Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | April 24, 2009, 6:07am PDT

As I had expected, the Windows 7 Release Candidate build (build 7100) has been leaked ahead of an official release by Microsoft.

I received confirmation early on Wednesday that build 7100 had been finalized and noticed early this morning that both the 32-bit and 64-bit flavors had been leaked to various P2P networks. Fake downloads had appeared yesterday but these were quickly removed. The latest downloads appear to be genuine.

A quick FAQ based on my Hardware 2.0 mailbag this morning:

Q: Are these latest leaked builds genuine?
A: They appear to be. I can only be 100% certain when I compare them to an official .ISO of the RC build from Microsoft.

Q: Is the leaked build 32-bit or 64-bit?
A: Both have been leaked.

Q: What are the build strings?
A: 7100.0.090421-1700

Q: Can you point me to the downloads?
A: No.

Q: Can you give me a copy?
A: No.

Q: Can you give me the hashes of the builds?
A: No, not until I am 100% sure than these are genuine.

Q: How big are the .ISO files?
A: 32-bit: 2.36GB | 64-bit: 3.05GB

Q: Should I download/trust these leaked builds?
A: My advice is that if you have to ask that question, you should wait for the official release from Microsoft. Do as I say, not as I do!

Q: Do you have an official release date for the RC?
A: Everyone seems to be saying May 5th.

Q: Is the RC build on TechNet or MSDN yet?
A: No.

Q: Does this new build have the new user interface that some were claiming it would have?
A: Nope. All talk of a new “last minute” UI was nothing but unsubstantiated nonsense.

Q: Will you be publishing details/screenshots/information on the RC build?
A: That’s a tricky question, but it’s worth answering in a little detail.
Working in this business is a balancing act. While my main loyalty is to you, Constant Reader, I do have to juggle a number of other factors. I received access to the RC build code late last night via a contact but I didn’t make any announcement about it because I knew that many of my colleagues are under NDAs and couldn’t talk about Windows 7 RC (I’m not under any NDA). While it’s “cool” to be the first to break a bit of news, it’s not cool to just trample over the efforts of others who can’t say anything because of an NDA.
I made the decision to sit on the info I had as there was still a slim chance that the RC code wouldn’t be leaked to the public for a while. It was leaked (and quickly), which is why I’m talking to you now.
So the short answer to the question is yes, I will be publishing details … but I’ll keep my coverage to specific areas (which suits me fine since I have a lot of work to do and there’s only so much a person can do!).

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Topics

32-bit, Microsoft Windows 7, Release Candidate, Q, RC, 64-Bit, Microsoft Windows, Iso standards, Network Technology, Processors, Semiconductors, Hardware, Components, Operating Systems, Software, Quality, Business Operations, Networking, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Gungistoker 2nd May 2009

Another great alternative is to use virtual machine software such as Microsoft's Virtual PC or VMware's VMware Workstation. Personally, I use VMware and test any questionable software downloaded from a torrent site in a Virtual Machine. Just make sure the option to share folders between your PC and the Virtual Machine is disabled.

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Hmmm

Cylon Centurion 24th Apr 2009

I still think I will opt for the official download. That way I can get a key.... I'm assuming the beta keys will not be working anymore?

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Beta keys should still work...

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

At least, the Vista Beta 2 keys worked with the Vista RC's back in the day. I don't see Microsoft rolling out another set of keys for Win 7 RC... Too much hassle.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Loverock Davidson 24th Apr 2009

I find that the leak of this RC will be a good thing. For those of us in the tech industry we can get a first hand glimpse at what to expect with Microsoft Windows 7. I imagine this RC is going to be a superior stable build like previous leaks. Anyway you look at it this has to be good news for Microsoft because the word is out about how badly people want Windows 7.

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Get your pwn early!

ejhonda 24th Apr 2009

How better to line up early for your pwning than to snag some code of unknown origin from P2P.

Yeesh - no wonder most Windows users are FTL...

Seriously, just wait for the official downloads/CDs.

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Well you could wait

Loverock Davidson 24th Apr 2009

but those of us in IT know enough about systems and leaked iso's to run it in a virtual machine, or just load it on the PC and use it long enough to see if anything is wrong. Really no harm done. Chances of this containing anything bad is very slim.

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Chances of this containing anything bad is very HIGH!

de-void-21165590650301806002836337787023 24th Apr 2009

Just had to correct your latter sentence.

Nobody knows what's in these "leaked" ISO's. Nobody knows what's included, what's been modified, what happens during installation, what it could do to your machine, network and data.

If you enjoy the OS installation process THAT much, you should install Vista and your typical library of apps etc., now and then upgrade to Win7 RC when it's formally released. At least this way you'd be helping Microsoft collect the telemetry that validates their upgrade mechanism (and/or identifies any last remaining unknown issues).

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You obviously know nothing about torrent sites

zenotek 24th Apr 2009

There are many controls to prevent this,
especially in something this high-profile. I do
know that several torrents for 7100 have already
been pulled, and the comments section is there for
a reason. Couple this with reputation settings,
and you would have to be a n00b to download
something virulent.

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There will still be risks with the "official" RC

goyta 25th Apr 2009

Don't forget that the "official" RC will only be released to a few selected testers and maybe to TechNet/MSDN subscribers (which most of us are not). The rest of us will have to rely on leaked copies anyway, if we want to test it, get familiar with it, learn what it's all about. We will depend on torrents and shady download sites anyway, now or on May 5.

A just curious common user should be very careful, even though the indirect safeguards zenotek talked about do exist and do work. But I believe most of us in this forum know the appropriate measures to be taken in order to be careful - not the least of which is having complete, thorough backups of everything, if one can't have a dedicated PC for testing (and many can't).

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Not so

rtk 25th Apr 2009

Technet/MSDN gets it next week, then it's open the to general public on the 5th. As well, I'd bet many here have technet subscriptions through their employers or professional organizations.

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BZZT! Wrong!

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

Technet and MSDN subscribers get it starting April 30th - that's TWO DAYS from now. The rest of the unwashed masses get a crack at the download on May 5th.

That would include YOU. No need to visit torrent sites. No need to download anything but the official ISO from an official source.

Please get your misinformation straight before posting with both feet in your mouth...

Thanks..

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I don't see the merit of waiting...

Thunderbuck 27th Apr 2009

...if I can be reasonably comfortable with the download itself.

The upgrade process will validate--and send feedback to MS--just as effectively now as it will after the release date.

I honestly think that MS has sanctioned this leak on some level. It allows the most motivated (and the most savvy) users access to generate buzz, and it helps reduce the risk of a repeat of the server overload that happened when the Win7 beta was released in January.

And, yes, I downloaded off a torrent over the weekend. It upgraded my x64 Vista install beautifully.

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Indeed... Didn't the Mac pirates learn this lesson not too long ago?

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

DOH!

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HAHAHA

Kid Icarus-21097050858087920245213802267493 24th Apr 2009

I love how MS is always "leaking" something to try to keep interest.

*YAWN*

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Question

gregrocker Updated - 25th Apr 2009

The RC is being released to the public after Technet subscribers. Confirmed by download test page which was up for a day on MSDN, which is where the May 5th date came from, since it said public download would be available then. Only question is whether new keys will be issued so we don't use our old ones on 7100 leak and then find it requires new ones on May 5th or whenever.

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re: Question

rtk 25th Apr 2009

Your beta keys continue to work, I've activated two RC installs with the beta key so far.

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Answer

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

Actually... While yes, it was "leaked" by that test page, it was also confirmed on the Windows Team Blog here:

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/04/24/windows-7-release-candidate-update.aspx

That's about as official a word as you're likely to get.

And as RTK said, no, you won't need a new key. That would be too much hassle.

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Public Release May 5th

gregrocker Updated - 25th Apr 2009

It will be released the public after TechNet subscribers get it, as confirmed by test download page put up there last week for a few hours, which is where the May 5 date came from. Said "public download will be available May 5"

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Not as badly as...

Solid Water 24th Apr 2009

RIGHT! Microsoft!!! wink

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I am going to try it

Baer 24th Apr 2009

I am going to try it. I have a newly built i7 DIY rig that I am using for testing only so there is no risk. After using WIn 7 Beta for a few months I am one of those that is anxious to convert all my Xp and then my Vista machines.
I predict that the commercial version will be out in September.

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Don't

de-void-21165590650301806002836337787023 24th Apr 2009

Unless you're willing to have any data and/or networked device attached to that machine potentially nuked.

7100 is not the build you're looking for.

Wait for the actual blessed build from MS - it's only a few days away now!

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Or October...

quasilou 24th Apr 2009

Based on the July 1st date, after which if you buy a PC with Vista pre-loaded you'll get a free upgrade to Win7 when it's out. October would then be 90 days, which makes sense (although September is certainly not unreasonable)

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That makes the assumption

AttackComputerWhiz 24th Apr 2009

..that you WANT to buy a computer with Vista pre-installed. Free upgrade or not, you would be paying $$$ for a computer. So, in essence, you would be paying those same $$$ for the software.

That's what sandbox computers are for. I'll give it a shot and see if it flies. If not, that is what a good old-fashioned government wipe is for.

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Why NOT buy a box with Vista preinstalled?

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

Unless it's bogged down by a ton of crapware, most modern machines sold these days should work quite well with Vista.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Baer 24th Apr 2009

My what a brilliant post. The best post any 14 YO has ever written.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Pyrotech_z 24th Apr 2009

Hi, isnt this going backward, what about build 7106? Hmmm, probably just another fake RC. I got 7068 32 bit working great on a Mitac 8355 with cpu clock speed help with CrystalCPUID.

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It is likely that Build 7100 is "official" ...

mwagner@... 24th Apr 2009

... and whether or not 7106 is (1) real or a hack, or (2) as stable as 7100 remains to be seen. If you've already installed 7106, you can do what you want but if you haven't, I'd go with 7100, at least until the RC bits are "official".

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7106 is likely a test build only - not meant for public consumption.

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

And if I recall correctly, 7106 only came in Chinese... Likely it was a build meant for testing by one or two specific partners, probably in China or Taiwan, who needed to test something specific... And given the language options were only Chinese, I'm guessing the issue has to do with the language pack...

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Pyrotech_z 24th Apr 2009

Dear Moderator, please delete all messages about Linux, they are off topic, thanks!

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

seannj427 24th Apr 2009

the leak was inveitable. and there's little M$ can do to stop it.
my advice is to load as a VM first without any networking. (duh)

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Robin Majumdar 24th Apr 2009

Sorry - would you really run a torrent-obtained copy of something as crucial as an O/S ?

Welcome to spyware and trojan central.

IMHO.

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Of Course. Do it all the time.

codeguy007 24th Apr 2009

It's called Linux. Almost every version I download comes from Bittorrent with MD5 sums from the distros to verify it's authenticity. Do you really think a computer professional would download DVD iso over HTTP or FTP when a torrent is available?

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

hudai@... 24th Apr 2009

I installed win7 7106. Running on my loptop. More fast. I think, I am using Win7 after today. No problem driver and program. All program running nice.

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MS policy on RC usage

daboochmeister 24th Apr 2009

I'm curious ... what's Microsoft's policy on RC usage? I assume a total "you're on your own" wrt/ any data loss, any other impact, etc., that's just a given. I also assume that RCs will never receive security updates of any kind, etc. But how does it work after the official release date? Do you have X weeks to transition or remove, or what? Or do they revoke rights to use the RC ahead of the official release?

Just curious.

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Normally...

Confused by religion 24th Apr 2009

The beta builds and RC builds are time-bombed for X weeks/months after RTM.

As for updates, I have received several for the beta build I am using. Most are for usability/stability but since I have automatic download and install of updates enabled on that beta machine, I have not closely checked to see if any are security related.

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Nothing to be curious

Gladiatorcn 24th Apr 2009

Have you used beta release of open source project? Same idea. You have to do the transition yourself. Hence the corporate users only deploy the stable release or what. They can test RC but they won't bother using it.

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No need to be curious about that

|-Jabba-| 24th Apr 2009

It's MS's policy on any of their products for years now.... It's NEVER their fault now is it?

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Never wrong to be curious....

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

When you download and install a Beta or RC build, you're warned ahead of time NOT to put it on a production machine - mainly because of the issues with potential data loss and such. But, with the Windows 7 Beta, it seems to be a fairly stable and rock solid OS - stable enough so that many people are ignoring that warning.

Security updates and patches ARE in fact, part of the testing process. It would truly suck if Microsoft released Windows 7 without testing it and it bombed on the first patch Tuesday. That would be an EPIC FAIL. So, of course, they're going to push security updates and such out to everyone.

As far as the expiration date... The Beta (build 7000) expires on August 1st, 2009. The Release Candidate, from what's been written so far, expires on July 1st, 2010. Everything will work just fine up until then. It would probably be a good thing to back up your data prior to the expiration date if you haven't already got the final release by then. Of course, it's ALWAYS a good idea to back up your data anyhow... That should go without saying.

If you have a multi-boot situation where you can boot to XP or Vista on the same machine, you can still access your data files on the Win 7 RC partition. You just won't be able to boot into Win 7 RC after the above mentioned date.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

Dr. Dean Updated - 24th Apr 2009

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Running off the rails

w_c_mead 24th Apr 2009

This blog seems to have gotten pretty personal and off topic. I don't enjoy wading past this trash to try to find an intelligent discussion. I'd highly recommend limiting contributions to those who are willing to discuss the topic with some mutual respect.

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Deatils of Windows 7 'leaked' - I think you'll find it's called an advert

whisperycat Updated - 24th Apr 2009

'Leaked' details of Windows 7? Surely that can only mean that insecure Microsoft systems have been hacked and plundered? Unless it means that Microsoft has been infiltrated almost as thoroughly as a Windows virus, by IT insurgents, spies who not only have un-challenged access to Microsoft's product details, they are prepared to spread those 'secrets' far and wide.

Alternatively, it could just be that Microsoft's PR wing, AKA ZDnet, are running another Microsoft sponsored infomercial and pretending that it's tech journalism.

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Your last assumption (or projection) is spot on

Ole Man 24th Apr 2009

Although the first could be a distinct possibility.

Good exposition, either way!

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Even though it hasnt changed much will...

shakethebabyass2011 24th Apr 2009

the final release that is made for sale be most likely the same as the RC? Such as the UI and features or will The published version be with more features and more UI changes?

Becasue I would think the beta are all about the stability and reliability not about the look.

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Kinda sorta...

Wolfie2K3 28th Apr 2009

The final release will more or less be similar to the RC, with a notable exception - it will have a number of bug fixes and maybe a few tweaks to make things run smoother. The RC will be feature complete so it will at least look like the finished product. There may be a few additions (new wallpaper) and removals (that hideous insane wallpaper that looks like someone had a psychotic anime nightmare on LSD)... No doubt, this will be generated by feedback by the people testing it.

But for the most part, there won't be any radical changes done to the OS.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

vger_z 24th Apr 2009

There is NO honor among thieves !!!!

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

mchief 24th Apr 2009

I give up - who cares

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Ultimate will set you back $400-500 dollars......

Christian_<>< 24th Apr 2009

Yes, Ultimate in PRICE yet, you have to buy additional
Anti-Virus, REAL firewall, the infamous $700 Office
Suite that has Outlook Virus downloader.

What a deal, sign me up I can't wait to get a rehash of
'NT 5' aka 'NT 6' aka and so on......

Same old rehash, people are like sheep, they vote for
Oboma because they *think* they will get free healthcare,
$100,000 year job, free housing, free fuel and free
everything.....

MS has the same approach as socialism, more money out
of your pocket for what?

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More like $220 to upgrade ...

mwagner@... 24th Apr 2009

... but Home Premium is sufficient for all but the HARD CORE and the upgrade price on that is $130. Same as the upgrade price on MacOSX.

If you are buying a NEW system (which is what Microsoft and its OEMs WANT you to do), the premium for Ultimate is much smaller.

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OS X "upgrade"?

Eleutherios 25th Apr 2009

OS X doesn't have upgrades, they have full versions only, but
you wouldn't know that, no time to do some homework
before you post an opinion.

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Looney as a jaybird

gregrocker Updated - 28th Apr 2009

It isn't enough for you McCarthyite loons to tank the GOP, now you are calling MS "socialist?" Well no amount of Iraq War style hick bullying is gonna stop US from catching up with every other civilzed nation, so why don't you redneck baboons secede now and form a nation of trailer parks with NASCAR tracks?

Oh by the way, thanks for draggin your Obama dementia into tech forums so his popularity will continue climbing as people get the likes of you. He's at 68% today, guaranteeing his full agenda thanks to freaks like you.

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RE: Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) leaked

msharma117@... 24th Apr 2009

I cannot wait to get my hands on Win7 but I will wait till May 5th (if that's the date).
I tried beta and loved it. MS finally got it right with Win7.
Now MS go and start planning Win8.