Windows 7 RC is a beta release of the Windows 7 operating system. It is not recommended for use by anyone other than those who have been specifically trained in using it. If you are not sure whether you are using a beta release, please ask your computer manufacturer for help. If you have an existing Windows 7 installation, it is best to upgrade to the RTM (Final Release) version of Windows 7 before installing any new software or hardware. This article will walk you through the process of upgrading from RC to RTM. If you are upgrading from an older version of Windows, be sure to back up your data and settings before beginning the upgrade process. Upgrading can take some time and may require your computer to be restarted several times. If you are upgrading from a previous build of Windows, make sure that all your current applications and drivers are up-to-date before beginning the upgrade process. If any applications or drivers do not work properly after upgrading, they may need to be updated again after the upgrade has completed.
The Problem
Windows 7 checks whether or not the current version you are running is a pre-release copy, and prevents you from upgrading further. For reference purposes, this is the error you’ll see when you try and upgrade.
The Solution
The solution is to edit a file inside the Windows 7 DVD—which you’ll have to extract to the hard drive to proceed.
If you are using an ISO image for the installation progress, you can use the awesome 7-Zip utility to extract the ISO to a folder on the drive. If you are using an actual DVD, you can simply copy all of the files from the DVD to a folder on your hard drive.
Once you’ve extract the files, browse down into the “sources” folder to find the cversion.ini file.
Once you’ve opened up the cversion.ini file, you’ll notice that the MinClient line has a value of 7233.0, and since the Windows 7 RC release is build 7100, you can understand why it’s not working.
All you need to do is change the MinClient value to something less than the current build you are using. For the RC release, you can change it to 7000.
Now you can simply launch the setup.exe file from within the folder, and do the upgrade directly from the hard drive. Once you’ve started the setup, click Install now.
Once you get to the type of installation screen, choose to Upgrade the existing install.
Once you reach the Compatibility Report screen (if it doesn’t show up at all, be happy about it), you’ll see the list of applications that probably won’t work once you upgrade. Realistically most of these apps will work just fine, but the important thing is that you’ll be able to upgrade.
Note: You could always smooth the upgrade process by removing any apps that have compatibility problems, before you do the upgrade.
At this point, the upgrade should start working, and will take a rather long time.
Important Notes
There are a few important things to keep in mind when you are upgrading to the final version:
The Windows 7 beta or RC releases were Ultimate edition, so you’ll only be able to upgrade to the RTM (final) if you are installing Ultimate Edition. Whenever possible, you should really backup your files and do a clean install. There are less headaches this way, and you get the benefit of a nice clean profile.
Happy upgrading!
What’s Next?
We’ve got well over 100 articles covering how to use, tweak, and optimize your Windows 7 experience. Just head over to the Windows 7 category page:
