Win 7 - No help needed, but comments on install

[Broomjockey]

Wasn't particularly difficult for me to download. Just set it to go when you need to leave to do something for a bit.

[lordlundar]

Pretty easy. I just set up a partition for it using EASEUS partition manager, did a google search and followed the links to download it. The most difficult part was signing up for the MS account to download it. I had a shower while it downloaded and burned it to a DVD. Rebooted with the disk in, answered the setup questions and let it run. Only had to set up sound and NIC drivers after that.

[RichS]

I set it up in a VM using Virtual PC 2007, and, except for the slow install in the VM and not having sound drivers for the emulated hardware, I have to say I'm pretty impressed. Even in the VM, it seems a lot 'peppier' than Vista.

[technical.angel]

It's all Steele's fault. He planted the idea in my head to toss Win 7 on my home machine. Did I toss it on my nice safe small, rarely used HD? No... what good would that do? Did I bring a copy of Vista home with me just in case? Heck no!

So, now, here I am, only online cause I had a FF install hidden on my HD (I erased my Program Files folder a while ago to make room on this HD for backups), and unable to get Win 7 to boot on my main HD. It goes past the Windows splash screen, but go to a black screen, with my pointer that has Windows 7 For testing purposes, Build 7000 and THAT'S IT.

If I go into safe mode, it tells me setup can't run in safe mode, and to restart my computer. Rinse and repeat.

Anyone else playing with 7 have an idea?

[Eric the Grey]

If I go into safe mode, it tells me setup can't run in safe mode, and to restart my computer. Rinse and repeat.

Anyone else playing with 7 have an idea?

Did you format the drive, or just overwrite whatever was already there? That generally doesn't go very well when it comes to windows...

The only thing I can think of is start over, formatting before you install. I can only hope you backed up any important data first...



Eric the Grey

[technical.angel]

I'm an experienced Win user, everything was backed up.

I did format the drive.

Stupid laptop, beguiling me with your easy install!!!!!!

[Eric the Grey]

I'm an experienced Win user, everything was backed up.

I did format the drive.

Stupid laptop, beguiling me with your easy install!!!!!!

Sorry, bad habit, asking the obvious. I should have known better.

At any rate, the only suggestion I can think of now is look here and see if anyone else has had similar problems.

I like the Microsoft forums. They tend to have decent people posting there, all willing to help, even if they cannot figure out the solution to a problem...


Eric the Grey

[MadMike]

I've been playing around with it for a couple weeks now. I started out with it under Virtual Machine, but then I wanted to try out some of my games, and it doesn't look like you can truly use your hardware that way. So I split off 60 GB of my hard drive into another partition and installed it on that.

So far, it's not bad. It seems to move a bit faster than my XP installation. I never did much with Vista, but my son tells me that it runs a helluva lot better than Vista.

So far, very few problems, and most of them have been solved by playing with the compatibility mode. One thing I couldn't get to work quite right is the keyboard drivers. I eventually got that to work by changing the compatability mode on the installer, and now all the extra buttons work, but the volume controls don't actually do anything. I really need a new keyboard anyway, so no biggie.

I couldn't get the Realtek audio drivers to work, and I think they may have made the system unstable, and after a dozen or so blue screens, I ended up going back and starting over. The audio works just fine with the Windows drivers, but there's some functionality missing that I could only get with the Realtek software. I'm sure that Realtek will eventually come out with drivers for Win7, so I'm not too worried about that one either.

So far, my games work great. The first two I tried were Half-Life 1 & 2. HL1 has worked for every version of Windows I've had from 98 all the way to 7, without having to tweak anything. Now if they'd only fix that "stuck in the floor" bug...

I still have quite a few things to try out, but I'm liking it so far.

[technical.angel]

I did figure the problem out on re-install #3..... It was using my secondary monitor as my primary.... so I was missing the install screen............................................ .................................................. ...................

And, no worries, Eric, I was making with the funny. It's hard to emote properly on a cell phone.

[Broomjockey]

It was using my secondary monitor as my primary....

That's a weird one. Guess if I end up getting that second monitor before Win7 comes out officially, I'll need to remember that.

[lordlundar]

One thing I couldn't get to work quite right is the keyboard drivers. I eventually got that to work by changing the compatability mode on the installer, and now all the extra buttons work, but the volume controls don't actually do anything. I really need a new keyboard anyway, so no biggie.

You're not gonna get substantial driver support until it goes gold or at least RC.

[MadMike]

You're not gonna get substantial driver support until it goes gold or at least RC.

The last drivers were for XP, so it doesn't seem like they're supporting this model anymore. No Vista drivers at all.

There is another issue I'm having that I forgot all about -- every so often I'll try to do something and it won't be able to connect to the internet. Bringing up a page, checking email, starting up an IM program, etc. I'm not sure whether to blame that on Win7 or my ISP.

[lordlundar]

If you have something more known that you can use to connect, give that a try when it fails. That way you can confirm the problem as being win7. The problem with net connections is that they take a bit of effort to diagnose. It can be the drivers, the OS, the NIC, the card, the router if you have one, the modem, or one or more of the cables you use. And each one needs to be tested to isolate the problem.

[MadMike]

I'm back on the XP side now, and the same network problems are still happening. Guess it's not Win7 after all.