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The Windows 7 Beta was released on January 7, 2009 to TechNet and MSDN subscribers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/01/07/information-on-downloading-and-installing-windows-7-beta.aspx|title=Windows 7 Team Blog Information on Downloading and Installing Windows 7 Beta|first=2009-01-07|accessdate=2009-01-08}}</ref> On January 10, after a short delay due to overwhelming demand, both 32 and 64-bit versions of the Beta were made available to the public until the 10th of February. The build number is 7000.winmain_win7beta.081212-1400.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126739|title=Microsoft Extends Windows 7 Beta Availability}}</ref> Existing installations of the beta continued to operate until August 1, 2009 with bi-hourly shutdowns beginning July 1.
===Pre-release-candidate builds===
*On February 8, 2009, build 7022 x86 of Windows 7 was leaked to file sharing sites on the Internet by a Microsoft Ukraine employee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/02/08/windows-7-build-7022-leaks|title=Windows 7 build 7022 leaks|publisher=Neowin|author=Tom Warren}}</ref> On March 1, 2009, build 7022 x64 was leaked. Reviewers have noted that [[Internet Explorer 8]] had been updated to RC1, a few new icons, new animation effects for Windows Desktop Gadgets with new icons and changes to Paint and a faster setup process. The build was completed on January 15, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/02/whats-new-in-the-leaked-windows-7-build-7022.ars|title=What's new in the leaked Windows 7 build 7022|publisher=Ars Technica|author=Emil Protalinski}}</ref>
*A 64-bit build 7048 was leaked on March 2, 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windows7center.com/windows-7-news/windows-7-build-7048-x64-download-leaked/ | title = Windows 7 Build 7048 x64 Download Leaked - Windows 7 Center}}</ref> and the 32-bit build 7048 was leaked on March 6. One notable change of this build was that users now had the ability to turn off functionality of various Windows features, like Internet Explorer, Windows Search, and Windows Media Player via the Control Panel. Ars Technica did a roundup of some of the visual UI changes between build 7000 and 7048 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/03/side-by-side-changes-from-windows-7-beta-to-build-7048.ars/|title=Side by side: UI changes from Windows 7 beta to build 7048|publisher=Ars Technica|author=Emil Protalinski}}</ref> and ZDNet managed to do some performance tests showing build 7048 was superior to build 7000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=3789|title=Windows 7 build 7048 vs. Windows 7 beta 1 vs. Vista vs. XP performance shootout - which is best?|publisher=ZDNet|author=Adrian Kingsley-Hughes}}</ref>
*On February 26, 2009, Microsoft announced 36 major user-visible changes to Windows 7 since the Beta.<ref name="RCchanges">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2009/02/26/some-changes-since-beta.aspx|title=Some Changes Since Beta for RC|author=Engineering Windows 7}}</ref> On March 6, 2009, Microsoft announced that users would have the ability to turn off even more features than in Windows Vista. Some programs users would be able to turn off included [[Windows Media Player]], [[Windows Media Center]], Internet Explorer 8, [[Windows Search]], and the Windows Gadget Platform.<ref name="Engineering Windows 7">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2009/03/06/beta-to-rc-changes-turning-windows-features-on-or-off.aspx|title=Beta to RC Changes - Turning Windows Features On or Off}}</ref>
*On March 11, 2009, build 7057 x86 was leaked and on March 13, 2009, the x64 version was leaked. Build 7057 was compiled on March 5, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/03/side-by-side-ui-changes-from-windows-7-beta-to-build-7057.ars|title=Side by side: UI changes from Windows 7 beta to build 7057|publisher=Ars Technica|author=Emil Protalinski}}</ref>
*Build 7068 was compiled on March 21, 2009, and was available to select Microsoft Connect testers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windows7center.com/windows-7-news/windows-7-build-7068-released-on-connect-today/|title=Windows 7 Build 7068 spotted on Connect today|publisher=Windows 7 Center}}</ref> On March 27, 2009, build 7068 x86 was leaked and on March 28, 2009, the x64 version was leaked. CNET journalist Rory Gee noted on a significant decrease of system resources to use build 7068.
*On April 7, 2009, the 32-bit version of build 7077, an RC escrow build,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/04/08/windows-7-build-7077-leaks|title=Windows 7 build 7077 leaks|publisher=Neowin|author=Tom Warren}}</ref> was leaked<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/04/first-screenshots-of-build-windows-7-build-7077-leak.ars|title=First screenshots of build Windows 7 build 7077 leak|publisher=Ars Technica|author=Emil Protalinski}}</ref> and the x64 version was leaked two days later, on April 9, 2009.
===Release Candidate===
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