Posts tagged Downloads

You must have come across Windows 7 Beta 1 Build 6956 leaked available as VHD image.

People who have completed the downloading process for Windows 7 Build 6956 VHD virtual hard disk image will face a critical stop error issue, that the VHD cannot be loaded, started or booted up. As the VHD is imaged from an actual physical computer, the hardware specification, hard disk drives (especially on SATA, ACHI and boot sequence settings) and drivers installed can be totally different and not compatible, causing users who attempt to use the VHD has the system partition to boot Windows 7 6.1.6956 encounter boot device error or BSoD.

As such, a workaround hack has to be used in order to mount the Windows 7 Beta Build 6956, a possible actual beta candidate. In fact, the workarounds is actually the steps to install Windows 7 Build 6956 from the VHD image. The installation can be done onto a actual physical machine, or a virtual machine powered by Virtual PC, Virtual Server, Virtual Box, VMWare, Hyper-V and etc.

There are plenty of methods to install Windows 7 build 6956 into your PC, but the concept is essentially the same: User will need to copy the Windows 7 system files from the VHD to a partition that he or she wants the Windows 7 build 6956 to run, and then make sure the boot sector is OK, and if required, to reset the Windows 7 to clean original state. Thus the steps detailed below is just for a guide, and the actual implementation may vary according to your own need, or the tool that you have. All methods below is for ‘upgrade installing’ (not exactly upgrade, as existing data will be lost) existing partition with Windows 7 build 6801 to build 6956, but it may also works for new partition, harddisk or machine.

Read the full article with detailed methods at Source.

Some reports suggest that Windows 7 Build 6956 has been spotted in the wild i.e. leaked online in the form of Virtual Hard Disk image. This possibly is same build that will be shown in CES and whose new boot screen has been featured online.

Please note that downloading this is not legal.

Windows 7 beta (or beta 1) is possibly been released in January or February 2009 which Keith Comb has even mentioned in a comment on his TechNet blog (has since been removed) that “we (Microsoft) are targeting to have the DVD’s in the materials from 1/13/2009 on”. With the imminent arrival of Windows 7 beta 1 milestone build, any build version that is leaked or made know publicly can be of ‘beta quality’ (means can be released as beta build). Windows 7 build 6956, which is been showcased during WinHEC 2008 in Beijing recently, is one such candidate.

According to a participant, Edward_Han who managed to steal a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) image of Windows 7 Build 6956 out of WinHEC 2008, the build has the following features and enhancements (for complete Windows 7 features, see top 30 Windows 7 features or Windows 7 Reviewer’s Guide):

1. Desktop font no longer has problem when using Desktop Slideshow as background wallpaper rotator.
2. More Windows Aero features.
3. A lot more new desktop background wallpapers.
4. New Windows 7 start screen.
5. Increase in the Windows Experience Index which is now ranging from 1.0 to 7.9, which can be hacked to change the score.

Source