Hello friends, I successfully installed W7 x64 SP1 Beta on my rig. No problems, smooth sailing. After about 30 minutes, I'm surfing the web, and my Antivirus (NOD32) alerts me to the fact that there are updates that need to be installed. So, I close the browser, and manually check windows update. Sure enough, there is one update available for me to install. KB2032276 is installed, and I reboot the machine. Upon reaching the desktop, I am greeted by a watermark that claims that my install is an "Evaluation Copy"...lol. Now, to be clear, this is a bios modded machine, running an OEM install, that has run flawlessly for months. I built it, I modded the bios, this thing has been nothing short of bullet-proof. I ran a -dlv command from an elevated command prompt, the report shows that the OS is licensed through the OEM_SLP channel, with 4 rearms remaining. I have an Asus Mobo, and used an Asus Cert and Key. Is it possible to be "Licensed to Evaluate"?? This is a heads-up, and a request for input. I thank you for your valuable time, Gideon Edit: I should add that I used the Windows Update Tool, and applied SP1 through Windows update. The Service Pack, as downloaded from WU was 58MB. The SP took less than 10 minutes to complete. Second Edit: I should add that on my x64 installation, this update is removable. It can be uninstalled from the Windows Update dialogue box. Click on "Installed Updates" in the lower left hand corner, then find and select the update from the "Microsoft Windows" header, then select uninstall. It is highly advisable to close any running apps in the system tray before performing this action. Please be advised that anyone who has installed the SP1 Beta can remove it the same way. I can confirm that this works my system, as I performed this action 3 times for confirmation. I can only provide this confirmation for systems updated through Windows Update. Other methods (updating through application of downloaded ISO, etc) may not be subject to this.
Yesterday, I installed sp1 from wzor. That does result in a watermark. After testing it, reverted to my system image pre-SP1. Today morning, since I had registered for SP1 from MS, the SP1 update was in my windows update. Installed it and there was no watermark (right hand bottom corner of desktop).
+1^ I also have it as of today, thanks to Automatic Updates being turned back on even though I had it set to "Notify Me if Updates are available" Regardless I have no watermark either, also sans SP1 Beta.
Nothing at all to do with the update of course you will get watermark on beta you always do and if you had rebooted your machine before installing the KB2032276 the watermark would have been there.
Watermark should be there in first place anyway... its a bug that YOU DONT GET IT (unless you removed it manualy) and NOT OTHER WAY AROUND. Fact is SP1 build is "evaluation copy" with time bomb.
Does `time bomb' really matter. There may be a final SP1 which can be installed above the beta. Analogy is windows xp service packs. Even if the final SP1 cannot be installed over the beta, that is a long time away. I have kept a system image pre-beta, and plan to update it periodically with windows and other software updates, even though my working image is intended to include SP1 beta. The confirmation mail from MS says ``We will notify you by email if there are updated pre-release versions of the Service Pack available. Thank you again for trying the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta''.
No it doesnt matter right now but i bet you whatever you will see posts around timebomb day that "oh no my windows expired wtf to do", like we did when Win7 beta/rc expired and all the monkeys where trying it and tought they can use it for ever and no SP1 final you WONT be able to install over SP1 beta, you will need to uninstall beta first my point here is, if only tecnicaly minded people that dont mind reinstalling sp1/reformating computer because of beta software would actualy try SP1 noone would probably even heard about timebomb (unless he would check about screen), but since now its "public" and "officaly from MS" every 10 person will say to him self "oh why not try SP1, seems like a cool thing to have, since people are talking so much about it", even tho in reality he wont know what he goes in to.
The first thing about not being able to install final over beta is true for the time being, at least according to MS. The time bomb is hardly an issue if you make a system image pre-SP1, and periodically update that. FYI, I make an image just after OS install and activation. Also, the time bomb is not an issue if formating and clean install done (preferable anyway after a few months). As to what SP1 adds, not much if win 7 has been updated regularly pre-sP1. SP1 beta helps in a fresh install as all updates till SP1 are in one place. Bottomline is that through clever use of system imaging at various steps of the PC build, time bomb is not an issue at all. Worst case is a reinstall of OS and software, which is a 2-3 hr job, and not dull at all (if not done daily). Uninstall of SP1 beta itself is not difficult and MS has given multiple methods. Pre-SP1 image (updated regularly) should also suffice. One question: the exe file for 64 bit is only an online download and install from MS for now (no download on PC and installing it whenever convenient or offline). I have also downloaded the ISO image of 1.22 GB (1284254 KB). Since this was done from the web browser in the office, does this match the official ISO: CRC-32: 7249366e MD4: c2de0a9f1a2c9dc5ac5c84fb4df07469 MD5: a69a8ed20fc91aab4a0d0c16a885b313 SHA-1: 79b0df498f18dfffe30b3e8b955bf300ab2ebed4
Unfortunately I cannot download the exe. files from office PC. Can download iso though and have done that. At home, can do anything but then why waste bandwidth (>500 MB) on something which is of not much use (windows 7 updated regularly through windows updates and your hotfixes). Anyway even without your hotfixes and only regular windows 7 updates till SP1, the SP1 is only around 45-50MB anyway and can be done quickly through windows updates. The iso image is for new installs and should suffice in place of the exe.
I can confirm absolutely no problem with this update on my win activated by bios (as it neither does have nothing common with WAT)
Hold on, let me put down my banana... This monkey isn't employed by a major corporation, but rather, runs his own small development company. You see, after a busy morning of eating bananas and swinging around the office, this monkey tests some of his selected apps against upcoming software updates, among other things, to help confirm compatibility, and shares his findings with other small developers. Because that's what beta tester monkeys do. They "test" software / hardware compatibility. I thought small & independent developers checked in here from time to time... I could be wrong... Now that we have that squared away... I guess I wasn't clear last night when I posted. It was late, and going back, I realize I didn't explain my situation as clearly as I could have. I knew perfectly well going in that this Service Pack would enable a timebomb, and watermark the desktop. The initial post was more about the fact that after the SP install, the timebomb was enabled, but the watermark wasn't. The watermark didn't appear until I installed KB2032276. Hence the "licensed to evaluate" joke...nevermind. Also, the Service Pack and update KB2032276 were obtained through Windows Update, after registration, and use of the WU Signup Tool, provided by Microsoft. With that in mind, let's skip forward to this morning... I uninstalled KB2032276 and the Service Pack, and the system returned to normal. I then reinstalled the SP, and after a few reboots, there is no watermark on the desktop. Let's be clear, checking the Winver window at this point reveals the evaluation status of the beta Service Pack, (as we knew it would), but that is not reflected on the desktop through use of a watermark. On my system, it is indeed the KB2032276 that puts the watermark on the desktop. I'm out of bananas, I guess I'll have to get back to work now... Thanks for your time. Gideon
@GideonX i guess its to much to ask to "developer" that suppose to earn money with his computer knowlage knows basics how OS he is using work? but i give you a point here... developers that i sometimes needs to work with sometimes know about computer as much as avarage secretary that is using word to write letters and is using IE for browsing the web heck, im quiet sure some developers knows so little about their line of work, that maybe i would be faster if i would wrote something my self using google, then giving him to do HIS job sorry if i sounded bit rude but.... i just wanted to say watermark SHOULD be there from start, and not having it its considered "a bug" and not other way around, since this is evaluation software but oh well its "beta" things sometimes do not work as they should duh! SP1 beta without watermark acts exactly the same as with watermark, does one string on your screen in beta software really bothers you that much?
Yes there is a watermark whether due to SP1 or the 2032276 update mentioned. Frankly, it hardly matters and is not intrusive at all.
This is my first post in this forum, and boy do I have a story to tell with this update. I installed this morning around 8:30 and all seemed to be going normally until Windows started after the reboot... I have lost all my customization, Outlook .pst files are gone (KB 979440 and KB2202131 also installed), Firefox bookmarks and custom settings missing, Dreamweaver thinks it needs to be registered (even though it does still show the Deactivate on the menu - wonky!) and my desktop looks like a new install with no shortcuts and nary a gadget in sight. Also many links to applications are missing from my Start menu and all of my links I had pinned to the Start Menu are gone. My first thought was to do a system restore especially since it SAID it was creating a restore point before installing the updates. Well, guess what? It says I have no restore points! Now, the good news is that in tooling around under the hood I can see that all of my files (pictures, etc.) are still where they should be, so it's not like everything is gone. Still... I'm thinking this is beyond just finding the backups and restoring them to their rightful place. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm fairly computer savvy so poking around with the files is not a problem... though it seems I don't have access now to look at some of my directories even though I am still the administrator on this computer. Right now I am thinking the path of least resistance is to copy my whole HD to an external HD (time-consuming, I know... but I've done it before) and then reformat, etc. The kicker to all of this is that I am heading out the door in less than 2 hours for a vacay and now will be lugging all my disks with me - and my netbook in case I get stumped. *insert Marge Simpson growl* I am running Win7 Ultimate 64-bit (genuine) on a Dell dual core Vostro 1520 with 8GB RAM. If anyone has any solutions, please do tell. Many thanks!
And why not having a VM for testing first?? I think that's what most intermediate/advanced users do At least that's what I do, and for example, with Office 2010, I tried different installers and activation methods in my VM until I got it activated, then I just follow the successfull process in all the computers in my home and never (almost ) had to reinstall or clean anything.