Windows 7 RC to shut down bihourly from March

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 12th May 2009

Windows 7 RC will start shutting down bihourly from 1st March 2010, three months before the software expires.

An eagle-eyed reader pointed us to a Microsoft webpage which outlines the shutdown strategy for both the Windows 7 Beta and Release Candidate.

Microsoft says that the operating system will automatically inform you that your licence is about to expire and then two weeks later it will shut down your PC every two hours until the key expires.

For the Windows 7 Beta, this will start on 1st July 2009 before the 1st August expiration while the Windows 7 Release Candidate will start bihourly shutdowns from 1st March 2010 ahead of its 1st June timeout.

While this means both the beta and RC aren't in a fully functional state until the original expiration date, the demo versions of the OS are still mostly usable until then.

When you consider the fact that, by the time the Windows 7 RC starts its three month count down to expiration, the full Windows 7 release will have been available for at least three months (and more likely four or five), it's hard to understand what the fuss is all about.

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