Windows 7 FAQ

With Windows Vista finally behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the next Windows client release, Windows 7. (Microsoft had used other code-names, like "Vienna" and "Windows Seven," to describe this product in the past. Clearly, what's needed is a central location for accurate information about Windows 7, from a source you can trust. This is it.

July 2009: This FAQ has been updated with information about the RTM and availability of Windows 7.

Note: Want to know about something Windows 7 related that's not in the FAQ? Drop me a line and I'll add it here! --Paul

Why Windows 7?

A: Microsoft says that Windows 7 is the "seventh" major Windows version, which it isn't, but whatever. Adding to the mystery, the Windows 7 version number will actually be 6.1, the same as Windows Server 2008 R2.

Q: Is Windows 7 the final name?

A: Yes! Like Vienna, Windows 7 was originally just a codename. But Microsoft announced in October 2008 that they would use Windows 7 as the final name of the product. Read the WinInfo article describing this announcement for more information.

Q: I heard that Windows 7 will be the last major OS release from Microsoft. Is that true?

A: No, and Microsoft has already stated explicitly that it's begun work on Windows 8. Windows-based PCs will continue to form the center of our digital lifestyles, and as Microsoft executives have noted in recent days, there are still plenty of areas in which Microsoft can improve Windows. Some obvious examples include voice recognition and storage.

Q: So is Windows 7 going to be a major Windows version?

A: This one is complicated. Windows Vista was a major release, and Microsoft is positioning Windows 7 as a major release as well. However, the language Microsoft uses to describe the technical underpinnings of the Windows 7 suggest that this product will in fact be a minor release, or what the Windows Server team would have called an interim, or R2 ("release 2") release. Microsoft corporate vice president Steven Sinofsky described it this way: "[We are not going to] introduce additional [in]compatibilities, particularly in the driver model. Windows Vista was about improving those things ... Memory management, networking, process management, all of the security hardening, all of those things will carry forth, and maintain the compatibility with applications that people expect. Windows Vista established a very solid foundation, a multiyear foundation, particularly on subsystems like graphics and audio and storage and things like that, and Windows 7--and then Windows Server 2008 built on that foundation, and Windows 7 will continue to build on that foundation as well."

My take on this is simple: The sheer number of user experience changes in Windows 7 mark this release as a major one, regardless of the version number. And let's not forget that the biggest Windows release of all, Windows XP, was version 5.1.

Q: What features will be included in Windows 7?

A: Microsoft is making major functional changes to Windows 7, and it's making a wide number of much smaller changes as well. For the full details of what to expect, please refer to the following articles:

Windows 7 Product Editions
Windows 7 Product Editions: A Comparison
Windows 7 Feature Focus

And be sure to check out my Windows 7 Activity Center. No one has documented Windows 7 as thoroughly as I have.

Q: Will Windows 7 be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions like Vista?

A: Though I had expected Windows 7 to ship only in 64-bit versions, Microsoft now says it will be the final Windows version to ship in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Q: I've heard rumors of secret new features coming in Windows 7. Is this true?

A: Yes. As Raphael Rivera and I revealed recently, Windows 7 will come with a secret new feature called XP Mode that brings a virtualized Windows XP environment to the OS (Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate SKUs only). There were also persistent rumors that Microsoft was planning to replace the Aero UI skin with a new version. This new UI skin never materialized, however.

Q: Will Microsoft release any Windows updates between now and Windows 7?

A: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) was finalized and announced in May 2009.

Q: Is it still possible to test Windows 7?

A: Yes. Microsoft has made the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Through August 15, 2009, Microsoft will allow anyone who wants it to download and test the Windows 7 Release Candidate.

Q: Release Candidate?

A: The RC is a near-final, feature-complete look at Windows 7. For more information about the RC, please read my exhaustive review, my many screenshot galleries, and the other articles I've written about the Windows 7 RC.

Q: When does the Release Candidate expire?

A: March 1, 2010.

Q: When will the final version of Windows 7 ship?

A: Microsoft finalized Windows 7 on July 22, 2009 and will make it available to the public on October 22, 2009 via new PCs and at retail. However, different customer types will be able to get Windows 7 before that date. See my article, Windows 7 Availability, for details.

Q: How much will Windows 7 cost? Will Microsoft provide multi-PC licensing for consumers (finally)?

A: Microsoft announced its retail pricing for Windows 7 in June 2009. Please refer to my Windows 7 Pricing article for more information.

Q: Do the retail versions of Windows 7 include 32-bit or 64-bit Setup discs, or are there separate packages as there were for Windows Vista?

A: The retail versions of Windows 7 (which include Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) come with two separate Setup discs, one of which is 32-bit, and one that is 64-bit.

Q: Can I buy an electronic version of Windows 7, download it, and burn it to DVD?

A: Yes, but only from the online Microsoft Store.

Q: Is that version 32-bit or 64-bit?

A: I'm told you'll get the choice when you download, but of course, the downloads won't be ready until October 22, 2009.

Q: Can I use the same Product Key to install a 32-bit version of Windows 7 on one PC and a 64-bit version on another?

A: No. The Product Key will be tied to the first PC on you activate.

Q: What are the virtualization rights for Windows 7? (That is, which versions are licensed for install in virtual machines by consumers?)

A: Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate can be installed in virtual environments.

Q: Can I perform a clean (full) install of Windows 7 with the Upgrade media?

A: Microsoft says yes.

Q: Does a version of Windows have to already be installed on the PC in that case?

A: I don't know. I'm still waiting for the answer to that question and/or actual Upgrade media for testing.

Q: Does that clean install with Upgrade media require the same hokey and time-consuming "double install" method that was required with Windows Vista Upgrade media?

A: I don't know. I'm still waiting for the answer to that question, but I believe it will work as it does with Windows Vista.

Q: It seems like people who spent extra on Windows Vista Ultimate should be rewarded in some way, since that product never lived up o Microsoft's promises. Why is there no promotional pricing on Windows 7 Ultimate, especially for Vista Ultimate users?

A: I don't know. (And I agree with you.)

Q: I have Windows Vista Home Premium. Do I have to get Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade, or can I purchase any Windows 7 Upgrade version?

A: As long as you qualify for Upgrade pricing (i.e. have basically any version of Windows XP or Vista), you can purchase and install any Windows 7 Upgrade version. However, you may or may not be able to perform an in-place upgrade depending on your current Windows version. A person with Windows Vista Ultimate, for example, qualifies for Windows 7 Home Premium. But they would have to perform a clean install.

Q: What is the pricing for Windows Anytime Upgrade? (The electronic upgrades that let you go from one Windows 7 product edition to another?)

A: Microsoft has not yet announced WUA pricing, sorry.

Q: Is Microsoft ever going to provide easy and cheap multi-PC licensing for Windows 7? (Similar to Apple's Mac OS X Family Pack pricing?)

A: Yes. Microsoft will offer a Windows 7 Family Pack in certain markets that offers the ability to install Windows 7 Home Premium on three PCs. The company has yet to announce pricing or availability for this offer, however.

Q: Can I buy a retail version of Windows 7 Starter and install it on my own PC?

A: No.

Q: What happened to Windows 7 Home Basic?

A: With Windows 7, the Home Basic version is only being sold in emerging markets.

Q: Will people who buy Windows Vista PCs after a certain date receive a free copy of Windows 7 too?

A: Yes. Anyone who buys a Windows Vista-based PC starting on June 26, 2009 qualifies for a free copy of Windows 7 through the Windows Upgrade Option program.

--Paul Thurrott
February 14, 2007
Updated March 20, 2007; July 22, 2007; December 13, 2007; May 28, 2008; October 11, 2008; October 14, 2008; April 26, 2009; June 3, 2009; June 29, 2009; July 22, 2009

Download Windows 7 RC

Windows 7 Release Schedule

Paul first reveals Windows Seven/7 codename
December 2006

Windows 7 FAQ first posted
February 14, 2007

Windows 7 multi-touch features revealed
December 2007

Windows 7 M1 (Build 5619) revealed
January 2008

Windows 7 multi-touch features first demonstrated
May 28, 2008

Windows 7 M3 builds (67xx/68xx) begin leaking
September 2008

Microsoft announces Windows 7 branding
October 13, 2008

PDC 2008 and M3 build
October 27, 2008

Windows 7 Beta
January 2009

Windows 7 build 7022
January 15, 2009

Windows 7 build 7032
January 29, 2009

Windows 7 product editions revealed
February 3, 2009

Windows 7 build 7057
March 5, 2009

Windows 7 build 7068
March 21, 2009

Windows 7 build trunck split for RC (70xx) and RTM (71xx) branches
Early April 2009

Windows 7 build 7106
April 6, 2009

Windows 7 build 7077
April 7, 2009

Windows 7 Release Candidate
April 21, 2009

Windows 7 RC build number (7100) revealed
April 23, 2009

First Windows 7 RC screenshots appear
April 24, 2009

Windows 7 RC goes to MSDN and TechNet
April 30, 2009

Windows 7 RC public release
May 5, 2009

Windows 7 build 7127
May 7, 2009

Windows 7 build 7137
May 14, 2009

Windows 7 retail pricing revealed
June 25, 2009

Windows Upgrade Option program
June 26, 2009

Windows 7 RTM escrow begins
Late June 2009

Windows 7 RTM declared
July 22, 2009

Windows 7 delivered to PC makers
July 24, 2009

Windows 7 Professional evaluation version made available
July 27, 2009

Windows 7 available on MSDN and Technet
August 6, 2009

English version of Windows 7 available to volume license customers with existing Software Assurance (SA) licenses
August 7, 2009

Windows 7 available to Microsoft Partner Program Gold/Certified members
August 16, 2009

Windows 7 made available Action Pack Subscribers in English, and to VL customers with existing SA licenses
August 23, 2009

Windows 7 made available to VL customers without an SA license
September 1, 2009

Windows 7 made available to Microsoft Partner Program Gold/Certified members, Action Pack subscribers, and MSDN and Technet subscribers in remaining languages
October 1, 2009

Windows 7 General Availability
October 22, 2009

Related Reading:
Windows 7

Please refer to my Windows 7 Activity Center for hundreds of Windows 7 articles and screenshot galleries.