Microsoft has issued a reminder that in two weeks Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) users will begin receiving expiration notifications.
Windows 7 RC does not expire until 1 June 2010 but from February 15 users will begin seeing expiration notifications in the task bar one time per day and then a Notification Wizard one time every four hours and then one time every hour. After March 1 Windows 7 RC users will experience shut-downs every two hours. A brief summary of the events can be found below:
Effective February 15, 2010, the expiration notification process begins:
- Windows 7 RC users receive an expiration notification in the task bar one time per day.
- Windows 7 RC users are presented with the Notification Wizard one time every four hours and then one time every hour.
Effective March 1, 2010, Windows 7 RC enters the next phase of expiration:
- Expiration notifications in the task bar continue.
- Computers that are running Windows 7 RC restart every two hours.
Effective June 1, 2010, Windows 7 RC expires:
- Windows starts to a black desktop.
- Windows 7 RC users are presented with a Windows Activation screen. The screen states that the Windows that you are running is not genuine.
- Computers that are running Windows 7 RC restart every two hours.