14 DAY TRIAL // As many of you know, I tracked closely the evolution of Windows 7 since the earliest development milestones and until the RTM build. And now that Windows 7 has been released to manufacturing, it was clear to me that all the work done covering the operating system since 2008 deserved a “one article to rule them all.” Drum roll... Just one piece of advice, prepare to scroll, because you will need to. What will you be able to see? Well, all major development milestones of Windows 7. In this regard, there are three stages in the evolution of the latest iteration of the Windows client, the Milestone releases, Beta and post-Beta, and Release Candidate ending with the RTM.
In all fairness, the Windows 7 journey started after Windows Vista shipped, but the public only got a small taste in early 2008. At that time, the first builds were kept under a tight lid, and the little details that made it into the wild revealed an operating system not that distinct from its precursor Windows Vista. In fact, this was the primary argument critics used to call “fake” on all the leaked details of the early stages of Windows 7, that it was too much Vista for its own good, and certainly too much to be Windows 7. They were of course proved wrong.
In less than three years since the general availability of Windows XP's successor, Microsoft has wrapped and will release Windows 7 to the public, despite clinching for dear life to an illusory January 2010 GA, which fooled nobody, for quite some time. Under Steven Sinofsky, now president, Windows Division, Windows 7 moved from Beta to RTM in well under a year. But let's go back to the beginnings, shall we?
Windows 7 Milestone 1, 2 and 3
In January 2008, the first reports of Windows 7 Milestone 1 Build 6.1.6519.1 leaked. Neither details, screenshots, nor even a video of Build 6.1.6519.1.x86.fre.winmain.071220-1525 were capable of completely dispelling the skepticism that M1 was nothing more than an elaborate prank, with Windows Vista hiding behind the scenes.
It was Windows 7 Milestone 2 Build 6574.1 that made clear the intimate connection between Windows 7 (6.1) and Windows Vista (6.0). In fact Build 6519.1.x86.fre.winmain.071220-1525 was the first one that leaked outside of Redmond and was made available for download at scale by various third-party sources. What did users get? Well, pretty much Vista. The installer said Windows Vista, the graphical user interface was Vista's Aero, the features screamed Vista, only a few details such as winver and the build string screen watermark, along with the feedback channels revealed that it was in fact Windows 7.
October 13, 2008 is not a date to forget, and has more than won its right to be mentioned. This was the day when Mike Nash, corporate vice president, Windows Product Management, announced that codename Windows 7 would be officially branded as Windows 7. What followed were Builds 6801 and 6956 and the Professional Developer Conference 2008.
Windows 7 Build 6801 was Milestone 3 and the release that was served to PDC08 participants. Its strongest asset was the focus on providing developers with all the APIs (application programming interfaces) necessary for them to start building Windows 7-tailored applications. At the start of November 2008, Microsoft also released Build 6801 to hardware manufacturers. However, at that time, the company was already demonstrating Windows 7 Build 6956, which was as close to Beta as possible, and even featured all the Windows 7-specific eye candy, Windows Aero, the Superbar, Thumbnail Previews, Aero Peek, Aero Snap, etc.
Windows 7 Beta Build 7000
By the end of December 2008 Microsoft had wrapped up Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 and had begun serving the operating system to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Windows 7 Beta Build 6.1.7000.0.081212-1400 was announced at CES 2009, and soon after made available for download to the public, in the first half of January. The sheer traffic volume of users attempting to grab what was initially planned as a limited public Beta made Microsoft push back the delivery deadline and adapt its server infrastructure to cope with demand.
Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 has reached end of life today, August 1st, 2009. The installer now said Windows 7, although bits and pieces were still pointing to Windows Vista, but the development milestone featured all the bells and whistles of Windows 7, with the mention that Microsoft was still holding back some features for a future release. The aces up Microsoft's sleeve proved to be Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. With Build 7000 available, the Redmond company started making its way toward the first and only Release Candidate.
Windows 7 Build 7022
In February 2009, Microsoft was starting to gather feedback from Beta users and tweak the operating system in accordance. It was a time when tester input mingled with the company's own plans to add the full set of features and capabilities that would end up defining the RC. Sure enough, there was a number of minor changes, but nothing of the size of the next Build.
Windows 7 Build 7048
Build 7048, released in March 2009, wasn't yet a turning point for the operating system. But it was very close, right on the verge. In fact, it took Microsoft just a few more interim builds and several days later, it was making a consistent move from Beta to RC. It was in Build 7048 that Microsoft started to allow end users to enable or disable Internet Explorer 8 completely via the Turn Windows Features On or Off.
Windows 7 Build 7057 This was the big one. In the evolution of Windows 7 from Beta to RC, Build 7057 is the milestone that was clearly more Release Candidate than Beta. Microsoft brought to the table a variety of changes to the operating system, affecting all aspects of the platform. The comprehensive collection of modifications was rivaling the changes from Milestone 3 to Beta, and it was clear that RC was getting closer and closer. This was the build when Microsoft offered for the first time the final selection of default back images for Windows 7.
Both Windows 7 Build 7068 and 7077 were preceding the fully fledged Release Candidate of the operating system, and in this regard, Microsoft had toned down the volume of changes. Testers of course continued to hunt for even the most minor tweaks to the OS. But, by April 2009, all that the Redmond company was doing was soften the rough corners of its upcoming release.
Windows 7 Build 7068
Windows 7 Build 7077
Windows 7 Release Candidate and Build 7106
Officially launched in May 2009, but leaked since late April, Windows 7 Release Candidate Build 7100 was a strong signal that the operating system was complete and that it was heading for general availability at a fast pace. Windows 7 RC Build 6.1.7100.0.winmain_win7rc .090421-1700 continues to be available for download from Microsoft even at this point in time, and it will be up for grabs until August 20. This was the moment when Microsoft announced the Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode features kept secret since the Beta release.
But at the same time, it was clear that Microsoft was by no means wasting time. Even before it had released RC Build 7100 to the general public, the company had offered Build 7106, the first out of the RTM-branch to testers, only to have it leaked in the wild. The software giant was spearing no effort to get Windows 7 RTM'd as soon as possible. And, in fact, as announced in 2008, Windows 7 would be finalized by the end of the summer of 2009.
Windows 7 Build 7106:
Windows 7 Build 7127 and 7137 Since with the Release Candidate, Windows 7 was feature-complete, subsequent builds only delivered fine-tuned milestones of the operating system. With many releases, no visible changes reverberated to the surface of the platform. Looking back, it's obvious that Microsoft was on the final yards with Windows 7, but as interim build leaked one by one, testers were digging for changes, and hoping to see more new additions to the client. It wasn't meant to be. 7137 was released at the end of May 2009, and it was to be the last 71xx build.
In June, Windows 7's build strings made a jump all the way past 7200 to 7201. Speculation started circulating that 7300 would be the RTM milestone of Windows 7, which of course wasn't the case. But it was at this time that Microsoft confirmed publicly that Windows 7 would become generally available on October 22nd, 2009. As far as the release to manufacturing deadline went, the company indicated the second half of July, and it lived up to its promise, as it signed-off Windows 7 on July 22nd, three months before GA.
Windows 7 pre-RTM Builds 7227, 7229, 7231
To this day, Microsoft has failed to confirm, deny, let alone explain why Windows 7 Build 7227 included Service Pack 1. But it did, the build, which just as 7229 and 7231 was leaked, indicated that it already contained the first service pack for an operating system that was yet to be released to manufacturing. Of course, with Windows 7 still in development, even though feature-complete, the best explanation is also the simplest, Microsoft was simply testing the integration of SP1. Nothing more, nothing less. And not necessarily SP1 per se, as the integration mechanism. Maybe the company will someday explain Windows 7 pre-RTM Build 7227 with SP1, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Windows 7 Build 7260
Windows 7 Build 7260 could still be activated with the Beta and RC product keys from Microsoft, but at the same time, it no longer featured the betta fish wallpaper. However, it instead sported the Harmony background, which is a consistent proof of the proximity RTM. At the same time, the End User License Agreement no longer made any mention of the development stage, providing confirmation that RTM was close. And indeed it was. In just a month, Microsoft would have released Windows 7 to manufacturing.
7264 was the last build before the big jump to the build string that would be synonymous with Windows 7 RTM, namely 7600. By now it was early July, and speculation was growing rampant that Microsoft would wrap up Windows 7 on July 13th, and not later. The Windows 7 box designs had already been made public, the pricing details were already published, the Windows 7 Free Upgrade Option Program kick-started, discounted upgrade copies of Windows 7 were available for pre-ordering, Home Premium for $49.99 and Professional for $99.99, for customers in select markets. And Windows 7 was still making its way to RTM.
Close but not close enough! But by all means, superbly close! It was a time when Microsoft still wouldn't reveal the specific RTM deadline of Windows 7, funny enough just days before the RTM. There were no more changes, no more additions, there was nothing new. Just the silence before RTM.
Yes, Windows 7 was finally complete. Or at least confirmed as signed-off, although the code for Windows 7 Build 7600.16385 had been compiled earlier in July. The end of the past month has seen the RTM code for Windows 7 ship to original-equipment manufactures, and the first OEM crack for the operating system released in the wild, and tackled by Microsoft. On August 6th, 2009, Microsoft will release Windows 7 RTM to Independent Hardware vendors, Independent Software vendors, MSDN and TechNet subscribers. The general public is scheduled to get the bits come October 22nd, 2009.
