Futurecat - Michael Karek

On February 15th, people still running the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) will receive a notification reminding them that starting March 1st, 2010, their PC will begin experiencing bi-hourly shutdowns. These shutdowns will continue through June 1st, 2010.

On June 1st, 2010, a non-genuine experience is triggered where your wallpaper is removed and “This copy of Windows is not genuine” will be displayed in the lower right corner above the taskbar. This means your PC will no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads that require genuine Windows validation.

To avoid any data loss, I suggest making plans to move to a released version of Windows 7 before the automatic shutdowns start. During these shutdowns, your work will not be saved.

Remember, pre-release versions of Windows are unsupported. For more information on the expiration of the Windows 7 RC, see this KB article.

To move to a released version of Windows 7, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the installation of the Windows 7 RC. I suggest install, reinstall, uninstall Windows page on Windows.com which covers all kinds of installation scenarios.

Do you need more time to test your application and hardware compatibility in Windows 7? If so, the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial provides a great opportunity for IT Pros to finish critical testing with a full version of Windows 7 Enterprise.

If you’re an IT Pro ready to move to Windows 7, I suggest visiting the Springboard Series on TechNet which provides the latest tools, whitepapers, walkthroughs and tips and tricks to help you with your Windows 7 Deployment. On the Springboard Series on TechNet, you’ll find resources such as Deploying Windows 7 from A to Z and Installing Windows 7 on an Existing XP PC. You can visit the Window 7 TechNet Forum for more information as well!

Gastbeitrag von Ralf Schnell , Technical Evangelist in der Developer Platform & Strategy Group und zuständig für Windows Server 2008, ITIL und das Microsoft Operations Framework . Über die Optionen, die für einen Upgrade zu Windows 7 verfügbar sind,…(read more)

Gastbeitrag von Georg Binder , selbständiger IT-Dienstleister und Autor von windowsblog.at . Nadine fragt: “Wo finde ich eine Liste oder Link , wo Kunden die auf Windows 7 (32 Bit und/oder 64 Bit) migrieren möchten nachlesen könnten, welche Applikationen…(read more)

Georg Binder schrieb auf seinem Blog gerade in Windows 7 – Die erste Woche einen umfassenden Bericht über die Markteinführung von Windows 7. Besonders interessant finde ich die Informationen über den Verbreitungsgrad von Windows 7: Wenn man sich die Zahlen…(read more)

Kaum schreibt man etwas über Studentenversionen, prasseln die Fragen auf einen ein (Notiz für mich: Studenten sind sehr kommunikativ!). Die am häufigsten gestellte Frage bezieht sich auf die Installationsmöglichkeit. Ich habe selbst die Version, die Studenten…(read more)

Hello again! It’s Mark Relph from the Windows Ecosystem Team here at Microsoft.  There is a lot of excitement for the launch of Windows 7 and we know many of you are looking for information as you think about upgrading. To help you, we are announcing the availability of two great tools today – the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and the Windows 7 Compatibility Center.

Both these tools are available at www.windows.com/compatibility- your place to go for any Windows 7 compatibility questions you might have. Not only will you find links to the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and Windows 7 Compatibility Center, you’ll also get compatibility help from experts in the Microsoft Answers Forums and the Windows Help & How-to team.

Now let me tell you a little bit more about what we are releasing today…

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC to see if it’s ready for Windows 7. It checks to see if your PC meets the system requirements, lets you know if your processor is capable of running 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and gives guidance on your upgrade options. It also tells you about any known compatibility issues with the most commonly installed software programs and devices connected to your PC. If an issue can be resolved, it suggests next steps for you to take before installing Windows 7.

The Windows 7 Compatibility Center helps you easily check the compatibility of thousands of devices and software programs for 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows 7. Usually, you won’t need to do anything to ensure compatibility. If you do, the site goes beyond just telling you what will or will not work. It also provides links to drivers and software updates to help get your PC running with the latest software.

These tools draw on an expansive database of product information that is the result of the work I described in my post on our progress with statements of support for Windows 7 for an ever expanding universe of products all around the world. We have thousands of products listed and will continue to add thousands more over the coming months. As a result, the Windows 7 Compatibility Center and Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will be regularly updated with more products. If you don’t see a product listed on the site, please suggest an addition! If you are a hardware or software partner, be sure to tell us about your products using the Partner Submission page.

Windows 7 has been built for compatibility and we hope these tools help you as you prepare to upgrade. See you on October 22^nd for the launch of Windows 7!

Gastbeitrag von Georg Binder , selbständiger IT-Dienstleister und Autor von windowsblog.at . Über den Umzug von XP auf Windows 7 habe ich schon einiges geschrieben, z.B. Ist meine Hardware und Software Windows 7 tauglich? oder den Umzugshilfen . Hier…(read more)

Gastposting von Oliver Scheer , Developer Evangelist – Windows, Silverlight und UI-Technologien bei der Microsoft Deutschland GmbH. Nur noch 7 Tage bis zum Windows 7 Launch. Sie spielen mit dem Gedanken, sich Windows 7 zu kaufen, sind aber nicht sicher,…(read more)

Gastposting von Oliver Scheer , Developer Evangelist – Windows, Silverlight und UI-Technologien bei der Microsoft Deutschland GmbH. Nur noch 10 Tage bis zum Windows 7 Launch. Für den heutigen Beitrag habe ich mich bei meinen MSDN-Kollegen „inspirieren“…(read more)

Gastbeitrag von Georg Binder , selbständiger IT-Dienstleister und Autor von windowsblog.at . An der Frequenz neuer Posts kann man gerade sehen, dass ich ein bisserl viel zu tun habe. Nicht ganz unschuldig daran ist die kombinierte Partner Roadshow und…(read more)