Windows 7 Release Candidate

[Harrison]

The official release candidate of Microsoft Windows 7 has now been officially released for download on the Microsoft website.

You can download it from here.

The feature set is now locked and shouldn't be changing between now and the release of the final version, which is expected in last summer/early autumn.

And the good news is that this Windows 7 RC version doesn't expire until next June, so you would have a complete year to use it for free! I'm definitely going to be downloading it today and installing it on a spare PC to test it out.

Windows XP mode

Among the final features included in the RC is a new virtual Windows XP mode. With Vista there were many issues to begin with, where people found a lot of compatibility issues with older XP software not working. M$ have tried to fix this by now having an XP mode built into the OS, allowing you to install XP only software under this mode. And the Windows XP mode is a full XP virtulisation using technology M$ have been developing with Virtual PC over the years (it now makes sense why they purchased Virtual PC a few years ago).

I think this is a great addition to the OS that will safeguard backwards compatibility, and in my view this is a big addition by m$ which is showing just how much they are now listening to their customers and beta testers.

[JLPedro]

Where do I find the XP virtualization tools on Win 7 RC? Is It a Extra download or is it in the Win 7 install?

[Demon Cleaner]

Can I install it in Virtual PC or VirtualBox?

[Harrison]

You should in theory be able to install Win7 using a virtualisation program lik VMWare or Virtual PC, but you will need a PC powerful enough to dedicate enough resources for the virtual machine. Win7 needs a minimum of 1.25GB ram, 1GHz CPU, 16GB HDD space and a DX9 compatible GPU.

As for the Windows XP Mode. It is built into Win7 as standard, but only with this new RC version. If you are running an older beta release then it isn't included and you will need to fully remove the existing installation of Win7 and install a fresh copy of the new RC version.

I've not yet installed the new RC version so I can't say how you access the feature yet. But take a look at the following article to see how it works.

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/200...p_mode_review/

Word of warning. The Win XP mode isn't perfect. You need a CPU that supports virtulisation and even if it does, the feature has to be activated from your PC's BIOS. And it is reported that the XP Mode is refusing to work on some AMD and Intel chips. But it is a RC after all, and not the final release, so we are all still beta testing these features to make them work correctly for M$ before the official commercial release later in the year.

I'm going to be installing Win 7 on one of my older spare PCs that has quite an old spec now, of an Athlon XP 3000+, 1GB ram, ATI 9800 Pro... etc so it will be intersting to see how well it runs on that setup, and if the claims of Win7 being less resource hungry are true.

[JLPedro]

From what i'v understood XP mode is an addon feature, and a messy one...

@Harrison

The Specs off your machine will do fine for Win 7 testing rig.

Win 7 rocks on my Laptop (Compal CL56) Pentium M 1.6 , 1GB Ram, Radeon 9700 128MB, even better than XP, 50% or more available ram from my 1GB, XP snapped alot more.

[Harrison]

According to M$ XP mode is fully integrated into Win7 now, rather than being an additional downloadable addon. But as I said above, you need a CPU that supports the virtulisation CPU extensions that are using.

[Demon Cleaner]

I'm currently installing it in VirtualBox. Needs some time

[Harrison]

Let me know how it works on there? I might install it on my main PC if it does work with VirtualBox as my main PC has a lot more power.

[Demon Cleaner]

Works fine so far.

[Harrison]

Nice. I will install it later tonight and give it a go using virtualbox.