PDA

View Full Version : Win7 Installation Question



falcon409
July 12th, 2009, 17:48
I am considering giving Win7 a shot on my main PC. Is that advisable? If so, is it basically a start from scratch installation? (I am running Vista Home Edition).

Rezabrya
July 12th, 2009, 17:56
Yes it is available at the Microsoft site and as for the installation question, even if you wouldn't have to start from scratch, I would do it anyway. It is better to start with a fresh install when reinstalling an OS.

harleyman
July 12th, 2009, 19:33
You have to burn it as an ISO file..then boot it off your DVD drive on restart...

Then install as normal ...

Naismith
July 12th, 2009, 21:09
And it takes ....... FOREVER...... but as a bonus, you get pretty wallpapers. Having just done it, I started 7.5 hours ago and this is my first visit.

falcon409
July 12th, 2009, 22:09
And it takes ....... FOREVER...... but as a bonus, you get pretty wallpapers. Having just done it, I started 7.5 hours ago and this is my first visit.
Was it relatively painless or was it laborious having to reinstall new drivers and programs and addons to get things back to more or less a normal level?

spotlope
July 12th, 2009, 22:20
I was shocked at how many of my devices had a driver built into W7. In fact, installing Win7 was the most pain-free install of a Microsoft OS ever for me. It took less time than I expected, and pretty much everything was set up and ready to go once it was done. Oh sure, I had to update a few drivers over the next few days, but all in all, it was a good experience.

Scarecrow
July 12th, 2009, 23:59
What I did was install Win7 on a different partion for dual boot. This way, your current OS will still be available so you can play with Win7 without worring about messing up your main system. Since RC is only good till next June, I'll have to clean install Win7 anyway if I decide to go Win7 route once commercial version becomes available.

Naismith
July 13th, 2009, 00:32
Was it relatively painless or was it laborious having to reinstall new drivers and programs and addons to get things back to more or less a normal level?

Pretty painless, I spent the first 90 mins trying to burn a DVD - my fault for buying cheap ones I guess. Otherwise it was painless and windows did all its own updating. At first it didn't like my ATI drivers and Catalyst, but it did it's own update after about 1 hour. Another issue I have is, It does not like the file ASUS10.sys - but I can live with that, it has to do with overclocking the motherboard and I dont currently OC. And my virus thingy it seems to have an issue with f-secure, there is a warning that has to be clicked on about 20 times before it goes away, as yet I am not sure if Win7 has solved that on its own yet.
Otherwise, it seems OK, cant say I notice any huge gains to be had, but it is no worse than Vista 64 thus far.
It will take getting used to, Windows mail seems to have gone which I used for newsgroups, and the Program list in the start menu is gone so I dont like that. And it makes peculiar sounds when a file is d/l'd etc but will get used to that.......

harleyman
July 13th, 2009, 03:01
I dumped it cause it had no windows mail.(outlook express)

I've had that account for years and not ready for changing it yet...

lucas81
July 13th, 2009, 04:05
I was shocked at how many of my devices had a driver built into W7. In fact, installing Win7 was the most pain-free install of a Microsoft OS ever for me. It took less time than I expected, and pretty much everything was set up and ready to go once it was done. Oh sure, I had to update a few drivers over the next few days, but all in all, it was a good experience.

Bill, do you have 64 or 32 version of Win7 ? I have 64bit and i am considering returning back to the XP 32bit because my mdl exporter in gmax is not working (the gmax "hangs" at 90% while compiling the model). Do you have any problems running your Dev's applications ?
Apart from that, all the programs are running just fine for me and so does FSX.

Lucas

Bjoern
July 13th, 2009, 04:47
Bill, do you have 64 or 32 version of Win7 ? I have 64bit and i am considering returning back to the XP 32bit because my mdl exporter in gmax is not working (the gmax "hangs" at 90% while compiling the model). Do you have any problems running your Dev's applications ?

Side question: Are you using the "XP mode" to run the compiler in? It is included in some versions of Win 7.

falcon409
July 13th, 2009, 04:48
I dumped it cause it had no windows mail.(outlook express) I've had that account for years and not ready for changing it yet...
I use Microsoft Office Outlook. If that's gone. . .Well, I needed to do a full backup anyway I guess. Too bad they don't tell you everything you won't have after installing Win7. Good to know though Harleyman as every addon ever purchased is in there (invoices, registration codes, installation keys, etc).
Guess I'll stay where I am for now then.

lucas81
July 13th, 2009, 05:59
Side question: Are you using the "XP mode" to run the compiler in? It is included in some versions of Win 7.

Thanks Bjoern, I will need to investigate. I have Win7 64bit Ultimate RC-1.

rwmarth
July 13th, 2009, 06:12
I dumped it cause it had no windows mail.(outlook express)

I've had that account for years and not ready for changing it yet...


MS dumped Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery and stuff like that in favor of its Windows Live Services which require you to download them separately.

dswo
July 13th, 2009, 06:28
I use Microsoft Office Outlook. If that's gone. . .Well, I needed to do a full backup anyway I guess. Too bad they don't tell you everything you won't have after installing Win7. Good to know though Harleyman as every addon ever purchased is in there (invoices, registration codes, installation keys, etc). Guess I'll stay where I am for now then.

Do what works. But don't feel that your mail is stuck in Outlook Express. I've been using Mozilla Thunderbird for several years, and it will import all of your mail and contacts from Outlook Express (or Eudora, which is what I was using before). A cousin of Mozilla Firebird (the web browser), it's free. See http://www.mozillamessaging.com.

Of course, if you're comfortable with Outlook Express, you may not feel like changing such a basic program. I have been using Microsoft Word also daily since I was in graduate school (in the mid-1990s). The last upgrade, with the ribbon menus, was too much of a change. I knew how the old one worked, and the new one made everything harder!

Bjoern
July 13th, 2009, 07:02
Thanks Bjoern, I will need to investigate. I have Win7 64bit Ultimate RC-1.

If I remember correctly from that other thread, the ultimate version should have it.
Maybe Google (or Bing) knows someting about that "XP mode"... :)

FAC257
July 13th, 2009, 14:17
I dumped it cause it had no windows mail.(outlook express)

I've had that account for years and not ready for changing it yet...

That was a big concern for me when deciding to make the change. I backed up all of my Outlook Express stuff before making the move just in case it didn't go well.

After W7 was up and running I grabbed the Live Mail program and imported my Outlook Express folders.

It worked just fine and no need to change email addresses. The new "Mail" looks pretty much exactly like Outlook Express only it seems to have more features.

I've also already grabbed the new Movie Maker. I don't understand it any better than I understood the old one. But that's my fault. :)

FAC

rgerdes
July 13th, 2009, 14:40
Hi Guys, How and where do you go about getting the Win7 64bit Ultimate RC-1? Thanks, Bob

atf300
July 13th, 2009, 15:39
try googling windows 7 , its the first link then click on try the release candidate and choose the 64bit version , its the ultimate.