How to upgrade Windows 7 beta to RC - to RTM

Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) was designed to be installed on a raw partition from scratch.

The final version of Windows 7 should be able to settle in "Update" from Windows Vista and Windows 7 RC. This version RC enables you to update Windows Vista, but does not update any version of Windows 7 beta or Pre-RC published so far.

Advanced users who wish to test a migration, however a version of Windows 7 prior to the RC can do this through the following trick.

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• Download the ISO of Windows 7 RC from here.
• It will be necessary to modify one of the ISO file (it is in the source directory). To do this:
  * Or you can use a program like MagicISO to edit cversion.ini then burn the ISO image changed to a DVD and you start the installation by inserting the DVD.
  * Or you can copy all the files from the DVD to a USB drive or folder on a partition on your PC and you edit the file cversion.ini then you start the installation by double clicking the Setup from the location chosen. For info, you can use the xcopy X: \ *.* / s / e / f K: \ (where X: is the letter of the DVD, and K: the USB key).
• In file cversion.ini (edit with notepad for example) locate the line with the value MinClient (normally 7077) and modify it by placing it in 7000.
• Save the file.
• Start the installation of Windows 7 by using the method update.