Users seem to be lapping up Microsoft’s just-released operating system Windows 7 beta. In fact, the software giant suspended the previous 2.5 million download limit after its servers were overwhelmed by users trying to download the operating system.

However, installing the beta can be risky, unless one is really tech-savvy. Microsoft itself has warned users, "It can be glitchy” and “there's a chance of losing files.”


Here's why and how the Windows 7 beta can be a risky proposition for not-so-geeky users.

* Beta software tends to be buggy. Also, the programme will expire in about six months (August 2009), while the for-sale versions of Windows 7 aren't expected until late this year or early next. So users must revert to Windows Vista, XP or some other alternative.

* It may have glitches, so don't use a PC you need every day, warns Microsoft on its site.

* The new OS may be vulnerable to malicious attacks. Downloading Windows 7 from unofficial sources online could be a risky venture according to security vendor Fortify.

Rob Rachwald, Fortify's director of product marketing, reckons that there is no easy way of authenticating that early builds widely available for download have not been tampered with by hackers, which could have "customized" the download to their own advantages.

He added, “Reports suggest that a pirate version of an early build of Windows 7, which is under alpha test with developers, is available for file-sharing on the Internet. Given the low level at which this operating system installs on a PC, we recommend users give the version a very wide berth because of the associated security risks”

* Unknown issues may arise. As says Microsoft on its site, "You're (almost) flying solo: you'll need to troubleshoot problems yourself and call on other Beta testers for their know-how."