If that's the case then I won't trust Microsoft ever again according to this: Architecture & Build: 7601.win7sp1_rtm.10119-1850
in all fairness that doesnt mean much, it just means its from RTM branch. For example when MS comes to certain stage in development (major milestones like beta, RC, RTM...) it branches main windows branch in to sub branch like win7sp1_rtm and makes MULTIPLE builds of that are different and then eventualy picks one of it to be signed off as final RTM. However all other indicators (like updates, no new build in rtm branch for 2 months) indicates that this is indeed signed off RTM build.
A Microsoft Technet leak by Zukona has indicated that windows 8 pre-beta is to be launched in June 2011 alongwith IE9.
because MS made it this way? thing is main package is signed by MS, you cannot temper with files inside without breaking certificate on main package... why MS did it this way i have no idea, maybe someone should check if RC setup.exe is signed or not.
The Explorer shell extension for signature checking isn't perfect; you should use sigcheck instead: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897441
so the main package (windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe / SHA-1: 74865EF2562006E51D7F9333B4A8D45B7A749DAB) has a digital signature?
I guess it's not wise to bet against MS delaying IE, but June is a good three months beyond the expected release date for IE9. A better prediction would be a pre-beta of Win8 that includes the final IE9, but we all knew it was going to include IE9 anyway, so that's not saying much. Perhaps just leaving IE9 out of the prediction entirely is best.
Sigcheck v1.71 - File version and signature viewer Copyright (C) 2004-2010 Mark Russinovich e:\temp\windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe: Verified: Signed Signing date: 5:57 PM 11/22/2010 Publisher: Microsoft Corporation Description: Self Extracting Stub Product: Microsoft« Windows« Operating System Version: 6.1.7601.17514 File version: 6.1.7601.17514 (win7sp1_rtm.101119-1850) MD5: 28d3932f714bf71d78e75d36aa2e0fb8 SHA1: 74865ef2562006e51d7f9333b4a8d45b7a749dab SHA256: f4d1d418d91b1619688a482680ee032ffd2b65e420c6d2eaecf8aa3762aa64c8