Windows 7 Beta Available as a Free, Public Download
This was posted 4 years 4 months 15 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal
Edited by scotty 10/01/2009 - 13:37
Windows 7—the highly anticipated followup to Windows Vista.
Windows 7 beta will be available as a free, public download on Friday, January 9(USA). For time in USA Click the link here.
Comments (Closed)
+2 votesAfter the recent IE shenanigans, all the more I wouldn't trust any beta firmware from Microsoft. IMHO, they should fix and optimize their current products first before releasing new ones.
+8 votesWhoop de doo a piece of software had a flaw? Both chrome and Safari when launched had very critical bugs on their initial releases and Opera and Firefox have all had bugs over their lifetime.
And the point isn't for people to necessarily "trust" the beta, thats why no one in their right mind recommends it being installed on a critical machine. The very purpose of the beta is to find flaws which they know will exist somewhere and to do so before they release the product. If people don't want to be essentially a tester then they shouldn't be using beta software (and not just from MS).
-1 votegarglebutt on 12/01/2009 - 08:12 ¶Difference is M$ are getting free beta testing for a non free product to replace a hugely flawed product - Vista. I actually think this is the smartest thing they've done in a while.
-1 votethey should fix and optimize their current products first before releasing new ones
I thought Windows 7 is just a fix for Windows Vista, which is the broken version of Windows XP :)
I am happy for Microsoft to distribute public betas, which are usually available only to those on MSDN. Good for small time ISVs to ensure their product works on the new version of Windows. We have already had report saying OzBargain does not work properly under Windoze 7 + IE 8. Maybe more people can test it out so that at least OzBargain can be labelled as "Windows 7 ready".
Oh. Ubuntu 9.04 "jaunty" is also on free download beta. But I guess I won't call it a freebie as it has already been free :P
- shane_ferns10 on 09/01/2009 - 22:01 ¶
ya but its a legitimate test copy of the Windows 7 beta and if they have updates for it you'll be able to update, with the torrent version you probably wont be able to to update.
- shane_ferns10 on 09/01/2009 - 22:00 ¶
no they haven't put it up yet as its just morning on the 9th there
+1 voteIt's only 4 AM on the 9th, Jan in the U.S. so I would expect the link to be available earlier tomorrow. I personally already have the ISO but will sign up to grab a key.
Been testing it and very impressed so far. They're talking a late 09 or early '10 release, but it looks like they could have it RTM in 6 months. Vista is holding me down fine, so we'll see how it works out.
+1 voteSummary of what to expect on Friday (US time): http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/how-to-get-your.html .
Good luck to those who manage to nab a copy. I won't be trying for one myself (not interested in fiddling with betas), but I'd be keen to hear people's impressions.
Heres a better link:
https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40084742
Should be available at Saturday 7am Sydney time
Edit: actually looks like this link is only for technet subscribers
+13 votesDirect links to the downloads are as follows:-
Windows 7 x86 (32 bit) - http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-4...
Windows 7 x64 (64 bit) - http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-4...
These are 2.4GB and 3.2GB files respectively.
You will still need to register for keys. I suppose that will also be limited but not sure where to get that yet.
- +1 voteshane_ferns10 on 10/01/2009 - 10:12 ¶
u dont need those silly "vista ready" machines this time
win7 has low system requirements, close to XP
theyve done alot of work to make it work on laptops so it uses less memory than xp on a fresh install and runs faster also.very impressed, got the build 7000 beta from torrents.
Update on Windows7 website - Quote: "Thanks for your interest in the Windows 7 Beta. The volume has been phenomenal—we're in the process of adding more servers to handle the demand. We're sorry for the delay and we'll re-post the Beta as soon as we can ensure a quality download experience."
Did they actually allow registration for the keys?? Or is that still to come?
TeaEarlGreyHot on 10/01/2009 - 10:43 ¶I got a DVD copy of W7 beta just a couple of days ago,, but without a reg' key it's only good for 30 days.
Can someone please update this thread once MS "re-post the Beta" and you can sign up to get the key?
Cheers,
[ :- { )
+9 votesGuys, if you use the slmgr -rearm command - the beta trial period will extend from 30 days to 120 days (half of the trial period)!
SOURCES: Lifehacker & Computerworld
+1 voteTo get a key and an ISO download connection - go to http://blog.hznet.nl/2009/01/10/how-to-receive-a-valid-windo... and follow the instructions EXACTLY!!!
Be prepared for a lot of F5 refreshes as the MS server is being hammered but it is more than likely that the key and download screen will come up - it did for me :) about 1/2 an hour ago.
I actually got the download from Antman's post before I found this but the MS page that comes up to give the serial key also has a download button for the ISO.
UPDATE - It looks like I was lucky to get my serial - the pages are very hard to get on to and have been off the air recently.
Funny no-one has blasted MS like so many did to Catch-of-the-Day for having almost exactly the same access problem :/
Ozzie
+1 votethe links that Antman76 posted are working fine
those were the links that i used a couple of hours ago
and i have to say, Windows 7 is completely smooth
my old Asus laptop couldn't handle vista, not to mention aero…
well it could but laggyhowever windows 7…with aero went lag-free xD
and as for the 30 day trial period, just go to mininova and download one of the cracks there, forgot which one but the one i used works, its just got an .exe file and a .txt file
good luck
- shane_ferns10 on 10/01/2009 - 15:40 ¶
is there anyone in Melbourne who is willing to give me and con4n007 a copy of windows 7?
The links supplied in the page in my earlier post http://blog.hznet.nl/2009/01/10/how-to-receive-a-valid-windo... are working again.
This will eventually give you a serial and a link to the ISO download - note that many refreshes will probably be required to get on to the overloaded MS servers.
Ozzie
- +2 votes
Heres how to get a key if your getting errors. You will need Firefox and the Check4change extension installed.
Now go here and follow steps 1 and 2 (http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/01/10/psstheres-how-to-ge...)
If it errors after step two you should be at a mostly white page that has a line explaining there is a server error. Highlight this server error line, right click it and use the Check4Change extension to auto refresh. You may want to set a time of 2 seconds and have it play a sound. It will auto refresh until you get a page that isn't that error page.
If at any point you get a different error page that is blue and possibly redirects to live search, just repaste the URL provided in the instructions into the address bar to start over. Ohh and that extension works with multiple tabs so again you may want to have 5 running with it set to bring changed tabs to the front.
Yeah I feel dirty hitting a server that hard, I really do, but I guess thats what it takes when inadequate server capacity is supplied. After refreshing periodically for about 5 or 6 hours today at random intervals this was the best way to go. It still may take you a while but it's alot easier on your f5 key.
It still took me 20 or 30 mins with about 5 or 6 tabs going at once in 2 second intervals. Still beats hitting refresh manually.
Just make sure once you have a key you stop to make it easier on other people. It's only one key per a person (well account) so even if you get through a second time you'll just get the same key. I think I read somewhere that the keys are good for multiple computers.
after 3 hours of trying, still couldn't get a key!
anyone get one recently?lifehacker.com said:
One reader suggests that keys are only going out to those who registered earlier today, before the beta was taken down. We can't confirm this, but it seems to hold true for what we're experiencing here at Lifehacker HQ.seem like only registered technet user with login gets the key now?
These links
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Pr...
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Pr...don't work for me. I get redirected to CES09 page with Balmer's keynote.
- +2 votes
Just go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/
Click on "Download the Windows 7 Beta" in the menu bar at the top
Follow the instructions from there and unless you have problems with your computer it should just run :)
You MUST use Internet Explorer if you want to download the ISO image - Firefox does not work - dontcha love Microsoft :)
Ozzie
- shane_ferns10 on 10/01/2009 - 21:48 ¶
Hey I live in Ormond on the Frankstone line do you think we could meet up or something?
+5 votesyer working all good now i wonder if the keys are the same
here are some if people cant be bothered using the link i think there is 5 codes for each bit 64 and 32.
Anyone elses keys exactly the same as these?64bit
JYDV8-H8VXG-74RPT-6BJPB-X42V4
D9RHV-JG8XC-C77H2-3YF6D-RYRJ9
7XRCQ-RPY28-YY9P8-R6HD8-84GH3
RFFTV-J6K7W-MHBQJ-XYMMJ-Q8DCH
482XP-6J9WR-4JXT3-VBPP6-FQF4M32bit
GG4MQ-MGK72-HVXFW-KHCRF-KW6KY
QXV7B-K78W2-QGPR6-9FWH9-KGMM7
TQ32R-WFBDM-GFHD2-QGVMH-3P9GC
6JKV2-QPB8H-RQ893-FW7TM-PBJ73
4HJRK-X6Q28-HWRFY-WDYHJ-K8HDH- shane_ferns10 on 11/01/2009 - 15:34 ¶
lol i got it too but i still need the installation files any one out there willing to give me the installation files, please.
sonicentropy on 11/01/2009 - 02:11 ¶After trying all day with 3 different browsers, no luck. now it's working first go.
- +1 vote
This might get picked up with an automatic update of Windows 7 after you install, but just be aware of an issue with regards to MP3s. There is a bug where if you open an mp3 in the media player of Win7, it will truncate the first couple of seconds of your song. The original solution was to make your MP3s read-only but now there is a page where you can download the fix.
http://www.redmondpie.com/fix-for-windows-7-beta-mp3-corrupt...
This used to be on the TechNet page but I cant find it now. As I said, hopefully it updates via auto update but dont go running your mp3s until this fix (or an update) has been run.
+1 voteIf you want to get the fix straight from MS you can find it at these links:
x86 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a75...
x64 - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0c5...
If for some reason these don't work just search for KB961367 in google.
- +2 votes
A bit of IMPORTANT official windows 7 news from http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/default.aspx which is the windows 7 team blog.
Due to an enormous surge in demand, the download experience was not ideal so we listened and took the necessary steps to ensure a good experience. We have clearly heard that many of you want to check out the Windows 7 Beta and, as a result, we have decided remove the initial 2.5 million limit on the public beta for the next two weeks (thru January 24th). During that time you will have access to the beta even if the download number exceeds the 2.5 million unit limit.
I also saw a comment that you can ONLY download the ISO from the key display screen if you are using Internet Explorer - apparently it does not work in Firefox, which has been my experience this morning -
Just confirmed (15:00) that download works easily in Internet Explorer - Does not work in FireFox :(
Ozzie
- +1 voteshane_ferns10 on 11/01/2009 - 18:02 ¶
any 1 willing to give me the installation files, please. I live in Melbourne on the Frankstone line
+2 votesDigitalPulse on 11/01/2009 - 19:03 ¶Downloaded the iso and got my key, now i just have to get around to runnin it up in a VM. See how it is compared to the pre-release.
Firefox works 100% to get the beta key.
Firefox works 100% to download the iso files directly.- +1 vote
Just curious - did you down the ISO image file directly from the serial display page using the 'Download Now' button or did you, like me. get it directly from the MS url for the file?
Why I ask, is that I was referring above to the MSoft sequence to obtain the file which I tried and the page kept having trouble connecting but with Internet Exprorer it was immediate connection.
Ozzie
- DigitalPulse on 13/01/2009 - 22:10 ¶
yeah, I had the same problem on that site with firefox as well. So many other MS live websites work with firefox these days i was suprised it didn't work.
The direct iso links i was talking about are http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-4... and http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-4... which were posted by AntMan76
phoenix125 on 12/01/2009 - 19:29 ¶thanks man, finally downloaded it, got it working, it's good, really good, cant wait for the finished piece.
- sonicentropy on 13/01/2009 - 22:24 ¶
anyone who wants a copy x64 nstall DVD or VMWARE 6.5 image DVD
No charge - pickup only brisbane city or gold coast - robina (weekends)- shane_ferns10 on 14/01/2009 - 16:45 ¶
Hi, would you be able to send one me one too, i live in Melbourne.
Please no one has replied or been nice enough to give me a copy of it. I’ll pay for the postage. My email shane_ferns10@hotmail.com Please send me an email if you could send me a copy. Thank you.
Rosey_Burger on 14/01/2009 - 10:17 ¶my brother told me about this and we needed it for my computer.
Thanks so much, i've been looking for it everywhere.
Thanks shane_ferns10
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