Archive for May, 2009
Windows 7 RC installation and first run screenshots
Here are a few screenshots to show you what you can expect from the Windows 7 install process, and what you end up with.
How-to burn your Windows 7 .ISO to DVD disc
When you download your Windows 7 Release Candidate file from Microsoft you’ll end up with a .ISO file. Some of you might not be familiar with .ISO files so here’s a quick rundown as to how to get that file onto a DVD disc.
- 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.
What do you need to run Windows 7?
Want to grab the Windows 7 RC download but want to make sure that you PC can handle it? Here’s what you need to be able to run Windows 7:
- 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
Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) is out!
Posted by admin in What's New on May 5th, 2009
Want to get your hands on Microsoft’s latest operating system and be able to test it for a year, completely free of charge? Well, here’s your chance!
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!