The first hotfix for Windows 7 is now officially released. The Update for Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) is the first publicly known update the Microsoft released for Windows 7, albeit the official beta will only start in 2 days. KB 961367 update is intended to fix a bug where Windows Media Player 12 (WMP12) in Windows 7 may potentially cause data corruption issue on MP3 files.

The symptom of the MP3 corruption problem is that approximately 2-3 seconds will get shaved off from the beginning of MP3s that have variable bitrate if user configures Windows Media Player 12 settings to retrieve additional information from the Internet to update the media files. To make matter worse, by default, WMP12 will apply this setting if user uses the express “Recommended settings” during setup on first run of WMP version 12, effectively damaging the MP3 music tracks before users know about it.

Here’s the warning by Microsoft for those who intends to download and install Windows 7 beta:

To protect your MP3 files:

  1. Before you install this Beta release, back up all MP3 files that might be accessed by the computer, including those on removable media or network shares.
  2. Install the Beta release of Windows 7; download and install the Update to Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) located on this page.

With the public availability of Windows 7 beta, Microsoft releases Update for Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) in MSDN and TechNet Subscriber Downloads page to fix the bug and protect the MP3 files for users who use the Windows 7 beta build 7000. The KB961367 is not be published on Microsoft Download Center yet, but can be download using the links below.

Update for Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) (x86)
File Name: update_for_windows_7_beta_x86_kb961367.msu
SHA1: 5D89B057874F5D10A4C90EB2021F23EA9850DEB9
ISO/CRC: C370B735

Update for Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) (x64)
File Name: update_for_windows_7_beta_x64_kb961367.msu
SHA1: 5228F60EDAE124203AC08CCED57539CA0EEB1113
ISO/CRC: 71CB9CBE

The KB961367 Update has been posted on Microsoft Download Center. Install KB961367 update to resolve live and recorded TV issues in Windows Media Center, recorded TV playback issues in Windows Media Player, and MP3 file corruption issues in Windows 7 Beta.

Direct Download Links from Microsoft Download Center:

x86 (32-bit): Windows6.1-KB961367-x86.msu
x64 (x64-bit): Windows6.1-KB961367-x64.msu

Also available is DVD ISO image for 32-bit (x86) Windows 7 Beta and DVD ISO Image for 64-bit (x64) Windows 7 Beta.