Finally the cat is out of the bag with leak of first ever Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1 screenshots, the series of images posted at a non-english blog shows the SP1 installer suggesting that it sizes around 149.4 MB in its current build form.

According to the blogger the total number of updates in the current build of Service Pack 1 is around 150, these updates bring the Windows 7 compilation build number between: 7600.20500 and 20,700.

We have posted about indicative proofs of Microsoft doing internal Windows 7 SP1 testing and now to further support the unconfirmed news bloggers at ZDNet are now reporting that they have received several reports supporting claims of undergoing Windows 7 SP1 testing and have seen lists of post-RTM build numbers for Windows 7.

Microsoft routinely provides a single installable package with collection of updates, fixes and/or enhancements for their software as Service Packs addressing common annoyances and adding new features to their products, After quite successful launch of company's latest operating-system Windows 7 it now seems that Microsoft is all-set to start external beta-testing of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), Blogger Rafael has found that as previously done a beta ‘candidacy check’ within Windows Update achieved via simple registry key and value pair needs to be done for getting authorized to download the new Windows 7 SP1 Update.

Microsoft Windows 7 is getting some good sale figures and if you also planning to get switched on the new operating-system now you can test and learn the new features online right from your web-browsers - thanks to newly introduced Windows 7 Test Drive service from Microsoft which allows users and developers to experience Windows 7 running live on Microsoft servers in an safe virtual test-drive environment accompanied with supporting step-by-step walkthrough videos of it's features.

The free test-drive resource requires no special software installation and runs inside your web-browser (Internet Explorer) and needs a single Active-X installation to get started.

Microsoft Windows 7 comes loaded with lots of new features, and one of the most exciting new feature is Device Stage which introduces a brand new way to interact with your hardware devices from Windows desktop; Out-of-the-box support for hardware devices is one of the major strength for Windows over competing operating-systems and Windows 7 takes this to all new level with even more device-support allowing users to utilize services offered by their devices via new visual interface of device-stage without the need to install additional software or drivers.

Newly introduced Device Stage is not just a visual interface to interact with your devices but also offers automatic media conversion suited for devices plugged-in as I found it while working with Creative Zen MP3 player as demonstrated ahead.

Hacker's succeeded in cracking Microsoft Windows 7 activation even before it got officially released on 22 October 2009, now the same guy Hazar has came up with another utility 'RemoveWAT' which claims to completely remove Windows Activation Technologies (WAT) from the operating-system allowing users with illegal copies of Windows 7 to activate their copies and enjoy retaining genuine status letting them receive all updates from Microsoft, this will even let them pass the genuine check in Microsoft software's like Windows Defender.

The utility claims to uninstall the whole WAT thingy with all traces from the OS, after applying this crack there will be no windows activation section in Windows 7 control panel.

If you jumped onto Microsoft Windows 7 pre-release version (Beta or RC) you can't upgrade to the final RTM version and need to do an clean install loosing all your settings and installed application as Windows 7 setup won't let you upgrade from a pre-release version to final build displaying error as below.

Luckily there is a simple config-file hack which allows you to do an in-place upgrade from Windows 7 pre-release to final version keeping your files, settings and applications intact.

In some weird move by Microsoft their latest operating-system Windows 7 does not support in-place upgrade from their most widely used operating system - Windows XP, lack of this upgrade path prevented many like me from migrating to Windows 7 but here is some ray of hope with Laplink announcing in-place upgrade support to Windows 7 from Windows XP in upcoming release of their popular PC migration utility PCMover.

Microsoft has done a pretty decent job with upcoming Windows 7 user interface, but here is something more futuristic named Copenhagen User Experience concept by its developer, the GUI concept seems very practical and is definitely worth giving a consideration by developers.

Windows 7 RC1 is now officially available for public downloading, the release candidate is set to expire on June 1, 2010 and will start to begin shutting down every two hours from March 1, 2010 you’ll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010 to continue using it without expiration, after installing Windows 7 RC you have 30 days to activate your copy of Windows 7 online, you can follow the simple online activation process as detailed next for a fully functional genuine activated copy of Windows 7 till June 1, 2010.