Microsoft Asks OEMs To End Windows 7 PC Sales Oct 31st

Microsoft has set a deadline for OEM PC manufacture's such as Dell, HP and others to stop the sale of Windows 7 equipped home PCs as of Oct. 31st. End of sales refers to the date when a particular version of Windows is no longer shipped to retailers or Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

On the Windows Lifecycle site where it posts such policies, Microsoft now notes that Oct. 31, 2014, is the end-of-sales date for new PCs equipped with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate.The setting of such deadlines is nothing new to Microsoft, and users wanting to get their hands on per-manufactured machines will still have the option of business machines equipped with Windows 7 Professional.

Microsoft's practice, first defined in 2010, is to stop selling an older operating system in retail one year after the launch of its successor, and halt delivery of the previous Windows edition to OEMs two years after a new version launches. The move is an intentional one, with Microsoft hoping to spur sales of its newest operating systems as well as keeping consumers updated to the latest versions.

Often citing high consumer demand, some OEMs, notably Hewlett-Packard, have made headlines for marketing PCs with previous version of Windows Pre-loaded. Most notable in the case of Windows Vista and Windows XP. Poor feedback and low consumer demand for Vista prompted many OEM's to release PCs with downgrade options to XP.

Microsoft's Windows 8 originally showed impressive numbers, hitting 100 million licenses sold as of last May. However, since then sales have slumped and the new OS continues to lag behind its predecessor.

Tami Reller, Microsoft's executive vice president of marketing, announced that Microsoft has sold 200 million Windows 8 licenses in about 15 months. That's way ahead of Windows Vista, which only hit 180 million licenses after 18 months, but well behind Windows 7, which only took a year to reach 240 million licenses sold.

With Windows 7 still holding a dominate market share one would have to question why Microsoft would be pushing so strongly to stop the sales of the popular OS. Perhaps they are looking to avoid the fiasco of Windows Vista and Windows XP?

How To: Dual Boot Windows 8 With Windows 7 or Windows XP

With the official release of Windows 8 just a few days away I figured I'd give readers a quick easy how-to for setting up a dual boot between Windows 8 and either Windows 7 or Windows XP. This guide will give you a chance to see how easy (or difficult) it might be to setup both operating systems on your machine, and hopefully give you an idea of what to expect before potentially upgrading.

I'm assuming your PC is already running fine and is either currently running Windows 7 or Windows XP. If its not and you are going to do fresh installs of either operating system then the procedure is a but easier. Just note that if you are planning to re-install or do fresh installs of the two OS's you want to dual boot you need to install the older operating system first.

Step 1: Back-up, Back-up, Back-up!

You should already have a back-up plan or option in place. If you don't now is a good time to get one started. Setting up a dual-boot or even upgrading an installation generally isn't that risky but problems can occur and from time to time mistakes can be made. I strongly suggest backing-up anything important on your current install.

Step 2: Creating a new partition for Windows 8

Anytime you install a secondary operating system you'll need either a second partition on your hard drive or even better a secondary drive. If you don't have two hard drives or two partitions that is fine. We'll just need to create one so you'll need to make sure you have plenty of empty space on your hard drive. If you don't then you'll need to clean-up some space.

To create a new partition you may need to use third-party tools such as the Partition Wizard or GParted, both are free tools and fairly easy to use. They will allow you to set aside some of the current free space on your drive for the new partition. This will in turn become your Windows 8 partition.

A partition with a minimum 20GBs free space is the bare minimum according to the Windows 8 system requirements. Personally I'd start with no less than 40GBs because you'll want plenty of space for applications. If you are a heavy application user you might even want significantly more

If you already have an existing secondary partition or drive you can format that and use it as well. Simply open My Computer, right-click on the drive that you want to format and select Format option to open Drive Properties. Here, select File System as NTFS and then click Format button to quickly format the drive.

If you plan on doing a fresh install of Windows 7 or Windows XP you can also simply format your existing drive (after moving and backing up your data) and setting up two partitions right from the start.

Step 3: Installing Windows 8

Assuming you have your secondary partition created and your older version of Windows is already installed its time to install Windows 8. For this you'll need your boot-able install media. This can either be your DVD or USB drive depending on how you purchased it through Microsoft.

To get started you are going to have to make a few changes to the computer's bios settings. Insert your Windows 8 DVD into the optical drive or connect Windows 8 USB drive to your PC. Reboot the computer and enter the bios. Entering the bios is a bit different on each computer so check your manual for instructions. Usually you'll press one of the 'F' keys or delete. You'll need to look for the boot options and set it to boot from USB or DVD (depending on your needs). After making the necessary changes to the BIOS and selecting "save" your PC should restart. If you have connected a bootable USB, the setup should begin automatically. And if you have used a bootable DVD, you may need to press any key when you see Press any key to continue message.

Once the installation steps begin you should see a license agreement followed by an options screen. Be sure to choose Custom, not Upgrade. Next you'll see a list of available partitions; click Drive options (advanced), then select the unallocated space you created earlier. This is very important: Make sure you are selecting the empty space and not the partition or drive with information on it. The partition you want should display the full amount of available space, in which case go ahead and click Apply.

Follow the standard Windows 8 installation procedures. If you've ever installed an operating system then is fairly familiar and there shouldn't be any surprises. The entire install should take about 20 minutes, after which your system will boot Windows 8 and run you through the usual initial-setup stuff. (You might have to remove your flash drive or DVD so the installer doesn't try to run again. It did on my system.)

Step 4: Verifying your installation

Once installation of Windows 8 is complete reboot your PC and make sure that you get Earlier version of Windows option in the boot menu. Windows 7 users should see two options, one listed as Windows 8 and one as Windows 7. For Windows XP users you should see the option listed as "Earlier version of Windows". If you can’t see your Windows XP entry (Earlier version of Windows entry) in the boot menu, follow the next steps in step 5 to add Windows XP entry to the boot loader.

From now on, when you boot your PC you'll see a start-up menu that gives you a choice between your other version of Windows and Windows 8 -- and it'll proceed with booting the latter by default. If you want Windows 7 or Windows XP to remain the go-to operating system, click Change defaults or choose other options while this menu is visible, then click Choose the default operating system.

Step 5: For XP users only - adding Windows XP to the boot menu

Reboot your PC and boot into Windows 8. Open Run dialog box, type sysdm.cpl and hit the enter key to open System Properties dialog. Switch to Advanced tab, and click Settings button under Startup and Recovery section. Here, select Earlier version of Windows as default operating system. Click Ok and then Apply button. Reboot your PC and you should have successfully added Windows XP boot entry to the boot loader. Reboot your see Earlier version of Windows (Windows XP) entry in the boot menu. If you are still having issues seeing the option to boot to Windows XP you might need to try the Start-up repair tool or boot recovery options. For this you'll need to boot to your Windows 8 media and select repair.

Final thoughts:

I've ran dual-boot setups for years, primarily for testing new operating systems before completely upgrading. If you are simply testing Windows 8 (or another OS) I strongly suggest using separate hard drives and instead of running a traditional dual-boot setup disabling the second drive while installing the second operating system. This won't give you the option at start-up but it will make life easier if you decide not to keep the newer operating system. If you plan on keeping Windows 8 for the long haul then following the procedure about will work fine.

These instructions will also work for testing the Windows 8 Release Preview, which I suggest doing before you plop down some cash on the new OS. I've tested Windows 8 and it has some new features that I liked, but it has a lot more than I didn't.

Winodws 7 SP1 Now Available

The first service pack for Windows 7 has finally made its public debut.

Six days ago, Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 became available for MSDN/TechNet subscribers and had been leaked to the web via torrent for several days. Today however it is officially available for the rest of the world. Other than all the incremental hptfixes that Microsoft has released to date SP1 only contains two major new features, which will not affect the majority of users. The first being RemoteFX, a standalone product that requires Windows Server 2008 R2 to be used. The second feature is an update for HyperV in Windows Server 2008 R2 called "Dynamic Memory". The feature is as simple as it sounds -- it dynamically allocates memory to virtual machines as required and is able to remove memory from virtual machines when others need higher resources.

You can read more about the new features over on the Windows Server Team Blog.

Download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (KB976932) directly from Microsoft.

Windows 7 SP1 Release Candidate Now Available

Microsoft has officially released an RC version of its upcoming service pack for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The new release candidate is version, windows6.1-KB976932, and is available for download here. The update is rather large at 865.4 MB for the 64 bit version and 514.7 MB for the 32 bit version.

This RC doesn't appear to have any major changes, at least none listed via the download page or the knowledge base article. So you may want to hold off installing anything until the actual release comes out. But since we are geeks and we like to test out things I'm trying to download it. I haven't been successful as of yet but I'll keep trying.

Keep in mind since this is an RC, a release candidate, it should be a fairly stable version of the service pack, but as with any pre-release software it is not recommended for use on critical machines and all user should create back-up/restore points before testing.

Students Get Windows 7 Professional for $29, Office Professional Academic 2010 for only $79.95

In honor of the upcoming back to school season Microsoft has decided to run a new promotion for .EDU email holders.

For what is likely a limited time users with a valid e-mail address at an educational institution ending with the domain suffix .EDU (i.e., leina@contoso.edu) OR have a valid email address at one of the educational institutions listed here can download Windows 7 Professional for only $29.99.

For those of you that already have Windows 7 but are looking for Microsoft Office deals you can also get Office Professional Academic 2010 for only $79.95.

To be eligible individuals must be a student at a U.S. educational institution and must be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 course credit and be able to provide proof of enrollment upon request. Both offers come from Microsoft's distribution partner DigitalRiver.

Get Free Copies Of Windows 7 From Microsoft Bus Tour

Microsoft wants you to jump on the Windows 7 bus, literally! Begining May 21st the company will begin its multi-city bus tour were they will be handing out free, yes free, copies of their newest operating system. Supplies will be limited to 50 copies of Windows 7 Ultimate for the first 50 attendees to get on the bus at every stop.

Locations
Week 1

• May 21st — Montreal QC, Canada
• May 24th — Boston MA
• May 25th — New York NY
• May 26th — Philadelphia PA
• May 27-28 — Washington DC

Week 2

• Memorial Day Holiday — no events
• June 1st — Richmond VA
• June 2nd — Raleigh NC
• June 3rd — Charlotte NC
• June 4th — Atlanta GA

Check out the full details here.

Disclaimer:
*To receive your free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, be one of the first 50 people who are US residents (includes D of C) or Canada 18+ to arrive at a Microsoft Get On the Bus Tour afternoon event. 50 copies of the software title are available. Limit one gift per person. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer. This offer ends on June 4, 2010 while supplies last, and is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient. There is no shipment of your gift – all gifts will be distributed onsite.

Hackers Go Four-for-Four As Firefox 3 on Windows 7 Falls at Pwn2Own

I see a reoccurring theme here, all four teams that have competed at this years Pwn2Own contest have successfully exploited their targets and compromised the machines at hand. This time it was a Windows 7 equipped machine running Firefox 3.

@TheZDI Nils from MWR InfoSecurity (@MWRLabs) succeeded against Firefox on Windows 7 with the quintessential calc.exe launching payload.

As with most of the hacks there aren't many details given out as to how they were accomplished. Its really not surprising me that most have fallen but what is surprising me is the rate at which they are being exploited. In most cases it has taken less than 30mins. Now keep in mind most of these target hacks are exploiting third party software and not the OS itself, but it's still a bit unnerving.

Update: Via Threat Post

A 26year old German hacker known simply as "Nils" exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox to take complete control of a 64-bit Windows 7 machine. "Nils" who heads up the security research team at U.K.-based MWR InfoSecurity, used several tricks to bypass Address Space Layout Randomization (ALSR) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to get his drive-by download to load an executable on the target machine.

ASLR+DEP are held up as significant roadblocks to thwart malware attacks on the newest versions of Windows but, as this contest shows, skilled hackers with enough motivation and resources can bypass those mitigations easily.

Nils said Mozilla can do a better job of opting into ASLR on Windows, a clear hint that implementation errors make it easy to bypass the Windows defenses.

Windows 7 And IE8 Fall At Pwn2Own

So far the hackers are three for three at Pwn2Own, with the ZDI now confirming that Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 have fallen.

@thezdi Peter Vreugdenhil (@WTFuzz) succeeded against Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 with a technically impressive exploit bypassing DEP.

It'll be interesting to see if the rest of the smartphones the, RIM Blackberry Bold 9700, Nokia E72 device running Symbian and HTC Nexus One running Android as well as the two browsers Google Chrome 4 and Mozilla Firefox 3 can withstand the onslaught.

Update: Via Threat Post
Dutch hacker Peter Vreugdenhil pulled off an impressive CanSecWest Pwn2Own victory here, hacking into a fully patched 64-bit Windows 7 machine using a pair of Internet Explorer vulnerabilities.

Vreugdenhil, an independent researcher who specializes in finding and exploiting client-side vulnerabilities, used several tricks to bypass ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) and DEP (Data Execution Prevention), two significant security protections built into the Windows platform.

“I started with a bypass for ALSR which gave me the base address for one of the modules loaded into IE. I used that knowledge to do the DEP bypass,” he added.

Update: Via PCWorld

"[The exploit] reuses Microsoft's own code to disable DEP," said Vreugdenhil. "You can reuse Microsoft's own code to disable memory protection."

In a paper he published today ( download PDF ), Vreugdenhil spelled out how he evaded both ASLR and DEP in more detail.

"It was a two-step exploitation," Vreugdenhil said of the unusual attack. "I could have done it with one, but it would have taken too long." Using the double-exploit technique gave him control of the machine in a little over two minutes; if he had used only one exploit, the task would have required 50-60 minutes.

"I didn't know how much time I would have at Pwn2Own," he said, referring to the constraints of the contest, where hackers had limited time slots. And he didn't want to bore his audience. "I put some eye candy in the exploit," he said, referring to a progress bar he inserted that read "Please be patient while you are being exploited..."

Adobe Pushing HP's Slate PC

HP along with Alan Tam from Adobe's Flash Product Marketing show off the new HP Slate (HP's new tablet device), featuring Adobe Flash and Adobe Air functionalities.

HP introduced the Windows 7-based Slate back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, but as of yet the company has released few details and so far has not announced a ship date besides "mid-2010." The device is reportedly going to be priced "below $500", a price that was considered underwhelming at the time of its introduction.

Add Location Awareness To Windows 7

One of the exciting new features found in Windows 7 is the Windows 7’s Sensor and Location Platform. With this new feature your computer and applications can use location based information to adapt to their current environment. With location sensors -- including GPS devices, WWAN radios, and even triangulation technology -- your applications and gadgets can know exactly where they are, enabling them to provide more locally relevant content and functionality.

Geosense, a newly introduced free app utilizes these functions to pinpoint a users specific location. Utilizing a mix of WiFi triangulation, cell tower triangulation and IP lookup information the app gathers information from geolocation service providers and various other Essentially turning any Windows 7 based device into a GPS unit. Even those that aren't equipped with GPS chips.

The idea, is that with Geosense for Windows installed, your Windows 7 system will know roughly where you are in the world and will consequently be able to provide a localized computing experience. Search results, application information ect. could then become more locally aware. The hope is that more third-party developers will eventually take advantage of the Windows 7 location APIs and make more location based applications such as those commonly found on your iPhone and other similar smartphones.

I've downloaded the app just to play around with it and see what kind of features it includes. I assume since there aren't many geo-aware apps out there at this time it doesn't have a ton of features but being the geek I am I like to play around with new toys. Anyone wanting to checkout the app should also checkout this great tutorial on getting it up and running from Lifehacker. How to Add Location Awareness to Your Windows 7 PC - windows 7 - Lifehacker.

Running Windows 7 RC? Upgrade Now Before The Shutdown Begins

For those of you still running the release candidate of Windows Seven time is running out, literally.

Starting Feb. 15, people still using the Windows 7 RC will begin to receive a notification that their trial software is about to expire. These very annoying little bi-hourly notifications will remind Win 7 RC users that their PCs will "begin experiencing bi-hourly shutdowns" as of March 1.

Microsoft blogger Brandon LeBlanc sent out a friendly reminder this week on The Windows Blog outlining some of the friendly reminders we'll see. According to his post and Microsoft Support, you can expect the following:

Starting Feb. 15:

• An expiration notification appears in the task bar once per day.
• The Notification Wizard pops up once every four hours, and then once per hour.

Starting March 1:

• The task bar nagging continues.
• Your PC restarts every two hours
• During shutdowns, your work won't be saved.

Starting June 1:

• Windows boots to a black desktop. Yikes.
• A Windows Activation screen reminds you that your Win 7 copy isn't genuine.
• The two-hour reboots continue. 

RC users should keep two things in mind:

1. 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. 
2. You can still enjoy a freebie version of the full release by getting the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial

If you are looking for a low cost way to upgrade and you are a college student you can still get discounted versions through win741.com or for us standard shoppers I suggest checking out Amazon or Newegg.com

Activate GodMode in Windows 7

Behold Windows Seven users now have the power of God, well GodMode anyways.

No this isn't some crazy hack or mod that lets gamers control their virtual worlds. Its a trick that allows users to view the control panel with a slightly different view than you normally see. The "trick" was first revealed by CNet's Microsoft Correspondent, Ina Fried.

By creating a folder titled GodMode (or any other) with a specific CLSID ID String {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} users can create a  folder that brings together a long list of customization settings allowing you to change all your settings from one place.

I've broken it down into five-step process to avoid confusion:

Step 1: Right click.

Step 2: Click create folder.

Step 3: Name your new folder this, "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" and press enter.(again any name works as long as you add the last string)

Once that is done, the folder's icon will change to resemble a control panel and will contain dozens of control options all listed in one nice neat little package!

Microsoft has released an unofficial statement, from MS blogger Brandon Paddock, explaining the feature.  Microsoft points out that you can change the text from "GodMode" to anything -- so the "GodMode" is really just a power feature.  However, it's not intended for use and should not be relied upon, according to Microsoft.

Writes Mr. Paddock:

The second thing you’ve discovered is the “All Tasks” folder.  This is a special shell folder which is used as the source of the “Control Panel” search results seen in the Start menu.  This folder was not designed to be browsed to directly, as the normal Control Panel folder (accessible via Start -> Control Panel) contains all the same items but with a custom view designed to be easier to navigate.  The “All Tasks” folder has no custom view, so you just see the standard Explorer list view and little else.

The existence of this folder and its CLSID are implementation details and should not be relied upon by anybody for any purpose.

God Mode?  Hardly.

Despite what MS says the "trick" has been used by many users, including myself and we've all agreed that this is a handy tool for any power-user arsenal.

Update: Here is a list of other similar strings, as with GodMode none of them provide access to anything that you couldn't already do in Control Panel but they do provide easier access. For a complete list of strings like these and what they give you access to, you can visit Canonical Names of Control Panel Items on MSDN's Windows Developer Center.

Default Location - {00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}
Biometrics - {0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}
Power Settings - {025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}
Notification Area - {05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
Manage Credentials - {1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}
Get New Programs - {15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}
Default Programs - {17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}
NET Framework Assemblies - {1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}
Wireless Networks - {1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}
Network Neighborhood - {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
My Computer - {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Printers - {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
RemoteApp and Desktop - {241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}
Windows Firewall - {4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
Performance - {78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}
GodMode - {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

New Hack Kills Windows 7 Activation

According to a recent article published on My Digital Life , hackers have created a pair of hacks that when used will allegedly circumvent the Windows Seven product activation allowing users to run an unactivated version of the OS indefinitely (or at least until MS comes up with a patch).

According to the post the two application work by completely bypassing the windows activation schemes, meaning not only does a user not need to activate their version of Windows they don't even need a legit product key. Simply install the OS and run the two apps and you're done.

RemoveWAT, which was developed by MyDigitalLife users Hazar and nononsence is a Windows 7 crack that completely removes Windows Activation Technologies from the system so that users can validate the illegal pirated copies of Windows 7 as genuine status, forever and permanently. RemoveWAT supports both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) and all editions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 .

Chew-WGA is a similar Windows 7 crack which is designed to test the security resistance of various software protections built into Windows 6.1.x operating systems. It works by restraining certain components of the software protection platform. Other than restricting access to sppcomapi.dll file, Chew-WGA also patches many SPP related files. Chew-WGA, which currently updated to Chew-WGA v0.9, will make the system to return activated status, and Windows is activated message is displayed in Control Panel’s System Properties.

According to PC World Microsoft said it knew about the hacks and was looking into ways to block them. "We're aware of this workaround and are already working to address it," a company spokeswoman said today. Since this crack works based on the removal of activation component and involves patching, changes and modification to many system files, it is more than likely going to be easily defeated by Microsoft, especially in next WGA update or Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. It should also be noted that the Windows Seven Software Protection Platform (SPP) has worked effectively in many cases to counter unauthorized edit of system files, which may result in features or functionality of Windows being deactivated, reduced, disabled or removed, causing various error message when users wants to perform certain action. Thus, the cracks should never be executed on a system intended for continual use, and should only be used to extend the evaluation period to avoid reinstallation.

In all honesty an end user wanting to use a Windows operating system any longer than 30 days should purchase a license. Running a cracked/hacked version of an OS isn't a viable option for most users out there as often times there are secondary adverse affects not to mention the need to constantly monitor updates, service packs ect for possible fixes to your crack which would leave your system useless.

User Confusion To Blame For Windows 7 Upgrade Woes?

As we previously reported Microsoft and Digital River had confirmed that several purchasers of their $29.99 Student Upgrade pack had experienced difficulties with their installations. Sunday in a follow up response posted to the Microsoft Answers forum a Microsoft support engineer appears to be blaming user "confusion" for the errors.

The issue arises from the fact that there is no direct upgrade path between the older 32bit operating systems and the new Windows 7 64bit OS. Despite that fact that it clearly states this one the Windows 7 upgrade page customers that had been running a 32-bit version of Windows such as Windows Vista purchased the 64-bit version of Windows 7 resulting in the the confusion.

Last week, users reported that an error message prevented them from unpacking files downloaded from Digital River. The message read: "We are unable to create or save new files in the folder in which this application was downloaded."

"This error occurs when you are in the unloading phase of the 64-bit Windows 7 download process and are running a 32-bit version of Windows such as Windows XP or Windows Vista 32-bit," Michael a Microsoft support engineer posted to the Microsoft Answers support forum. "This is by design," he added, stating, "you cannot launch setup for the 64-bit version of Windows 7 while running a 32-bit operating system."

Some versions of Windows can't be upgraded with the installation disc or in this case the download the users were trying to use. For example, you can't upgrade a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version, or upgrade from a higher edition of Windows, such as Windows Vista Ultimate, to a lower edition, such as Windows 7 Home Premium. If this is the case, you'll need to use the Custom option during installation.

If you're running a 32-bit version of Windows Vista, you can only upgrade to a 32-bit version of Windows 7. Similarly, if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, you can only upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows 7. Otherwise, you'll need to use the Custom option to install Windows 7.

Where to go for support for the Windows 7 Student offer?

For users who are having difficulty downloading the three files required for the Windows 7 Student Offer, please review the information on the Digital River help page including use of the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the following page. http://windows7.digitalriver.com/servlet/PromoServlet/promoID.46353900 This includes error messages reported during the download phase and during the unloading phase. The most common are:

1. Error “We are unable to create or save new files in the folder in which this application was downloaded.”

This error occurs when you are in the unloading phase of the 64-bit Windows 7 download process and are running a 32-bit version of Windows such as Windows XP or Windows Vista 32-bit. This is by design as you cannot launch setup for the 64-bit version of Widows 7 while running a 32-bit operating system.

2. Error “This version of the file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running.”

The cause for this error is the same as #1 above and occurs if you attempt to launch the Windows 7 setup program located in the unboxed folder “expandedSetup”.

3. The download appears to hang at some % and will not continue or resume. Digital River and Microsoft are investigating reports of this issue. This appears to be a series of isolated issues that are often related to the user’s internet provider or installed 3rd party software. If you continue to encounter this problem without resolution, please contact Digital River at the following link.

http://windows7.digitalriver.com/servlet/PromoServlet/promoID.46354000

4. Error “An error has occurred. Unspecified error.”

Digital River and Microsoft are also investigating reports of this issue. While not wide spread, this issue appears to be caused when one of the downloaded files is incomplete or has become corrupted on the user’s computer. Users encountering this issue you should try and re-download the files by logging into your order from the following link. http://windows7.digitalriver.com/servlet/PromoServlet/promoID.46353900

If you continue to encounter this problem without resolution, please contact Digital River at the following link.

http://windows7.digitalriver.com/servlet/PromoServlet/promoID.46354000

According to the last post by Michael there is additional information regarding the Windows 7 64-bit download process. For those customers of the Student Offer, who wish to install the 64-bit version of Windows 7, but are currently running a 32-bit Operating System, there is now an optional downloadable ISO file of Windows 7 64-bit to allow for install.

If you have already purchased the 64-bit version of Windows 7 from the Windows 7 Student Offer Online Store, please contact Digital River at the following link: http://windows7.digitalriver.com/servlet/PromoServlet/promoID.46354000

In the Web form select the Download Option in the drop down menu and include "64-bit Windows 7 Solution" in the first line of your problem description.

If you haven’t yet purchased your product, please download the Window 7 upgrade advisor to determine which version is right for you.

Microsoft Confirms Install Issues With Windows 7 "Student Edition"

Last month we posted that students with a valid .EDU email address could purchase Windows 7 for $29.99, today however it seems as though that deal might have fallen a tad flat.

Microsoft has confirmed via a support thread, that several users that have purchased Windows 7 from Digital River are receiving the error ‘We are unable to create or save new files in the folder in which this application was downloaded” when going through the “Unloading the Box”.

According to the post Microsoft and Digital River are aware of the issue and it’s being investigated. In the mean time Microsoft is offering refunds to users or they have posted a very easy workaround that seems to be working well for most users.

The quickest easiest way to accomplish the workaround involves creating am ISO image of the files and creating a bootable disk. To do so follow these steps as provided

To start with, make sure your downloaded Windows 7 files (the 'expandedSetup' directory) is unzipped into C:\ -- it'll make things easier later.

1. Download this tool -- alternatively you can obtain the official pack from Microsoft, but that's a whole darn gigabyte.

2. Unzip and move oscdimg.exe to your System32 directory (likely to be C:\Windows\System32)

3. Open an elevated command prompt. In Vista you do this by typing 'cmd' into your 'Start Menu' and hitting ctrl+shift+enter. In XP, just type 'cmd' into the Run dialogue (Windows Key+R or from your Start Menu).

4. Type (or copy and paste) the following into your command prompt (this will vary a little, depending on where you've put your expandedSetup folder):

oscdimg.exe –u2 –b"C:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com" –h "C:\expandedSetup" C:\WIN7.ISO

5. Ta'da! You've got a burnable ISO!

All you need to finish the job is a good burning application like ImgBurn, PowerISO or CDBurnerXP.

If you haven't purchased Windows 7 yet and you are a member of a qualifying University you can still get your cheap download upgrade copy of Windows 7 for just $29.99. All you need is to be part of an eligible college or university. Find out more here.

So Windows 7 Is Out, Now What

I promised myself that I wouldn't write a post today hyping the already over-hyped release of Windows Seven, however I broke down and had to write something.

By now, unless that is you have been living under a rock, you know that the latest greatest OS from Microsoft has hit store shelves and OEM PCs worldwide. I'm sure more than a few of our readers have already been playing with the released version and I'm sure even more rushed out this morning to get their hands on retail copies. I for one signed up for the Windows 7 house party so I got my copy a few days ago.

Hype what hype?

If like me and the 8 million or so other beta testers you've been using W7 for several months you shouldn't be surprised to find out you won't see many changes. The OS really looks and feels no different from anything we already tested. So whats all the hype about, well I guess it was for the rest of the world that didn't want to participate in the open beta, after all those of us currently running the RC can still do so until next year. So I for one have been a little annoyed by the over hyping of the release, but hey I'll let MS have their day in the sun.

I've said it before, several times in fact, that I just don't see what all the hype is about. Sure its a nice OS. Sure it looks great, but it doesn't make toast. There really isn't anything that Windows Seven does that Windows XP didn't do and it really doesn't do it any better. It looks a little cooler than both XP and Vista but that's all about personal preferences. So forgive me but I'm not seeing it!

Once the wow factor has worn off what do you do next?

By now those of you that didn't run the beta test have had a chance to run out and buy your shiny new operating system and you should have it installed. I'm sure you are sitting there and checking out all the new flashy features like Aero Peek and the new toolbar. At this late date you should all be aware of all the Windows 7 features so I'm not going to go into depth there. I'll also assume that, like me when I first tried it, you'll spend the next few weeks being enamored by all the changes you are seeing.

But what do you do once you realize that all the hype was for nothing, and that you just spent $200+ on a new OS that you really could have lived without. You customize it baby!!

Oh yeah, that's what this is all about. That all important step of making the operating system you own. For starters I'd suggest dropping by the Microsoft Windows 7 themes site. There you can pick-up some new theme sets, a few that are actually ad oriented? I'd also suggest checking out DeviantArt, most of the user submitted themes over there are actually quite cool.

Once you've got it looking cool its time to speed things up

Oh yes Windows 7 might be the new kid on the block but that doesn't mean that tweaks and tips aren't already out there to help you get the best performance possible. BlackViper.com is one of the best know sites on the web for information regarding service configuration and speed tips. They have a very useful Windows Seven Service Configuration table which takes the guess work out of what services can and can't be disabled.

BlackViper also has a Windows Seven SuperTweaks page, that has several great tips for speeding things up and making things like UAC less annoying. Most of these tips are a must for any new installation on any of my PCs.

But wait I haven't upgraded yet

If you haven't bought into the hype and haven't made the leap yet but you still want more information on Windows Seven you'll want to start with the Windows Seven Upgrade Advisor The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor is a downloadable tool from Microsoft that checks your PC for compatibility issues. Any problems that might arise with say older software or hardware that you are currently running will be listed. From there you'll need to decide if you want change to a newer, or different piece of software or newer hardware.

Another option is checking out the Windows Seven Compatibility Center. At the Windows Seven Compatibility Center you can manually check software and hardware compatibility via several drop down menus.

Once you are ready to buy run over to Newegg.com and pick-up the version that best suites your needs. If you aren't entirely sure which version to get you can compare the version here.

Win A Free Copy Of Windows 7 With The #WinWin7 Twitter Contest

As part of a promotion to reach 77,777 followers by the Windows 7 launch date on October 22nd the Windows Outreach Team on Microsoft’s official Windows Twitter account @MSWindows has been busy giving away some great prizes to their followers.

The #WinWin7 Twitter contest, which officially launched earlier this month, will run throughout the next 7 weeks. The Windows Outreach Team will use the official MS Twitter page @mswindows to give away prizes all based on the number 7 (for Windows 7). Winners must take part in the challenges and are encouraged to invite friends to join in on the fun which all culminates on launch day - October 22nd.

The Windows Outreach Team has already given away great MS items like Microsoft mouse and keyboard combos, gaming keyboards, 7 hot pizzas and 7lbs of candy (yes these are odd prizes). At a given point in the contest the team will select one one lucky follower to give out a copy of Windows 7 to. Starting there, they will continue to give away a copy of Windows 7 for every 2,000 followers (so, at 44,777 then 46,777 and on and on). For those good at math, the more people that join, the more chances everyone has of winning a copy of Windows 7.

All followers of @MSWindows are eligible, both new and old follower. So far they are at 45,228 (as of post time), so we need to enlist another 1,549 followers to reach the next "7" milestone.

When the magical number of 77,777 is reached, the Windows Outreach Team has some great prizes to hand out. No word on what these prizes might be but Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc promises they will be great prizes.

Microsoft Offering College Students Windows 7 For $29.99

Microsoft via a promotional site Win741.com, is offering students with a valid .edu email address copies of Windows 7 for $29.99. According to PC Magazine the site has been identified by an MS spokesperson as a valid deal.

Here is the Web site for the official offer. There students can sign up and find out of they're eligible for the offer. Students can only buy one copy of either Windows Home or Windows Professional, and only via download; a backup DVD can also be ordered.

More details can be found at the MSWindows Twitter page @MSWindows.

Get A Free Limited Trial Of The Windows 7 RTM

Microsoft announced today that they will be offering a free 90-day trial of the final version of Windows 7 to IT professionals. The company however is not pushing qualification verification to verify eligible users, giving almost anyone the opportunity to try out the new operating system before it ships on Oct. 22.

According to Stephen Rose, a senior community manager for Windows, the free trial will be available until March 31, 2010, or until an unspecified number of copies have been downloaded, whichever comes first. "A limited number of licenses are available, so the download will only be available while supplies last," said Rose in a Tuesday entry on a company blog.

A few things to be aware of before you download the Evaluation code.

• A limited number of licenses are available, so the download will only be available while supplies last.
• Following the 90 day evaluation period, IT Pros who wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications.
• Windows 7 Enterprise Edition 90-Day Trial is the final Released-to-Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 Enterprise Edition. This is the same software that is available to Volume Licensing (VL) through Software Assurance (SA) and is feature-complete.
• Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese in both 32 and 64 bit versions.
• Activation of Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial is required within 10 days after installation, or the product will shut down every hour. Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial is valid for 90 days after installation. After expiration, your computer will shut down every hour.

If you wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise please note that you will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications. Please keep this in mind; Windows 7 Enterprise is not available through retail channels.

Click here to get the Windows 7 Enterprise evaluation download.

Windows 7 RC Downloads End Thursday

Users wanting to get their hands on the Windows 7 release candidate have one last day to do so. Microsoft will officially shut off and remove the download links Thursday around 11 a.m. ET.

The Windows 7 RC will remain fully active until March 1, at which time the OS will start shutting down every two hours. The software fully expires on June 1st at that time users will either have to pony up and purchase the new OS or reinstall another operating system.

Microsoft has slated Oct. 22 as the on-sale date for new PCs packing Windows 7, as well as for retail copies of upgrades to the operating system.

If you want to get your hands on the official download before the expiration date head over to the Windows 7 download page before its too late.