Windows 7 Beta Hits BitTorrent

The beta for Windows 7 isn't due until next year, but it's already being listed on several BitTorrent sites.

It was just back in October that Microsoft released pre-beta code of its forthcoming Windows 7 OS to developers at its Professional Developers Conference. An official beta release is due early in 2009, with the final OS (hopefully) on the streets before the end of the year.

But something odd has happened. Due to a file leak somewhere along the line, several BitTorrent sites, including The Pirate Bay, are showing a number of listings for the Windows 7 beta, according to TechNewsWorld.

Many analysts feel this isn’t a disaster for Microsoft, and might even be a positive, since it could generate excitement for Windows 7. However, the standard warning for anything from a BitTorrent site applies: if you download the file, it could well contain malware.