I just realized something - I will most likely not be near my Win7-equipped PC on August 1st (possibly even at the time the RC is released - time will tell, never mind the hows or whys). So, I'm rather curious about just what happens when the beta's time-limit hits 0. Can I safely assume it won't morph the computer into some w3rd robot that goes around raping my neighbour's cats or anything?I have some files on the HD I wouldn't mind keeping afterwards. Will that be hassle-free, assuming I have an RC-DVD with me, or other means [accessing NTFS-partitions through Linux]? (No monkey-business with the HD or file-system?)Considering what I read about beta-to-RC-migration, is it best to revert (regress?) to Vista NOW, ahead of time, and do a clean RC-install (or a less-recommended upgrade) later?

I just realized something - I will most likely not be near my Win7-equipped PC on August 1st (possibly even at the time the RC is released - time will tell, never mind the hows or whys). So, I'm rather curious about just what happens when the beta's time-limit hits 0. Can I safely assume it won't morph the computer into some w3rd robot that goes around raping my neighbour's cats or anything?I have some files on the HD I wouldn't mind keeping afterwards. Will that be hassle-free, assuming I have an RC-DVD with me, or other means [accessing NTFS-partitions through Linux]? (No monkey-business with the HD or file-system?)Considering what I read about beta-to-RC-migration, is it best to revert (regress?) to Vista NOW, ahead of time, and do a clean RC-install (or a less-recommended upgrade) later? Hi Arve This should not be a problem if previous behavior is any indication. When you upgrade to the Release Candidtae, the expiration date on that build will be much later than the expiration date for the Beta 1 that you are using now.Hope this helps. Thank You for testing Windows 7 Beta Ronnie Vernon MVP

After August 1st chances are that build 7000 will attempt to boot but get no further as the time bomb kicks in. Obviously, before that time, it is hoped that the RC version will be available. If you are dual booting you will be able to access the partition that build 7000 is on so you can, of course, get to your files; however I seriously suggest that you make backups now rather than later.While I will be doing both an Upgrade from Vista and a clean install Microsoft are expecting 'oddities' following an upgrade from Vista so you need to bear this in mind if you are considering doing an upgrade. Failing that stick with a clean install.John Barnett MVP: Windows XP Associate Expert: Windows Desktop Experience: Web: http://www.winuser.co.uk; Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org; Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org;

Thanks. I'll revert when I have the chance, then, and await the RC.

Arve - Yes, you are correct that that the computer won't morph into some killer robot that will rampage all over the place. That might be a cool trick, but beyond our technology at the moment. Windows 7 will simply boot, and tellyou that it's expired and might give you some limited access to your files (like the ability to copy them to an external drive).Your best bet would be to make sure you've backed up your data BEFORE you leave. Once you return and have the RC disc in hand, you can simply install it and restore your data and move on with life. And by backing your files up, it's generally best to simply make a copy of the files instead of using the backup utility as the backup utility from Win 7 Beta may not be 100% compatible with the one in the RC. Use WinZip or WinRAR or 7Zip to compress them if space is an issue. My system, here, for instance, has 4 hard drives. One running XP, one running Vista SP1, one running Windows 7 7000 and one 20 GB drive that has an expired copy of Vista Beta 2 on it. I can access the files from any of the 3 workingOS's installed depending on which one is booted. The Vista Beta 2 drive obviously won't run, but I can still access files I was using from Vista SP1 or Win 7 or even XP. So if your Linux install can access the partition, that shouldn't be a problem.

I disagree. After Aug 1, 2009, your computer will morph into . . .

J