Microsoft has just barely released its latest Windows client to the general public and leaks of the operating system have already started to emerge in the wild. Pirated copies of Windows 7 have hit the download tubes since the platform was still in development, from various illegal third-party sources, including torrent trackers and warez websites. Only one day after the worldwide general availability deadline, a different type of leak has emerged. The direct download link for the 32-bit (x86) flavor of the Windows 7 Professional edition has reportedly been leaked.

Sources (I will not provide a link because of obvious reasons) reveal that the Windows 7 direct download links available make it possible for users to bypass all mitigations set in place by the Redmond company and one of its online distribution partners, and download the genuine copy of the operating system just as a normal consumer that purchases the product online would be able to.

In all fairness, the leaked direct download links for Windows 7 don’t come from Microsoft, but rather from the servers of a Redmond company partner, Digital River. Back in 2006, Microsoft and Digital River inked an e-commerce service agreement focused on Windows Marketplace for the online distribution of Windows and Office products. The Windows 7 direct download links come from a Digital River server used for the delivery of the operating system to customers that purchase the product online and that subsequently choose to download it to their machines.

What the leaked links offer is three files, Win7-P-Retail-en-us-x86.exe, setup1.box and setup2.box. Obviously this is a setup installer, and customers would need all three files in order to obtain a full copy of Windows 7. The executable is designed to extract the contents of a Windows 7 DVD into a folder on the customer’s computer, but just as the files sit on the media shipped by Microsoft, and not as an ISO image.

Microsoft Windows 7 90-Day Eval VHD is available for download here.
Another Windows 7 RTM Enterprise 90-Day Evaluation is available for download here.