14 DAY TRIAL // If you think that the Windows 7 free ride is over with the October 22nd, 2009 General Availability deadline approaching fast, think again. Microsoft has made available for download yet another free release of the latest iteration of the Windows client. Customers looking to test drive Windows 7 RTM ahead of GA, now have a new option available from the Microsoft Download Center. The Microsoft Windows 7 90-Day Eval VHD offers a feature complete and fully functional copy of Windows Vista’s successor, packaged as a virtual hard disk image designed to be run inside a virtual machine.
“This download helps you evaluate the new features of Windows 7, Windows 7 has better ways to find and manage files—like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews—to help you speed through everyday tasks. It's designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. With 64-bit support, you can take full advantage of the latest powerful PCs. And great features like HomeGroup, Windows Media Center, and Windows Touch make new things possible,” reads an excerpt from the overview accompanying the download.
Because the free Windows 7 copy has been packaged as a VHD Virtual Hard Disk file, it will play nice with all of the virtualization products from Microsoft, including client-side solutions such as Windows Virtual PC. However, users will not be able to get the full Windows 7 experience on client-side virtualization solutions from Microsoft, simply because even Windows Virtual PC disables Aero and doesn’t support 64-bit (x64) host platforms. This is why Microsoft recommends that customers testing the Windows 7 VHD be running Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V R2, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2.
Specifically, the Windows 7 90-Day Eval VHD contains a virtual hard disk image with a copy of Windows 7 Enterprise edition, the equivalent of the Ultimate SKU, installed and pre-configured. “Guidelines on usage: You have 10 days to activate the product. If not activated within 10 days, the system will shut down once every hour until activated. The 90-day Trial is the full working version of the Windows 7 Enterprise, the version most of you will be working with in your corporate environment. It will not require a product key (it is embedded with the download). The 90-day Trial will shut down once every hour when you have reached the end of the 90-day evaluation period. The 90-day Trial is offered for a limited time and in limited quantity. The OS activation will be available through March 31, 2010, while supplies last,” Microsoft noted.
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.