get win 7 RTM today

Just torrent the RTM.

Just install without a key for now. You can then postpone activation of Win7 for up to 120 days using the command "slmgr -rearm" every 30 days.

When you get your licensed key, enter it and activate.

I'm keeping my finders crossed that this will work with the upgrade version of w7, as long as you have your old vista DVD and key.

You can get a technet subscription, there were $90 off coupons floating around bring it to ~$260. If you have alot of pcs its not a bad deal especially because you should catch office 2010 as well and possibly windows home server v2. (also v1 is on there already if that interests you/you dont have it).

I thought MS was going to force a reinstall, did this change? Also, I bought Vista with Win7 upgrade option. Will that key work?

Yes. The license key you get is perpetual. It doesn't expire when your subscription does. You can even activate it on multiple computers. I do believe the limit was 10 activations, afterwards, you need to get another key from Microsoft. Note, though, TechNet is really for product evaluation/testing, not as an alternative to buying the actual software.

just so you know you can install the rc (assuming you have a copy) and it will work until march 2010 i believe. so you really dont have to reinstall in a few months you can wait until at least after christmas...

install vista and buy a win7 upgrade disc.

hey lifespeed,

I hear you but the Win7 RC, at least the version I got, I can't auto migrate to the W7 RTM and need to transfer them manually; not sure why. I end up installed and used W7 RC for about 2 months and just did the fresh install W7 RTM 10 days ago, besides a small hiccup to do the with the Xonar Slim game patch, I finished the whole W7 RTM installation and back on the road in about 60 mins with a new SSD.

I have always had a TechNet subscription mainly because I am an Exchange Administrator and I am always testing the latest Server, Exchange and MOSS builds. The good side affect is that I also get all the other Systems too. The way it works is you can generate keys for each product that do not expire and work up to 10 installs. Though, you can generate multiple keys for each OS and then you have different versions. So you have a keys for Ultimate, keys for Pro, etc. There is really no way to ever run out unless you are giving them out to everyone you know. Plus as someone mentioned you also get all the apps.

In a way we do a lot of testing here. Just look at how many different programs we all test and how many reinstalls we do For $260 (just search for coupon codes on Fatwallet) it is a great service to do all your HTPC testing.

I don't use any codec. Just Xonar HDAV, TMT3, AnyDVD HD and VCD, that is all I use for DVD and BD playback. Then just set up couple tuners for my TV recording, CCC, few other apps and with SSD, yes I finished about an hour.

Life, I think I'm down to about 30 mins to do a clean install of w7 rtm and the following apps:

AnyDVD HD
eac3to
ArcSoft DTS decoder (I only copy the 6 needed dlls)
Haali Muxer
MkvToolnix
MadFLAC 1.8
Media Browser
Meta Browser

That all I need to be able to rip Blu-rays to .mkv and play them back in 7mc.

My HTPCs are all G35 and G45 based and I output audio/video via HDMI.

Im running RTM now (Technet) and thats all I have installed in my HTPC.

Right on. I found that too much to do and now I just use AnyDVD HD to back up all the ISO 1 to 1 since the HDD price is pretty cheap nowadays.

I take it that you don't mess with .iso's...?

Is the technet subscription a good thing for someone like me, that hs 5 computers, home/office, in various states of MCE, Vista, and 7 RC? I too would like to migrate them all at some point, but would be very costly to buy separate keys for each.

Also, is there still a RTM version downloadable somewhere without a technet sub?

Thanx,
Joel

I can guarantee if you install a full version instead of an upgrade and then try to use an upgrade key it will not work. It has to be the same exact version and if its an update key you had better find an update torrent.

I ripped the RC download to a DVD, and have extra trial keys, but can anyone explain how to "torrent" the RTM, and if so, would I need a key somehow to load? This is also presuming I'll have to reinstall again after 10/22. . .
Thanx, Joel

It's illegal.

ah, ok then, nm.

Release date is only a month away (10/22) and MS hould have a 30 day Evaluation online then. Other than that, Technet would be the way to go.

No it is not (torrent that is).

Using a crack or key generator to validate the software is the 'illegal' part.

you should check your local university's computer coop. the student edition technet and msdn subscriptions (MSDNAA) are usually very cheap.

I actually upgrade two of my Win7 RC pcs to Win7 RTM already. You will have to edit one file on the disc (you can copy all the files to HDD and edit and install from there) to allow upgrade from RC version (7100). There are instructions posted on MSDN/TechNet about how to do that. The original version requirement is something like 72xx which is probably the internal beta tester version.