14 DAY TRIAL // Users that so far have failed to grab free Windows Vista Enterprise straight from Microsoft, are bound to have a harder time tracking down and downloading a copy of the operating system. The Redmond company has silently taken down the download pages for the pair of offerings that went live back in 2007 containing pre-configured versions of Windows Vista Enterprise designed for evaluation purposes. One of the downloads was set up to offer the plain vanilla Enterprise edition of the latest Windows client, while the other enabled users to also evaluate Office 2007 Profession in addition to the Vista Enterprise SKU. But even without the pages of the two products, downloads of the free Windows Vista Enterprise RTM editions continue to be available.
Microsoft Windows Vista 30-Day Eval VHD and Microsoft Office 2007 Professional VHD are no longer accessible through their respective Microsoft Download pages, although a memento continues to be offered via the Google cache (here and here). The last time Microsoft Windows Vista 30-Day Eval VHD was updated was 7/2/2007, while Microsoft Office 2007 Professional VHD was refreshed last on 11/5/2007.
Microsoft Windows Vista 30-Day Eval VHD - "this download comes as a pre-configured VHD. This download enables you evaluate Microsoft Windows Vista. For organizations with complex desktop infrastructures, whether large or small, Windows Vista Enterprise is the operating system designed specifically to help realize a better return on IT investments. In this VHD, you'll have the opportunity to road-test new and improved features including management (e.g. MUI, BDD, etc?) usability (e.g. Search, Navigation, etc?) and security (UAC, Windows Defender, etc?), enhancements to the Windows Vista platform," reads the description of the download from the Redmond giant.
Similarly, the software company stated on the Microsoft Office 2007 Professional VHD - "test Drive two new Microsoft platforms, Windows Vista Enterprise and Office 2007 Professional, and experience how they work better together. This VHD contains both the 30 day edition of Windows Vista Enterprise Edition and an evaluation of Office 2007 Professional which includes Publisher, Excel, Outlook, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, and Word. See how with these new platforms can simplify how people work together, find information and improve business insight, help protect and manage content, and reduce IT costs and improve security. Test drive today to experience how Windows Vista and Office 2007 work better together!"
But what is important to note is that while the Vista Enterprise RTM VHD pages are no longer active, although the company's similar Virtual Hard Disk images are up and running with no problems, the actual downloads have not been discontinued. In fact, via the links at the bottom of this article you will still be able to get both VHDs straight from Microsoft's servers. The Redmond giant has said nothing on the matter at hand, and failed to indicate if it is working to make available updated versions of the Vista Enterprise VHDs but featuring the Service Pack 1 build of the operating system.
For the time being only the RTM version of Vista Enterprise can still be grabbed, with the mention that of course VHD automatically implies that the image will have to be run inside a virtualization solution from Microsoft such as Virtual PC 2007 or Virtual Server. Both VHDs will permit end users to test drive the elusive Vista Enterprise, normally available only to Software Assurance customers, as a guest operating system inside a virtual machine for 30-days, since the images are time-bombed.
Microsoft Windows Vista 30-Day Eval VHD is available for download via this link. Microsoft Office 2007 Professional VHD is available for download via this link.