Download Windows 7 RC from a trusted source – via Microsoft –and avoid peer to Peer and save yourself the security risk

As I recommended today, friends don’t let friends download bad things from peer to peer. So wait until the official downloads to the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 are available.

As noted online today, the Windows 7 RC posted today (April 30th) for TechNet and MSDN subscribers. Materials provided here include info on the official press release, Q&A and more. Learn what’s new in the release candidate and hear from Microsoft partners about how they’re preparing today for Windows 7.

• Press Release: Windows 7 Release Candidate Is Available From Microsoft – April 30, 2009


• Q&A: Helping Small Businesses With Windows 7 Professional and Windows XP Mode – April 28, 2009


• Windows 7 Virtual Pressroom: Videos, Screenshots, Press Materials

MSDN and TechNet subscribers can get the bits at http://technet.microsoft.com. Broader public availability will begin May 5 on the Microsoft Download Center at http://microsoft.com/downloads.

A personal note: please don’t use P2P to get Windows 7 Release Candidate, as has been noted in the in the news. See this page for info on getting bits from Microsoft http://bit.ly/uJATN. As Roger Halbheer (in his blog on Security) offers reasons why you should not use P2P Windows 7 Builds…

“… I refrain from downloading it from any of the untrusted sources. The reason for this is pretty simple: You never know (and it is illegal).

“Years back (and I have told this story over and over again) we ran an event where we fixed PCs of consumers for free for a whole week. Pretty often, when we found an infected machine, we found P2P software on it. When we talked to the person owning the PC he/she usually told us the “my son/daughter installed that and uses it”. We know that P2P is one of the most dangerous source of malware.

“Read now, what happens with Windows 7: Leaked Windows 7 RC torrents infected with trojan“

Plan accordingly. And please remember to back up your files before installing the RC.

Tags: articles, blogs, Windows 7.