What happens when Windows 7 Beta License expires?

[looi76]

Hi, I want to test Windows 7 on my laptop. Till when is the Beta license valid? Because I don't want to use Windows 7 then can't be able to coz the license expired! After the license expired, will I be able to use Window 7?

 

[lordbob75]

Watch the calendar. The Beta expires on August 1, 2009. To continue using your PC, please be prepared to reinstall a prior version of Windows or a subsequent release of Windows 7 before the expiration date. (See installation instructions.)

The beta license will expire on August 1st according to the W7B site. You have to uninstall the beta, and purchase a real copy from a store. (Which I think is bull****. They should just let you buy a code) Oh well...

~Lordbob

 

[rive0108]

When the Beta expires on August 1, 2009. You’ll need to reinstall a released version of Windows to keep using your computer.

You will not be allowed to upgrade from the Beta to Windows 7.

 

[smarteyeball]

WINVER says the beta actually expires the 2nd of July 2009.

If you've got the room on your HD, you can always dual boot.

 

[lordbob75]

Dual Boot is what I do, though whenever I get my new HDD, then I will work it out better than it is now.

I do like windows 7 though...

~Lordbob

 

[smarteyeball]

Primarily using Seven does make it hard to boot into Vista now. It's showing it's age

 

[looi76]

So, simply it is not recommended for a normal PC user to install Windows 7, only to developers to find out bugs which of course windows is full of it!

I am actually using Ubuntu (Linux) as my Primary OS and I'm dual booting it with Vista which came installed in the laptop. I wanted to check out Windows 7, hoping that it turns out to be great but from what I hear now, I have to reinstall it on August 1, 2009! That's BULL****!

 

[smarteyeball]

Well TBH, Ubuntu and linux in general isn't exactly plain sailing either regarding bugs you know

At this point the 7 beta is much more stable than any Linux distro I've used out of the box

As for reinstalling it,you do realize it is a beta and not a free OS.

 

[Ojaser6]

i also want to try W7B, but does it attomaticly recognise hardware and get drivers? if not, does it support vista drivers? My laptop only has XP and vista drivers

 

[Ojaser6]

im running a virtual machine with W7B on vmware workstation 6.5 right now, but i dont get all the features, so please answer the above question quickly before the beta expires! thanks

 

[Dzomlija]

i also want to try W7B, but does it attomaticly recognise hardware and get drivers? if not, does it support vista drivers? My laptop only has XP and vista drivers

Windows 7 is built on the Vista kernel, so yes, if you cannot get driver specifically written for Windws 7 use, then you can use your Vista drivers.

When I installed Windows 7, there where 4 devices that did not pickup automatically during install. A visit to Windows Update downloaded 3 of those four. The fourth driver, for my "Genius Sound Maker 5.1" had to be downloaded and manually installed. Genius didn't provide Windows 7 drivers, so I used their Vista drivers, and the sound card works fine.