How To Install Any Windows 7 Release Candidate Edition

Martin | Apr 29, 2009 | Comments

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The Windows 7 Release Candidate will automatically install Windows 7 Ultimate on the target computer system with no apparent option to switch to one of the other five editions that are included in the release. A configuration file that is included in the release defines that only Windows 7 Ultimate will be installed whenever the setup is executed. Users who want to install a different edition of Windows 7 have to remove the configuration file to be able to install those other editions. Setup will provide options to install different Windows 7 editions if that configuration file gets removed. Here is how you do that.

You do need an ISO image of the Windows 7 Release Candidate. Actually, any Windows 7 ISO that has been created by Microsoft will do fine. Removing a file from an ISO image is probably not the easiest task for many users. Probably the easiest method to accomplish the task is to extract the contents of the ISO image to the local computer system, delete the file and create a new ISO from the remaining files. Programs that are suitable for this task are the excellent compression program 7-Zip and the CD burning software ImgBurn.

This option seems to be the most viable as there are virtually no free ISO editors for the Microsoft Windows platform. Only commercial tools like Iso Master or Magic Iso provide this functionality.

Extracting the Iso image with 7-Zip could not be easier. Just left-click the Iso on the computer system to select it. Now right-click to open the context menu and select 7-Zip -> Extract Here. This will extract the contents of the ISO image to the computer system.

Open the sources folder and locate the file ei.cfg. Delete that file from the folder.

eicfg

All you need to do now is to create a bootable Iso of that image once again or install it right away from the computer system. Users who prefer a software solution can download a patcher that will remove the ei.cfg file directly from the Windows 7 RC ISO image.

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About the Author: Martin Brinkmann is an Online Journalist from Germany who discovered his love for technology in high school. He is currently working as a freelancer for several publications and runs his own Internet website Ghacks

  • danny
    I don`t understand something... If XP was version 5.1 and Vista is 6.0, why 7 RC is version 6.1 and not 7? Is possible in the RTM to change from 6.1 to 7?
  • Rene
    RC is 7.1 not 6.1
  • danny
    Look at a screenshot and you will see Version 6.1 Build 7100 so 7 RC version is 6.1. If the 6th OS release of Microsoft was Vista and the 7th is Win7 why the version is not 7, is possible to be changed in the RTM version ? Or Microsoft has a surprise with a brand new UI (better one than in the other pre-releases that is rumored in older news) and that will come in the final version that is 7?
  • Mario
    Because Windows 7 is based on Vista technology with some new features & optimizations, and not rewritten from scratch.
  • Sorry you guys are all wrong. Windows 7 is actually Version 7 kernel, but remember the compatibility fiasco Vista had?

    They've artificially made the version 6.1 since Vista was 6, because kernel version affects API compatibility.
  • Panikmechanik
    Actually the RC is ver 6.1.7100
  • Sanguine
    Are there any beta keys for Home Premium then?
  • The keys are only valid for the ultimate edition. You need to use the rearm command to use it for a maximum of 120 days.
  • Mario
    Why would someone deliberately cripple their system with a non-Ultimate setup when you can get everything from the beta?
  • idunolol
    Maybe they're trying to see if some software will work on a certain version.

    Or maybe they're masochistic.
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