First Look at Windows 7 Release Candidate

I’ve just downloaded and installed Microsoft Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC)  on my laptop, and I’m happy to report that it was quick, easy and I’m loving it! I installed the beta when it was first released, and even for a beta release it was surprisingly not buggy at all.  Given that, I was excited to get the RC up and running.  Although I’ve only been running through it for a few hours, I want to give you a quick how-to guide, my experience with installing my “must have” applications and my overall initial impressions.

How To Install Windows 7 RC

1. Go to the official Microsoft Windows 7 download site and scroll down to the bottom of the page.  You can download a 32-bit version or a 64-bit version.  If you don’t know which one to do, chances are you want the 32-bit version.  Select your language from the drop down menu and click “go”.  Warning: DO NOT download Windows 7 from a torrent site, the popular release has a trojan in it.
2. Sign in with your Windows Live ID.  If you don’t have one, go through the sign up process, you have to do this to download the software.  I would recommend doing all of this in Internet Explorer, it’s actually much easier (given that it’s a MSFT product) to use the built in download program, which you will be prompted to install.  Say yes.  Then, download the software. Make sure you print out your unique CD key (or at the very least write it down) when it is given to you, you will need this later.
3. The download will come as an ISO.  You need to be able to burn an ISO image to a DVD, if you don’t know how to do this, here is a pretty easy step by step guide.
4. Insert the newly burned disc into the computer you want to install Windows 7 RC on.  I strongly advice a clean install, which means all of your files (pictures, emails, everything) will be wiped clean, so make sure that you have backed up your files ahead of time.  If you want to sync your files with other computers, or just have a convenient cloud-based method of file storage, I strongly recommend signing up for and using DropBox. 
5. Follow the prompts.  All in all, there are very few decisions that need to be made during the install.  I strongly recommend a clean install, so about the third decision screen, select “Custom (advanced)” as opposed to “Upgrade”.  Then select the partition/disc that you will be installed to.  Once you do that you only have a couple of other decisions to make, like what you want your username to be, and the name of your computer.  I found the installation to be incredibly simple, and of course I’m able to change things that Iwant to change once the install is complete.  Bonus points for a prompt asking me if I want to connect to a wireless network during the install, that was very helpful and saved a couple of steps after it was complete.

Installation of Applications

Naturally I want to be able to work with my most used applications and services on my new install, so here is a report of how my installations went.  If you experience joy or pain with anything that you use while trying to install it on Windows 7 RC, please leave a note in the comments so we can all be aware of it.

• Dropbox.  If you dropped files in here from your backup, you’re going to want to retrieve them.  No problems with install. 
• 

  There is a trick to getting Chrome to work in the 64-bit version of Windows 7

  Chrome.  This is a little trickier…if you want it to work in the 64-bit version of Windows 7 you have to do a little tweak.  I’m not sure if you need this in the 32-bit, but I doubt it.  Once you have installed Chrome, you need to modify the shortcut else it will launch as a blank page every time.  To do this, right-click on the desktop icon and choose “Properties”.  Navigate to the “Shortcut” tab and add ” –in-process-plugins” (without the quotes) to the end of the “Target” line, then click apply.  If you get a warning, you didn’t type it correctly.  Once you no longer get a warning, try launching Chrome.  It should not be blank anymore.

• Tweetdeck.  Naturally this was the first thing I installed.  From the website for the download I had to do a quick install of Adobe Flash, which went off without a hitch.  Then after downloading Tweetdeck, both Adobe Air and Tweetdeck installed without problems.
• Office 12 (Enterprise 2007).  I installed from the disc and then downloaded and installed Service Pack 2, all without problems.  
•  Firefox.  No problems at all.
• Adobe Photoshop CS3.  Installed without issues.
• Adobe Dreamweaver CS3. Installed without issues.
• CuteFTP Pro.  Installed without issues.
• Skype.  Installed without issues.
• Google Talk.  Installed without issues.

Those are my “must have” applications, certainly there are more to come. Again, if you have problems installing anything on Windows 7 I would love it if you would leave a comment, maybe we can look for work arounds or patches.

Initial Impressions

I’ve been running the beta version of Windows 7 for some time, so I don’t have the starry-eyed view of the OS now as I did when I first saw it, but nonetheless it is impressive.  The startup time is much faster than Vista and XP, and the organization of the navigation bar at the bottom is spectacular.  The particular laptop that I put this on is robust (4GB RAM, great processor) but isn’t ridiculously beefed up, so I’m pleased that it worked so well with the system.  The compatibility with so much software that I already have is a real plus for me, it even worked fine with the Sony Ericsson X1i that I am using as a mobile this week.  

The Terms of Service state that the software will be valid until June 10, 2010 which is incredible!  Allowing me to run this up to that point is generous I think, but no doubt I will be installing the real deal when it is released.

If you have a reasonably new computer and want to give Windows 7 a try, this release candidate seems like a great opportunity.  The warning from Microsoft (and from me) is that you shouldn’t install this on your primary home or business computer as it is only a release candidate.  Truth be told, however…I’m probably going to do that very thing after running it on my laptop for a week and making sure this is nothing major that I should be avoiding.  If you download and install, let me know what you think of it!

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