This update is of particular interest to anyone who happens to be running the beta version of Microsoft’s upcoming OS, Windows 7. Microsoft has accounted that from July 1st the beta version of Windows 7 will render itself practically unusable – we can only assume this is to encourage those who haven’t yet found enough time to update to the Windows 7 Release Candidate to pull their collective thumbs out and do so.

Beginning on the first of July, anyone still running the Windows 7 beta will notice that it starts to reboot once every two hours. This will continue until you either upgrade to the Windows 7 RC or until we reach the first of August, at which point it’ll expire… meaning you’ll be kind of snookered OSwise.

The Windows Team blog points out that the Windows 7 RC download program closes on the 15th of August, but that those who need a key can still get one by going to their downloads page. The release candidate should keep you all shored up with Windows 7 goodness until March of next year, at which point it’ll start the same restart every two hours act as the beta, before expiring in June. We can only assume that by then you might actually be expected to pay for an OS, but that’s a full year away, anything could happen between now and then.

You can read the original Windows Team blog about the end of the Windows 7 beta here or you can jump straight to the Windows 7 RC download information here.