Development of Windows 7
Encyclopedia
Development of Windows 7 began when Windows Vista
was released. Milestone 1, Milestone 2, and Milestone 3 were sent to Microsoft's partners in 2008. In October 2008, Microsoft gave build 6801 to PDC attendees and a public beta was released in January 2009.
The release candidate was available from April 30, 2009 for MSDN and Technet subscribers, and was released to the public on May 5, 2009. The final build of Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009; Technet and MSDN subscribers were able to download it on August 6. On October 22, the operating system was made generally available for public purchase.
, and its server counterpart, Windows Server 2003
(both codenamed Whistler), with a major new release of Windows, codenamed Blackcomb (both codenames refer to the Whistler-Blackcomb
resort). This new version was, at that time, scheduled for a 2005 release.
Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data, and an advanced storage system named WinFS
to enable such scenarios. In this context, a feature mentioned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for Blackcomb was "a pervasive typing line that will recognize the sentence that [the user is] typing in."
Later, Blackcomb was delayed, and an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" (named for the Longhorn Tavern between the resorts), was announced for a 2003 release. By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb, including WinFS
, the Desktop Window Manager
, and new versions of system components built on the .NET Framework
. After the 2003 "Summer of Worms", where three major viruses − Blaster
, Sobig
, and Welchia − exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold in order to develop new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
. Development of Longhorn
was also "reset" in September 2004.
, it was confirmed by Microsoft
on July 20, 2007 that "the internal name for the next version of the Windows Client OS" was Windows 7, a name that had been reported by some sources months before. On October 13, 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system. Mike Nash, Microsoft's vice-president of Windows product management said:
Numbering this version of Windows as "7" has confused many users, so on October 14, 2008, Nash clarified his earlier remarks, saying:
Bill Gates
, in an interview with Newsweek
, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric." When asked to clarify what he meant, Gates said:
Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements:
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows 7 will not have the kind of compatibility issues with Vista that Vista has with previous versions:
Speaking about Windows 7 on 16 October 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7:
Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be an improved version of Vista.
of Windows 7 was identified as a "Milestone 1 (M1) code drop" according to TG Daily with a version number of 6.1.6519.1. It was sent to key Microsoft partners by January 2008 in both x86 and x86-64
versions. Build 6519 was the first build to have textures of a different taskbar, although nobody knew until recently how to enable the new taskbar. Though not yet commented on by Microsoft
, reviews and screenshots have been published by various sources. The M1 code drop installation comes as either a standalone install or one which requires Windows Vista with Service Pack 1, and creates a dual-boot system. It had the ability to visually pin and unpin items from the Start Menu.
On 20 April 2008, screenshots and videos of a second build of M1 were leaked with a version number of 6.1.6574.1. This build included changes to Windows Explorer as well as a new Windows Health Center.
, Milestone 3 (build 6780) was shipped to Microsoft employees and close partners in the week of 7 September 2008. Described as visually and functionally similar to Windows Vista by Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet and Stephen Chapman of UX Evangelist, some bundled applications in Milestone 3 now use a ribbon interface
similar to that of Office 2007.
Many applications that had been integrated into previous versions of Windows have been removed, including Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Meeting Space, Movie Maker, and Photo Gallery and are available as downloads in the Windows Live
Wave 3 beta release. WinFuture.de later leaked 192 images of Windows 7 build 6780. Windows 7 build 6780 Enterprise Edition has since been leaked to the public.
(PDC). It has since been leaked to bittorrent networks. It features an enhanced taskbar similar to the one in build 6933 although it is disabled by default. An unofficial patch has been released to enable the new taskbar and other hidden features in build 6801. The glass window borders in Windows 7 build 6801 have a different blending style, making the colors behind them more saturated. This was removed in build 7000. Also, other features that were present in build 6801 have been removed in later builds like Accelerators, RSS-feed wallpapers and Pen and Touch panning.
Microsoft also demonstrated build 6933.winmain.081020-1842 during the PDC, but did not give it to attendees. On 14 November 2008, screenshots of Windows 7 build 6936 were leaked by Winfuture. On 20 November 2008, Microsoft posted screenshots of build 6948 on the Engineering Windows 7 blog. In early December, WinFuture.de leaked screenshots of build 6956, which demonstrated a new bootscreen (since build 6954) and several improvements. At WinHEC in China, screenshots of build 6951 were leaked and an attendee leaked Windows 7 build 6956 x86. Paul Thurrott has posted several screenshots on his website of another build from the 69xx range. On December 10, 2008, Windows 7 build 6936 x64 leaked to the Internet.
On December 23, 2008, screenshots of the Windows 7 beta (build 7000) were leaked. On December 27, the x86 version of Windows 7 Beta build 7000 leaked and quickly spread to torrent sites, and many FTPs. On 5 January 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web.
The Windows 7 Beta was released on January 7, 2009 to TechNet and MSDN subscribers. On January 10, after a short delay due to overwhelming demand, both 32 and 64-bit versions of the Beta were made available to the public until the 10th of February. The build number is 7000.winmain_win7beta.081212-1400. Existing installations of the beta continued to operate until August 1, 2009 with bi-hourly shutdowns beginning July 1.
had been updated to RC1, a few new icons, new animation effects for Windows Desktop Gadgets with new icons and changes to Paint and a faster setup process. The build was completed on January 15, 2009.
A 64-bit build 7048 was leaked on March 2, 2009 and the 32-bit build 7048 was leaked on March 6. One notable change of this build was that users now had the ability to turn off functionality of various Windows features, like Internet Explorer, Windows Search, and Windows Media Player via the Control Panel. Ars Technica did a roundup of some of the visual UI changes between build 7000 and 7048 and ZDNet managed to do some performance tests showing build 7048 was superior to build 7000.
On February 26, 2009, Microsoft announced 36 major user-visible changes to Windows 7 since the Beta. On March 6, 2009, Microsoft announced that users would have the ability to turn off even more features than in Windows Vista. Some programs users would be able to turn off included Windows Media Player
, Windows Media Center
, Internet Explorer 8, Windows Search
, and the Windows Gadget Platform.
On March 11, 2009, build 7057 x86 was leaked and on March 13, 2009, the x64 version was leaked. Build 7057 was compiled on March 5, 2009.
Build 7068 was compiled on March 21, 2009, and was available to select Microsoft Connect testers. On March 27, 2009, build 7068 x86 was leaked and on March 28, 2009, the x64 version was leaked. Cnet journalist Rory Gee noted on a significant decrease of system resources to use build 7068.
On April 7, 2009, the 32-bit version of build 7077, an RC escrow build, was leaked. and the x64 version was leaked two days later, on April 9, 2009.
The Windows Team Blog announced on April 24, 2009 that the Release Candidate would be available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers on April 30 and to the public on May 5. The release candidate was also reportedly given to OEM partners and TAP gold testers.
The Release Candidate, build 7100.0.winmain_win7rc.090421-1700 was leaked to popular file sharing networks in both x86 and x64 editions on April 24, 2009.
On Thursday, August 20, 2009, the Windows 7 Release Candidate download was removed from Microsoft's website. Product keys for the Release Candidate were available until October 21, 2009.
On March 1, 2010, computers running Windows 7 Release Candidate started shutting down bihourly, and on June 1 the release candidate expired.
On May 26, an update with 31 languages was available to download through Windows Update.
Build 7127.0.winmain.090507-1820, built on May 7, 2009, is available to selected Microsoft Connect testers. The 32-bit and 64-bit versions of this build were also leaked to torrent sites on May 14, 2009.
Build 7137.0.winmain.090521-1745, built on May 21, 2009, leaked on May 28 in both x86 and x64 versions.
Build 7201, built on June 1, 2009, leaked on June 3 in both x86 and x64 versions.
Build 7229.0.winmain.090604-1901, built on June 4, 2009, leaked on June 11 in both x86 and x64 versions. Language packs for the build are also available on torrent sites.
Build 7231.0.winmain.090608-1900, built on June 8, 2009, leaked on June 11 in x86 VHD format.
Build 7232.0.winmain.090610-1900, built on June 10, 2009, leaked on June 14 in x64 VHD format. Unlike previously leaked builds, this build has a new wallpaper that replaces the betta
fish wallpaper, which was the default wallpaper in the Beta and Release Candidate.
Build 7260.0.win7_rtm.090612-2110, built on June 12, 2009, leaked on June 17 in x86 VHD format.
Build 7264.0.win7_rtm.090622-1900, built on June 22, 2009, leaked on June 30, 2009 in both x86 and x64 versions. Language packs for the build are also available on torrent sites.
copy of Windows 7 Ultimate build 7600, reportedly given to Lenovo. The disc image contained the crucial boot.wim file given to PC manufacturers to pre-activate PCs at the factory. The file contains both the OEM activation certificate and the product key.
In a recent blog post, however, Genuine Windows director Alex Kochis stated that the product key is indeed valid but will only activate PCs from the original manufacturer it has been given to. Kochis went on to say that anti-piracy technologies built into the operating system would detect copies activated with the leaked OEM certificate and product key as non-genuine and would notify the customer that they are running a possibly counterfeit copy of Windows.
It has already been proven however, that the product key and certificate are able to activate Windows 7 build 7600 on many different PC brands. It is not clear however, if copies of Windows installed this way will pass Microsoft's Genuine Advantage check if the product key is blacklisted. If so, OEMs will be forced to recollect PCs manufactured, installed and activated with the key and install different keys.
Since August 16, 2009, Windows 7 is available to Microsoft Certified and Gold Certified Partners, followed by Microsoft Action Pack subscribers on August 23. Microsoft has also announced that companies which have a contract with Software Assurance may acquire Windows 7 when it became available for volume licensing on September 1, 2009. Windows 7 was released to consumers on October 22, 2009.
Language Packs for Windows 7 RTM are available via Windows Update since August 25, 2009.
Build 7227.0.winmain_sp.090602-2110, built on June 2, 2009, was leaked on June 9 in x86 VHD formats.
Build 7230.0.winmain_sp.090607-2000, built on June 7, 2009, is the last known Service Pack 1 build prior to the RTM release.
Build 7601.16485.winmain_sp.100114-1500, built on January 14, 2010, is the final Service Pack 1 build in the winmain_sp branch.
Build 7601.16518.100302-1530, built on March 2, 2010, is the pre-beta build for Service Pack 1.
Build 7601.17077.100813-0322, v.693, built on August 13, 2010, is the Beta refresh release for Service Pack 1 and the new internet browser made by Microsoft
is Internet Explorer 9
.
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
was released. Milestone 1, Milestone 2, and Milestone 3 were sent to Microsoft's partners in 2008. In October 2008, Microsoft gave build 6801 to PDC attendees and a public beta was released in January 2009.
The release candidate was available from April 30, 2009 for MSDN and Technet subscribers, and was released to the public on May 5, 2009. The final build of Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009; Technet and MSDN subscribers were able to download it on August 6. On October 22, the operating system was made generally available for public purchase.
History
In 2000, Microsoft was planning to follow up Windows XPWindows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, and its server counterpart, Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft, introduced on 24 April 2003. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005...
(both codenamed Whistler), with a major new release of Windows, codenamed Blackcomb (both codenames refer to the Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is a major ski resort located 125 km north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. By many measures it is the largest ski resort in North America; it is 50% larger than its nearest competitor in terms of size, has the greatest uphill lift capacity, and until 2009, had...
resort). This new version was, at that time, scheduled for a 2005 release.
Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data, and an advanced storage system named WinFS
WinFS
WinFS is the code name for a cancelled data storage and management system project based on relational databases, developed by Microsoft and first demonstrated in 2003 as an advanced storage subsystem for the Microsoft Windows operating system, designed for persistence and management of...
to enable such scenarios. In this context, a feature mentioned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for Blackcomb was "a pervasive typing line that will recognize the sentence that [the user is] typing in."
Later, Blackcomb was delayed, and an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" (named for the Longhorn Tavern between the resorts), was announced for a 2003 release. By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb, including WinFS
WinFS
WinFS is the code name for a cancelled data storage and management system project based on relational databases, developed by Microsoft and first demonstrated in 2003 as an advanced storage subsystem for the Microsoft Windows operating system, designed for persistence and management of...
, the Desktop Window Manager
Desktop Window Manager
Desktop Window Manager is the window manager in Windows Vista and Windows 7 that enables the Windows Aero graphical user interface and visual theme. The Desktop Window Manager requires video cards supporting DirectX 9.0 and Shader Model 2.0. DWM is not included with Windows Vista Starter edition...
, and new versions of system components built on the .NET Framework
.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
. After the 2003 "Summer of Worms", where three major viruses − Blaster
Blaster (computer worm)
The Blaster Worm was a computer worm that spread on computers running the Microsoft operating systems: Windows XP and Windows 2000, during August 2003....
, Sobig
Sobig (computer worm)
The Sobig Worm was a computer worm that infected millions of Internet-connected, Microsoft Windows computers in August 2003.Although there were indications that tests of the worm were carried out as early as August 2002, Sobig.A was first found in the wild in January 2003. Sobig.B was released on...
, and Welchia − exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold in order to develop new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft, introduced on 24 April 2003. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005...
. Development of Longhorn
Development of Windows Vista
Development of Windows Vista occurred over the span of five and a half years, starting in earnest in May 2001, prior to the release of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system, and continuing until November 2006....
was also "reset" in September 2004.
Naming
As major feature work on Windows Vista wound down in early 2006, Blackcomb was renamed Vienna. However, following the release of Windows VistaWindows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
, it was confirmed by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
on July 20, 2007 that "the internal name for the next version of the Windows Client OS" was Windows 7, a name that had been reported by some sources months before. On October 13, 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system. Mike Nash, Microsoft's vice-president of Windows product management said:
Numbering this version of Windows as "7" has confused many users, so on October 14, 2008, Nash clarified his earlier remarks, saying:
Focus
Microsoft's Ben Fathi stated on 9 February 2007 that the focus of the operating system was still being worked out, and he could only hint at some possibilities:Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, in an interview with Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric." When asked to clarify what he meant, Gates said:
Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements:
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows 7 will not have the kind of compatibility issues with Vista that Vista has with previous versions:
Speaking about Windows 7 on 16 October 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer
Steven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer is an American business magnate. He is the chief executive officer of Microsoft, having held that post since January 2000. , his personal wealth is estimated at US$13.9 billion, ranking number 19 on the Forbes 400.-Early life:Ballmer was born in Detroit, Michigan to...
confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7:
Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be an improved version of Vista.
Milestone 1
Windows 7 Milestone 1 Build 6519 is still very similar to Windows Vista, with only a few changes. For example, Windows Sidebar has been replaced with standalone gadgets. The first known buildSoftware build
In the field of computer software, the term software build refers either to the process of converting source code files into standalone software artifact that can be run on a computer, or the result of doing so...
of Windows 7 was identified as a "Milestone 1 (M1) code drop" according to TG Daily with a version number of 6.1.6519.1. It was sent to key Microsoft partners by January 2008 in both x86 and x86-64
X86-64
x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other...
versions. Build 6519 was the first build to have textures of a different taskbar, although nobody knew until recently how to enable the new taskbar. Though not yet commented on by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, reviews and screenshots have been published by various sources. The M1 code drop installation comes as either a standalone install or one which requires Windows Vista with Service Pack 1, and creates a dual-boot system. It had the ability to visually pin and unpin items from the Start Menu.
On 20 April 2008, screenshots and videos of a second build of M1 were leaked with a version number of 6.1.6574.1. This build included changes to Windows Explorer as well as a new Windows Health Center.
Milestone 2
According to the TG Daily article of 16 January 2008, the Milestone 2 (M2) code drop was at that time scheduled for April or May 2008. A Milestone 2 build was demonstrated at the D6 conference with a build number of 6.1.6589.1.winmain_win7m2.080420-1634. The build had a different taskbar than found in Windows Vista, with, among other features, sections divided into different colors. The host declined to comment on it, stating "I'm not supposed to talk about it now today". The taskbar in Milestone 2 showed the total number of combined windows like Windows XP and Windows Vista, a feature which was removed in the final version of Windows 7.Milestone 3
According to Paul ThurrottPaul Thurrott
Paul Brian Thurrott is a technology reporter, published author, podcaster, and the news editor for Windows IT Pro magazine...
, Milestone 3 (build 6780) was shipped to Microsoft employees and close partners in the week of 7 September 2008. Described as visually and functionally similar to Windows Vista by Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet and Stephen Chapman of UX Evangelist, some bundled applications in Milestone 3 now use a ribbon interface
Ribbon (computing)
In GUI-based application software, a ribbon is an interface where a set of toolbars are placed on tabs in a tab bar. Recent releases of some Microsoft applications have embraced this form with a modular ribbon as their main interface. The Ribbon is a contextual interface that offers functionality...
similar to that of Office 2007.
Many applications that had been integrated into previous versions of Windows have been removed, including Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Meeting Space, Movie Maker, and Photo Gallery and are available as downloads in the Windows Live
Windows Live
Windows Live is the collective brand name for a set of services and software products from Microsoft, part of their software plus services platform. A majority of these services are Web applications, accessible from a browser, but there are also client-side binary applications that require...
Wave 3 beta release. WinFuture.de later leaked 192 images of Windows 7 build 6780. Windows 7 build 6780 Enterprise Edition has since been leaked to the public.
Pre-Beta
On 8 October 2008, screenshots of Windows 7 build 6801 were leaked. On 28 October 2008, Microsoft distributed Pre-Beta build 6801 (also known as the PDC build) x86 and x64 to attendees at its Professional Developers ConferenceProfessional Developers Conference
Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference is a conference for software developers, normally Windows developers.It covers new and upcoming technology from Microsoft, and so only occurs in the years when there is something new to talk about...
(PDC). It has since been leaked to bittorrent networks. It features an enhanced taskbar similar to the one in build 6933 although it is disabled by default. An unofficial patch has been released to enable the new taskbar and other hidden features in build 6801. The glass window borders in Windows 7 build 6801 have a different blending style, making the colors behind them more saturated. This was removed in build 7000. Also, other features that were present in build 6801 have been removed in later builds like Accelerators, RSS-feed wallpapers and Pen and Touch panning.
Microsoft also demonstrated build 6933.winmain.081020-1842 during the PDC, but did not give it to attendees. On 14 November 2008, screenshots of Windows 7 build 6936 were leaked by Winfuture. On 20 November 2008, Microsoft posted screenshots of build 6948 on the Engineering Windows 7 blog. In early December, WinFuture.de leaked screenshots of build 6956, which demonstrated a new bootscreen (since build 6954) and several improvements. At WinHEC in China, screenshots of build 6951 were leaked and an attendee leaked Windows 7 build 6956 x86. Paul Thurrott has posted several screenshots on his website of another build from the 69xx range. On December 10, 2008, Windows 7 build 6936 x64 leaked to the Internet.
Beta
The Windows 7 Beta was released on January 7, 2009 to TechNet and MSDN subscribers. On January 10, after a short delay due to overwhelming demand, both 32 and 64-bit versions of the Beta were made available to the public until the 10th of February. The build number is 7000.winmain_win7beta.081212-1400. Existing installations of the beta continued to operate until August 1, 2009 with bi-hourly shutdowns beginning July 1.
Pre-Release Candidate
On February 8, 2009, build 7022 x86 of Windows 7 was leaked to file sharing sites on the Internet by a Microsoft Ukraine employee. On March 1, 2009, build 7022 x64 was leaked. Reviewers have noted that Internet Explorer 8Internet Explorer 8
Windows Internet Explorer 8 is a web browser developed by Microsoft in the Internet Explorer browser series. The browser was released on March 19, 2009 for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7. Both 32-bit and 64-bit builds are available...
had been updated to RC1, a few new icons, new animation effects for Windows Desktop Gadgets with new icons and changes to Paint and a faster setup process. The build was completed on January 15, 2009.
A 64-bit build 7048 was leaked on March 2, 2009 and the 32-bit build 7048 was leaked on March 6. One notable change of this build was that users now had the ability to turn off functionality of various Windows features, like Internet Explorer, Windows Search, and Windows Media Player via the Control Panel. Ars Technica did a roundup of some of the visual UI changes between build 7000 and 7048 and ZDNet managed to do some performance tests showing build 7048 was superior to build 7000.
On February 26, 2009, Microsoft announced 36 major user-visible changes to Windows 7 since the Beta. On March 6, 2009, Microsoft announced that users would have the ability to turn off even more features than in Windows Vista. Some programs users would be able to turn off included Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
, Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
, Internet Explorer 8, Windows Search
Windows Search
Windows Search is an indexed desktop search platform released by Microsoft for the Windows operating system....
, and the Windows Gadget Platform.
On March 11, 2009, build 7057 x86 was leaked and on March 13, 2009, the x64 version was leaked. Build 7057 was compiled on March 5, 2009.
Build 7068 was compiled on March 21, 2009, and was available to select Microsoft Connect testers. On March 27, 2009, build 7068 x86 was leaked and on March 28, 2009, the x64 version was leaked. Cnet journalist Rory Gee noted on a significant decrease of system resources to use build 7068.
On April 7, 2009, the 32-bit version of build 7077, an RC escrow build, was leaked. and the x64 version was leaked two days later, on April 9, 2009.
Release Candidate
The Release Candidate, build 7100.0.winmain_win7rc.090421-1700 was leaked to popular file sharing networks in both x86 and x64 editions on April 24, 2009.
On Thursday, August 20, 2009, the Windows 7 Release Candidate download was removed from Microsoft's website. Product keys for the Release Candidate were available until October 21, 2009.
On March 1, 2010, computers running Windows 7 Release Candidate started shutting down bihourly, and on June 1 the release candidate expired.
On May 26, an update with 31 languages was available to download through Windows Update.
Pre-Release to manufacturing
On April 12, 2009, build 7106 leaked in both x86 and x64 in the Chinese language. On April 13, Language Packs for 7106 x86 and x64 for the English language were leaked. Build 7106 was compiled before build 7077 from the RC branch.Build 7127.0.winmain.090507-1820, built on May 7, 2009, is available to selected Microsoft Connect testers. The 32-bit and 64-bit versions of this build were also leaked to torrent sites on May 14, 2009.
Build 7137.0.winmain.090521-1745, built on May 21, 2009, leaked on May 28 in both x86 and x64 versions.
Build 7201, built on June 1, 2009, leaked on June 3 in both x86 and x64 versions.
Build 7229.0.winmain.090604-1901, built on June 4, 2009, leaked on June 11 in both x86 and x64 versions. Language packs for the build are also available on torrent sites.
Build 7231.0.winmain.090608-1900, built on June 8, 2009, leaked on June 11 in x86 VHD format.
Build 7232.0.winmain.090610-1900, built on June 10, 2009, leaked on June 14 in x64 VHD format. Unlike previously leaked builds, this build has a new wallpaper that replaces the betta
Betta
Betta is a large genus of small, often colorful, freshwater ray-finned fishes in the gourami family . The type species is B. picta, the spotted betta.By far the best known Betta species, however, is B...
fish wallpaper, which was the default wallpaper in the Beta and Release Candidate.
Build 7260.0.win7_rtm.090612-2110, built on June 12, 2009, leaked on June 17 in x86 VHD format.
Build 7264.0.win7_rtm.090622-1900, built on June 22, 2009, leaked on June 30, 2009 in both x86 and x64 versions. Language packs for the build are also available on torrent sites.
Build 7600.16384
Build 7600.16384.win7_rtm.090710-1945, built on July 10, 2009, leaked on July 12, 2009 in both x86 and x64 versions; a Chinese individual uploaded an OEMOEM
OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
copy of Windows 7 Ultimate build 7600, reportedly given to Lenovo. The disc image contained the crucial boot.wim file given to PC manufacturers to pre-activate PCs at the factory. The file contains both the OEM activation certificate and the product key.
In a recent blog post, however, Genuine Windows director Alex Kochis stated that the product key is indeed valid but will only activate PCs from the original manufacturer it has been given to. Kochis went on to say that anti-piracy technologies built into the operating system would detect copies activated with the leaked OEM certificate and product key as non-genuine and would notify the customer that they are running a possibly counterfeit copy of Windows.
It has already been proven however, that the product key and certificate are able to activate Windows 7 build 7600 on many different PC brands. It is not clear however, if copies of Windows installed this way will pass Microsoft's Genuine Advantage check if the product key is blacklisted. If so, OEMs will be forced to recollect PCs manufactured, installed and activated with the key and install different keys.
Release to manufacturing
The final RTM build of Windows 7 has a build string of 7600.16385.win7_rtm.090713-1255, built on July 13, 2009. It leaked in both x86 and x64 versions. On July 24, 2009 Microsoft released Windows 7 to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers and system builders) online, followed by MSDN and TechNet Subscribers via download and Microsoft Connect on August 6, 2009. Since the next day, August 7, 2009, companies which bought Software Assurance have been able to download Windows 7 RTM.Since August 16, 2009, Windows 7 is available to Microsoft Certified and Gold Certified Partners, followed by Microsoft Action Pack subscribers on August 23. Microsoft has also announced that companies which have a contract with Software Assurance may acquire Windows 7 when it became available for volume licensing on September 1, 2009. Windows 7 was released to consumers on October 22, 2009.
Language Packs for Windows 7 RTM are available via Windows Update since August 25, 2009.
Pre-Beta Service Pack 1
Build 7138.0.winmain_sp.090523-2200, built on May 23, 2009, is the first known Service Pack 1 build. This build belongs to the winmain_sp branch, which incorporates preliminary changes as a Service Pack 1 build.Build 7227.0.winmain_sp.090602-2110, built on June 2, 2009, was leaked on June 9 in x86 VHD formats.
Build 7230.0.winmain_sp.090607-2000, built on June 7, 2009, is the last known Service Pack 1 build prior to the RTM release.
Build 7601.16485.winmain_sp.100114-1500, built on January 14, 2010, is the final Service Pack 1 build in the winmain_sp branch.
Build 7601.16518.100302-1530, built on March 2, 2010, is the pre-beta build for Service Pack 1.
Service Pack 1 Beta
Build 7601.16562.100603-1800, built on June 3, 2010, is the Beta release for Service Pack 1.Build 7601.17077.100813-0322, v.693, built on August 13, 2010, is the Beta refresh release for Service Pack 1 and the new internet browser made by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
is Internet Explorer 9
Internet Explorer 9
Windows Internet Explorer 9 is the current version of the Internet Explorer web browser from Microsoft. It was released to the public on March 14, 2011 at 21:00 PDT. Internet Explorer 9 supports several CSS 3 properties, embedded ICC v2 or v4 color profiles support via Windows Color System, and...
.
Service Pack 1 Release Candidate
Build 7601.17105.100929-1730, built on September 29, 2010, is the RC release for Service Pack 1.Service Pack 1 Pre-RTM
Build 7601.17125.101210-1930, v.741; compiled on December 10, 2010 was leaked on December 28, 2010.Service Pack 1 RTM
On February 9, 2011, Microsoft officially released the final release (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to OEM partners. As of February 16th Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 have been available for MSDN and TechNet Subscribers as well as Volume License customers. As of February 22nd, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 has been generally available for download via the Microsoft Download Center and available on Windows Update. It has a version number of "6.1.7601.17514.101119-1850".See also
- Development of Windows 98Development of Windows 98Development of Windows 98 was done by Microsoft in the 1990s, initially using the codename "Memphis" to refer to the product. Many builds were released or leaked, starting with build 1351 on 15 December 1996 and ending with Windows 98 Second Edition....
- Development of Windows XPDevelopment of Windows XPDevelopment of Windows XP started in 1999 in the form of Windows Neptune. Windows XP was developed for 18 months, from December 1999 to August 2001, and was released on October 25, 2001.-Neptune and Odyssey:...
- Development of Windows VistaDevelopment of Windows VistaDevelopment of Windows Vista occurred over the span of five and a half years, starting in earnest in May 2001, prior to the release of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system, and continuing until November 2006....
- History of Microsoft WindowsHistory of Microsoft WindowsIn 1983, Microsoft announced the development of Windows, a graphical user interface for its own operating system , which had shipped for IBM PC and compatible computers since 1981...