Vista - The Windows 7 build 7000 leak and Microsoft's reaction

This past weekend, Windows 7 build 7000 leaked to torrent sites. It's not the first build of Windows 7 to leak, but it definitely is the most important one so far. You see, the first 7xxx build marks the entrance of Windows 7 into beta phase (6xxx builds were pre-beta builds). Microsoft planned to release this build to a select number of beta testers, as well as to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Unfortunately for Microsoft, and fortunately for everyone who couldn't, but wanted to, get access to the beta, this led to a leaked build. The company pulled the release off of MSDN and TechNet, and also removed the "Windows 7 Beta" entry from the next quarterly update kit for those part of the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS), which is slated to be sent out to subscribers on January 5, 2009. Thanks to Google's cache, you can see that Microsoft also referred to build 7000 as "Windows 7 Beta" on MSDN.

Full Story: The Windows 7 build 7000 leak and Microsoft's reaction

That's pretty bad news for legit testers.

This is getting some good press.

Microsoft should see this and allow people to use it.

What's better than people saying your OS is good and letting them try it?

It is nuked in July - why the heck should M$ care about it? As much good press and publicity as it is getting, I cannot help but think that this is a trick of some kind, trying to tick the script kiddies off into getting mad and poring over the code as closely as they can, in an attempt to find hidden vulnerabilities early one so as to have their proverbial derrieres covered when it comes time for RTM....

Then again, I love a conspiracy theory....

This IS microsoft we are talking about. They rarely seem concerned with getting their products right before they release them, why should this change with Windows 7?

because of the Super bad publicity that Vista got and all the ranting and such that it got and the first time a major competitor poked *direct* fun at their product blatantly in advertising.

besides, remember, Reverend Billy is no longer at the helm...therefore I automatically expect improvement....

lol ok, I can accept that logic!

When can we expect the final release of Windows 7?

It is supposed to be released to consumers in Q1 of 2010, but rumor has it that the fine folks at M$ are working overtime to get this out as early as September 2009 to the OEMs so the OEMs can have a major marketing ploy to sell W7 equipped machines for the holidays.

The building a hype,same thing with Vista,i don't believe that if Microsoft wanted they could't keep it a secret,bad publicity is still publicity,and free.Is it a coincidence that new windows 7 drivers for nvidia cards also get leaked?