Important Reminder Regarding Expiration of the Windows 7 RC

It’s time to upgrade from the Windows 7 Release Candidate.

While most people who tested Windows 7 have now moved to the final version, some are still running the Release Candidate. Important for those people: it’s time to replace the Windows 7 RC!

Starting on March 1, 2010 PC’s with Windows 7 Release Candidate will begin shutting down every two hours. The work will not be saved during the shutdown.

The Windows 7 RC will fully expire on June 1, 2010. PC’s running the Windows 7 RC will continue shutting down every two hours and files won’t be saved during shutdown. In addition, wallpaper will change to a solid black background with a persistent message on your desktop. You’ll also get periodic notifications that Windows isn’t genuine. That means your PC may no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads requiring genuine Windows validation.

To avoid interruption, please move to Windows 7 (or an earlier version of Windows) as soon as possible. In either case, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the RC. As with any clean installation, you’ll need to back up your data then reinstall your applications and restore the data.

For more details about replacing the RC, see the Knowledge Base article KB 971767 or read the following blog post on the Windows Client team blog: Important Reminder Regarding Expiration of the Windows 7 RC.