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While supplies last: A 90-day trial version of Windows 7

Sep. 2, 2009 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

This is one of those good news/bad news situations. The good new? Microsoft has made available a 90-day evaluation version of Windows 7 Enterprise. The bad? It will only be made available until March 31, 2010 or, far more likely, while supplies last. The issue, it seems, is that there are only a certain, unspecified number of Product Keys available. And once they're gone, the eval version will be pulled. Microsoft's Stephen Rose explains:

Many IT pros we talk to have been looking for a way to continue their work with the Release Candidate to test their applications, hardware and deployment strategies with final Windows 7 bits. In response, we have created the Windows 7 Enterprise 90 Day trial edition, available beginning today.

This evaluation version is for IT Professionals who do not yet have access to Windows 7 RTM. [It] will provide a means to have the final released code for evaluation and testing. This evaluation release is specifically intended for IT professionals responsible for desktop administration; consumers will be able to purchase Windows 7 on October 22, 2009.

A few things to be aware of before you download the Evaluation code.

  • A limited number of licenses are available, so the download will only be available while supplies last.
  • Following the 90 day evaluation period, IT Pros who wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications.
  • Windows 7 Enterprise Edition 90-Day Trial is the final Released-to-Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 Enterprise Edition. This is the same software that is available to Volume Licensing (VL) through Software Assurance (SA) and is feature-complete.
  • Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese in both 32 and 64 bit versions.
  • Activation of Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial is required within 10 days after installation, or the product will shut down every hour. Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial is valid for 90 days after installation. After expiration, your computer will shut down every hour.

If you wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise please note that you will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications. Please keep this in mind; Windows 7 Enterprise is not available through retail channels.

Download: Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial

Thanks to everyone that wrote in about this.

Discuss this Article 31

chuckb84
on Sep 2, 2009
Apple too. http://seminars.apple.com/contactme/SnowLeopardServerEvaluation/ Like the Family Pack, this is a good thing. Now argue over who did it first and who copied it and which demo program is better, etc. I'll pass and just say I'm glad to see competition.
hamiltonstallings
on Sep 2, 2009
"I'll pass and just say I'm glad to see competition." Uh.. What competition?
Waethorn
on Sep 2, 2009
"Now argue over who did it first and who copied it and which demo program is better, etc." Comparing a client OS demo program to a server OS demo program isn't the same. Microsoft already did server OS trials long ago.
kenmcnamee
on Sep 2, 2009
There's already a Windows Vista/7 6 month trial available - it's called "slmgr -rearm".
lotsamystuff
on Sep 2, 2009
"The issue, it seems, is that there are only a certain, unspecified number of Product Keys available." Yeah, cuz, you know...the world just doesn't have very many numbers and letters.
Dipsh t Admin
on Sep 2, 2009
MS has been doing 120-day trials of their server software for years
kenmcnamee
on Sep 2, 2009
lotsamystuff: There are only 808,281,277,464,764,060,643,139,600,456,540,000,000 possible product keys - or 800 quadrillion quadrillion (36 to the 25th power). Of course you have to subtract the several billion that have probably already been used but it seems to me that Microsoft won't be running out of product keys anytime soon.
Waethorn
on Sep 2, 2009
@ken: Is that taking into account that they don't use every letter in the alphabet, nor every number from 0-9? They don't you know.
kenmcnamee
on Sep 2, 2009
Waethorn: No, my algorithm is not very intelligent - all 26 letters and numbers 0-9. So maybe it's only a trillion quadrillion available product keys.
Waethorn
on Sep 2, 2009
"There are only 808,281,277,464,764,060,643,139,600,456,540,000,000 possible product keys - or 800 quadrillion quadrillion (36 to the 25th power)." Wouldn't that be called 808 undecillion?
lotsamystuff
on Sep 2, 2009
"it seems to me that Microsoft won't be running out of product keys anytime soon." Thank you for agreeing with me that Microsoft's contention (per Paul's article) that "there are only a certain, unspecified number of Product Keys available" is ridiculous. Even "mikeygalos" wouldn't argue that there are 808,281,277,464,764,060,643,139,600,456,540,000,000 keys needed. Anyone who thinks otherwise is an "imbecillion"
james3mg
on Sep 2, 2009
First, this is beneficial, because it gives non-technet subscribers (like myself) the opportunity to get the RTM bits, whereas I've been testing deployments and the like using RC bits. So the rearm trick didn't help me ;-) Second, I think the reason there's a limited number of keys is because the keys hash out to something that indicates which version of the OS it is. So every possible combination of letters/numbers are not a valid key. They probably just picked a hash reduction that had a significantly smaller set of keys for this use. That said, I don't know why they couldn't do like the RC and just keep giving out one of six keys to anyone who asked...why do they have to be unique per person for a trial version, since it's clear there's no upgrade path from the trial.
kenmcnamee
on Sep 2, 2009
lotsamystuff: "Thank you for agreeing with me that Microsoft's contention (per Paul's article) that 'there are only a certain, unspecified number of Product Keys available' is ridiculous." I'm not sure I completely agree with you here - I was only making a mathematical statement really. Microsoft tends to be very, very miserly when it comes to creating official product keys for any reason that isn't related to a sale of Windows. So, in that context, the low availability of product keys for this purpose is not ridiculous in my opinion.
Waethorn
on Sep 2, 2009
@ken, james: Some info about product keys: a) They don't use every letter in the alphabet, nor every number from 0-9. They do this to avoid confusion between similar digits like 8 and B, or 0 and O. b) Specific product keys determine which edition you have (Home Premium, Professional, etc.) c) Specific product keys determine which licensing model you have (OEM, Retail Full, Retail Upgrade, VLK, etc.) d) Each 5-digit grouping has it's own sub-hash. e) Each 5-digit grouping has a positional hash in the string (you can't mix and match them to come up with extra keys based on the same digits) f) The key is encrypted in Windows using an algorithm, in combination with a hardware identifier string, to create a "Product ID". The Product ID has digits that represent the original product key, the hardware string, a standard product code, as well as the licensing model. g) Only certain media will accept certain keys.
james3mg
on Sep 2, 2009
...that still doesn't explain why they can't give out the same 6 keys to multiple people, over and over, like they did with the beta...it's just a trial version, after all. Though the hash has to be able to be validated/decrypted offline for the install, activation always checks in with the server...all they should have to do is tell the server(s) to allow those six versions to be activated an unlimited number of times, since the key already points to a trial version.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Sep 2, 2009
james3mg In the case of a public beta there really isn't much reason for individual keys since they are already timebombed and are freely downloadable so the key isn't needed to make it harder for people to steal what is essentially an no-cost product.
Backup77
on Sep 2, 2009
@Waethorn Nice summarization there. Those 8 & B key combinations drive me nuts sometimes, either that or I need a magnifying glass.
Waethorn
on Sep 2, 2009
Quick question: Who has had any luck booting a VirtualBox VM off a [real] WDS PXE boot server with the Intel emulated LAN option set as a bridge on a standard NIC (AMD PCNet isn't supported on Vista or higher)? PM me.
Waethorn
on Sep 2, 2009
@james: What you propose wouldn't work. Trial keys are not set as limited keys due to activation - they have a different algorithm which the software recognizes. That's why you get a EULA which mentions that the software is a trial, not a full version, even when you're not connected to the internet. However, Microsoft probably wants to track how many computers the trials are installed on (and possibly track which hardware it's running on with whatever information they can glean from the product ID hardware strings) more closely than the pre-release versions. They can only do that if they give out separate keys to each registered signup, and require activation for each copy. By giving out the same keys to multiple people, they can't tell if User A is installing it on multiple computers, or User B is doing multiple hardware upgrades on one computer.
DRWAM
on Sep 2, 2009
Thanks. I sent the link to m,y IT guys. I guess GE Centricity PACS WS software is not compatible with Vista, so maybe they can get XP Mode to work with Win 7. The shipped Vista browser, IE 8 works just fine, so at least Centricity's ActiveX works with Vista. We just want a Workstation available for home use if needed. I guess the other docs are afraid of the Swine Flu ;) Doc.
robertsjoe
on Sep 2, 2009
"The good new?" Your mean "The good news?" Thought I'd point it out, since the other illiterates on the site wouldn't.
robertsjoe
on Sep 2, 2009
I think homophobic people on the comments, like @stimshady, should be banned. Thanks, moderator.
robertsjoe
on Sep 2, 2009
The Zune, and Zune HD, are dead ducks: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/08/25/microsoft-loses-an-exec-in-its-zu...
FalKirk
on Sep 2, 2009
"Following the 90 day evaluation period, IT Pros who wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications." Am I the only one who noticed this little tidbit? Maybe there's a security reason for this, but geez, it always seems like the people from Microsoft read all the latest marketing books and then do the exact opposite of what's recommended. People get a 90 day free trial and then they have to start all over again and reinstall not only the system but all the applications, etc. again? Talk about creating barriers to sales.
tehpwnerer16
on Sep 2, 2009
It's actually called 7loader and it'll unlock it fully :) If Winblows would smarten up like Apple you wouldn't have to worry about keys and activation. Have a little faith in people. Honest people will buy the software either way, and unhonest people will get their hands on it either way too.
tehpwnerer16
on Sep 2, 2009
@robertsjoe 110% correct. the iPod is currently untouchable, and I don't see that changing because of the Zune HD, or anything else for that matter.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Sep 2, 2009
robertsjoe "Thanks, moderator." You really think that if there were a moderator here you'd still be posting? Seriously?
robertsjoe
on Sep 2, 2009
@mikegalos: Same goes for you Mike. If a moderator looked for truth and accuracy, you'd be banned for life. Seriously though, don't you think all these so-and-so-gay names people are being called should not be allowed on the group?
robertsjoe
on Sep 2, 2009
This is accurate. The Microsoft ads, showing people buying cheap PCs, is like paying "cash for clunkers". http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/02/microsofts_fight_against_a...
mikegalos@msn.com
on Sep 2, 2009
robertsjoe I think I do fine on the accuracy and truth levels. On the other hand, you might want to watch out for Ocean who is doing a pretty good job at taking away your "largest number of totally off topic Microsoft bashing posts in a single topic" leadership.
Waethorn
on Sep 3, 2009
@falkirk: There's a reason for that. a) Enterprise versions of Windows need to be purchased through volume licensing. b) Volume license installations bits are the only bits that will accept a volume license key c) Volume license keys are the only keys they'll accept. d) Volume license keys don't have to be activated directly (it's not like XP where they didn't have to be activated at all, but now they allow you to "self-activate" them with a server that handles licensing per machine). Only OEM and Retail install bits will accept trial keys, so I'm guessing that they modified this version of Enterprise to work like the other versions, even if it doesn't have all the SKU's included. I wonder if they just created new media with a different EI.CFG file....

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