Leak of Windows 8 Looks a Lot Like Windows 7

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Shh... let's not leak our hard work.

A leaked build of Windows 8 has hit the internet. The beta forum BetaArchive has one of the first records of the release, which was uploaded by an anonymous user (of course).

The file name for the 2.45 GB image is 6.1.7850.0.winmain_win8m1.100922-1508_x86fre_client-enterprise_en-us.iso.But it's a fake. (see update below)

Slyck read the feedback from torrent sites and found comments saying that this is just Windows 7 renamed to Windows 8: "This is a fake. Info gathered from files : 6.1.7600. 16385(win7_rtm.090713-1255). Since Win 8 is a new kernel, this aint it."

UPDATE: Slyck may be incorrect. This could really just be an old, but genuine build of Windows 8.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
23 Comments Comment from the forums
  • joytech22
    It was to be expected, Isn't windows 8 taking a "prettier" approach with the floating bubble windows and stuff? (as seen from pics posted here)
    Reply
  • rantoc
    Windows 7 is awesome, bet this "leaked windows8" will be better than the final Win8 with all the insane new UI's / resource hoging "features" =)
    Reply
  • randomizer
    joytech22It was to be expected, Isn't windows 8 taking a "prettier" approach with the floating bubble windows and stuff? (as seen from pics posted here)UI reworks will be towards the latter end of the development cycle. Even if this was the real Milestone 1 (yes, only M1 - check the filename), it would be built to get core OS changes out for testing, not showing off pretty bubbles.
    Reply
  • Umm, that's because this is an early build, from September. It was still Windows 6.1... no biggie. It's in the process of being changed, people. Remember the early Longhorn builds? They identified themselves as Windows XP, then Longhorn XP, then Vista.
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    Ignorence is bliss. People that download crap like this end up getting viruses and then complain that it wasn't real and they got a virus from it. Well then you deserve to get one for being so ignorant when it comes to downlaoding something that has no legit refrence to provide.
    Reply
  • betaarchive
    I really wish people would do their research before they post "FAKE". This is an early Milestone 1 build from September 2010. This was before re-branding had taken place, which only happens later in the development. This has been confirmed real by several sources. Just because it -looks- like Windows 7, doesn't mean it IS Windows 7. Had you actually got a copy you could look around the OS and find out for yourself it is real by looking at some of the new features.
    Reply
  • mrpijey
    As James above and others said, this is only a milestone, which means that most of the visual doodads has yet to be implemented. At this stage only core functionality is partially implemented and tested.

    Same was with Windows 7 and Vista, they look like the OS:es they were based on before the UI changed in later milestones and early betas. And not every file in the OS get updated as well. Only once the product hits beta most of its core functionality is in place and only bugtesting and final functionality adjustments are done. Milestones are always visually the same as previous OS with only version numbers and perhaps logos changed.

    Either way, we will review the m1 thoroughly to determine its validity. We have a lot of dedicated members that would have by now detected if it was a fake. But since the release comes from a trusted source I have no doubt it's authentic.

    And seriously, your source of info is from torrent site comments? Half of them always say "fake" since they expect it to either look different, or have all the functions advertised to be in Win8, or simply because it's an early release. Most of the people claiming this don't know how development works, or simply put, they don't know a thing about it.

    We at Betaarchive do, since its our business to discuss and learn about betas.


    And Betaarchive is not a private FTP site, it's a public beta forum that everyone can join.


    /mrpijey, co-admin of Betaarchive.
    Reply
  • ProDigit10
    Please MS, go back to a fast responding, configurable to run manual not automatic, simple UI!
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    3D may be a fad, but I wonder if there will be an option to output the display in 3D?
    Reply
  • mobrocket
    Just go ubuntu and u will have something new every 6 months

    unless u love gaming, then u are still stuck with windows...

    if figure game developers would support linux so that players could spend more money on games and less on windows disk
    Reply