Windows 7 ISOs (and DVDs) are single-version. This means that with a Home Premium ISO, you can only install the Home Premium version of Windows 7. Same with Ultimate, Starter and all the others.

Annoying!

Note: With Vista you could pick and choose the edition you wanted during install time (but you could only activate it if you had the appropriate product key).

Enter the Windows 7 Edition Switcher. Basically, this automatically patches the appropriate file inside the ISO file. No having to unpack the ISO, no mess, no fuss!

Nice!

“Can I legally download Windows 7? As in buy it but not get a disc?”

Yes, but it’ll cost you!

Take a trip over to the Microsoft Store where you’ll find both the full and upgrade versions available for purchase.

• Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade ($119.99)
• Windows 7 Home Premium Full version ($199.99)
• Windows 7 Professional Upgrade ($199.99)
• Windows 7 Professional Full version ($299.99)
• Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade ($219.99)
• Windows 7 Ultimate Full version ($319.99)

This method is handy if you want to install Windows 7 on a PC that doesn’t have a DVD drive (such as a netbook) but it’s still a good idea to burn it onto a disc as backup … just in case!

I’ll end with a scary wallpaper!

• Download the Windows 7 RC .ISO file!
  Duh!
• Download and install ImgBurn
  Rather that try figure out if you have a tool capable of burning .ISO files onto disc it’s just easier to download ImgBurn and use that. That way we’re all on the same page!
• Burn the .ISO file to DVD
  OK, pop a blank DVD into your DVD writer drive (for now I’m assuming that you actually have a DVD writer, if you don’t I’ll show you something else you can do in a moment). With that done, fire up ImgBurn. Select Write image file to disc.
  
  Point the Source to the .ISO file you downloaded and then click on the big button at the bottom-left of the window to kick off the disc writing process.
  
  And then after a short wait, you’re done!
  
  Now you’ve successfully burned the .ISO file to the DVD.
• Use your DVD!
  Duh! 
  You can now use the DVD like any other OS install disc … pop it in the DVD drive of the system you want to install Windows 7 onto and boot up the PC and you should get that Press any key to boot from CD or DVD message. Press any key to kick off the proceedings!
  If you don’t get that Press any key to boot from CD or DVD message when trying to boot from the DVD then you’ll need to dig out your motherboard manual and tweak boot device settings in the BIOS.

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Microsoft has opened the gates on the Windows 7 Release Candidate download. The “Release Candidate” part means that Microsoft expects this code to be what they finally release, barring any major bugs floating up to the surface.

Windows 7 RC is available directly from Microsoft (if that first link seems unresponsive, try this TechNet link). You can choose between the 32-bit version or 64-bit (if you are not sure as to which you need, choose 32-bit … it’ll present you with fewer challenges and it’s a smaller download).

The cool part about the RC is that you get a long time to test it before it expires. In fact, it doesn’t expire until June 1, 2010. However, starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start.

Have fun!