back to article Microsoft releases Windows 7 to MSDN, TechNet today

Microsoft is shoving the finalised version of Windows 7 out the door today for a select bunch of customers. The operating system, which was released to manufacturing last month, is now available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers. Additionally, some independent software and hardware vendors can also expect to get their mitts on …

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  1. Paul Stephenson 1

    Now?

    "The operating system, which was released to manufacturing last month, is now available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers."

    I don't see it, presumably it'll be released when America wakes up and starts it's working day?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Not Available Yet

    I have a MSDN subscription but the windows 7 bits are still unavailable to me (annoyingly).

  3. Efros

    quote from technet

    "Thanks for your inquiry, Efros. Possibly, the Windows 7 would be released in the afternoon Pacific daylight time."

  4. NogginTheNog
    Thumb Up

    That's my weekend sorted then!

    Been running 7 RC for a few weeks and am liking it quite a bit, but it has hung hibernating a couple of times, and completely frozen on me 3 times (something XP hasn't done for years), so I'm keen to get the RTM installed and see if that any better!

  5. Geoff Mackenzie

    Excellent!

    I've been needing to run chkdsk /r for ages.

  6. Gary F

    I can't wait

    While upgrading to Windows 7 (a fresh install) I will take the oppertunity to celebrate and replace my hard drive with a SSD. Windows 7 should work slightly better with SSD and I'm so fed up of waiting for Windows to boot off mechanical drives.

    I've been waiting for an inprovement to XP for half a decade.

  7. Joe 55

    Jockeying for position on MSDN

    Well now I feel dumb for getting up at 12:01 am today...

  8. Bill Gould
    Gates Halo

    Scheduled and ready

    I've got my gaming rig prep'd and I'll be installing this weekend. The workhorse will get it the following weekend and my work laptop will likely see it during a slow day... so maybe before 2010.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Noggin

    There has been a few patches and driver updates to prevent that. My motherboard (Asus p6t) had a hibernate issue that was fixed by the latest firmware.

  10. Colin Morris
    Go

    Good luck!

    To all those who will be among the first to obtain a copy of the full release of Windows 7 I say, "Good luck, 'Beta testers'. You'll need it! Hope to join you in about a years time at around the release of the first service pack!"

  11. ContentsMayVary

    RC was fine for me...

    @Colin Morris:

    I've been using the W7 RC since May, with no problems whatsoever, so I don't think I'll be needing much luck. :)

    I guess you're still on XP?

  12. Your alien overlord - fear me
    Gates Halo

    @Colin Morris

    beta testing it since Feb - bugs ironed out as long as people bother to load the correct drivers (same with linux,Mac etc - no/wrong drivers = non-working hardware).

    Don't understand making Joe Public wait until September though, it just encourages Volume Licences to make their way onto torrent sites by the weekend.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    I have it

    I downloaded my RC version last week and loaded it over the weekend

    Runs like a dream, running it right now, on a second machine supplied by *********

    Install was smooth, no drivers were needed, was expecting a few

    Did a report back to base, urrrr, it just reported that the internet had vanished!

    Time for a re-boot I guess, and a report back to base

    It is rather good though

  14. Sheppy
    WTF?

    Windows 7 final on technet today - are you sure!!

    Just the old version on my technet subscription so far. Thought it wasn't being released until saturday?

  15. cjmUK
    Gates Halo

    Best RC Ever?

    To be fair, the RC has been rock solid for me over the last few months. Quite literally not a single problem with it - perhaps I got lucky. Then again, having had regular problems with XP until then, in 2006 I installed Vista x64 and have had a performant & hassle-free experience since. Choosing Linux over Windows is a reasonable choice for some people, but running XP on post-2006 hardware is just folly.

    I'm not an MS fanboi - but credit where credit is due. While W7 is still missing some of the features promised for Vista (WinFS anyone?), it's still a really good OS.

  16. Colin Morris

    RE : @ContentsMayVary

    Yes, still on XP in work. That will not change for a while

    Vista was pre-installed on my home laptop. I rather it wasn't but disabling UAC, Windows Defender and other unnecessary programs and services has helped massively.

    Just wish Linux was more user friendly to the general public. I'm sure Windows 7 will turn out ok but it's time for a new direction I think!.....

  17. Coyote
    Gates Halo

    You don't have to activate it before the public release

    a little 'alternative distribution' never hurt anyone, but there's no reason to crack it or steal a key.

    We are less than 90 days from release, and the 'slmgr -rearm' trick gives you 3 rearms. That's a total of 120 days before you must either activate it or wipe and reinstall... so grab the torrent today, then buy a license when it's released!

    However: If you are planning to buy an "upgrade" license: start with an ACTIVATED copy of Win7 RC/Vista/XP and do a "clean install upgrade" to the Win 7 RTM. (If you don't actually do an upgrade to Win 7 RTM from an activated copy of windows, you won't be able to enter an upgrade key.)

  18. iamapizza
    Happy

    @cjmUK

    WinFS will be coming out at about the same time as Duke Nukem Forever.

  19. Rabbit

    Its there

    The RTM version was posted in MSDN a few minutes ago, downloading now.....

  20. Efros
    Thumb Up

    Downloading now

    1:20 pm EST W7 has appeared on Tech Net

  21. fergie
    Go

    Now live

    Windows 7 RTM now available for MSDN subscribers: http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/securedownloads/default.aspx?pv=36:350

  22. Matt B
    Thumb Up

    Finally!

    It's on technet now! Time to upgrade my PC and laptop over Friday and Saturday.

  23. Rob 30

    faster?

    is it going to make my games run faster than xp does?

  24. Sheppy
    WTF?

    Downloading it now

    Reasonable download speed too until the Virginmedia traffic management kicked in

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Halo

    Lets guess the number of updates on 23rd Oct

    I'm guessing 78 available updates on 23rd October 2009, by the time it is actually on general release, thats about 1 less than Windows XP SP2. You see progress has been made.

  26. multipharious

    @Bill Gould

    I have it on three machines. Two 64-bit and my netbook which is 32-bit. Very, very stable. Double check your virus pro. Our corporate McAffee version had problems with my 64-bit workstation "laptop," and Norton made my home system boot like a dog. I have moved off to a different vendor for all three systems not to return. No preference right now, but open to suggestion. Just in test phase with one right now, and it is doing ok.

    Install it on your work laptop as soon as you can. Once you start using it privately I think you will see what I mean. At first I was a little suspicious of the change to the task bar, but once you get the hang of it you will not be able to work without it. Right click options, smart grouping, preview thumbnails, close and open options. There are a ton of other enhancements, but I do not want to sound like a commercial and half the fun is saying, "Hey! That is cool." when you discover some of the things that have been done. One more tidbit, is check out Virtual XP mode. There are uses beyond the obvious legacy stuff in the event you need multiple versions of the same application. Eg. when the public beta of Office 2010 comes out I will put 2007 in Virtual XP and install 2010 on Windows 7, and both will be available transparently through the start menu.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    A request, please!

    I see all you little MS fanbois getting very excited about your new toy, can I ask when Ubuntu 9.10 and Snow Leopard appear and the rest of us get excited about our toys, you don't start taking your pot-shots?

    I think Win7 is a fantastic O/S, best thing MS has done in years and I hope it works out for them. I really enjoyed playing with the demo, it worked well, didn't crash once and looked very slick. MS have a bit of a struggle to repair the damage Vista did, especially to businesses, but the XP mode should help.

    Enjoy!

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