Important Things to Know about Windows 7 SP1 Beta

Windows 7 SP1 Beta version has been released to public and can be downloaded using following link:

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta Released to Public, Download NOW

But before you install SP1 Beta, you should keep following things in your mind:

NOTE 1: This Beta version will insert a time-bomb in your Windows. It'll add an expiry date of June 30, 2011 to your Windows. So you can use your system till June 29, 2011. After that you'll need to either upgrade to final version of SP1 or uninstall Beta version of SP1 to be able to use your Windows.

NOTE 2: There are no new features or GUI changes in SP1 Beta. Its just a set of all released updates and hotfixes for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2. From the server side, two key new features have been included: Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX.

NOTE 3: SP1 Beta will also add a watermark on your Desktop which says:

Windows 7
Evaluation copy. Build 7601

If you don't like it and want to remove it, you can use a small tool mentioned in following topic:

How to Remove Windows 7 Watermark (Build Info) from Desktop?

NOTE 4: If you want to completely uninstall SP1 Beta from your system, you can use instructions given in following tutorial:

How to Uninstall Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta?

NOTE 5: Final version of SP1 will release in the first half of 2011.

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) 2.0 Beta Version Available

Microsoft has released Beta version of its FREE Antivirus and antispyware program "Microsoft Security Essentials" (MSE) 2.0.

The build number is 2.0.0375.0 and is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

New features in this beta version:

Windows Firewall integration – During setup, Microsoft Security Essentials will now ask if you would like to turn the Windows Firewall on or off.

Enhanced protection for web-based threats – Microsoft Security Essentials now integrates with Internet Explorer to provide protection against web-based threats.

New protection engine – The updated anti-malware engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities with better performance.

Network inspection system – Protection against network-based exploits is now built in to Microsoft Security Essentials.

Download Link

NOTE: This is a limited beta available in English (U.S.), Israel, and Brazilian Portuguese (the beta will also be available in China in Simplified Chinese later this year) and is available to genuine Windows users on a first come, first serve basis until the allotted spots for the beta have been reached.