Windows 7 Beta Available Through Feb 10

Microsoft has extended the deadline to download the first beta of Windows 7 to February 10.

Remember when Microsoft announced the availability of the first beta release of WIndows 7 at CES…and then had to extend the download period for two weeks in order to accommodate the flood of users trying to download and install the pre-release version of Microsoft’s next operating system? That cutoff date was supposed to have been January 24, but now the Redmond software giant has extended the download period all the way through February 10, 2009.

The beta software is set to expire on August 1, 2009.

Folks who start their downloads of Windows 7 by February 10 will be able to complete the downloads through February 12—a good thing, since the beta is something like 3 GB in size, depending on the version—and users will be able to get product keys for the beta even after February 12. Users need a Windows Live ID or similar Microsoft login (MSN Messenger, Hotmail, or Passport) in order to download the beta.

Of course, Microsoft is conducting the beta in order to get feedback from users on what does and doesn’t work—and, as always, make sure you have a complete, restorable backup of your currently system before installing the beta.