Windows 7, the new operating system from computer software giant Microsoft, won't be landing on store shelves until late October, but hackers already have cracked its copy-protection scheme and released it into the wild.

Just a week after the final version was released to computer manufacturers to be installed on new systems, the activation system was cracked, allowing users to unlock Windows 7 Ultimate without restrictions.

According to a Computerworld.com story, a copy of the software may have been leaked to a Chinese Web site before it spread to other English-language sites.

From there, the copy has gone on to bittorrent file-trading sites where anyone can download the full, retail copy.

One caveat to using the pirated version, however, is that it also requires users to also hack their own computer BIOS, a computer's system setup that is programmed into the hardware and a process that is not easy for the casual.

Windows 7, which has been labeled as more of a cleaned-up version of its current OS, Windows Vista, has been getting rave reviews from users who have been tinkering with the beta version. The operating system will be released to the public Oct. 22.