Official Windows 7 RC Build Leaks to P2P Sites

In what should be no surprise to anyone, the release candidate (RC) of Windows 7, build 7100, has leaked to P2P sites, including Mininova and yes, even The Pirate Bay, despite last Friday's guilty verdict in their copyright infringement case.

Of course, this is by no means a endorsement of P2P downloading, or of downloading this leaked version, but of course it's up to you. If you’ve been wanting to get a new build post-public beta (i.e., you haven't been following along getting other leaked builds), here's your chance.

Many have confirmed 7100 is indeed the Windows 7 RC build, but of course your choice of download may affect your experience. If you choose reputable trackers and check the comments, you should be fine (although the RIAA and MPAA would probably grimace at the term "reputable tracker").

It's already been confirmed that changes from Windows 7 build 7077 to 7100 are restricted to bug fixes, so there won't be much in the way of differences. And, if you'd prefer to wait for the official release, that will be May 5th, so you don't have long to wait.

Windows 7 is the successor to Microsoft's much-maligned Windows Vista, which has been so criticized, in fact, that Microsoft has been allowing OEMs to continue to ship PCs with Windows XP via the "Downgrade Rights" policy.

Microsoft has not yet announced an official release date for the product.