The shutdown is no different (in principle) from the limitations of trialware. I see no reason why anyone would continue using a release candidate after 10 months, and while hackers will get to work on it, "normal" computer users will not be concerned by this.

Sneaky trick? I do not think so... Do you really expect Microsoft to just give their new operating system away? The two hour shutdown is a COURTESY. Would you rather they just cut it off without warning? Yeah did not think so. Microsoft has been very generous with the windows 7 beta. They have given everybody a chance to use the operating system for FREE! They COULD have kept the beta restricted to developers. But instead they are sharing it with everybody so they can see if it is something they want to buy, and if not no big deal. In my opinion the beta is going on longer than it needs to. That is a long time to have access to a stable version of windows, again this is FREE. It is not a cheap trick it is business. Microsoft has to make a profit, if they give they take off all the restrictions then why would anybody buy it?

It's not a sneaky trick...it's stated very clearly on the page before you download the software.

Do you peeps need to be reminded that you're getting Windows 7 Ultimate for FREE for nearly a year?!

It'll start reminding people 2 weeks in advance of the "reboot date" that they need to do something, namely, make a decision about which version of Win7 to buy and install.

And nobody's forcing anybody to download and try out Windows 7...people can stick with their current OS if they're happy with it.

Sheesh, talk about ungrateful.

The point is... Microsoft never said anything about this. They mislead the public. At least with "trialware" the companies usually say up front what the limitations are.

"The point is... Microsoft never said anything about this. They mislead the public. At least with "trialware" the companies usually say up front what the limitations are."

I don't have the link right now, but they DO tell you about this. When I installed the beta, I KNEW this was going to happen. They didn't hide a thing, you just didn't look hard enough and you're now trying to blame Microsoft for your lack of focus when it comes to reading.

on the first beta, there never said a thing about this.

but now with the release candidate, they say this.

the point is: they didn't say this in the first place.

Pure crap. I have Vista on two machines and they now want me to pay for 7 after 10 months? They know where they can put their whole thing. What a load of Gatesian crap. Oh, I'm getting 10 months free.
Also a load of the same stuff. They should, after sticking us with vista, give it to all of us free, period.
I'm totally done with Microsoft on my next set of computers.

I wonder how you guys would have written this article if it were about a new MAC OS (or even the new iphone OS!!!).
I like your articles on random, silly tech. but when it comes to real tech, i don't even bother because of your blatant bias towards all things apple. it's ridiculous. is this a part of the new syfy thing? wow, Sci Fi. you're losing a 10 year fan.

ok. i'll stop ranting. but still, i wonder, how differently this article would have been written if apple had pulled this (supposed) stunt.

You can cancel a windows shutdown by opening a command line prompt (start->run->type "cmd") and then typing "shutdown -a" the "a" is for abort. You could probably make a program to detect shutdowns and run this, or just have it run on a timer. I've done this before at college when the update thing runs at 2am and I was working on a paper.

You said Bi-Hourly but you meant Semi-hourly. Bi-Hourly would be twice an hour. Look it up.

@joshikins said: "They COULD have kept the beta restricted to developers. But instead they are sharing it with everybody so they can see if it is something they want to buy"

Not generous at all. Instead of doing quality control and getting it right before release, they are enlisting all of us as beta testers. The "for free" part is that they aren't paying us to do product dev and testing for them.

Hello Ubuntu!

ok thats just stupid, i mean hackers are not only gonna be working on the 2 hour shutdown thing but they're also gonna be working on a way to by pass the free trial so they can get the software without having to pay....and please dont say they can...becuase when your modifying the raw data you can do what ever you want with it and there's always a way to get in

Wait, why is this a surprise? Every Microsoft OS i've ever used has crashed every two hours....now its just part of their marketing plan lol.

Microsoft didn't mislead the public, it would be an insult to our intelligence to believe so. As if microsoft could implement such an undeniably obvious function and nobody would notice? Anyways; cheapskates aren't going to want the beta version of micorsoft for free, they'll want the public release. Which will also be hacked, so it's irrelvant to hack the rc as once it's recrudescence become active will be months after windows 7 is availiable. Why is that hackers always win? Even for a mammoth company like microsoft? They've succeeded in expotenitally increasing their security and making it less vurnerable to attacks, et cetra. Yet they can't develop a solution to prevent their bottom line from being swiped.

While this is annoying for anyone who runs into it, I will say that it's probably a necessary "feature". Software is buggy -- betas and release candidates particularly so. I work in software testing in my day job (not for Microsoft), and there are often serious bugs that don't get fixed until very late in the test cycle. You don't want those bugs on your box.

Hmm, all pre-release operating system versions from Microsoft have been like this for the last decade. Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, and even some of their server products like Exchange.

It's nothing new, newbies. Get over it.

@Hootman,

You've got it exactly backwards :-D

@dood

Actually he doesn't, a biannual sale happens twice a year.

Thanks for playing though.

To my mind, an even bigger issue than the two hour shut down is that MS makes you do a clean install of the RC when moving from the beta, and then another clean install when you buy Win7. So now you've got to reinstall your OS and programs twice in less than a year. This is worse than the Win98 days!

Your running beta, of course you'll want a clean instal. But if you really can't take the time to back up your stuff there is a little trick that lets you install 7100 over 7000.

Sounds like a typical Micro$oft action. They can make money this way, did you seriously think they wouldn't do it? They did it for XP with their 30 days registering or shutdown bussiness in SP3 (which wasn't mentioned in the release notes..)

Best thing to do? Wait till it's been hacked and then get it. You're safer off downloading a hacked version then you are getting one from micto$oft.(dollarsign on purpose.) Has less holes too.

I learned long ago not to trust micro$oft, escpecially when there's some way they can screw you over and make money out of it.

@jon
Semi-annual sales happen every 6 months.

Semi means half.

Bi means 2.

Example: Bipeds walk on 2 legs.

Anybody check a dictionary before they post?

Who cares, I use Linux, which is better than Windows ever was. Go to http://www.sabayonlinux.org/mirrors and download Sabayon Linux, burn to DVD, restart your computer with it in your DVD drive, it will run without harming your precious Windows OS and see what a real OS is. It's everything you ever wanted in an OS.

@JNB everything you ever wanted except for the programs we use.

Pre-release software expires. End of.
Those who don't want to test beta software for Microsoft or anyone else shouldn't install it.
Is anyone suggesting that a commercial producer of operating systems , Microsoft or Apple , should stop charging for new releases ? (Though a smaller charge for people running Vista might be good).

What's the point of hackers working on the pre-release version. Won't they be trying to steal the final version ?

First off, to finally put this to rest:

@ Hootman, I DID look it up and Bi-Hourly is every two hours, just like the author said. You can look it up too, at Dictionary.com.

Second, in a beta version, I don't think Microsoft (or any other company) is necessarily obligated to tell you anything about restrictions. To me, beta means "use at your own risk" anyway.

If you're using a beta OS on your main computer, where all your critical files are, well you can't be very bright to begin with.

Third - @ SBO,
I'm sure Sabayon Linux is great for you, but for ME "everything you ever wanted in an OS" means being able to run Adobe Production Suite. If it can do that, sign me up.

(And don't bother telling me about any open-source Linux equivalents to Flash or Premiere - my workflow requires me to pass along files in their native Adobe formats.)

I think that what Microsoft is doing is great, how long do you need to run a "trial" program to see if it works, it is the full version and you can pay for it for the ticking to go away. They didn't screw you if you forgot to pay, or if you don't have the money right away. Set your self save timers on your word / data processing aps and legalize as soon as possible. Or, use it as a timer for your kids computer time LOL!

So Microsoft gets the world to beta test their software for free for 13 months, and then charges the beta testers instead of paying them. Anyone else sees the irony in this?

10 months free use of windows 7 before we need to buy it Great :) with todays computer technology getting better every month in 10 months time my new computer should have windows 7 as standard, i'll just backup imporant files to disk before the i get the new computer ..

I think apple is more evil than microsoft. and i remember using windows 3.1 anyone want to remember dos? os costs money to make back when u could buy a flopy with dos for 5 or 10 bucks u got what u payed for. now u pay for a room ful of testers to spend years staring at code and dealing with office life to give you all a reason to comlplain again next year. enjoy.

@ old guy: TOUCHE!!
The hubub about a company in business to make a profit trying to do just that while attempting to fix a decidedly sketchy (if you're upgrading, as a pre-installed standard OS Vista has no more problems than XP did for years) operating system is exactly what is wrong with the "new socialist" movement we have going in this country and the new administration is pushing: "Capitalism is bad and businesses should exist to make free product for everyone!" Anyone realize that socialism is a failed (many times over) experiment and companies can only stay in business by selling product at a rate that can cover fixed and variable costs while also providing a decent profit margin to encourage and maintain it investors. Apple is a two-headed monster compared to Microsoft and is run by the most secretive and controlling CEO in the world. If the US Military could keep secrets like Jobs and Apple no one would ever know we coming or figure out how we got there until well after we'd conquered and split. If you don't like it guess what, you don't have to buy it or anything else that MS makes. Speak with you wallet and your free choice, just quit bee-oching about it.

at some point Microsoft owes the users an application that actually works "right" out of the box and for those of us who have suffered the continued $$ grabbing related to operating systems upgrades the time is now- windows 7 should be a free- Vista has been a nightmare-- it is bloat at its best instead focusing on fixing XP to be the best ever they went to a way to force everyone to buy new hard ware- and then punish us with badly developed operating systems and applications- I say fork it over MS it is time and make sure it runs right and is secure for the first time right out of the box.

More likely Microsoft will announce the following version of their junky OS before that time bomb is set...

First, for the Standard Written English-Challenged crowd:

Semi-wtf refers unambiguously to something occurring twice during the period "wtf", once at the halfway point and once at the period completion.

Bi-wtf refers to something less clear, and really depends on the period selected ... except for the one-year period, which is described by a special term ... so for once every two years, use biennial. For twice a year, use either biannual or semiannual ... there is no semi-ennial.

"Sounds like a typical Micro$oft action. They can make money this way, did you seriously think they wouldn't do it?"
Wow, its almost like they are trying to make money off of something that they have put a lot of time into, funny how that works. Don't you think those devs deserve money for all the time and frustration put into Win7? Would you like it if you developed software and did not receive money for it?

To you people who think that "Win7 should be free because Vista sucked", you are idiots. No one forced you to by Vista. No one is forcing you to download the Win7 RC. No one is forcing you to spend money on a new OS. It's not like Microsoft is shoving this down your throats, if you are a *nix fan, then stick with what you have, and if you are an XP fan, stick with that, just stop bitching about something that is A)free, and B)optional.

This 2-hour shutdown thing, there is nothing wrong with it. Same with the 10 month thing. Do you really think that any software company that is trying to stay in business can afford to give away their products? How long would you be able to feed yourself if you had to work for free?

Capitalism, try it bitches. There is nothing wrong with trying to make a buck off of something that you made. Capitalism works on the basis that everyone will try to screw everyone else over, which is the beauty of it, because then the slackers are the only ones who get screwed. Socialism rewards the slackers immediately, but eventually fails miserably.

I have installed (no problems at all) RC1, I had been running the Beta before, did a clean install as recommended by MS.
Now I do like Windows 7 like most users probably will and nearly 12 month will give MS plenty of time to have the OS all sorted out for a great OS and how many people are going to be willing after all that time running a great OS and then just dump it. You will love it and pay for it because you don't like to be without it, after all that time it will be like a second skin to you.

Hey exbuhe, you brain dead moron, they FORCED us out of XP when they said they would stop supporting it...and selling PC's that only came WITH VISTA...that is called being forced to do something you moron...

7 should not be free, but if they try charging anywhere over 100 for any of the versions I will be looking for the cracked version...it is not capitalism it is called greed and precisely why the country is in the mess it is because of greed.

So take your lame brain poor excuse for a so called life and drive a nail into your forehead. All this is doing is emboldening the hackers...

Microsoft has billions and billions and outsourced their work to a bunch of Inidans who barely understand english and are paid next to nothing...

Jeez guys, quit whining. You think Apple would let you have a FREE copy of an amazing Operating System for 10 months? If you do, you're drinking the cool aid. So what's the gripe. Go online and buy a copy of CASPER 5, buy a safety hard drive and make a CLONE of your current setup. Then pull it and stash it in a safe. Now, make the upgrade to either RC or either of the new Post RC builds [just be careful of fakes]. I'm a 15 year hater of MSoft for bad upgrade experiences, yet this upgrade [from Vista Business to Windows 7 RC was FLAWLESS! Perfect, from registry changes to everything it installed, no issues. Since this install my PC runs faster, cleaner, and hasn't had a glitch, not a single one. Honestly guys it's faster than the XP sp3 machine setting next to it, on a digital switch, and it's cool to change wallpaper/colors in a moments notice. On my 2gig machine [which only has 2 memory slots, it's almost twice as fast as Vista Business, need I say more, and more stable. So, when the thing times out next year, buy the damn thing, take that CLONED OS out of your safe, and CASPER that drive into the RTM/Retail install and thank uncle Bill when your done for 10 months of a far superior Operating System then even XP sp3. Live and learn...

Hmm I have never had any problems with any software of Microsoft's, Maybe some of us just know how to fix things to work better than others or they just don't understand how they work at all..?? I have a friend who says her machine crashes all the time on her, funny I have never had any problems when I use it,, I think maybe she just hit a wrong button or something, I love Vista, and any older systems especial xp pro..

If anyone read the agreement andfacts about Windows 7, they would have known that there was a time limit.

Wow, some people will never be happy! You get a free OS for the better part of a year and you complain that it's not forever? Windows 7 is quite possibly the best OS that Microsoft has ever released and arguably the best OS ever released by anyone ever.

Buy it or get rid of it.

BTW - this is coming from an Apple fanboy. :-)

For more features,screenshots,themes,buying guide
Visit
www.squidoo.com/windows7rc
Enjoy

@Anybody who thinks Microsoft is doing you a favor: You are getting this RC for free because Microsoft has made some big mistakes. Remember Vista? lol, they are not just letting people get Windows 7 for free, but the only way to prove that everything is working is to put it in the hands of the users.

I personally don't like the idea of shutting down every 2 hours. If they included an upgrade option from the RC to the final retial version, then yes, this would be fine. But after the 10 months is up, you have to reformat and do a fresh install..

The up side: It installed really quick on my machine.

The down side: I have to reinstall EVERYTHING again in 10 months.