Vista RC1 is now available for download

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Microsoft Connect
Date: 08-Sep-2006 04:20
Subject: RC1 is Available for Download on Connect!
To: Bing Bao
...
Dear Bing,

We are excited to announce that Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 is now available for testing! This build contains many changes since the beta 2 release as well as fixes to important issues you reported on the last build, 5536. We ask that you install RC1 right away and provide us with your feedback.

The images posted first will be for x86 and x64 English. Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate are all in the image and can be installed with the appropriate product key. You will not need a new key for this build. Existing beta 2 keys will work.

The following SKUs are available for download immediately. Build 5600.16384 of Longhorn server will follow next week.

To go directly to download the build use the following links:

Technical Overview Documents (RC1 v5600-16384)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 (English)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 Checked for Developers Only (English)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) Tools WDK-Windows AIK-SDK (English)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) Windows AIK (German and Japanese)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 (German)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 (Japanese)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 (Arabic)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 (Spanish)
Windows Vista RC1 (v5600-16384) for X86 and X64 (French)

Notes:

We ask that you do not upgrade from any other builds besides Windows XP or Windows Vista Beta 2.

What we ask that you do with this build:

After you have had time to install and look the build over briefly, please post a short review of your observations and opinions as a reply to the thread "Post your RC1 Mini Reviews here" in the Microsoft.beta.longhorn.beta_program newsgroup. Additionally, please complete the install survey located here:

Keep in mind when burning your DVD's please do so at 1x or 2x and CRC them when done using the CRC utility posted on the Connect site. The customer experience improvement telemetry that we've been getting back on Beta 2 shows that not quite ¾ of setup failures are the result of a failure to read from the media. Testing shows that burning at slower speeds greatly increases the chances of a good burn.

Regards,
The Longhorn/Windows Vista Beta Team