Posts Tagged ‘Windows 7 RTM’

UPDATE: Apparently, I’ve jumped the gun a bit and Bill didn’t say, “morning,” but, rather, “month.” Thanks to Ilia Jerebtsov for the closer observation. So, RTM could very well be any day now but it’s not *quite* here just yet. In the mean time, there is a build of 7600 floating around out there which was recently leaked. Check your local torrent hub to find it if you haven’t already and get to downloadin’! Anyway, I’ll leave the rest of this post as-is even if simply for just having egg on my face for apparently jumping the gun.

Well, the time has finally arrived. In less than 3 years of development, Windows 7 is (almost) officially FINISHED! Yesterday morning, Bill Veghte, Senior Vice President for the Windows Business, announced that they would be releasing Windows 7 to manufacturers, but according to friends of mine with good sources, it hasn’t quite RTM’d just yet. According to WZor, though, the final build string could very likely be the following:

6.1.7600.16385.win7_rtm.090713-1255

Hats off to Microsoft for undoing the negative stigma that was created through the development of Longhorn, i.e. falling well short of market delivery time frames. Likewise, Windows 7 has many of us champing at the bit to escape any of the minor/major annoyances/inconveniences we experience in Windows Vista. For me, that major annoyance is the fact that Windows Vista doesn’t remember my folder view preferences (I can’t even begin to tell you how much that aggrivates the HELL out of me. It’s like, Microsoft peddles an interface that’s to be as productive as possible, yet when I want to see file information via the details view, I have to manually select it 7 out of 10 times. Grrr). But I digress…

With this announcement, you can expect a leak of the RTM build to follow shortly hereafter, so stay tuned! And as is always the case, it’s on to the next with, “the next” being Windows 8. If you’re interested, you can check out a few Windows 8 articles I’ve previously posted:

- Windows 8 to Contain New Networking Features
- Windows 8: Tracking Work Internally with WorkTrack
- Windows 8 and Windows 9: Various Tidbits
- Windows Server 7, 8, and 9 on a Roadmap

As you might expect, you will find unique Windows 8 content on my site whenever I get a hold of such! Having said that, don’t hold your breath as this is typically a fairly slow point in the Windows news department, with the completion of a new version and planning taking place for the next, but rest assured that I’ll be on the case to bring you the very latest when possible.

Once again, congrats, Microsoft, for wrapping up a damn fine OS!

-Stephen

Caveat: Please take into account that this is an RTM candidate build which was rejected due to a showstopper bug being found. If you choose to install this build, I would highly recommend you don’t fully trust your data with it. Now with that out of the way…

I’ve been waiting for one of these RTM candidate builds to leak and finally, we have one! A forum by the name of VinylZine somehow got a hold of the ISOs for both x86 and x64 client. It’s amazing how this stuff turns up sometimes. If it wasn’t for WZor posting about it, I would’ve never found this site by its own accord. Anyway, here are torrents for each ISO along with their respective extra info:

MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.7.BUILD.7264.WIN7_RTM.X86.ENGLISH.DVD-VINYLZINE
7264.0.090622-1900_x86fre_client_en-us_Retail_Ultimate-GRMCULFRER_EN_DVD.iso
SIZE: 2,503,360,512 byte
CRC: 0B916606
MD5: 44F04E9E5762714C3D75A3C9C88DE251
SHA1: 59BA011913B00A820A1E002B9BEDEF139AE15B07

x86 Torrent Download: Click Here

MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.7.BUILD.7264.WIN7_RTM.X64.ENGLISH.DVD-VINYLZINE
7264.0.090622-1900_x64fre_client_en-us_Retail_Ultimate-GRMCULXFRER_EN_DVD.iso
SIZE: 3,226,130,432 byte
CRC: 05F87B79
MD5: 670818DB149170C652414E1F75E9390C
SHA1: C6FE386E97944511820291F515A8CBB3DDA329A6

x64 Torrent Download: Click Here

-Stephen

Well, today is the 26th; the day Neowin’s source told them Windows 7 would RTM. There’s still a chance that it might have, but if so, then Microsoft really cranked out some bug-fixing as WZor has posted a new RTM candidate build string:

6.1.7265.0.win7_rtm.090624-1905

I’m definitely getting impatient myself, but I’m glad to see they’re continuing to iron out the bugs. I would much rather continue to see these builds and know that I’m going to end up with a stable OS than land a build with a slew of caveats and noted upgrades I need to immediately download. Anywho…

More as it comes in…

Source: WZor

-Stephen

WZor has posted a new RTM candidate build string:

6.1.7264.0.win7_rtm.090622-1900

Unlike the 7264 build string I posted about the other day (which was determined to be fake), this build is the latest candidate on the road to RTM. Along with the build string, WZor posted what are supposedly team progress bug charts/logs:

If those charts are accurate, then Windows 7 appears it definitely will not RTM on the 26th as is potentially implied by the Windows 7 Upgrade site.

More as it comes in!

Source: WZor.net

-Stephen

A poster on the Neowin.net forum posted something fairly interesting earlier. Check it out:

As I mentioned in my RTM post a couple of days ago, we have 3 credible sites who have each received different information from their sources in regards to RTM. Neowin heard it would happen on June 26, which would fall right in line with the screen shot above. As we all know, though, plans can change overnight within the software giant, so the 26th as an RTM date – while credible at the time Neowin posted – could be outdated information at this point. It’s an interesting development either way.

The wait for RTM continues…

Reference: Windows 7 Upgrade Site

-Stephen

PS – Thanks for the link, Charon.

WZor has just posted an update regarding the signing-off of Windows 7 RTM! Here is the roadmap to RTM:

Basically, between now and July 10, 2009, Microsoft will be preparing the build containing all of the SKU’s which will be sent out to partners first, possibly Connect and MSDN/Technet subscribers next, and finally customers when it hits the store shelves! Then, on July 13, 2009, Windows 7 will officially be COMPLETED! This is bittersweet for me as I was hoping to have an RTM build to install soon, but I suppose a couple more weeks isn’t too long to wait.

WZor also noted that employees will have access to the RTM build on July 10th, so be on the lookout for the RTM build shortly thereafter. Likewise, in regards to what the RTM build number will be, WZor says their sources report it will most likely be rounded to 7300.

So, the RTM build that leaks may look something like be:

6.1.7300.0.winmain.??????-????

More as it comes in!

Source: WZor

WinFuture.de is reporting today that sources close to them say Windows 7 will RTM on June 29, 2009. As far as who is right and who is wrong, both of these sources are credible, so they’re both hearing information from people out of Microsoft; it’s not as if one of these sites are lying to everyone. And just to add to the mix, Neowin.net reported on June 16, 2009 that their sources indicated an RTM date of June 26, 2009! Again, all credible sites, so the difference probably lies in which of their sources has the most recent information. Both WZor and WinFuture have posted their RTM dates today, so I guess we’ll see what happens. Just to recap, here are the RTM dates as they’ve been reported by 3 credible sites:

Neowin.net: June 26, 2009
WinFuture.de: June 29, 2009
WZor.net: July 13, 2009

Place your bets, everyone!

-Stephen

I’m hearing murmurs around the community of a build 7264 which was supposedly compiled to fix a showstopper bug discovered in build 7263. The rumored build string is:

6.1.7264.0.win7_rtm.090620-1900

Whether or not it’s legit, I’m not sure. I haven’t seen it confirmed by any sources I know or trust, so I’m going to take it with a grain of salt for the moment – as should you. As far as potential evidence for it being fake, check out this coincidence:

The last 3 RTM candidates have had a compile time of 1900 hours and they’ve all been compiled within 2 days of one another on the 15th, 17th, and 19th, respectively:

6.1.7261.0.win7_rtm.090615-1900
6.1.7262.0.win7_rtm.090617-1900
6.1.7263.0.win7_rtm.090619-1900

So, basically, it would be extremely easy to have made up such a build string for this supposed 7264 build, which follows the same formula; 2 days apart, 1900 hours. Regardless, if that build is legit, I’m curious to know what the showstopper bug was that was found… and why it wasn’t discovered in any of the previous RTM candidates. Perhaps it would be due to new code created between builds 7262 and 7263 to fix bugs from previous compiles. But that’s if this build string is the real deal in the first place. =)

Anyway, more when it comes in!

-Stephen

WZor has written a pretty lengthy article that I can’t translate at the moment (I’m over at my mom’s house for dinner… blogging, lol), but the header says that Microsoft engineers are signing off on the RTM build! Apparently, the new build to be signed off on (but currently just an RTM candidate) is:

6.1.7263.0.win7_rtm.090619-1900

So far, it’s the 20th and WZor noted that the RTM build would leak after the 19th… but just how long after is the question. Will 7263 be THE RTM build? According to WZor, it’s likely… well, more than likely, but we’ll see what happens. The next 24 hours should be interesting! Maybe we’ll have an RTM build of Windows 7 to install on our machines before the end of the weekend. =) What do you think?

UPDATE: Thank you a great deal to Ilia Jerebtsov, the first commenter of this post, for providing a summarized translation of what all is written on the WZor page regarding this build. This is what Ilia has translated for us:

“The post says that Microsoft had lengthy voting and discussions about which build to make RTM (7260, 61 or 62), but in the end neither build got the required votes to pass. So they decided to take the 7263 build as a new candidate for RTM. A lot of the post after that is a Angels and Demons parody.

They say not to get any fantasies of it coming out on CONNECT or MSDN earlier at least another 2-3 weeks after the build is decided.”

Thanks again, Ilia! I really appreciate you taking the time to write all of that. =)

-Stephen

That’s not Windows 7 you’re looking at; it’s ViGlance by LeeSoft running on Windows XP. Quite simple to install/enable, check out the promotional video below:

Whereas I use Vista and will absolutely upgrade to Windows 7 as soon as it RTM’s, if you’re one of the 2 XP users who has still refused to learn Windows Vista’s user interface and has also yet to install a single build of Windows 7 to fiddle with, then this appears to be a great way to get the feel of Windows 7′s taskbar, or, “Superbar,” as it has previously been called.

Well, what are you waiting for? Get it!

Website: LeeSoft ViGlance

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

wzor.info has just posted a good bit of interesting news today.

First, they released an x86 VHD image of build 7227.0.x86fre.winmain_sp.090602-2110. There is no torrent posted on their site as of yet, but the VHD image is packed into a RAR archive. Here are the details of the image that either is going to be or has just been released (I’ll update this post with links to the torrent as soon as they pop up, for those of you who are interested):

MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.7.BUILD.7227.WITH.pre-SP.1.X86.VHD.ENGLISH-WZT
FILE: 7227.0.x86fre.winmain_sp.090602-2110.client_en-us.ultimate.vhd
(the original VHD in packed RAR archive, size RAR file: 2,005,278,460 byte
SHA1: 3FFE342C8A9FD2CDF0AF937D2A25BCA640C4010B)
SIZE: 5,584,065,536 byte
CRC: 616985FA
MD5: F98F78D86940761D8909023A00C75704
SHA1: 082F189EE4F58393D3CB113B0F46EC0E1EE41BD8

UPDATE: You can find torrents via your favorite torrent hubs at this point.

Along with this information, 3 screenshots have currently been posted (I snipped out the version portion of the 2nd screenshot to post above them):

Also posted, for those of you keeping up with build strings, is the following update of builds in the winmain and winmain_sp branches:

Pre-RTM winmain branch:
6.1.7137.0.winmain.090521-1745 – build leaked to web
6.1.7138.0.winmain.090522-xxxx
6.1.7139.0.winmain.090526-xxxx
6.1.7140.0.winmain.090527-xxxx
6.1.7141.0.winmain.090528-xxxx
6.1.7225.0.winmain.090529-1930
6.1.7226.0.winmain.090601-xxxx
6.1.7227.0.winmain.090602-хххх
6.1.7228.0.winmain.090603-хххх
6.1.7228.0.winmain.090603-19xx
6.1.7229.0.winmain.090604-1901
6.1.7230.0.winmain.090605-1900 – actual build in winmain branch

Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 winmain_sp branch:
6.1.7141.0.winmain_sp.090528-2045
6.1.7225.0.winmain_sp.090529-2022
6.1.7227.0.winmain_sp.090602-2110 – build leaked to web in VHD file – WZT
6.1.7228.0.winmain_sp.090603-20xx
6.1.7229.0.winmain_sp.090604-20xx
6.1.7230.0.winmain_sp.090605-20xx
6.1.7230.0.winmain_sp.090607-2000 – actual build in winmain_sp branch

And now, the second post of theirs relays information about the future of Windows 7 RTM. Dates and build strings are given in the information which I’ve loosely interpreted via Google Translate and am rehashing here as best I can for English readers (please feel free to correct me on any information I may have misinterpreted below):

Only 3 Steps Left to RTM!

“Today at breakfast, Steve Balmer noted that plans have been adjusted internally to suit the announcement by Steve Jobs of, “Snow Leopard.” All that’s left to do with Windows 7 to reach RTM are three steps:

Step One: Sometime between June 10th and June 15th will be the last build distributed to corporate partners. The build will be 6.1.7229.0.winmain.090604-1901. (Just to be clear, we’re talking about formal access assemblies and not what is to continue to be compiled internally, even the latest current build: 6.1.7230.0.winmain.090605-1900 – and this assembly may be RTM Escrow assembly).

Step Two: Only RTM candidate builds will be compiled in mid-June. None of the candidates for RTM will be distributed to any partners.

Step Three: Windows 7 RTM-candidates will be collected until June 21st! In all actuality, you may even receive what will become the RTM release of Windows 7 via the Internet as soon as June 19th.

Completion Note: Since RTM testing is an internal affair (that is, no partners will be involved), that means it is up to them as to which RTM-candidate build will become the official RTM release of Windows 7. The RTM build of Windows 7, though it may come soon, will not immediately be given to testers via the Connect website nor MSDN subscribers.

From here on, be aware that there may be a lot of false information regarding the final release! As soon as we hear the very latest, we will promptly inform you!”

And there you have it. wzor.info has been the real deal up to this point, so I have no reason to believe that they’re spreading misinformation now. What do you think? Personally, I’ve installed Vista SP2 recently and it didn’t even matter; as soon as I can get my hands on the RTM build, that puppy is becoming my main OS. =)

Source: wzor.info

-Stephen

UPDATE: Apparently, this build is floating around via alternate means as well and thanks to deeper2k at thevista.ru for posting about it prior to me seeing it. Credits to him! Screenshot, courtesy of thevista.ru: