Microsoft wants RC testers to install Windows 7 over Vista

Microsoft has asked Windows 7 testers to install the upcoming Release Candidate of the new OS on a Vista machine and not as an upgrade from the Windows 7 beta. The company thus seems to confirm that the RC will be released in May.

The call to install the RC of Windows 7 not over the previous version but on a Vista system was answered on Tuesday done on the Engineering Windows 7 blog. The post makes it clear that the May release date accidentally announced by Microsoft at the end of last month is in any case not far off. There are still undisputed rumors about a release in April.

With the installation on Vista systems, Microsoft wants to find out more information about the problems that can arise with the mass migration to the new operating system. The company says it expects most testers to be eager to install the RC as soon as possible, but still hopes they’ll be willing to go through the tedious process of installing and configuring Vista ‘cleanly’. The Windows Easy Transfertool should help with this.

By default, Windows 7 RC will throw an error if it tries to overlay an older prerelease version. However, Microsoft does not want to antagonize the beta testers and offers the necessary instructions to install the RC, “if there is really no other way”, over a Windows 7 beta.

Microsoft also points out in the blog post that an installation of Windows 7 on top of Windows XP is not possible: in that case a clean install will always be necessary. The software giant confirmed Monday according to ZDNet also has rumors that OEMs are allowed to downgrade computers to XP until after the release of Windows 7. The company is thus giving in to pressure from mainly HP and customers who are afraid of compatibility problems with their applications. However, an end date for that arrangement was not given, although HP says it is April 30, 2010. Until January 31, 2010, these customers and Vista owners can still upgrade to Windows 7 for free.