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Windows 7 RC Users: Upgrade or Revert?

Here’s a quick reminder from Windows for those who tested the Windows 7 waters and installed the Windows 7 release candidate. February 15 is the date, the company reminds in a blog post. It’s more than just the day after Valentine’s day; it is the day when users will start getting notifications that, in essence, are reminding them that it’s time to make a decision: is Windows 7 the right OS for you, or would you rather have your old one back?

windows 7 According to the post, made by Brandon LeBlanc of Microsoft, the notifications that will start on Monday will remind users that come March 1st, their PC will start experiencing shutdowns every couple of hours. He then writes, in bold, the following reminder: “To avoid any data loss, I suggest making plans to move to a released version of Windows 7 before the automatic shutdowns start. During these shutdowns, your work will not be saved.”

Another date to watch out for is June 1st, when, instead of the usual desktop wallpaper, users will see the message “This copy of Windows is not genuine”. At this point, the user will no longer be able to get optional updates or downloads that require Windows validation.

That being said, users can do any of two things: upgrade to a full install of Windows 7, or revert to the operating system that they have been using previously.