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Windows 7 SP1 has been in beta testing for some time now, so it only makes sense that a release candidate would be coming soon. Sooner than you may have thought, as it turns out: the Windows 7 SP1 RC escrow build has been leaked.
At this point, only the x86 version has surfaced and certain sites are also reporting that the leak is actually a pre-RC build and not the genuine article. Perhaps more important than the fact that yet another piece of pre-release Redmond software was leaked is the fact that the sources cited by IntoWindows indicate the official download could be available as soon as October 23.
Call me crazy, but I'd recommend waiting until next week rather than messing with a leaked build. Or, you know, waiting for the final build of Windows 7 SP1 when it hits. There's not a lot of excitement in the Service Pack anyway, unless you happen to be a network admin or virtualization junkie.
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Windows 7 SP1 RC-Escrow Build 7601.17104 Available
to Select Testers, Reportedly
Barely ten days after Microsoft released the Service Pack 1 RC-Escrow (build 7601.1701.1704) to testers, the build has been leaked to the internet. Several forums, including MDL, reporting that the Windows 7 SP1 RC-Escrow build is available to download via file sharing sites.
The build string is 7601.17104.100921-1630, which indicates that the current build was compiled on 21st September at 4.30 PM. It appears that only x86 version is available as of now. If the unofficial sources are to be believed, the official RC build will be released on 26th October.