Safe to install RTM versions?

[fleshconsumed]

I have technet subscription so both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 will be available to me on August 6th. I have installed Windows Server 2008 RTM in the past as soon as it was made available and it's been working fine this whole time. I want to do the same with Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 (Vista explorer and search dialogue is driving me nuts). However, I don't know if it's safe to do. Last thing I want to do is reinstall OS if something happens between RTM and official release date. Aside from language content, is it possible that Microsoft may discover some bug in RTM version which will require a totally new build making original RTM build unsupported and thus necessitating reinstall of the OS? Or is it safe to install RTM without worrying about having to install new build?

 

[ViRGE]

August 6th is for all practical purposes the official release date. The build released on that day is the same build that will be going in to stores and on to computers for the October 22nd public launch. Any potential bugs in that time period would be patched via Windows Update, just like any other bugs are.

 

[Athena]

The code that will be available for download on August 6 will be the same as the October CDs. The whole point of "Release To Manufacturing" is that is when the development team signs off and says "this is what we will support".

The only thing that will happen between August 6 and October 22 will be the posting of numerous post-RTM fixes to Windows Update. If you have Windows 7 installed before October, you'll get critical updates as you go. If you wait until October, you'll get a whole slew of them as soon as you install.

 

[RebateMonger]

As noted, once a product goes "RTM", it's unlikely to change. That said, Microsoft DID "recall" SBS 2003 R2 a couple of years ago. After releasing it and shipping some early copies, they found a problem with some files and "recalled" the release.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
As noted, once a product goes "RTM", it's unlikely to change. That said, Microsoft DID "recall" SBS 2003 R2 a couple of years ago. After releasing it and shipping some early copies, they found a problem with some files and "recalled" the release.

That's what I was wondering about. How "final" is final RTM build.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: fleshconsumed
That's what I was wondering about. How "final" is final RTM build.

For "heavily tested" operating systems (like consumer systems), probably pretty final. SBS is a heavily-modified and very complex system that would require tons of money to test as thoroughly as XP or Vista.

The original SBS 2003 had another release-day disaster. Microsoft shipped SBS 2003 around November 25, 2003. Unfortunately, a key security certificate in SBS expired on November 23, 2003. So, upon installation, SBS' Sharepoint web site ("Companyweb"), didn't function correctly.

Microsoft continued selling the Retail packages containing this flaw. Eventually they put a "replacement disk" inside the box, telling users to replace the original Disk 3 with the replacement one.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: fleshconsumed
That's what I was wondering about. How "final" is final RTM build.

Your original query asked "is it possible that Microsoft may discover some bug in RTM version which will require a totally new build making original RTM build unsupported and thus necessitating reinstall of the OS?"

The answer to that is , while nothing is impossible, the likelihood is extremely small.

The Windows team has said that their latest build is the one they will commit to support. In the unlikely event that something drastic would change in the next few months, they would have to spend millions to satisfy vendors. No one at Microsoft wants to be in that situation; that's why they do not RTM until they are sure they can live with what they ship.

 

[13Gigatons]

RTM = code freeze

However hotfixes will be used for any issues that arise after RTM.