Windows 7 Free For One Year

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
If you have avoided using a betas and release candidate software because of short trial periods or limited functionality, toss those worries aside and give Windows 7 RC1 a try for a year. Yup, on Cinco de Mayo you’ll be able to try Windows 7 RC1 until June 1, 2010. Nice.

Microsoft Corp. will let users run Windows 7 RC1 for more than a year, giving them free use of the new operating system for a significantly longer time than it did Vista's previews. Windows 7 RC, slated for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers Thursday and by the general public on May 5, doesn't expire until June 1, 2010, 13 months from Friday, Microsoft confirmed Thursday.
 
From what I understand, us beta testers will be able to patch and work and game on as usual until the expiry date comes. This is a great move by Microsoft, mostly because I'll be able to put more money on a DX11 graphics card rather than try to fit both W7 and the card into my budget at the same time :)
 
Will the EU bitch and moan and force MS to nuke Windows 7 earlier or charge for the RC in Europe because it's not fair to Linux for MS to offer a free OS?
 
Will the EU bitch and moan and force MS to nuke Windows 7 earlier or charge for the RC in Europe because it's not fair to Linux for MS to offer a free OS?

it's not a free OS it's a trial of a commercial OS with a long trial period.

you could think of linux as free, like "free Beer", and windows 7 as free, as in "free crack cocaine, eventually you gotta pay, sucka"
 
i wish punk buster worked on windows 7.....bastards

I enjoyed the beta when it came out and im pretty sure i will put the rc on my work machine so i can try it out....ive needed a reload for a while anyhow.
 
The Punkbuster thing is a real drag, but with this move by MS I'm pretty sure they are going to have to do something. I wonder if your going to be able to upgrade to the final version from the RC?
 
The Punkbuster thing is a real drag, but with this move by MS I'm pretty sure they are going to have to do something. I wonder if your going to be able to upgrade to the final version from the RC?

That's what I want to know. If I can simply plug my retail key into my RC1install and keep going, I find little reason NOT to DL and install as my main OS.
 
Very nice. Windows 7 is probably the only OS release I've looked forward to in a long time, and being able to effectively try it out for a year is a nice gesture on Microsoft's part.
 
Finally going to move to 7 as my main OS on my main rig. Its already been the main OS on my netbook, but I had a bad experience with build 7000 on my main machine and that kinda spooked me.
 
I took the plunge a week ago and removed Vista x64 from my gaming laptop and swapped to W7 full time.

So far only a few little problems (hotkeys etc) but all have been sorted out by enabling the problematic program to run in Vista compatibility mode.

This is working out alot better than Vista ever did so a free year to find all the bugs etc is worth it and should end up with more sales for it (would be really nice if MS gave it away as an upgrade to Vista for free).
 
What AV are y'all running w/Windows 7? I know that's one of the touchier things when it comes to compatibility...
 
As soon as 7 gets student discounts... I'm buying like 4 copies.
 
Plug a Retail key into RC1? Eh? EH?

The simple answer would be "No fucking way" pretty much... they don't work like that. :D
 
What an awesome PR move for MS.

Definitely buying 7, time to finally shelve XP I think.
 
Plug a Retail key into RC1? Eh? EH?

The simple answer would be "No fucking way" pretty much... they don't work like that. :D

Which is too bad, its the only thing keeping me from making a full install on my main desktop PC right this second. :)
 
I say again... Eh? EH?

I don't think you're getting the gist of this:

Get Windows 7 RC when it's out next week on the 5th (or acquire it sooner by whatever means you deem "safe"). Clean install it, get a key for it (don't need to have it beforehand to install it, you have 30 days to get one from Microsoft), and when all your hardware is covered in Device Manager, all your apps are checked and work, all your entertainment stuff is verified as working, etc...

Then you activate it with the key you acquired from Microsoft.

Wham, bam, thank you Ma'am, you've got Windows 7 RC running through June 1st, 2010.

Why on earth would anyone want to activate a Retail Product Key with a Release Candidate OS when the Release Candidate OS isn't "done" yet - in light of the fact that the Release Candidate will be fully functional for a hair over a year if you're so inclined to not purchase the Retail software anyway?

Eh? EH?
 
I say again... Eh? EH?

I don't think you're getting the gist of this:

Get Windows 7 RC when it's out next week on the 5th (or acquire it sooner by whatever means you deem "safe"). Clean install it, get a key for it (don't need to have it beforehand to install it, you have 30 days to get one from Microsoft), and when all your hardware is covered in Device Manager, all your apps are checked and work, all your entertainment stuff is verified as working, etc...

Then you activate it with the key you acquired from Microsoft.

Wham, bam, thank you Ma'am, you've got Windows 7 RC running through June 1st, 2010.

Why on earth would anyone want to activate a Retail Product Key with a Release Candidate OS when the Release Candidate OS isn't "done" yet - in light of the fact that the Release Candidate will be fully functional for a hair over a year if you're so inclined to not purchase the Retail software anyway?

Eh? EH?

Eh? EH?

Fuck that's annoying.

I don't think you're understanding me, I don't want to install RC1 just so I can reformat and reinstall the retail copy of Windows 7 a year later when the RC eventually expires. I'm more than willing to wait a few extra months for the retail release, install it once, and then be through with it for three years or however long I keep that particular hardware.

Now, if it was possible to install RC1, then later on plug in a retail key and have it patched up to the full retail release, well, that would be another story but it obviously isn't going to happen.

On a side note, I'm also happy to wait since I want my next primary HD to be one of the upcoming Intel 320GB SSDs, and those won't be out until this fall. So yeah, I'll slug it out with Vista until then.
 
Now that I understand, the previous post made it sound like the only reason you weren't installing the RC (or planning to) was that later on you might purchase Windows 7 and expect to be able to use the Retail Product Key for the RC... threw me for a serious loop when I read that. ;)

And the "Eh? EH?" thing is meant to provoke a response, and it worked sooo... but I'm still at a loss why running the RC for a length of time then wiping it and clean installing the Retail release when it's done is such a major gripe for some folks. Guess my background in testing and knowing I can wipe this machine I'm currently using and clean install any OS I choose (including OSx86 too) in 30 mins or less has just jaded me... ;)

And in the process of doing that I wouldn't ever lose a single piece of important data that I have on the machine either, which is obviously what most people are so deathly afraid of in situations where a clean install might be required... I get that, I do.
 
Now that I understand, the previous post made it sound like the only reason you weren't installing the RC (or planning to) was that later on you might purchase Windows 7 and expect to be able to use the Retail Product Key for the RC... threw me for a serious loop when I read that. ;)

And the "Eh? EH?" thing is meant to provoke a response, and it worked sooo... but I'm still at a loss why running the RC for a length of time then wiping it and clean installing the Retail release when it's done is such a major gripe for some folks. Guess my background in testing and knowing I can wipe this machine I'm currently using and clean install any OS I choose (including OSx86 too) in 30 mins or less has just jaded me... ;)

And in the process of doing that I wouldn't ever lose a single piece of important data that I have on the machine either, which is obviously what most people are so deathly afraid of in situations where a clean install might be required... I get that, I do.

I'd have responded either way. I know you thrive on being annoying but I'll have a conversation even without that. :)

I'm meticulous about backing things up. Four backup drives, two alone for my Final Cut Studio folder, attests to that. These days its less about OS reinstallation, especially since Win7 installs so goddamn fast, and more about the drudgery of reinstalling and reregistering my applications. Major PITA and something I'd rather do only when absolutely necessary.
 
you could think of linux as free, like "free Beer", and windows 7 as free, as in "free crack cocaine, eventually you gotta pay, sucka"

Yep. Microsoft is looking to cash in on the laziness of people. They'll get you hooked on a product for "free" (or nearly free), then jack the price way up (prime example: apps bundled with Office). They are hoping people are lazy enough when this Win7 RC1's time runs out that they'll just open their wallet rather than go through installing another OS.

No complaint from the free trial though, because I'm basically being forced from using XP because of many games' DX10 requirements. I will be screwed in a year though. Too bad mainstream games aren't designed to run on Linux or other OS's. :(
 
I got it fixed and it was not hard. google is your friend.
I'll get the link later.. no time now.
 
windows 7 is cool and all the one thing i dislike is the lack of the classic start menu option if its not present in the final ive come to like vista 64 =)
 
windows 7 is cool and all the one thing i dislike is the lack of the classic start menu option if its not present in the final ive come to like vista 64 =)

Is that all you wanted? Hmm, I hear this went over well.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
To the dude that wanted to use a Retail key in the RC...you can upgrade ya know. The RTM (final) version of Windows 7 will upgrade over RC1 so you won't have to wipe and reinstall everything, etc. Enjoy the free OS for a year man! Seriously, this RC is so freakin polished it might as well be the RTM. And thank God...MS finally fixed the Xbox360 controller BSOD bug.
 
Great news. I just got my Windows 7 trial key yesterday, waiting for 5th May
 
yep the beta keys work with the RC

--been running Win7 on my main rig since the original Beta. Anything else would be a downgrade :)
 
Damnit, I JUST reinstalled W7 on my SSD array... let's hope those wear-levelling algorithms work like that say they do...
 
1. What programs don't work in W7? How about firefox, media player classic, steam, foobar2k etc. will they work?

2. If they come out with a RC2 will there be an update for RC1 or will you have to reinstall the OS?
 
1. What programs don't work in W7? How about firefox, media player classic, steam, foobar2k etc. will they work?

2. If they come out with a RC2 will there be an update for RC1 or will you have to reinstall the OS?

All of those will work for sure. Stuff that won't work tends to be either more esoteric or commercial programs w/more dependencies. Off the top of my mind, Punkbuster and Norton Internet Security. From what I read there probably won't b a RC2 for Windows 7, but if there is one it's likely you'd have to do a clean install (which you're always better off doing anyway).
 
Back
Top