For all you guys and gals having a great experience with the RC release, here is a great site that will help stimulate your creative juices and provide you with some great answers and updated material and downloads specifically for Windows 7 RC and surprisingly, " SUPPORT "...http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/performance/default.aspx Don't spank me, I am still a great believer and subscriber to the TECHNET, I am just doing what a loyal believer would do, by spreading the good word...JohnJohn Haskins

For all you guys and gals having a great experience with the RC release, here is a great site that will help stimulate your creative juices and provide you with some great answers and updated material and downloads specifically for Windows 7 RC and surprisingly, " SUPPORT "...http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/performance/default.aspx Don't spank me, I am still a great believer and subscriber to the TECHNET, I am just doing what a loyal believer would do, by spreading the good word...John John Haskins Hi JohnYes, the MSDN forums are a great resource, but they are more focused on developing for Windows 7and not necessarily the end user. These forums are focused on the ITPro and end users.Hope this helps.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Ronnie Vernon MVP

Hello Ronnie, I have a question for you that I feel you just might be able to answer. After downloading the New RC on a custom Built Computer, everything is functional Hardware wise except the DVD-CD-RW players. They are NEC Models and I upgraded their respective firmware and after placing in the DVD, even with auto run engaged, it Locks the computer and if I put in a CD, the default player, which is Windows media player, Opens to show the content, but there is no sound. I then felt that it was a driver issue and I downloaded the realtec AC97 Codec and sound now comes via the OS applications clearly, but still no sound for the Players when in they are being used and the system incorporates to on board players. ON my primary system, I have no problem with sound except when I restart, I must open my sound manager program and constantly click the default button and then Ok for the sounds to be heard via my hardware devices. I can live with that. Any suggestions to rectify the problem or should I consider replacing the DVD Drives...JohnJohn Haskins

Major Question Ronnie. I have the RC Windows 7 Ultimate running on my Computer, and it is said, You must do a clean install when the final version of Windows 7 becomes available in October. My question is, if I do a complete system backup to Dvd's or an online storage service, will this process keep my programs intact. The last time I did a clean install from Beta version 7 to the RC Candidate, I could not recover my programs and had to scramble all over to find and reinstall most of them, and some of them, I did not have or keep the registration information and lost them forever.[ Had quite a few programs, and forgot just how many I had] The amazing thing to this was, when the Beta version was released to the public, it automatically carried the existing OS properties from Vista to the new Operating System. Why does Microsoft not offer the same capability to do the same when Migrating your System info and programs from the RC 7 version to the Final Windows 7 version. I do not want to go through that nightmare again, reinstalling all my programs!!!John Haskins

Major Question Ronnie. I have the RC Windows 7 Ultimate running on my Computer, and it is said, You must do a clean install when the final version of Windows 7 becomes available in October. My question is, if I do a complete system backup to Dvd's or an online storage service, will this process keep my programs intact. The last time I did a clean install from Beta version 7 to the RC Candidate, I could not recover my programs and had to scramble all over to find and reinstall most of them, and some of them, I did not have or keep the registration information and lost them forever.[ Had quite a few programs, and forgot just how many I had] The amazing thing to this was, when the Beta version was released to the public, it automatically carried the existing OS properties from Vista to the new Operating System. Why does Microsoft not offer the same capability to do the same when Migrating your System info and programs from the RC 7 version to the Final Windows 7 version. I do not want to go through that nightmare again, reinstalling all my programs!!! John Haskins Hi JohnThe final decision about whether or not we will be able to upgrade to the RTM from the RChas not beenmade public yet.Traditionally, this has never been supported and is not evena good idea, simply because thereis stilltoo much debugging/beta code inthe RC version. Trying to make sure that all of this code is removedduringthe upgrade process to a final build would be a daunting job, even if it could be done.This is not meant tosound arrogant, but beta 101 states that before installing any beta product, especially a betaOS, you always make a complete backup image of your production OS before upgrading it tothe beta. This way you can simply save your personal data, format the drive, reinstall the production image and then upgrade to the final product.Another issue with this subject is that theWindows 7 beta is necessarilythe Ultimate version, so the only way to upgrade the RC would also require that you upgrade to theRTM Ultimate version, which could be unnecessarily expensive for many users. Any other RTM version would be a downgrade, which would require a clean install.Hope this helps.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Ronnie Vernon MVP

Thank you for a professional answer to my question and concern. So I have this perfectly clear, You are saying that if an upgrade does become available, that sense I am currently running build 7100 RC, I would definitely have to purchase the RTM ultimate and if so, this would copy my current files, documents, etc and migrate them into the final release when it becomes available. I will purchase the Ultimate version of the final release, as I find this OS to be working perfectly and it handles all my software demands smoothly. I want to make a master backup of the entire system, but I am stuck between doing it via DVD's or just purchase an additional Harddrive and install it and copy my Present file, documents, programs, etc to it. Does that method sound reasonable to you?John Haskins

Thank you for a professional answer to my question and concern. So I have this perfectly clear, You are saying that if an upgrade does become available, that sense I am currently running build 7100 RC, I would definitely have to purchase the RTM ultimate and if so, this would copy my current files, documents, etc and migrate them into the final release when it becomes available. I will purchase the Ultimate version of the final release, as I find this OS to be working perfectly and it handles all my software demands smoothly. I want to make a master backup of the entire system, but I am stuck between doing it via DVD's or just purchase an additional Harddrive and install it and copy my Present file, documents, programs, etc to it. Does that method sound reasonable to you? John Haskins Hi JohnYouwould be able to perform an In-place upgrade, which would preserve all of the installed programs, files, and settings,IF (and that's a big if) the Wndows Team comes up with a way to support anupgrade from the RC to the RTM. If this does not happen, then you could still use theWindows EasyTransfer to move all of your files and settingsto the new system aftera clean install. This would require that you reinstall all of your software. This would be the same procedure as upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7. Here is the documentation for this procedure. Step by Step Windows 7 Upgrade from Windows XP.Hope this helps.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Ronnie Vernon MVP

Thank you for all the technical support and the articles related to my question. I think that as recommended, I purchase a USB Hard drive, and run a complete systems backup, This will allow me to make a full image backup, which will include the Base "C" Drive, including the OS [ Recommendation from Derosnec ] I rather be Safe in the cradle, than groping in the dark. Thank you for all your help and I will call Bill Gates and offer him a free night on the town if he can get the crew to support an upgrade from RC to RTM...John Haskins