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New Windows 7 build appears on torrent sites

An updated version of the official beta Microsoft stopped distributing this week is out there for downloading on several torrent sites.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
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The Windows 7 beta, shown running on Ina Fried's Mac Mini. Ina Fried/CNET Networks

A new build version of the Windows 7 beta has been available on several torrent sites as Microsoft ended the distribution of an earlier version, according to a report.

Computerworld noticed that Windows 7 Build 7022 has been available on sites like The Pirate Bay for download this week, the last days in which Windows users were able to download the beta before Microsoft pulled the plug Thursday. Several versions are still there as of this writing, which includes a Release Candidate version of Internet Explorer 8 for Windows 7 that was missing from the original beta release, and XTreview.com thought the new build was faster on certain benchmarks.

The original beta (Build 7000) was released on January 10, but Computerworld noted that Build 7022 carries a date-stamp of January 15. Microsoft has had problems with other Windows 7 betas leaking to torrent sites, in November before the beta was completed and just a few weeks before the official release in January.