an official copy of Windows 7 from MSDN or TechNet may have faced a scenario where you wanted to install a different edition of Windows, only to find out that you will have to download a separate ISO file just to install your desired edition.
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9.11.2009 Crack Available to Install Windows Vista with Only 256MB RAM
Want to perform the impossible with Windows Vista and install the operating system on systems with only 256 MB of RAM? vista_nomem.exe is a patch that promises to deliver just that, enabling you to deploy Vista even if you only have 256 MB of memory.
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8.2.2007 Windows Vista SP1 Beta Install Fair
The Windows Vista SP1 Deployment Team wanted me to pass along notice of an upcoming Install Fair being held here in Redmond at month's end; we've held events like this before and they've always been well received.
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3.10.2007 My Day at the Windows Vista SP1 Install Fair
On Saturday October 27th, I had the chance to visit the Microsoft campus and join various others in installing the Windows Vista SP1 Beta.
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29.10.2007 Microsoft: IE 8 Release Candidate won’t install on Windows 7
Windows 7 testers won’t be able to install Microsoft’s near-final Release Candidate (RC) test build of Internet Explorer (IE) 8 — a limitation Microsoft is acknowledging and saying is by design.
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20.1.2009 How to install Windows 7 on a virtual hard disk - VHD
If You want to test Windows 7, without impacting your current installation of Windows XP or Vista on your desktop? A possible solution is: Boot from VHD.
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19.6.2009 How to download and install Windows 7 Language Packs - MUI
Language packs or MUI packs are used to change the default language of Windows 7 to a language of your choice. For example, download and installing the French language pack will translate all the menus and options in Windows 7 into French.
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27.8.2009 Windows Vista SP1 Beta Install Fiesta, Courtesy of Microsoft
Microsoft is hard at work hammering away at the first service pack for Windows Vista.
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20.11.2007 Install and Uninstall Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate 1
The first public build of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is imminent and is planned by the end of this week. Microsoft has already made available Vista SP1 Release Candidate 1 via Connect, MSDN and TechNet, and is preparing for the next step, opening up the beta testing
process to the general public through the Microsoft Download Center.
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11.12.2007 Mac OS X and Linux Continue to Erode Windows' Install Base
Apple's Mac OS X and the open source Linux operating systems continue to erode the install base of Microsoft's proprietary platform. According to statistics made available by Net Applications, Windows accounted for a market share of no less than 93.06% back in August 2007.
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2.9.2008 How to Install Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP2 Beta Build 16497
Microsoft has published a command shell script, which will add and set a registry key on the computer so that Windows Update, Microsoft Update or Automatic Updates will offer the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 the Service Pack 2 (KB version 948465) beta build 6002.16497.
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5.12.2008 How to install another OS on your PS3
Who'll get the last laugh now? They said the PS3 sucks, is late, is too expensive, isn't worth it, isn't a bargain. Well, look at it now! It's shaping up to be something worth its weight in news.
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13.11.2006Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC released
Last week the Windows Team Blog announced that the availability of SP2 RC for Vista would be available soon. Today they have posted that the download
is now live and you can find the information needed here. If you have a beta install of SP2 loaded on your computer it must be uninstalled before
attempting to load the RC. It should also be mentioned that this, while close, is not a final product and a few hiccups may occur along the way. You
can download the RC directly from the Customer Preview Program or use the Windows Update Experience Kit to obtain the RC for your personal computer.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
05.03.2009Windows 7 Beta to RC transition - What you need to know
Every one of us is waiting for the upcoming Windows 7 RC release. In the meantime, Windows 7 Team has blogged on the upgrade experience from pre-RC
builds to RC build, even when the RC dates are not officially out. This blog post indeed shows the openness of the Windows 7 Team to discuss various
issues regarding Windows 7 RC. If you are expecting any major announcement, then this post does not have any! The blog post talks a little about
upgrading Windows Vista to Windows 7, but as we discussed earlier there is no upgrade path available from Windows XP to Windows 7 "There's no
change here to the plan as has been discussed on many forums.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
07.04.2009Deployed: Windows Vista SP1 RC on ALL of my PCs
Brandon LeBlanc: Today Nick announced the availability of the release candidate for Windows Vista SP1. I had a chance to get the RC build of Windows
Vista SP1 installed a few days ago. I decided to roll the RC out on all of my PCs which showcase a variety of device types and scenarios:
- My Main Desktop PC running Windows Vista Ultimate x64 - check.
- My Test/Work PC running Windows Vista Business - check.
- My Dell Vostro 1500 Laptop running Windows Vista Ultimate - check.
- My Samsung Q1 UMPC running Windows Vista Home Premium - check.
- My Digital CableCard PC running Windows Vista Home Premium - check.
In installing the RC on my PCs, I did a combination of
using the standalone installer and Windows Update. Before proceeding to install the SP1 RC bits, I first needed to uninstall the SP1 beta bits first.
Users looking to install the Windows Vista SP1 RC will need to uninstall any previous version of SP1 prior to the installation of the RC from either
Windows Update or the standalone installer.
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06.12.2007Microsoft: Clean installs from "upgrade media" is pirating
Late last week, Microsoft published a post on the Microsoft SMB community blog announcing that using any "hack" to install Windows 7 from upgrade
media is not necessarily "legal" - and that users do not own the rights to perform such installs from upgrade media using this process. If
you're an owner of upgrade media, then you've probably experienced the painful migration process that the upgrade process tries to force you
through - if you're using XP it requires you to boot to an existing Windows installation, use Windows easy transfer to backup your information,
then will allow you to complete a "clean install" if it detects a partition with a previous, licensed copy of Windows installed.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
02.11.2009Windows Vista SP2 RC-Escrow build released to testers
Ars Technica reports that Microsoft has sent out the RC-Escrow build of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 to testers. An email has been
sent to SP2 testers regarding this release. The RC-Escrow build is available for download from this Thursday as a standalone installer or via Windows
Update or as a slipstreamed download. Microsoft claims that the service pack includes 656 individual hotfixes. The Escrow Build is a build where
development halts and developers & beta testers start testing the product for any show-stopper bugs. Microsoft has emphasized this to testers to
concentrate only on the regressions and confirmation of fixes when asking for feedback which includes the RC Escrow install survey.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
29.01.2009Windows 7 RC expected at the end of February
WinnFuture, a German website reports that the one and only RC build of Windows 7 will be ready at the end of February to be sent to select testers.
According to WinFuture's sources, the first-RC build has been compiled by now. The build number currently under test is not known, however
WinFuture reports that 7048 was the latest build of Windows 7 and might be the RC, created a few days before and confirms that work is currently going
on around the Windows 7 RC build.
Read
full story.....
neowin.net -
19.02.2009Workaround Discovered For "Clean Install" With Vista Upgrade
DailyTech has posted a 7-step
workaround courtesy of Paul
Thurrott (via Microsoft
internal documents) on how to
perform a clean install with a
Windows Vista Upgrade DVD. Per
Microsoft's new licensing
requirements for Vista, users
are required to install a
Windows Vista Upgrade from
within Windows XP and to make
matters worse, the Windows XP
license is forfeited. The
process may be tedious, but
few will argue when they
compare the price differences
between the upgrade and retail
versions. Here we go:
- Boot from the
Windows Vista Upgrade DVD and
start the setup
program.
- When prompted
to enter your product key, DO
NOT enter it. Click "Next"
and proceed with setup. This
will install Windows Vista as
a 30-day trial.
- When
prompted, select the edition
of Vista which you have
purchased and continue with
setup.
- Once setup has
been completed and you have
been brought to the desktop
for the first time, run the
install program from within
Windows Vista.
- This
time, type in your product key
when prompted.
- When
asked whether to perform an
Upgrade or Custom (advanced)
install, choose Custom
(advanced) to perform a clean
install of Vista. Yes, this
means that you will have to
install Vista for a second
time.
- Once setup has
completed for the second time,
you should be able to activate
Windows Vista normally. You
can also delete the
Windows.old directory which
contains information from the
first Vista
install.
neowin.net -
31.01.2007Windows 7 upgrade chart available
Microsoft has made available the official Windows 7 Upgrade chart, via allthingsd which indicates which previous versions of Windows are available for
an in-place upgrade to Windows 7, and to which version they can upgrade. You can view the chart below: As you can see from just a glance at the
chart, it's relatively confusing. Windows 7 offers no direct upgrade path from XP, which was announced very early on in the Windows 7 development
life cycle. Very specific upgrade paths from other versions of Windows Vista exist also. You can perform a "Custom Install" which is pretty much a
clean install, but you have the option to install Windows 7 to another disk without overwriting data.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
10.08.2009Windows 7 RC coming to MSDN/Technet soon, public May 5
A page over at Microsoft Partners has been updated to show that Windows 7 RC will be publically released on May 5, and should be available for MSDN
and Technet subscribers now. However, clicking through the download link will only get you the beta, right now. This would seem to jive with an
earlier leak on a Microsoft page saying that the RC would be available in May, but that was taken down soon after it was reported. Well see how long
this page stays updated with the Windows 7 RC information, or how long it'll take before RC does actually hit MSDN and Technet.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
18.04.2009Windows 7 RC and Windows XP to be available until 2010
With all this talk about the Windows 7 RC lately, we've seen a few questions asking, "So, how long will I actually be able to still use it,
anyway?" Well, friends, your queries have been answered! Our buddies over at PCWorld are reporting that Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 7 RC
will be still active until June 1, 2010. This information was actually leaked about a month ago, but Thursday say the Redmond-based software giant
confirm the news.
Read full
story.....
neowin.net -
01.05.2009Windows Vista SP2 RC to be released to public next week
Last week we had a rumor that Windows Vista SP2 RC was released to select testers. It turns out that it might be just a notification from Microsoft a
week ahead that RC is done and available for testing or it might have been a near final RC made available for testing to select testers. Microsoft
has announced today that the RC of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 is available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers to test prior to final
release. Microsoft will make SP2 RC available to the general public via TechNet during next week. As expected the final version of SP2 will be made
available in the 2nd quarter of 2009.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
26.02.2009Windows Vista SP2 RC build released to testers
TechARP predicted last month that RC-Escrow build of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will be released between the dates Jan 26-30 and
the RC build between the dates Feb 16-20. The RC Escrow build of SP2 was sent to testers at the end of January and the rumor is that now Microsoft has
released the RC build of SP2 to Microsoft Connect testers exactly between the dates predicted by TechARP. Ars reports that RC build is available for
download as a standalone installer package or via Windows Update or as a slipstreamed download which includes 691 individual hotfixes.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
20.02.2009Beta to RC Changes - Turning Windows Features On or Off
The E7 team has posted an interesting blog post about the various Windows features that are available to turn on or off in the Windows 7 RC. Customers
are now given more control, flexibility and choice in managing the features available in the RC of Windows 7. Below are the list of extra features
that are added to Windows 7 RC: Windows Media PlayerWindows Media CenterWindows DVD MakerInternet Explorer 8Windows SearchHandwriting Recognition
(through the Tablet PC Components option)Windows Gadget PlatformFax and ScanXPS Viewer and Services (including the Virtual Print Driver) Neowin had
already reported about Internet Explorer 8 being an optional component in the latest Windows 7 build 7048, and so are the other features.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
06.03.2009Exclusive: Windows 7 RC download goes live
The wait is over folks, Microsoft has published the download page for the Windows 7 RC. As we noted earlier, the download was scheduled to launch
tomorrow and was to be available worldwide. Coming straight from the download page, here are Microsoft's notes for the release candidate: You
don't need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we're not limiting the number of product keys, so
you have plenty of time. Watch the calendar. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every
two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
05.05.2009Windows 7 RC coming today for partners, May 5th for everyone else!
Today, on the Windows 7 Partner Website, a link and information on the RC release of Windows 7 has appeared. The download link is not yet hyper
linked, but all of the information is there.
Download Windows 7 RC
Partners: If you have a subscription to MSDN or TechNet, you
can download Windows 7 RC now. Otherwise, you can download Windows 7 RC starting May 5, 2009. The message on the site also states
that everyone else will receive the RC on May 5, 2009.
We will update you as we receive more information, or when a download link becomes
available.
Thanks Smooth for the tip!
jcxp.net -
18.04.2009Windows 7 RC build 7100 leaks
Redmond still haven't called that plumber, the official RC build has leaked online at the usual places. We revealed yesterday that the Windows 7
RC build was 7100 and according to many Neowin members the x86 version has leaked just a short time ago. We expect the RC will be available to the
public shortly and Redmond could still hit the rumored May 5th date. There is speculation the software giant will hold off until May 15th, the last
day of Tech-Ed 2009.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
24.04.2009Windows 7 build 7105 RC Milestone reached
Builds for Windows 7 keep powering forward; it seems there are new ones being reported weekly, but here's one that might be worth sitting up and
paying attention for: it appears Windows 7 has reached build 7105, an RC build. But in addition to this, it's worth remembering that a Windows 7
RC could possibly be available April 10th. This timing makes it seem as though Neowin's exclusive source was dead on, and that in a few days time
Microsoft will announce availability of an RC build for its latest operating system. The string for this build is
6.1.7105.0.090404-1235_x86fre_client_en-us_Retail_Ultimate-GB1CULFRER_EN_DVD, and it was compiled on April 4th.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
07.04.2009Exclusive: Windows 7 RC set for April 10, 2009
There have been so many dates flying around concerning the upcoming Release Candidate for Windows 7, and it's beginning to become a daily subject
in the blogosphere. Just when you thought that we were going to see a Windows 7 RC by the end of February, a trusted source within Microsoft has
informed Neowin that the RC will not be ready by the end of February. At this time, Windows 7 RC is internally being tested and the official release
date is set for April 10, 2009. The Windows team is right on schedule with development, and if there are no significant problems over the next few
weeks the April 10, 2009 release date will remain in tact.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
20.02.2009Exclusive: Windows Vista SP2 RC released to general public
As expected, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 RC and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 RC is now available to general public for download. You can
download the SP2 RC for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below: ISO for Windows Server 2008 x86/x64/ia64 and Windows Vista x86/x64x86 for
Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x86x64 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x64IA64 for Windows Server 2008 ia64 The service pack is
delivered as a single release for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. There will be a single 32-bit standalone installer (302 MB to 390 MB)
for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
04.03.2009Microsoft Closes Vista Upgrade Loophole
Many computer users prefer to
install their operating system
"clean" by simply
using their old Windows disc
to verify they own a copy of
the software. However, that
appears to no longer be
possible using an Upgrade
version of Windows Vista...
betanews.com -
30.01.2007
