Although you’ll still be able to squeeze a couple more months out of your Windows 7  RC (end date scheduled for 1st June this year), the end is most certainly on its way. Reminders every 4 hours started on the 15th February, which will in time be reduced to a reminder every hour, and auto shutdowns every 2 hours as of this month.

The Windows Vista tried and proven warning is back with a vengeance, with pretty bleek consequences for those who don’t heed it. As of the 1st of June that means literally “lights out” for all RC users, displaying  a black desktop on start-up, no access to file systems and a reminder that the current software is invalid. This is also complemented by having to restart the computer every 2 hours – lovely!

The solution – buy a copy of Windows 7! Unfortunately, RC can’t be upgraded smotthly to a full version of Windows 7 directly, so a new installation is practically unavoidable. Microsoft has released info regarding a potential upgrade installation, however stresses that this is far from 100% tested, meaning no support should things go pear-shaped.

Agreed, the whole new installation process is undesirable, but far better and more professional than having to ‘get by’ on a beta version. One thing is certain, with the full version of Windows 7 you get what you pay for, system stability, support and full functionality.