Microsoft says Windows 7 RTM will be available by the end of the month, and addresses some frequently asked questions. Microsoft put rumors about the availability of Windows 7 RTM (release to manufacturing) to rest in a blog post late yesterday. Despite reports that Microsoft would finish Windows 7 yesterday (July 13), that is not the case.Microsoft marketing manager Brandon LeBlanc writes that Windows 7 is close to RTM but is still finalizing it in some languages and waiting for all its partners to test and build images for new PCs. Windows 7 is expected to RTM in the next couple weeks.Windows 7 Bible: Your Complete Guide to the Next Version of Windows“We are close, but have not yet signed off on Windows 7 … As previously stated, we expect Windows 7 to RTM in the 2nd half of July,” writes LeBlanc. LeBlanc goes on to answer a handful of FAQs about Windows 7 RTM. Some key answers.MSDN and TechNet Subscribers will be able to download the final version of Windows 7 a few weeks after RTM is announced. Volume License Customers will be able to get Windows 7 on Sept. 1 (As announced yesterday during Bill Veghte’s keynote at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans). Everyone else will get the retail version of Windows 7 in stores on Oct. 22. If you pre-ordered Windows 7, it should be mailed to you sometime around the Oct. 22 timeframe (it depends on the retailer). On New PCs, OEMs are expected to start shipping new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed on Oct. 22. Users can continue to use Windows 7 RC (release candidate) until it expires on June 1, 2010. “In-place” (or direct) upgrades from the Windows 7 RC to RTM will not be supported. Users will be required to do a “clean install.” MSDN and TechNet subscribers, as well as Volume License customers, will have access to product keys when Windows 7 is made available to them. Product keys for Windows 7 RTM will be different than the product keys used for Windows 7 Beta and the release candidate. Windows 7 Beta or RC product keys WILL NOT work with Windows 7 RTM. “Leaked” builds of Windows 7 are not the final version of Windows 7 RTM and are likely to be laced with malicious code. As for getting a 64-bit copy of Windows 7, all copies of Windows 7 in developed markets will ship with both 32-bit and 64-bit DVDs. With Windows Vista, the 64-bit version was only available with Windows Vista Ultimate.Are you a Tweeter? Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/smoneill. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter at twitter.com/CIOonline. Related content opinion Last Words Before Closing Eye on Microsoft By Shane O'Neill Jun 05, 2013 3 mins Small and Medium Business Tablets Windows opinion With Rumored Reorg, Microsoft Tries to Simplify The mounting pressure on Steve Ballmer to streamline Microsoft is finally leading to some action. By Shane O'Neill Jun 03, 2013 3 mins IT Strategy Cloud Computing Computers and Peripherals opinion What You Need to Know About the New Lync and Skype Integration Audio calls and instant messaging are officially integrated between Lync and Skype, but no video connectivity yet. Here are some key points for users and IT admins about the new Lync-Skype connection. By Shane O'Neill May 29, 2013 3 mins Small and Medium Business Internet VoIP opinion Microsoft Should Leave the Competition Out of Ads Microsoft is in no position to disparage Google and Apple in TV ads, yet it keeps doing it. A new ad for Microsoft Surface turns inward and gets it right. By Shane O'Neill May 23, 2013 2 mins Small and Medium Business Tablets Internet Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe