The official Windows 7 thread.

[soumya]

There will be a lot of news regarding Windows 7 in the coming months and it will be cool to keep all the information in a single thread. Starting Now!

Windows 7 RC coming to MSDN/Technet soon, public May 5

A page over at Microsoft Partners has been updated to show that Windows 7 RC will be publically released on May 5, and should be available for MSDN and Technet subscribers now. However, clicking through the download link will only get you the beta, right now.

This would seem to jive with an earlier leak on a Microsoft page saying that the RC would be available in May, but that was taken down soon after it was reported.

Well see how long this page stays updated with the Windows 7 RC information, or how long it'll take before RC does actually hit MSDN and Technet.



Source

[Faun]

Welcome to win 7

[soumya]

Some good news about Windows 7 for ATi fans, AMD/ATi has managed to get the drivers for the HD 4890 and the 4770 integrated into the Windows 7 DVD.

Source

[redhat]

waiting...

[anandk]

Windows 7 sure promises to be an exciting OS!

[BBThumbHealer]

^ Yup ... That's for sure .. lukin frwd to its release !

[desiibond]

I will buy windows 7 whatever the price is.

[comp@ddict]

^^ I'll try b'fore buy.

[soumya]

User account control (UAC), a feature that debuted with Vista, is been tuned to generate fewer invasive pop-ups.

BitLocker encryption will be extended to cover USB drives, a feature described as BitLocker To Go. A remote access feature, called DirectAccess, will be included that makes setting up secure remote access far easier than was previously possible. The same feature will allow sys admins to patch remotely-connected devices. Network Access Protection, a separate feature, can be used to restrict access to corporate networks to only fully-patched PCs.

Another feature, AppLocker, will give sys admins the ability to control what applications can run on corporate systems, including the ability to remotely purge disavowed applications.

Full Story@The Register

[soumya]

Company insiders and Wzor have confirmed that 7100 is the official Windows 7 RC build.

7100.0.winmain_win7rc.090421-1700 was compiled on Tuesday and has reportedly been handed out to OEM partners and TAP gold customers. Earlier this month we reported that build 7077 had leaked online and that Microsoft
were pushing towards a 7100 RC release.

Microsoft recently published details about a public RC due for May 5th. We expect MSDN/TechNet customers to receive the bits within the next week if the company is still targeting May 5th.

According to reports, 7115.0.winmain.090421-1650 is the latest build internally at the time of writing.

Neowin

[topgear]

Windows 7 Can Be Hacked, No Fix

Earlier today at the Hack In The box Security Conference, security researchers showed how easy it is to hack into Windows 7. Ouch.

The question to ask first is this: can't every piece of software be hacked in some fashion? Quite frankly, yes. However, Microsoft (unfortunately) deals with hackers on a daily basis, patching security holes in the Windows operating system, Internet Explorer, and various programs in the Office suite. In some ways, hackers bring job stability to those who specialize in thwarting security intrusions, those who fill holes where perpetrators like to sneak in. But what if the problem can't be fixed? What if the window is wide open and there's not one thing Microsoft or any other company can do to shut it closed?

Earlier today, researchers Vipin Kumar and Nitin Kumar of NVlabs demonstrated how they could take control of a Windows 7 virtual machine using proof-of-concept code they developed called Vbootkit 2.0. The 3 KB program allows the "attacker" to take control of the computer by making changes to the operating system's files loading into the system memory during the boot process. According to Kumar and Kumar, Windows 7 cannot detect the malicious program because no files are changed on the hard disk.

"Basically, we follow a very simple algorithm for Vbootkit," the team explained during the demonstration, "Hook INT 13 for disk reads, keep patching files as they load, hook onto the next stage, and repeat the above process [until] we reach the kernel, then sit and watch the system carefully."

With that said, there's a positive and negative side to this kind of attack. The good news is that the hacker must by physically present to take control of the PC, making the threat somewhat minimal. Additionally, once the computer reboots, Vbootkit 2.0 will no longer have control since the data stored in memory is no longer available. The negative aspect is that, according to Vipin Kumar, the problem stems from Windows 7's assumption that the boot process is immune from attacks. He said that not only is there no current fix for the problem, but that it cannot ever be fixed.

The security researchers demonstrated the ability to take control of Windows 7 at the Hack in The Box Security Conference held in Dubai. The duo merely wanted to demonstrate how they could get Windows 7 (x64) running normally after implementing changes to the kernel. The demonstration was also meant to show how Vbootkit 2.0 could pass through all of the security features implemented in the kernel without being detected, and without leaving a footprint on the hard drive.

In addition to hacking into the kernel, Vbootkit 2.0 allows the attacker to control the victim's computer by remote after this initial physical invasion. The attacker can then increase the user privileges to the highest level, and remove the current user's password, allowing the attacker to gain access to all files stored on the PC. Once finished, the attacker can use Vbootkit 2.0 to restore the original password, and exit the system undetected.

So what does this mean for Windows 7? Can the problem be fixed? According to Kumar, no. However, perhaps Microsoft will take notice and figure out a workaround before the operating system eventually ships this year.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Win...lled,7619.html

I think M$ will fix all these security related issues in final release

[soumya]

Microsoft is trying to make it easier to sway users of Windows XP onto the latest version of its operating system.

For some time now, the company has been quietly building a "Windows XP mode" that uses virtualization to allow Windows 7 to easily run applications designed for Windows XP. According to sources familiar with the product, the application compatibility mode is built on the Virtual PC technology that Microsoft acquired in 2003, when it scooped up the assets of Connectix.

By adding the compatibility mode, Microsoft is aiming to address one of the key shortcomings of Windows Vista: its compatibility issues with software designed for Windows XP and earlier versions of the operating system.

Details of the Windows XP mode, previously known as Virtual Windows XP, were first published earlier Friday by the Windows SuperSite blog.

The technology has not been part of the beta version of Windows 7 or previously disclosed by Microsoft, but is expected to be released alongside the upcoming release candidate version. Microsoft said on Friday that it will release it to developers next week and publicly starting May 5.

Screenshots

Article

[comp@ddict]

Windows 7 doomed from beginning - unfixable hack?
During the currently running Hack in the Box security conference in Dubai on Thursday, researchers Vipin Kumar and Nitin Kumar have said that they have created a method of hacking Windows 7 that is unfixable by the folks over in Redmond.

According to the report by Electronista, VBootkit 2.0 was used to show how Windows 7 could be compromised during boot up. The exploit is said to be suited only to the upcoming Microsoft operating system and according to the makers, probably won't be fixable.





The program is said to be just 3KB big and it allows hackers to change important system files which are loading into memory during the boot up process. Since no data is alerted on the hard drive itself, it is hard to detect and of course even harder to remove. Once the system has been rebooted, the security thread is removed, since it is only stored in dynamic system memory, which does not retain data on power loss or reboot.



Via the software, hackers can remotely control the targeted computer and change their access level to the highest possible. Passwords can also be removed, letting hackers access a victim's files. What's more, the password is restored, so victims are unaware their security was breached.

As the name implies, VBootkit 2.0 is the second such program developed by Vipin and Nitin, as the original was demonstrated back in 2007 and exposed a vulnerability in Windows Vista.

Microsoft hasn't commented on the exploit.

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/11984/...ack/index.html

[Faun]

^^lol

[Liverpool_fan]

Originally Posted by soumya

Microsoft is trying to make it easier to sway users of Windows XP onto the latest version of its operating system.

For some time now, the company has been quietly building a "Windows XP mode" that uses virtualization to allow Windows 7 to easily run applications designed for Windows XP. According to sources familiar with the product, the application compatibility mode is built on the Virtual PC technology that Microsoft acquired in 2003, when it scooped up the assets of Connectix.

By adding the compatibility mode, Microsoft is aiming to address one of the key shortcomings of Windows Vista: its compatibility issues with software designed for Windows XP and earlier versions of the operating system.

Details of the Windows XP mode, previously known as Virtual Windows XP, were first published earlier Friday by the Windows SuperSite blog.

The technology has not been part of the beta version of Windows 7 or previously disclosed by Microsoft, but is expected to be released alongside the upcoming release candidate version. Microsoft said on Friday that it will release it to developers next week and publicly starting May 5.

Screenshots

Article

Seems cool. I guess this seamless virtualization of XP which could be so easily set up will guarantee legacy applications will work for Enterprises and make migration path easier.
However is there a Linux mode as well? That would be great...

And I think they must bundle the XP with window decoration theme similar to 7 such that it does not look gaudy.

[suhas.msh]

That Xp compatibility mode is what i've been waiting for all this time. I surely wuldnt hesitate to switch to windows 7 if it has xp compatiability...

[naveen_reloaded]

http://i.gizmodo.com/5226696/windows...e-new-features

[abhadi]

hey guys,
It seems that windows 7 RC has been out..... i.e build 7100 in the torrents. .
snip
snip

[gxsaurav]

Build 7100 isn't confirmed to be Release Candidate yet.

[desiibond]

Windows 7 is getting better and better and better. Isn't it?

[topgear]

Windows 7 RC Date Officially Confirmed

Mark your calendars, Microsoft has given us the official Windows 7 RC date

It’s official. Finally. Windows 7 Release Candidate will be publically available for your testing purposes – for FREE – on May 5.


This shouldn’t come as a big surprise as Microsoft accidentally leaked a download page listing May 5 as a date for the download, with MSDN and TechNet subscribers getting it a little bit earlier. Today, we’ve learned about that date as well.


Windows Communications Manager Brandon LeBlanc wrote on the Windows Team Blog, “I’m pleased to share that the RC is on track for April 30th for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Broader, public availability will begin on May 5th.”


The Release Candidate incorporates many changes and fixes since beta build 7000, partially thanks to feedback from millions of testers. LeBlanc said that at the peak of the feed back cycle, the team was receiving a “send feedback” report every 15 seconds.

Source : http://www.tomshardware.com/news/win...load,7632.html

[soumya]

AAC/H.264/MPEG-2 support will not be provided to Windows 7 Home Basic and Starter customers. That functionality will only go out to Home Premium, Professional, and Enterprise/Ultimate users. But it looks like there will be add-ons made available (free or paid, it's not clear) to users of low-end Windows 7 versions.

Maximum RAM. All 32-bit versions of Windows 7 "support" 4 GB of RAM, of course. But if you go 64-bit, you can add up to 8 GB in Home Basic and Starter, 16 GB in Home Premium, and 192 GB in Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.

Windows Media Player Remote Media Experience (RME) is not available in Windows 7 Home Basic or Starter. However, all versions can share media over a home network.

All Windows 7 SKUs support 20 simultaneous SMB connections. This works out to 10 users, apparently.

XP Mode (formerly Virtual PC). As we first revealed yesterday, only Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate are licensed to install XP Mode.

Source

[topgear]

Windows 7 System Requirements Finalized

System requirements for Windows 7 aren’t any great mystery, but now we’re getting a much better idea of what it’ll say on the retail box.

Microsoft posted relatively modest system requirements (at least for any computer belonging to a Tom’s Hardware reader) when it released the Windows 7 public beta in January and only slightly modified them for the release of yesterday’s Release Candidate.

The system requirements for the beta at the time called for:
1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
1 GB of system memory
16 GB of available disk space
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme)

The system requirements published yesterday for the official Release Candidate are the following:
1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of RAM (32-bit)/2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
16 GB of available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher driver

The only real changes to the system requirements since January are slightly bumped up ones for the 64-bit version, though we suspect anyone who plans to run the x64 build will have a machine that’s way beyond the minimum (having at least 4 GB of RAM would be a good starting point).

While the system requirements posted yesterday apply to the Release Candidate, Microsoft told ZDNet that they were ‘final’, though it’s unknown if there will be different requirements between different SKUs such as Starter Edition or Ultimate Edition. “The system requirements are final and not SKU-specific,” said a Microsoft spokesperson.

Those who plan to run XP Mode will need at least 2 GB RAM, 15 GB of additional hard drive space and a processor that supports hardware virtualization.

According to early tests, Windows 7 performs better than Windows Vista on the same hardware.

"It's been a long time since we've had a version of Windows that will actually run better [than the previous version] on the hardware that most customers have," Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows product management group, said during a conference call with reporters, quoted by ComputerWorld.

Windows 7 does carry with it slightly heftier system requirements than Vista does, despite it being a better performer. From one generation to the next – and three years later – Windows 7’s system demands does seem positively modest.

For reference, Windows Vista’s system requirements are:
1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
512 MB of RAM (for Home Basic); 1 GB of RAM for all other versions
15 GB of available disk space
Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory (for Home Basic); 128 MB of graphics memory plus WDDM support for all other versions

source : http://www.tomshardware.com/news/win...e-rc,7701.html

[alexanderthegreat]

Has anyone got any leads on the price of the various editions? Will it cost a fortune too?

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Windows 7 Release Date Leaked!!

Sockatume writes "Yesterday, two Acer executives in Europe separately let
slip details that give us a good date for the release of Windows 7.
First, Acer's vice-president for Europe discussed a new product,
launching this September, that will support Windows 7's touch features.
Asked whether this confirmed the Windows 7 release date as September
2009, he coyly remarked that 'when it's in store it won't have Windows 7
pre-loaded.' Microsoft would probably prefer that he had stopped there,
but he added: 'We won't be actually selling [Windows 7] [0]a day before
the 23rd October.' Then, Acer's Managing Director for the UK helpfully
clarified that while their product will ship with Windows Vista at
launch, because it is on sale [1]less than 30 days before the Windows 7
release date, it will be eligible for the 'upgrade program' to get a free
upgrade to the new OS."

Source : Slashdot.org

This is quiet understandable i guess from the arrival of RC this month

[topgear]

Just take a look at this blog :
http://windows7center.com/news/windo...etails-leaked/
though I'm not sure if it's correct or not it will give you an idea about pricing

[topgear]

Don't know if you guys already know it or not

Burn ISO Images Natively in Windows 7

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Windows 7 RC Official Download Available Now!

Visit Here

[Disc_Junkie]

^^ Thanks!!

[topgear]

Microsoft Windows 7 SDK (ISO) Release Candidate -download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Windows XP Mode for windows 7 - download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...6-173f032f5159