14 DAY TRIAL // Get ready to update Windows 7 Beta Build 7000. The first public Beta of the next iteration of the Windows client became available for download at the start of 2009, with Microsoft applauding millions of downloads. As the company has moved onward with the development process, and started focusing on Builds in the Release Candidate branch, it is incorporating the feedback from Build 7000 into upcoming milestones. But the software giant is not relying entirely on Windows 7 Beta testers to test drive the operating system. An illustrative example of Microsoft’s strategy will come on February 24th, 2009, when a series of updates will be made available for Win 7. Users should understand that the updates are designed exclusively to test the Windows Update infrastructure and the WU components in Windows 7, and should not start looking for any changes in the platform's architecture.
“We will be offering some test updates to Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) computers,” revealed a member of the Microsoft Update team. “We do typically verify update scenarios during a Beta, and releasing these test updates will help ensure that when we need to release real updates, the process will run smoothly. There will be at most five updates. These updates test the Windows 7 servicing infrastructure. They will not deliver any new features or fixes.”
Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 went live on January 10, 2009. To this point in time Microsoft has failed to reveal the actual number of downloads, but the company did inform that it has registered millions of installs, and that the Send Feedback button is being hit once every 15 seconds. The updates coming on February 24 are meant to further test Windows 7, with the software giant indicating that the pseudo-refreshes will be offered interactively.
“This means that users will be notified of available updates, but they won’t install automatically. Users will need to go to the Windows Update control panel and manually start installation. They will also be clearly titled as a test update. If you don’t want to install the updates then you can right click on each update and select “Hide update” to prevent it from being shown in the list of available updates,” the MU team member added.