14 DAY TRIAL // Both the 32-bit and the 64-bit flavors of a post-Beta Build of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) have now been leaked in the wild. It all started at the beginning of October 2010 when the first report of Windows 7 SP1 Build 7601.17104 was published.
At that time, a third-party source was claiming that Microsoft was very close to wrapping up the first Release Candidate development milestone of Windows 7 SP1.
In this regard, Build 7601.17104 is reportedly the RC-Escrow which means that the software giant is indeed close to moving beyond the Beta, and that it is simply making sure that the Build which will be offered as RC meets quality standards and does not include regression issues.
Last week, the 32-bit version of Windows 7 SP1 pre-RC Build 7601.17104 was leaked and made available for download in the wild through torrent trackers.
Sources indicated that the Build was a Chinese localized version of Windows 7, and some screenshots also emerged proving that the release was genuine.
Now it appears that the 64-bit flavor of Windows 7 SP1 pre-RC Build 7601.17104 also found its way to various illegal download sources.
And as it was the case with the x86 version, the x64 release is also in Chinese. It appears that the ISO image that’s made its way into the wild is the same download that the Redmond company provided users through Microsoft Connect, essentially the slipstream version of Windows 7 SP1 Build 7601.17104.
Microsoft has yet to confirm the validity of Build 7601.17104, and most probably never will.
The company is targeting the first half of 2011 for the general availability of Windows 7 SP1. In this context, it would be right about time for the software giant to provide the RC development milestone for the first Windows 7 upgrade.
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta are available for download here.