[Corrine]

Time does tend to catch up with us. In this case, time is catching up with the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC). Notifications will start appearing on February 15, 2010, with warnings that the operating system will soon expire.

More importantly, starting on March 1, 2010, computers still using the RC will begin shutting down every two hours. Any work in progress will not be saved during the shutdown.

The Windows 7 RC will fully expire on June 1, 2010. Computers running the Windows 7 RC will continue shutting down every two hours with no files being saved during shutdown. In addition, the wallpaper will change to a solid black background with a persistent message on the desktop. This will be accompanied by periodic notifications that Windows isn’t genuine, resulting in the inability to obtain optional updates or downloads requiring genuine Windows validation.

Additional information here.