Microsoft is offering support to testers of Windows 7 when it comes down to issues associated with the integration of NTFS external drives with the operating system. In this context, a refresh is now available on Windows Update (WU), designed to smooth out the experience of using a NTFS external drive coupled with Microsoft's next iteration of the Windows client. The Redmond company failed to reveal the specific problems that the update was designed to resolve, but it did indicate that, following implementation, the refresh would deliver a superior experience when it came down to using external NTFS drive in Windows 7 Pre-Beta.

“An update to improve the reliability and operation of an external NTFS drive. After you install this update, you may have to restart your computer. This update is provided and licensed to you under the Windows 7 Pre-Release License Terms,” Microsoft informed.

KB958456 is not the only update Microsoft has delivered for Windows 7. Even if Windows Vista's successor is in the pre-Beta development stage, what the software giant is referring to as Milestone 3, Microsoft is tending to its product. At the start of this month, for example, Microsoft released the first security update for Windows 7. Security bulletin MS08-067 is designed to patch a Critical vulnerability in Server Service also impacting Windows 7, in addition to Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3.

Windows 7 pre-Beta was made available to participants at the Professional Developers Conference 2008 and the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference 2008 in Los Angeles. This year's PDC and WinHEC attendees received both the 32-bit and the 64-bit editions of Windows 7 Ultimate. However, as soon as the operating system was made available out of Redmond and the company's limited pool of close partners, the pre-Beta Build 6801 bits were leaked and made available for download via torrent websites.