Windows7 on discount pre-order - get in quick!

[GarfieldLeChat]

I do, thanks, which is why I realise that Microsoft will do everything different to everyone else just because.

Vista to Windows 7 is the same as upgrading from Windows 2000 to Windows Xp. What happened...? They lay-off all their coders before they got this bit...?

no it's a kernal rewrite from the second floor up really they've removed some of the DRM issues which were causing slowdowns and stopped it running parrael processes for evrything stopped disk churn and so on it's Vista 2 for sure under the hood but to say it's not a major rewrite is nonsense.

Do you mean that it's a cosmetic upgrade?

he means it's not a mac or linux and is once again sneering and being withering towards anyone who doesn't use those O/S's i'm amazed you'd expect anything else from that so called 'expert'

I would be a bit irked if I had to do a clean install from the RC1 that I have running at the moment.

then you're going to be a touch mad... they did say this when you installed the beta if you read up on it...

Also!

beware users with multiple HDs in their machines as I had some major irritation with a fresh install on mine:

Windows 7 will create a recovery/low-level system file partition on your system disk as part of the install. Fine.

When I installed it for the second time however, on a multi-HD machine, it arbitrarily decided (without making it clear in the install or offering me any choice) to copy these system files to the second HD.

I only found this out when I booted into Windows and formatted the second drive and got lots of permissions and "file in use" errors.

On rebooting, the whole thing then refused to start due to me breaking the critical files.



So yeah - unless they fix this, make sure you disconnect your additional HD during the installation otherwise it will fuck you up.

not had this happen on any of my other machines you sure you didn't delete the bootfile on the main original drive of your machine?

on reinstall it will copy over old versions of 7 to a back up drive a bit like macs used to do when switching between verisons to ensure you don't lose anything. but i never seen this backup version beign delete as preventing boot or causing other issues... most of my machines running it are around 4 TB or above... and i've done multipul configs to see which set up I like best too... many reinstalls (the most is around 15 reinstalls this has 4 disks in it and never had this problem)

Just worth noting again for you!

If this is borne out...

hardware issues?

Space issues?

has anyone found anything else which suggest this might be the case?

Not doubting for a second what's beens said but if this is an issue it'd need a work around...

I would never say that. Windows 7 has dramatic functionality and features that differenciate it from Vista. They've changed the default wallpaper, for a start.

why do you bother on these threads your standard is held high enough that no one could fail to recognise it why troll usefull threads with this continued nonsense....

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

FTSM?

Files and Settings Transfer Manager. (I'm guessing)

yes sorry though that was obivous from previous post.

though reading again my dyslexica may have meant FSTM not FTSM which of course is banker bondage

 

[bmd]

I have to say that the reason I've bought this has been partly down to having a go with an official beta before it's released publicly and the discounted price before release date. If I hadn't had a go with it I'd just have got a pirated copy when it was released and carried on as I have done with all the other Windows OSes I've had.

It's also down to the fact that it's actually really good at what it's supposed to do but then I'm quite happy with XP, it's just that W7 is much better.

 

[mack]

Thanks for the heads up - two ordered from Amazon - they don't take the money yet do they? (haven't got any dough in my account anyway!)

 

[subversplat]

The real fucker is that you'll be able to upgrade with the North American releases, but not with our European releases, thanks to some ingenious fudging around Anti-Competition laws whereby MS have just decided to remove all the browsers. You can't upgrade because you'll almost certainly bring a pre-installed copy of IE across with you

I'm due a free Windows 7 DVD in October anyway as I bought my computer this month, but at ~£50 I might also get another one, and recommend some friends do too.

 

[bmd]

I would never say that. Windows 7 has dramatic functionality and features that differenciate it from Vista. They've changed the default wallpaper, for a start.

It's a great wallpaper though eh? I really like the fact that they've got country specific ones. I have mine set to the little cottage.

 

[subversplat]

I like the forever-changing "Characters" wallpaper

 

[The Groke]

then you're going to be a touch mad... they did say this when you installed the beta if you read up on it...

[Blaine]I don't have TIME to read[/Blaine]

If this is borne out...

It was weird and very annoying and happened twice under slightly different circumstances with the same result.

What was interesting is that I could actually see that it hadn't created the partition on the system disk as it had first time round, when I booted from the Windows 7 disk again to take a closer look.

I messed around with it and found that, sure enough:

1) 1 HD in machine, boot from Win 7 disk, delete any existing partitions and format = 100mb additional partition created.
2) 2 HD in machine, one clean, one with data on, boot from Win 7 disk, delete/format target disk, leave 2nd drive alone = no partition created on system disk.


I have actually found someone else on a board just today (which is why it was fresh in my mind) who declared without prompting that they had experienced exactly the same issue and had worked around it the same way!

 

[bmd]

I like the forever-changing "Characters" wallpaper

I was wondering whether I'd missed some for a minute there, you mean the scenery ones that it changes every so often?

They're all here if you want to recreate the magic on your non-W7 machine.

 

[cybershot]

Pre-ordered it (from Amazon, so they haven't sold out???), will probably never use it as I use Ubuntu, but the price is too good to turn down for when I next need to build a machine or something for someone in my family.

Am sure you have all realised now the reason you can't upgrade is because it is IE less. Probably the main reason for this generous offer.

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

[Blaine]I don't have TIME to read[/Blaine]






It was weird and very annoying and happened twice under slightly different circumstances with the same result.

What was interesting is that I could actually see that it hadn't created the partition on the system disk as it had first time round, when I booted from the Windows 7 disk again to take a closer look.

I messed around with it and found that, sure enough:

1) 1 HD in machine, boot from Win 7 disk, delete any existing partitions and format = 100mb additional partition created.
2) 2 HD in machine, one clean, one with data on, boot from Win 7 disk, delete/format target disk, leave 2nd drive alone = no partition created on system disk.


I have actually found someone else on a board just today (which is why it was fresh in my mind) who declared without prompting that they had experienced exactly the same issue and had worked around it the same way!

wanna write up the work around it might come in useful for peeps here come october then...

 

[subversplat]

I was wondering whether I'd missed some for a minute there, you mean the scenery ones that it changes every so often?

They're all here if you want to recreate the magic on your non-W7 machine.

No it's not any of those - it's a half dozen hand drawn pictures in a decidedly abstract style which cycle through every once in a while. It's pretty:

http://www.technobuzz.net/windows-7-official-wallpapers/

Those are two of the pictures it will cycle.

 

[The Groke]

wanna write up the work around it might come in useful for peeps here come october then...

Will do:

Disconnect/disable any additional HDs in your machine, other than the one you intend to use for the OS before installing!

Once done, you can plug em back.

I am afraid I didn't come up with anything more sophisticated than that!

 

[bmd]

No it's not any of those - it's a half dozen hand drawn pictures in a decidedly abstract style which cycle through every once in a while. It's pretty:

http://www.technobuzz.net/windows-7-official-wallpapers/

Those are two of the pictures it will cycle.

Oh wow, those are really nice.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Bought a copy, feels weird buying an OS but this is a pretty good price (and very clever strategy from MS). Amazon and Play are still taking pre orders btw.

 

[subversplat]

Comet is selling for £49.99 (business version £99.99) if Amazon and Play sell out.

 

[editor]

Early reports say that orders for Windows 7 are flying off the shelves.

DSGi, the company behind the PC World, Curry's and Dixons stores in the UK, has confirmed that it's been selling hotter than hot cakes.

"Windows 7 has become the fastest selling software operating system package at DSGi, owner of PC World, Currys and Dixons.co.uk", the company said in a statement.

"Demand in the first 12 hours of pre-order launch saw sales of Windows 7 exceed 25% of DSGi's total annual sales of its predecessor, Windows Vista."

 

[FridgeMagnet]

A note for people thinking about reselling copies - does the licence actually allow that?

 

[subversplat]

I'd like to see them try and stop you selling an unused copy!

 

[editor]

A note for people thinking about reselling copies - does the licence actually allow that?

You can buy up to three copies form Amazon. Can't see how they could stop you selling them on.

 

[Crispy]

You can buy up to three copies form Amazon. Can't see how they could stop you selling them on.

How would they find out, anyway?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Well, I don't know. I've not bought any after all.

I just thought "if this is such a good deal why aren't 'internet entrepeneurs' buying them up like billy-o to sell on later?" Do they only work with the details that you've bought them with?

 

[editor]

Well, I don't know. I've not bought any after all.

I just thought "if this is such a good deal why aren't 'internet entrepeneurs' buying them up like billy-o to sell on later?" Do they only work with the details that you've bought them with?

You can only buy up to 3 packs at a time. There'll be no market for them until the cut price offer ends - and by then they'll be all over torrents.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I reckon you'll be able to make a few quid on reselling later on eBay, I just can't be arsed with waiting four months to make twenty quid.

 

[asbestos]

Are they (MS) gonna be floggin this cheap OS via the new stores they are planning to open next to Apple stores?

 

[bmd]

Well, I don't know. I've not bought any after all.

I just thought "if this is such a good deal why aren't 'internet entrepeneurs' buying them up like billy-o to sell on later?" Do they only work with the details that you've bought them with?

I would be surprised if there weren't people doing just that. The 3-only rule means that even if you've got no other way to get more then you can buy from Amazon, Play and Comet and whoever else is selling them. If I was in the reselling business I'd be as many as I could.

If it's the same as it's always been then Windows is activated after install, so I don't think that's gonna be a barrier.

 

[jæd]

Reinstalling from scratch seems to be an EU only requirement rather than some muppetry by Microsoft. Good to see that that they've managed to work out how to write updaters.

I'll be waiting for the .torrent version which appears (as always...) will be the better version.

This is a problem partly of Microsoft's making – the EU actually didn't tell Microsoft to remove IE from Windows, simply to include an option of installing other browsers. Microsoft weren't so keen and took the drastic action of binning IE8, knowing full well that many OEMs will decide to install it anyway to make it easier for their customers.

http://www.techradar.com/news/softw...-sold-in-eu-can-t-upgrade-to-windows-7-615757

 

[jæd]

You can only buy up to 3 packs at a time. There'll be no market for them until the cut price offer ends - and by then they'll be all over torrents.

And then either 5 RM in a South East Asian market, or a knocked-off release to ebay.

 

[ovaltina]

I got a little bit overexcited yesterday and ordered this for my 1.4ghz Thinkpad x31. Then when I got home I ran the thing to see whether it would work on that machine and it said it would... just about... except for the aero interface. I still think it will be too slow and... what's the point on an old machine?

So now I don't know whether to cancel the Amazon order and think about buying a new machine when the x31 starts feeling hopelessly outdated (still not sure when this will be because it's happy enough running Chrome and Openoffice stuff) or resell the Windows 7 still in the cellophane.


ETA - can't be arsed reselling and there's no point in upgrading a machine beyond its capabilities so I've cancelled the order. That's the good thing about Amazon, you get a cooling off period

 

[editor]

So long as you turn off the fluffy eye candy stuff, it should run fine on the X31 - people have had it running on netbooks with no problem.