Demand for Windows Beta Downs Microsoft's Servers
Demand for Windows Beta Downs Microsoft's Servers
Posted 01/09/2009 at 11:47am
| by Paul Lilly
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*Updated 1/10/09
Have you been anticipating the public launch of Windows 7 beta? You're far from alone. At the Microsoft CES keynote two days ago, Steve Ballmer announced the upcoming OS would be made available in beta form to the general populace today, but the high demand has temporarily knocked out both the Windows 7 download page and Microsoft's homepage, TGDaily reports.
Windows 7, which many are hoping will atone for Vista's sins, has gotten off to a rocky start in its pre-release form. MSDN and TechNet subscribers got first crack at the Windows 7 beta build 7000 yesterday, but some downloaders reported receiving errors when attempting to request product keys for the OS. But if the final product -- which Microsoft won't commit to a 2009 launch -- makes common complaints with Vista a thing of the past, most enthusiasts would agree it will be well worth the wait.
Protip: It might be in your best interest to snag a copy of Windows 7 beta and actively test the OS, even if beta testing really isn't your bag. Official beta testers who downloaded Vista back when it was in beta form and submitted at least one bug report ended up being rewarded with a free copy of Vista Business or Ultimate. That doesn't guarantee Microsoft will do the same with Windows 7, so decide for yourself is the risk is worth the potential worth reward.
Update 1/10/09
Justin Kerr has posted an awesome mini-tutorial on how and where to get the Windows 7 beta up and running with a valid key. Check it out here.
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Keith E. Whisman
January 13, 2009 at 10:33pm
Actually it was me.. I did it. Sorry... I promise never to do it again.
Cyberdiver
January 10, 2009 at 10:31am
Some how in the process I ended up recieving 2 keys.. But they are being givin out now.
K0BALT
January 10, 2009 at 9:12am
anyone else's download only showing a file size of 98MB? I've tried a million times.
wolf17
January 10, 2009 at 12:21pm
Well, you could always use a torrent to get it.. and then if you use the key you got from the MS site I don't see any problem with that.. it's probably a legal gray area so if you don't feel right about it just wait for MS to get their server hiccups worked out, just make sure to get a key so you have it to use when you are able to download and install the OS from the image.
FYI: Using the image download links from the beta key article MaximumPC just posted (it's on the home page), the download got to 498mb and then stopped.
dankers
January 10, 2009 at 4:17am
Since I don't have a key they say I'm limited to what kind of feedback I can send, but why does M$ do this, shouldn't they let everyone send any kind of feedback they want.
To the previous poster if I remember correctly all Vista DVDs were identical but the serial you entered would determine which copy of Vista you got.
Windows 7 is a stupid name as well. Eventually I'm going to shorten it to just 7.
wolf17
January 10, 2009 at 7:14pm
yeah, i've just been typing Win7, but your idea of just "7" sounds better! Like Windows Vista is just Vista now Windows 7 will be just 7 lol.
Cyberdiver
January 09, 2009 at 6:00pm
I was looking at those links down bleow but they appear to be exactly the same. Is 32 and 64 installable from the same image? I just finished d/l the from the 64 link but was still wondering about the accuracy of the version for the links.
Anyone dual booting with it yet? trying to decide wether to set up another machine or justa hdd and dual boot.
dankers
January 10, 2009 at 8:22am
Dual boot was a snap for me, it sets up the MBR for ya with no hassle. For anyone wondering Creative X-Fi drivers don't work yet, although Nvidia drivers do. Somehow that's what I expected though...
Edit: Just install the latest Creative drivers in compatibility mode and it works alright. Rear speakers don't work.
GreenTurtle
January 09, 2009 at 6:25pm
I quad booted with Vista, 7, Linux, and XP for S@#$'s and giggles and it was smooth. For obvious reasons I suggest the beta 7 as the "play around with" OS.
The 64 bit version has an "x" in the code -GB1CULXFRE_
GreenTurtle
January 09, 2009 at 5:40pm
I'll be interested to see how many people downloaded the 64 bit version compared to the 32 bit version.
K0BALT
January 09, 2009 at 5:28pm
this is the link I used.....
http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-45A4-B985-F0FDFFE1B021/EN/7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULFRE_EN_DVD.iso
It's posted at the bottom of these comments
colinjm0517
January 09, 2009 at 4:59pm
I have been trying to get windows 7 for about 5-6 hours. I can't get the product key. Does anyone know if Microsoft will have another beta release day like today?
gothliciouz
January 09, 2009 at 4:07pm
i don't see any download link in microsoft website! :(
can someone please provide a link that works, & how to get the product key?
K0BALT
January 09, 2009 at 3:18pm
I'm currently d/l-ing this Beta version, but I have a few questions, if anyone could help. I'd greatly appreciate it. :)
- I am running 64bit Vista SP1. Will this replace my entire Vista OS?
- Will I lose all my data like games, file, pics, etc. once this Beta is installed? If not, will I be able to switch right back over to Vista without any problems?
- How long is this trial version for once you get a product key?
- Is there a certain procedure of doing the actual installation that I should follow?
Thanks all!
icsmith
January 09, 2009 at 3:26pm
if you put it on a different partition/HDD you wont loose any documents/games
the os is only avaible for almost a year
icsmith
January 09, 2009 at 2:51pm
i got the os but did they put out the product keys yet. I know they were talking about some kind of delay but have they worked it out yet?
BrookV
January 09, 2009 at 2:46pm
So through the year, people bad mouth Vista and Microsoft, and sure enough they all come back like good little fanboys, scrambling to download Microsofts latest offering. It's a story that plays out with EVERY release of a Microsoft product.
If you don't like VISTA now, you WILL NOT come to like Windows 7 later. The reason is Windows 7 is built on VISTA. (as explained at a couple Microsoft seminars on Vista that I attended last year). It's NOT much at all different from VISTA, aside from tweaks and streamlining.
So when the same people who now claim VISTA stinks because it crashes and breaks all the time come to find Windows 7 doing the same, I hope they collectively come to realize the the problem is sitting between the chair and the monitor..ie: USER ERROR.
ENJOY WINDOWS 7!
I know I will :)
Captain
January 09, 2009 at 3:37pm
windows vista does not have problems anymore, its perfectly fine, windows 7 is different, you judging it based of the interface similarities. yeah it may have been based off of vista, but wasnt vista based off of xp. plus to the other guy, if you want to be taken seriously, never say "jk lulz" it makes you sound like an idiot
xunknownx
January 09, 2009 at 2:26pm
x86 version
http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-45A4-B985-F0FDFFE1B021/EN/7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULFRE_EN_DVD.isox64 version
http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-45A4-B985-F0FDFFE1B021/EN/7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULXFRE_EN_DVD.ISO
copy and paste in your browser
dankers
January 09, 2009 at 3:32pm
Dude thanks for the link, I couldn't find the d/l anywhere and was too embarrassed to ask.
yogurt80
January 09, 2009 at 2:22pm
So is my time already up? Where do you go to download? I can't even find a link to fownload it.
CTskifreak
January 09, 2009 at 2:10pm
I didn't realize it was only to the first 2.5 million people. Dang, I wanted to use it on my new machine that I'm (slowly) building. Would have saved me from buying a copy of Ultimate. Oh well. I like Vista by the way, and it feels cleaner and smoother than XP>
icsmith
January 09, 2009 at 2:07pm
*Update on Windows 7 Beta Availability
Due
to very heavy traffic we’re seeing as a result of interest in the
Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to
the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta. We want to
ensure customers have the best possible experience when downloading the
beta, and we will be updating this page once the beta goes live. Stay
tuned! We are excited that you are excited!
wolf17
January 09, 2009 at 1:44pm
Yeah I've been running into that dreaded server busy message all day!
ScottProdigy
January 09, 2009 at 1:33pm
You hit the nail on the head. If it weren't for it being "beta" and some of the worries that happened with dual-booting XP and Vista (good riddence!) then I would be running Windows 7 only. I'm very impressed with the speed and other features, many that I commented on in a previous post... though I must say again that the taskbar is amazing compared to the ones that came before it. Be sure to try opening your recent documents through the program menu too, ie. hover over MS Word and it will list a few of your recently opened document files. VERY NIFTY I must say!
Nikiaf
January 09, 2009 at 12:47pm
anybody manage to get through? i got the server too busy message over and over, and now that page seems to have disappeared. i also can't get it through MSDN.
Laterun
January 14, 2009 at 6:37am
Hey :
Saw your post and in case your still looking ; the Windows 7 beta is repeating ten keys and they are :
64Bit:
Product Key: 7XRCQ-RPY28-YY9P8-R6HD8-84GH3
Product Key: JYDV8-H8VXG-74RPT-6BJPB-X42V4
Product Key: RFFTV-J6K7W-MHBQJ-XYMMJ-Q8DCH
Product Key: D9RHV-JG8XC-C77H2-3YF6D-RYRJ9
Product Key: 482XP-6J9WR-4JXT3-VBPP6-FQF4M32Bit:
Product Key: TQ32R-WFBDM-GFHD2-QGVMH-3P9GC
Product Key: GG4MQ-MGK72-HVXFW-KHCRF-KW6KY
Product Key: QXV7B-K78W2-QGPR6-9FWH9-KGMM7
Product Key: 4HJRK-X6Q28-HWRFY-WDYHJ-K8HDH
Product Key: 6JKV2-QPB8H-RQ893-FW7TM-PBJ73hope that helps. later
EarthBoundMisfit
January 09, 2009 at 11:58am
Registered Linux User #404122 Microsoft has encountered a critical system error and must now shut down. Better get Bill Gate$ on the phone for this one....... [img]http//i35.photobucket.com/albums/d183/NunofyaBidness/404122.png[/img]
I installed Windows 7 on my test machine last night.
I am impressed with the overall speed of 7....as opposed to its older sibling Vista. The overall memory footprint is also impressive.
My gripes with this O/S however...have to do with the changes made.
Microsoft seemingly made changes to the O/S for spites sake.
There is no customizing the START menu bar to 'classic' Windows computing that we all know and love.
Also you are having to relearn a new GUI map.All in all....Vista fans might like Windows 7.
I think people migrating from Windows XP however.....are going to want to continue to stick with XP.Glenn Condrey
dracx619
January 09, 2009 at 12:44pm
Ive been using XP forever, as well as Vista and am trying out 7.
After using Vista for a bit, XP felt so antiquated and using XP made me want more (even after all my custimizations and custom add-ons). After using 7, i actually DREAD using XP.
Those who refuse to change simlpy because they are so used to an interface, c'mon, break out of your shell and give new things a shot. Without change, there is no progress. I love the superbar, I love all the new Aero features, I love everything about Win7.
So what if it resembles the MAC dock; it expands on the concept and actually makes it useful, not just eye-candy piece of trash that is completely useless. We as a race have always stolen ideas and expanded on them. Thats why theres so many musicians that can have similar sounds, designers that have a similar design styles, social outcasts that want to be "different" yet copy the look of someone else whose "different" then there are games that borrow code, or elements from other games, and on, and on, and on.
i find switching between apps and open windows a breeze. 7 just rocks, i cant wait to actually own a full license
btw, i also LOVE the ribbon interface. it took some learning but in the endm its much easier to use. once again, CHANGE IS PROGRESS (of course depending on the type of change but I feel MS has done some good things with the whole ribbon thing and Win 7)
nekollx
January 09, 2009 at 12:24pm
and if the XP Dihard what to continue livin intheir fantasy world of buggy 64Bit xp and outdated 32bit, no long being sold 32 bit XP i say let them. I'm tired of their unfounded bitching.
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