Lifehacker

After a daylong rollercoaster drama during which Windows 7 Beta gave us a false-alarm release followed by a server smackdown, Microsoft is finally handing out honest to goodness product keys for the beta.

Reader Daniel says:

The following steps worked for me:

1. Login in you Passport account, for example, here.
2. Without closing the Passport page, open one of the following in a new tab:
   Windows 7 Beta 32-bit
   Windows 7 Beta 64-bit

The 32-bit link may need to be refreshed many times, about 15 for me until it worked.

I gave it a try, and the same worked for me and several Lifehacker commenters. I'm guessing these servers are going to take the same sort of hits we saw earlier today, so your mileage may vary. Other Lifehacker editors are reporting redirects when they try it, as are many commenters. Oy.

One reader suggests that keys are only going out to those who registered earlier today, before the beta was taken down. We can't confirm this, but it seems to hold true for what we're experiencing here at Lifehacker HQ.

It's been a long day, Windows enthusiasts, so smoke 'em if you got 'em. If you were able to secure the download and a key (or just the download, really, since it works just fine without the key for at least a month), here's how to install and dual-boot Windows 7 with XP or Vista for your weekend project.

Google Chrome's product manager, Brian Rakowski, said Google is aiming for Mac and Linux releases of the search company's new web browser sometime in the first half of 2009, according to CNET. This news comes on the heels of the Chrome 2.0 pre-beta release for Windows, which took major steps away from dependence on the Windows platform.

You'd think that getting soundly beaten by Google and Yahoo over and over in the online space would mean that Microsoft would take the web a little more seriously. You'd be wrong.

Case in point: Today's epic failure around the distribution of the Windows 7 public beta download. This morning Microsoft's web servers fell to their knees under the pressure of constant web page refreshes by enthusiasts who want to volunteer their time to test Windows 7 after Steve Ballmer's announcement the download would be available at noon today. (Since noon today, the download was there, then pulled, and back up again only if you know the direct links, and the promised product keys still aren't available. There's "no ETA" when they will be.)

Is it fantastic that Microsoft is offering this freebie preview? Yes. Is it shameful that they'd be so woefully unprepared for the demand it would draw? That also would be a YES.

Sure, hosting a multi-gigabyte download on the web is an enormously expensive undertaking, but Microsoft has more money than God. Plus, while the download itself is large, it's only of interest to a relatively small portion of the population. If lack of infrastructure to handle an insane traffic spike over a few hours was truly the problem (even though these were conditions Microsoft created), there are lots of alternatives they could've used that would have kept their servers up. In fact, users have been happily downloading and distributing the Windows 7 beta build 7000 now for weeks using an efficient file-sharing protocol called BitTorrent.

(Think it's a crazy idea for a company to use BitTorrent to distribute large files? Ubuntu is always seeding a torrent of their main distro.)

Microsoft's not the only one who's blown web launches. Apple did it spectacularly with MobileMe, and even an occasional Google product craps the bed when the planets misalign.

But for a company that's pushing cloud computing and web services and trying so hard to prove that they're ready to move off the desktop and onto the web, today's Win7 borkfest proves Microsoft is still too clueless about how to do stuff online to be taken seriously.

With March 20th (the first day of spring) still an unfathomable distance in the future, Real Simple details how to protect your body in the face of the damaging, bitter cold. Photo by Tony the Misfit.

The article covers all things dry-hands, red-nose, rough-elbows, chapped-lips, and more. For example:

Dry Hands
How to Prevent: The thin skin covering the hands is particularly susceptible to dehydration during the winter. Protect it by wearing gloves outdoors and using rubber gloves when doing dishes. And each time you wash your hands, moisturize afterward. “Keep a jar of cream by every sink in the house,” says Leddon. RS pick: TheraSeal Hand Protection ($13 at drugstores).

How to Treat: For an extra moisture boost, apply a thick layer of hand cream
before bed, and sleep wearing white cotton gloves (available at drugstores). The gloves allow better absorption of the cream.

Each tip also offers a "When to See a Professional" section if the harsh winter has really taken its toll. If you've got your own methods of protection against the damaging winter cold, let's hear them in the comments.

There's been a lot of hubbub this morning over when users can grab the official Windows 7 Beta, but Wired is here to clear up any confusion.

From the Microsoft Partner Program web site:

Partners with a MSDN or TechNet subscription can download Windows 7 Beta now. All other partners can download Windows 7 Beta starting January 9, 2009 at 12:00 P.M. Pacific Time.

So unless you fall into the MSDN or TechNet subscriber boat, it looks like the noon release is for you. As we reported yesterday, Microsoft says that once noon hits, you can grab the download from the official Windows 7 site. Thanks Joe!

It's Friday afternoon and you know the drill—this comment thread is now open, so dive right in.

Post up your tech questions, rants, raves, images, video clips, and productivity silliness in the comments below. Respond to a particular comment by clicking on the reply button on the bottom right of it. If you don't have commenter privileges, here's how to get them; if you've got a Facebook account you can use that, too. Happy Friday! Photo by fazen.

If you're dying to try out Windows 7 but aren't ready to give up your installation of XP or Vista, let's take a look at how to dual boot Windows 7 with XP or Vista.

Step 0: Download the Windows 7 Beta and Burn It to a DVD

Assuming you've already downloaded a fresh copy of Windows 7, you'll need to burn it to a DVD in order to do a fresh installation. To handle this task, grab a copy of the most popular CD and DVD burning tool ImgBurn, burn the ISO to a DVD, and move right along to step 1.

Step 1: Partition Your Hard Drive

Before you go installing Windows 7, the first thing you need to do is create a new partition on your hard drive to hold the new installation of Windows. Partitioning your hard drive will vary depending on whether you're running XP or Vista—namely because Vista has a partition tool baked in, XP does not.

Partition Your Hard Drive in XP

To partition your hard drive in Windows XP, you'll need to download some sort of third-party partitioning software. There are a lot of options available, but I prefer to stick with the previously mentioned GParted live CD, a free, open source boot CD that can handle all kinds of partitioning duties.

To use it, just download the GParted Live CD, burn it to a CD, then reboot your computer (booting from the disc). You'll boot right into the partitioning tool. HowtoForge's previous guide to modifying partitions with GParted is a great place to start, but it's a fairly basic procedure:

1. Resize your current OS drive to free up enough space for a Windows 7 partition (the minimum system requirements ask for 16GB).
2. Create a new partition from the newly freed space.
3. Apply your changes.

Partition Your Hard Drive in Vista

The folks at Redmond were kind enough to include a disk partitioning tool in Vista if you know where to look. So go to Control Panel -> System and Maintainence (skip this one if you're in Classic view) -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management. Once you launch the Computer Management tool, click on Disk Management under the Storage heading in the sidebar. It's partitioning time.

Luckily we've already gone down this road before in step-by-step detail, complete with pictures, so check out our previous guide to creating a new partition in Vista. In a nutshell, you'll need to shrink your current OS partition to free up at least 16GB of disk space (per the Windows 7 minimum system requirements), then create a "New Simple Volume" from the free space.

Step 2: Install Windows 7

Now that you've done all the heavy lifting, it's time for the easy part: Installing Windows 7 on your new partition. So insert your Windows 7 disc and reboot your computer (you'll need to have enabled booting from your DVD drive in your system BIOS, but most PCs will have this enabled by default).

Once the DVD boots up it's a simple matter of following along with the fairly simple installation wizard. When you're choosing installation type, be sure to select Custom (advanced) and choose the partition you set up above. (Be careful here. Choosing the wrong partition could mean wiping your other Windows installation altogether, so make sure you pick the new partition you just created.)

After you select the partition, go grab yourself a drink and let the installer do its work. Windows will run through some installation bits, restart a few times in the process. Eventually you'll be prompted to set up your account, enter your license key, and set up Windows. Keep your eyes open for fun new Windows 7 features, like your new homegroup (and the accompanying password). When it's finished, you're up and rolling with your new Windows 7 installation.

Congratulations! You should now have a new entry for Windows 7 on your boot screen when you first start up your computer. You've now got all the tools necessary to dual-boot Windows 7 and XP or Vista—or even to triple-boot Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

This isn't the only way to set up a multi-boot system by any means, but it's how I pulled it off. If you've got a method of your own that you prefer, let's hear it in the comments.

It may not gel with your health and fitness plans for 2009, but a new promotion from Burger King called Whopper Sacrifice is handing out free Whoppers to anyone willing to sacrifice 10 Facebook friends to the Whopper gods. (At least it should fit in with your "save more money" resolution.) Shameless promotion? Yes. But if you love a good Whopper, it's a nice way to score a free lunch. [via]

Ladies & gents, start your (2.5 million) downloads. The official Windows 7 Beta is ready for download at Microsoft's TechNet site.

It looks like downloading the 32- or 64-bit versions requires a Windows Live ID account, but you can sign up during the click-through process, of course. As you might expect, the servers are a bit bombed, and it looks like the official page we were all watching hasn't updated with a link yet.

Having trouble getting through to download? Check out tips on getting the download, and post any work-arounds/mirrors you find in the comments (other than, of course, "use BitTorrent").

Honchos at Microsoft's Windows Mobile division, looking to focus on boosting its capabilities, say they'll put the OS on fewer phones. Intriguing move, but what will replace WinMo on marginal smartphones? [via]

Windows only: ScreenMask is a small and portable application that allows you to mask off sections of your screen to minimize distractions or increase focus on a given area.

Why would you want to mask your screen you ask? If you're watching a video on the web and the site doesn't allow full screen mode—or the full screen mode looks awful— you can mask away the web browser and site interface by highlighting only the actual video window. Alternately you might need to temporarily pay attention only a portion screen such as a notification window, while doing work at your desk but preferring to not be distracted by other things going on at your computer. ScreenMask has the ability to change the color the mask between navy blue and black, has a quick hide button, and the presets to allow you to save the three most common screens you use. ScreenMask is freeeware, Windows only.

Reducing your environmental impact by diet doesn't mean having to go entirely vegetarian. If you're intrigued by climate change and "flexitarianism," one meat-loving author says eating 3.1 ounces per day is just about right.

In his (long) piece for Audobon Magazine, Mike Tidwell consults with researchers and crunches the numbers to suggest that eating enough meat to make up a deck of cards per day, with only half of it red meat, is an ideal goal for having a real impact. Your ability to get by on that amount, or beliefs in climate change's importance, will certainly vary, but it's a good guideline to use for gradually switching to a less-meat diet. A shorter summation of Tidwell's findings is linked below. Photo by jslander.

Research firm Ofcom finds that the worst time for traffic congestion (in the U.K., at least) is 5-6pm on Sundays. Also weak bandwidth times: Right after school lets out, and from 9-10pm on weekdays. Maybe obvious to any home net user, but worth seeing in quantified chart form. [via]

While all you early-adopters are waiting for the Windows 7 page to offer the official beta, check out the How-To Geek's seriously extensive walkthrough of pretty much everything new there (and our best features run-down).

A pie chart drawn up by Windows 7 engineers shows how much each part of your laptop draws from your slowly-discharging battery. Check out where a typical Windows system spends its juice below.

The Windows 7 team, of course, says it wants to knock back the upcoming OS' draw on systems through a number of tactics: Better processor-speed scaling, "trigger-starts" for background processes, auto-suspension of idle USB devices, and more power-control offerings for third-party software and peripherals. They also promote using sleep/suspend mode more often than actual shutdowns to speed up start-ups, but given that Windows 7's beta seems to boast boot-up times less than 30 seconds, that's more a matter of personal patience (and battery condition).

Where would you like to see the Windows 7 team improve in the power management or startup/shutdown departments? Tell us (and maybe a few watching Microsoft employees) in the comments.