How To Get a Windows 7 Beta Key
Since January there has been a lot of buzz around Windows 7 and what is going to be added and removed. Windows 7 has had a beta program which lets anyone signup and test out the new Windows 7 before official release. I wanted to let you know how you can get a Windows 7 beta key.
Basically you have to login to your Windows Live account from the TechNet Downloads page, and then from the same window, paste in the following URL for the 64-bit key:
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Product=tn-win7-64-ww&LCID=1033
…and this URL for the 32-bit key:
https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/scripts/gcs.aspx?Product=tn-win7-32-ww&LCID=1033
We just tried and successfully grabbed a key. If you’ve already installed Windows 7 Beta, then you have to navigate to Control Panel > All Control Panels > System and scroll down to the Windows Activation section which should say “You have 29 days left to activate. Click here to activate now.” Click that link and you will be prompted for the code. Enter the code and then click Activate online now. The online activation failed the first few times with an error for us, but simply trying again eventually yielded a successful activation with the code provided, so don’t lose hope if it doesn’t work the first time. Hello, no expiration until August 2009! Supposedly activation will be limited to the first 2.5 million copies of Windows Beta 7, so you might want to go ahead and download your copy now and get the code. Good luck!
2 Comments
Or you could just wait until 5 of May when Microsoft will release the public download of the Windows 7 Release Candidate, it will be valid to March 1st, 2010.
BTW Windows 7 rocks!