# Windows 7



## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Anyone take advantage of the great upgrade deals on Windows 7 yet? I did. I have a Pro and two Home Premium versions on order. A colleague of mine has been running the RC for awhile and likes it a lot. I've been hearing a lot of good things about it in the trade mags as well. 

I had my laptop running Vista for about a month or two and had to run back to XP.


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

I'm happy with XP Home and XP Pro that I have on my laptops. If I do upgrade I'll wait for Service Pack 3 first!


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

I have been using the last Beta before RC and cannot fault it.
I think next year when it starts nagging I will buy it.


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## Harpmaker (Oct 28, 2007)

It's new and it's from M$, what more do you need to know... :rolleyesno:

Sorry to have so negative an opinion about Microsoft, but they bloody well deserve it. They have been going downhill for many years, but what they did with Vista should be a criminal offense. :rant:

While Windows 7 may actually work properly (I'll have to see it to believe it), it will still be full of DRM wonderfulness.


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

For my Vista machine, I won't be upgrading, since there is no substantial difference between it and Windows 7. Vista is a fairly good operating system now since the service packs.

I would like to upgrade my XP machine, but there is no information available on the method of validating the pre-existing copy of XP with a blank disk drive (that I can find anyway). 

I want to time the upgrade to Windows 7 with the purchase of a new motherboard and a new disk. So, if I have a blank disk, I want to be able to load the upgrade copy of Windows 7. From my reading, they discuss scanning the disk drive for a legal copy of XP (which I have), but they don't mention anything about the capability of entering your XP code or CD for verification when you have an empty disk.

brucek


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

So no one is taking advantage of the early 50+% off pricing? :scratch:


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## Harpmaker (Oct 28, 2007)

Maybe I'm missing a huge something here... what does Windows 7 do so much better than XP?


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

It certainly handles media better. I certainly like Windows Media Center (which comes with Vista and Windows 7).

Any networking chores are at lot simpler (IMO) with Vista (and since Windows 7 is just a pumped up Vista, I suppose it will be the same).

Vista, and it looks even more-so with W7, that managing multiple windows of open apps is better.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I am in love :kiss: with my 64-bit Vista Ultimate. No issues at all thus far... :T 

Except they took my Backgammon away. :hissyfit:

At least they are including the 32-bit and 64-bit versions in the upgrade deal.


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## MrBachelor (Jun 25, 2009)

I've been running the Beta and now RC copy of Win7 for more than 6 months now. It is very nice. 
I've never used vista but purchased 2 upgrade disks for my two xp machines. Unfortunately I will have to buy the retail version for the PC I built that's running the RC. 
Cant wait to have Win7 as my media center pc.... XP MCE sucks.


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## driscoz71 (Sep 20, 2008)

I tried to install the beta on my laptop and it wouldn't work, after the 3rd try i took that as a view of things to come and I will just stick with Vista since i had no option to go with XP when i bought my laptop, my desktop will be staying XP for sure.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

I will be buying Windows 7, but I will be avoiding OEM and Upgrade Versions because:

OEM can only be installed on one machine.
OEM cannot be applied to future motherboard upgrades.
FULL version in Retail Packaging Includes more flexible repair/install/recovery options
FULL version in Retail Packaging Does not have to deal with activation hoops and hurdles every time you change something.
Upgrade versions can be a nightmare to reinstall, recover, or repair.


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## atledreier (Mar 2, 2007)

I will probably buy it when it starts nagging. I love it so far. I never could get Vista to work properly on my gaming machine, but with Win7 everything just snaps into place and work. No hassle, faster than XP and just as stable. I also went 64bit this time, as 64bit driver support is MUCH better than with XP.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

atledreier said:


> I will probably buy it when it starts nagging. I love it so far. I never could get Vista to work properly on my gaming machine, but with Win7 everything just snaps into place and work. No hassle, faster than XP and just as stable. I also went 64bit this time, as 64bit driver support is MUCH better than with XP.


Just think about it, with out the existence and/or failings of Windows Vista; Microsoft would have no incentive or foundation to build Windows 7 upon. The same could be said for XP, if MS had never created the Windows ME failure...... we'd have no XP and would likely be running a 2008 version of Win98 with no NT foundations. Every time they fail, MS feels the need to work harder and make the next product better.


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## Hunter844 (Apr 22, 2007)

I'm comfortable with my Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition too. Only had one BSOD and that happened shortly after a completed the build of my new machine for my office and it never happened again so I don't know what made it do it.

As far as Vista is concerned I think it's got a lot of anti-fanboys parroting what they heard, I've never had a problem with Vista. I still can't get used to it, I've talked to techs that hate it because it's hard to work on supposedly. I don't have to worry about that so I don't care so much.

My feeling with 7 is Microsoft has done a lot better job of putting a BETA out there and having accessible to a wider test group. They don't want egg on their face with this one and I think this will have the type of success that XP ultimately had. Hopefully they won't mess it up by having 13 versions of 7 like they did with Vista  7 basic 7 almost home 7 awesome. Really do we need all that...just put out some thing works without having to sit there and debate about it.


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## dradius (Sep 10, 2008)

I may give 7 a shot eventually. I'm still happy with XP Pro, but if there are significant advancements I will check it out.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I worry about all the software incompatibility issues that will arise if I upgrade to 7 from XP. Far to big a risk IMOP.


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## Hunter844 (Apr 22, 2007)

Awesome, bragging on my vista machine and the power went out last night due to a storm and now the thing won't boot up. It acts like it's going through the boot process and goes dark right before you expect it to start playing the welcome music and goes to BSOD dumping memory etc etc. It reboots automatically and continues to do that over and over...it happens too fast so I can't figure out what the code is. 

I need to see what the LED display on my mobo says at that moment of failure and look that up I guess. I hate Vista


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

Can't you start in safe mode (F8)?

brucek


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## Hunter844 (Apr 22, 2007)

No I tried safe mode and safe mode with networking. Same deal. Acts like hardware related but I don't have any spare parts to troubleshoot. I unplugged it from the PSU and am letting it set all day, maybe when I plug it back in it'll come back alive. I may reset CMOS if that doesn't work.


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## Hunter844 (Apr 22, 2007)

Ok, to clarify this is my home computer not my 64-bit office pc I've previously mentioned on here for those that might have really awesome memories.


I pulled out 2 sticks of ram and it booted right up. The Windows "solution" finder is blaming the problem on my video hardware. So my question is...how does my ram conflict with my video hardware. Could there be some sort of resource conflict going on?

To give some background on what I have

EVGA MOBO: 122-CK-NF68-A1

Intel Pentium D 920 2.0ghz cpu

OCZ Platinum 1gb DDR2 PC8500

Foxconn 8600GTS 256mb 128 bit GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 video card

PC Power and Cooling 610 watt power supply model # S61EPS 

*
*


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I pulled out 2 sticks of ram and it booted right up.


Maybe one of them just required re-seating. Plug them back in and try it....

brucek


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## Hunter844 (Apr 22, 2007)

brucek said:


> Maybe one of them just required re-seating. Plug them back in and try it....
> 
> brucek


Yeah I don't know. I went ahead and reset everything the way I had it before in the same blocks. Wouldn't boot. Took them back out with just the one. Wouldn't boot. . Retried several more times, plugging and unplugging from power. Holding down the power button which I've always been told will clear out CMOS. Didn't work. 

Went back with another stick around from the same group of 3 that had been working on a different block (I wanna say it's block 1 as opposed to block 0). And it's booting up with 1gb stick right now. I don't know what the problem is. I'm afraid to mess with it too much now. I just wish I knew if it's bad ram or a bad video card like the windows problem solver keeps chirping about. The video looks fine to me but I guess maybe it's dropping out somehow or messing with the memory IRQ I guess...I don't know.

Does this mean anything to anybody?

BCCode: 1a
BCP1: 00041790
BCP2: C08027AA
BCP3: 0000FFFF
BCP4: 00000000


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## Harpmaker (Oct 28, 2007)

With an interruption in power due to a storm almost anything could have happened to the hardware. If it works with different RAM be happy and use the system. :huh: The Windows Problem Solver is much like the computer diagnostics on a car - it can be right or it can be wrong.

Even an inexpensive UPS might have saved you from having this problem. I highly recommend their use. I just got a little cheapy from Newegg for $35 with free shipping and it's working fine <knock on wood>.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

Harpmaker said:


> With an interruption in power due to a storm almost anything could have happened to the hardware. If it works with different RAM be happy and use the system. :huh: The Windows Problem Solver is much like the computer diagnostics on a car - it can be right or it can be wrong.
> 
> Even an inexpensive UPS might have saved you from having this problem. I highly recommend their use. I just got a little cheapy from Newegg for $35 with free shipping and it's working fine <knock on wood>.



Cheap UPS do not out put a correct sine wave, instead output a square wave which can confuse some PSUs into under or over compensating line voltage combined the square wave can ripple that can make it's way in to the DC circuits, your system can suffer long term stability issues and possible drive errors. 

A true sine wave UPS is always very expensive and does make a difference.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

If you are supplying a unit with a switching power supply, the noise, ripple, steps, etc CANNOT survive the conversion and will not get to the secondary supplies! This is an often repeated assumption but if you understand how a switching supply works, the noise generated by the switching supply itself is orders of magnitde greater and there is no residual of line problems on the secondary side. I have experimented extensively trying to find it an it just ain't there.

What can be a problem is confusing some power factor correction or zero crossing detect circuits with a stepped output. Some units just won't run on them, but this is very rare. Some will just operate less efficiently. This is only, of course, when you are on the batteries.

Personally, I have never used a UPS. I think they are a waste of resources and are not needed for home use, though if you had critical systems that you did not want to go down like an important server, they might be justified. I mostly use my notebook and have never had a problem with the desktop machines. We have power glitches sometimes but not often enough that it is a big inconvenience.


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## Hunter844 (Apr 22, 2007)

8086 said:


> Cheap UPS do not out put a correct sine wave, instead output a square wave which can confuse some PSUs into under or over compensating line voltage combined the square wave can ripple that can make it's way in to the DC circuits, your system can suffer long term stability issues and possible drive errors.
> 
> A true sine wave UPS is always very expensive and does make a difference.


Yeah that's what I'm looking for right now. I have a Cyperpower very similar to this one if not the same model that does a good job with my Home Theater gear but it does not say it's a pure sine wave it says it offers a "consistent" sine wave...which sounds pretty simulated to me.

I'll look at APC, Tripp lite, and a few other brands...I would rather not fork over more than 2 hundred right now.

I'm leaning in this direction right now.

http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtSeriesID=644&EID=13910&txtModelID=3151


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

Maybe I'm missing something. Where is the 50% off ? Far as I can tell that is only for the upgrade. Is there a place I can get the full retail Ultimate version for 1/2 price?


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## Guvner57 (Mar 9, 2010)

XP was a good operating system but from first view Windows 7 looks like Microsoft have finally got it right


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Has anybody upgraded from XP to Win 7? and if so how well did it go?


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

tonyvdb said:


> Has anybody upgraded from XP to Win 7? and if so how well did it go?


I did Tony. It went fine. Just make sure your hardware is supported. You can check both software and hardware compatibility here. :T And, IIRC, there's a compatibility wizard included on the Win7 disk. :scratch:


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## ccs86 (Apr 21, 2010)

Windows 7 is really nice. It should be called Windows Vistactually Works...


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

Mike P. said:


> I'm happy with XP Home and XP Pro that I have on my laptops. If I do upgrade I'll wait for Service Pack 3 first!



It's been proven that Windows 7 provides higher application performance compared to Windows XP. Especially in Netbooks. :T


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## myoda (Jul 17, 2009)

I think the coolest thing about 7 is the ability to add huge hard drives (1 to 2 tb) and have them up and ready within minutes. My pc is an older P4 3.2Ghz, and it runs 7 premium with no issues. I mainly use it to playback blu-ray rips, and it has been working wonderfully for over a year. The key word is working....


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## Laserfan (Feb 3, 2008)

tonyvdb said:


> Has anybody upgraded from XP to Win 7? and if so how well did it go?


I agonized long-and-hard over upgrading from XP 64 Pro, to the point of leaving the 64pro installation in place (in dual-boot mode) and my worries were unfounded. Windows 7 is a (surprising) improvement over XP, faster, spiffier feature-wise, and as stable if not more so. I can't remember when I last booted my 64-bit Quad core into XP mode, or why!

Unless you have some really bizarre (old, or unusual) hardware in your PC you should have no problems. The only trouble I had with mine is that W7's Power Management is way more aggressive than XP's; I had to get all the settings & drivers right before it would Sleep and Restore-from-Sleep, but now it all works.


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