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Windows 7 delivers advanced capabilities to improve workforce effectiveness and productivity – driving maximum value from IT investments. As IT Pros, owners or consultants for small and medium businesses, you will find that Microsoft is committed to delivering tools and support that enhance manageability, security, software compatibility, as well as ease deployment and migration concerns.

Microsoft have made a number of enhancement, bug fixes between the beta and RC milestone. 

Q:  How big is the Window 7 RC download?
A:  The x86 version of Windows 7 RC is approximately 2.47 gigs. The x64 version is approximately 3.2 gigs.

Q:  Will the RC code be download-only, or can I have physical media mailed to me? 
A:  The Windows 7 RC code will only be available for download. 

Q:  Will my product key from Beta work for the RC, or do I have to register to get a new one?
A:  No – you will need to register for a new PID in order to run RC.

Q:  Is there a cap to the total number of downloads for Windows 7 RC?
A:  There is no limit to the total number of downloads for Windows 7 RC.

Q:  Will Windows 7 RC be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit?
A:  Yes.

Q:  Is there a choice of SKUs for Windows 7 RC, or is it only available in Ultimate like the beta?
A:  There is one release candidate release, with all the capabilities of the Windows 7 Ultimate SKU. 

Q:  When does this build expire?
A:  Windows 7 RC will expire on March 1, 2010 – at this time the system will reboot every two hours. The license of windows 7 RC will expire June 1, 2010. 

Q:  Where should I submit feedback on Windows 7 RC?
A:  The Beta testing has completed, and the release candidate is the time for customers and IT professionals to really start kicking the tires in terms of application compatibility, drivers and devices.  We will of course continue error monitoring, but application compatibility issues should be reported to the ISV.

Upgrade Experience

Q:  How does Microsoft recommend I install RC?  
A:  To install the Windows 7 RC, users will be required to either upgrade from a Windows Vista image, or do a custom (clean) installation.  Windows 7 Beta users will need to do a custom (clean) installation. 

Q:  Why isn’t there an easy way for me to upgrade from beta to RC?
A:  Upgrading from one pre-release build to another is not a scenario a real-world customer will experience.  We want our testers to experience real-world setup to provide us with real-world telemetry as we work on finalizing the product.

Q:  Is there a smooth upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7?  
A:  As a result of the many changes we’ve made to the operating system, users who wish to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 on the same computer will need to perform a custom (clean) installation.

 Q:  Does Microsoft provide any guidance on how to transfer files and settings from a previous operating system to Windows 7 when a clean installation is required?
A:  Tools, guidance and other resources are available on windows.microsoft.com to assist in the upgrade process.  Microsoft also provides a special utility on the release candidate CD to assist users with identifying, backing up and transferring files and settings to Windows 7.  For more information on the Windows Easy Transfer utility please visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd446674.aspx.

Reporting Bugs on Windows 7 RC

Alessandro