# Windows 7 Beta Download Available now on TechNet



## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Late Wednesday, I spotted Windows 7 Beta available for legal download on the Microsoft TechNet site, my understanding is it will be available to the public this Friday, ahead of the previously announced schedule.

I downloaded both the 32 and 64bit versions, the 64bit version is 3.3GB, 32bit is 2.6GB.

My secondary test bed PC will run just Windows 7 32bit and should be running today and my Primary (working) PC will receive the 64bit version this weekend and I will run 32bit Vista in Virtual PC 2007 inside Windows 7.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Larry


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

Thanks man! We appreciate you letting us know!


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

Excellent, thanks Larry.


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

thanks larry


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Well done, Mr. Flowers. I was about to shut this thread down but your reputation for excellence made me pause and check the legality of the download... looks good so far.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

My understanding is that they will have disks at the CES booth as well...will check that out tomorrow.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

Noticed the email announcement this morning and I'm downloading it now.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)




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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Thank you for the kind words... I was caught by surprise by this. I was reading an interview that had just been posted on line with Steve Balmer and he said that the beta was available now thru MSDN and Microsoft TechNet. I had been checking the front page of TechNet (I am a member) and hadn't seen an announcement. After reading this I went back and it still wasn't on the TechNet main page. I went to my download area of technet and sure enough it was there complete with license keys, the SDK kit, Beta Notes and multiple versions.

He also said in the interview that it would be made available to the public on Friday.



Stuart Sweet said:


> Well done, Mr. Flowers. I was about to shut this thread down but your reputation for excellence made me pause and check the legality of the download... looks good so far.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

AirRocker, I keep telling you, Windows won't run on your iPhone!!! :lol::lol:



AirRocker said:


>


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## gulfwarvet (Mar 7, 2007)

to bad i don't have the access to download it. But Thanks Larry for the update for the others to know.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> My understanding is that they will have disks at the CES booth as well...will check that out tomorrow.


Send one my way.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> AirRocker, I keep telling you, Windows won't run on your iPhone!!! :lol::lol:


I don't think that was his problem... I think he's asking where the "any" key is. :lol:


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## cmziggy (Aug 21, 2006)

It will be available for public download on January 9th at www.microsoft.com/windows7. Check it out over on Engadget.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/07/microsoft-announces-availability-of-windows-7-beta-and-windows-l/


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## HIPAR (May 15, 2005)

The BBC story with some videos:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7817190.stm

--- CHAS


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> AirRocker, I keep telling you, Windows won't run on your iPhone!!! :lol::lol:


I like a functioning phone... No windows OS for me...


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

Sirshagg said:


> Noticed the email announcement this morning and I'm downloading it now.


I'm guessing a few million others are as well because it's a slow, slow, slow dowload.


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

Sirshagg said:


> I'm guessing a few million others are as well because it's a slow, slow, slow dowload.


Well, now that Larry has it, perhaps he could seed it for us. :lol:


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

AirRocker said:


> I like a functioning phone... No windows OS for me...


Same reason I don't buy any thing with the Apple logo on it...


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Same reason I don't buy any thing with the Apple logo on it...


Maybe one day you shall see the light.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

AirRocker said:


> Maybe one day you shall see the light.


Only when the Earth gets a second sun...

But all this said...it is starting to look like WIN7 may be the optimal OS that Vista was originally supposed to be....


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## Button Pusher (Jan 19, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Same reason I don't buy any thing with the Apple logo on it...





AirRocker said:


> Maybe one day you shall see the light.


Yes..AirRocker is right! You need the iphone!


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Button Pusher said:


> Yes..AirRocker is right! You need the iphone!


Never in a million years...even the G1 is superior....and I wouldn't get that unit either.....that's why I want to see whats in store at CES tomorrow, and will get to see firthand myself what "real" wireless products are coming...:lol:

iPhone....phuey....:lol:


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up Larry.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Just an Update...

I have installed Windows 7 Beta v7000 32bit on my backup test system. Clean install took about 24 minutes.

I am posting this from IE8(this version works much better than the Beta) on that PC. Early yet but so far everything looks very good. No drivers were necessary, Win 7 installed everything correctly.

So far, Java, Flash, Adobe Reader, Shockwave and Silverlight, no problems.

More to follow

Larry


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

good news larry, sounds like everything is going pretty easy


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

I wonder if they'll update the source code


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Larry

Is it a download and burn to DVD and then install via the DVD? Is there a choice of a clean install or an upgrade install?

Thanks


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

iso download, burn to dvd and install, you can do a clean or an upgrade... I always recommend clean install

Larry



Hansen said:


> Larry
> 
> Is it a download and burn to DVD and then install via the DVD? Is there a choice of a clean install or an upgrade install?
> 
> Thanks


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Alright, been working this for about 2.5 hours... 

Installed so far no difficulties:
Free AVG
Zune
Adobe Reader, Flash, Shockwave
Windows Live Mail, Messenger, Writer
Micorsoft Office 2007 Ultimate
Java

All installed with no fuss at all.

System is my backup, Core 2 1.8ghz, 3gb memory and an nVidia 7900 with 256MB.

Windows 7 correctly identified all hardware and installed appropriate drivers... no errors.

Automatically adjusted the screen resolution to 2048x1152 to go with my new Dell 23" monitor which it also correctly identified. 

Actual install was about 24 minutes with an additional 12 minutes for polish.

No crashes and as a matter of fact it exhibits none of the behavior that I am quite used to with Betas.

Larry


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

Larry, will it work ok in a Virtual PC window inside Vista Ultimate 64bit?


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Yes it will... just remember to use the iso file *as it is when you install.*



Groundhog45 said:


> Larry, will it work ok in a Virtual PC window inside Vista Ultimate 64bit?


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## naijai (Aug 19, 2006)

Well i guess i'll be downloading and installing tonite


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## nuzzy (Aug 29, 2004)

FWIW - I have it installed and running smoothly inside VMWare Fusion.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

LarryFlowers said:


> Yes it will... just remember to use the iso file *as it is when you install.*


Thanks. Looking forward to Friday afternoon.


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

Larry, what are you seeing for RAM and CPU consumption at idle on your test system? How does that compare with XP or Vista on the same box?
One of the biggest complaints I had with the first Vista kernel was it's resource consumption when seemingly doing nothing.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

deltafowler said:


> Larry, what are you seeing for RAM and CPU consumption at idle on your test system? How does that compare with XP or Vista on the same box?
> One of the biggest complaints I had with the first Vista kernel was it's resource consumption when seemingly doing nothing.


Vista = Memory Pig + CPU Pig 

Why do you suppose Windows 7 is even coming out....? :lol:


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

Good point. 
I guess Vista SP2 would have been a giveaway, but this way they can charge for it.


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## mystic7 (Dec 9, 2007)

deltafowler said:


> Well, now that Larry has it, perhaps he could seed it for us. :lol:


Seed? What's that mean? Could you explain in explicit detail, please?


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

AirRocker said:


>


Thanks for the pic, I'm going to install it as the wallpaper on my Boss's computer when he's out to lunch.... :lol:


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

dodge boy said:


> Thanks for the pic, I'm going to install it as the wallpaper on my Boss's computer when he's out to lunch.... :lol:


This one works MUCH better for something like that.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897558.aspx

Many, many years ago when we switched to WinNT I completely burned one of our VP's with this. It was great - he completely flipped his lid since he didn't want to go to NT in the first place. We stil laugh about it today.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

dodge boy said:


> Thanks for the pic, I'm going to install it as the wallpaper on my Boss's computer when he's out to lunch.... :lol:


One of the guys I work with has it as his screensaver... :lol:


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

This one's more fun:










:lol:


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

^^good one^^:lol:


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Since the public beta site is operational, I thought I'd close this thread.


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