Running Windows 7 RC? Upgrade Now Before The Shutdown Begins

For those of you still running the release candidate of Windows Seven time is running out, literally.

Starting Feb. 15, people still using the Windows 7 RC will begin to receive a notification that their trial software is about to expire. These very annoying little bi-hourly notifications will remind Win 7 RC users that their PCs will "begin experiencing bi-hourly shutdowns" as of March 1.

Microsoft blogger Brandon LeBlanc sent out a friendly reminder this week on The Windows Blog outlining some of the friendly reminders we'll see. According to his post and Microsoft Support, you can expect the following:

Starting Feb. 15:

• An expiration notification appears in the task bar once per day.
• The Notification Wizard pops up once every four hours, and then once per hour.

Starting March 1:

• The task bar nagging continues.
• Your PC restarts every two hours
• During shutdowns, your work won't be saved.

Starting June 1:

• Windows boots to a black desktop. Yikes.
• A Windows Activation screen reminds you that your Win 7 copy isn't genuine.
• The two-hour reboots continue. 

RC users should keep two things in mind:

1. To move to a released version of Windows 7, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the installation of the Windows 7 RC. 
2. You can still enjoy a freebie version of the full release by getting the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial

If you are looking for a low cost way to upgrade and you are a college student you can still get discounted versions through win741.com or for us standard shoppers I suggest checking out Amazon or Newegg.com