Windows 7 is ok.

[TB Roye]

Installed Win 7 yesterday and today. Clean install no real problems after I got the correct motherboard, video and display drivers updated. Works nice and smooth and fast. The only big issue is I can't use Roxio Creator 2009, they have no updated drivers or apps for it, but do offer to sell you Creator 2010 for a discount to $59 pass, paid to much for 2009. Downloaded Open Office and like the way it works . My Click Free Backup system works and was able to restore the backed up files from XP with no problem. I received Window 7 Home Premium for Christmas but hadn't had time to install it until now. Maybe this time they got it closer to right.

Tom

[phi1l]

only two days to install?? & nearly everything works?? That is an improvement,.. I'm impressed..

[crokett]

I have been using Windows 7 since the release candidate dropped back earlier this year and I am very impressed. The release candidate was stable enough that I ran it on my laptop and used it for work until corporate IT caught up with me and told me to stop. They said I did not have an exemption to run it. I can't wait for it to be officially supported at work - I run it at home and on my 'test' machine at work.

Before you invest in new SW, look into Virtual Box. It is free. You can host a Windows XP virtual machine for those times that you need to run Roxio.

[radhak]

My recent chain of actions to take has been -

- got hold of Adobe CS4 for very cheap (original). now to install it on my home m/c.
- tried installing on XP, it gave up for not enough memory (1GB)
- upgraded memory to 3GB; machine works better, but...
- Adobe CS4 installation stalls with no errors, just the 'busy' sign
- tried all tips on the internet, but just am unable to install CS4
- finally thought Win 7 might be the solution (ok, maybe not, but can't think of anything else)
- downloaded their 'check compatibility with Win7' app to see if I'd have any problems with my MF-printer, external hard-drives etc.
- that app aborts with some vague error (I think - 'there was an error; try again')
- LOML steps in and refuses to allow me to upgrade to Win7 (we share the computer) : she's worried I might end up crippling a 'working' system. She says she doesn't believe I have the competence to deal with this (and I am an IT professional!).

So here I am - happy with Win XP in general but wanting to upgrade to Win 7 for an incidental reason, but unable to determine if it will work okay for me, so waiting for some lightning to strike before I am pushed into it.

So I'm happy for you Tom, but unable to applaud : I am sitting in my corner in a huff .

[crokett]

Radhak,

Go buy a new HDD. They are cheap. You probably need a bigger one anyway. take out the original, put in the new one and put Win 7 on that. That way you can tell your wife you can't screw up the current machine.

[dbhost]

Not gonna do it. I only use XP at home because it's what we have at work, and I need to have a similar load for testing purposes... And even that run in Virtual Box on CentOS...

Maybe if work goes to 7, I will see if it will run well in Virtual Box... I am NOT going to dedicate an entire box to Windows again...

[crokett]

I am NOT going to dedicate an entire box to Windows again...

Funny, I just went back the other way. I had two machines at home. One was dual boot with win7 and XP, other was linux server for backups. Linux box had 500 GB drives in RAID 1 mirror. Windows Box had a single 300GB drive. I moved those to the Windows box and then used Gparted to copy the existing Windows and data partitions to the mirror. Tried to be clever. It didn't work for various reason that I did not want to fight. So I am back to reinstalling Win 7 and the server is going away. 300 GB drive will go in an enclosure and become NAS.

[pelligrini]

- LOML steps in and refuses to allow me to upgrade to Win7 (we share the computer) : she's worried I might end up crippling a 'working' system. She says she doesn't believe I have the competence to deal with this (and I am an IT professional!).

That clearly sounds like an authorization to purchase a new (fast) system.

[Kristofor]

- LOML steps in and refuses to allow me to upgrade to Win7 (we share the computer) : she's worried I might end up crippling a 'working' system. She says she doesn't believe I have the competence to deal with this (and I am an IT professional!).

Well, that just points out the need for his and hers PCs.

I used to catch a little flack at home about such things but I've found that as long as the wife has the newer/nicer PC she has an easier time understanding that it just works out best for everyone if I don't need to worry about someone clicking on the blinky popups, and she doesn't need to worry about me having her machine down for a mobo swap, OS upgrade, etc.... mmmMMMMmmm Domestic Tranquility

[TB Roye]

It took me 2 days to install because I was busy with other things. I had to down load the driver/software package for my HP printer and the Motherboard drivers and apps. Once I installed those Win 7 took off and is great. Roxio I don't use much so no big loss Win 7 has an app to burn DVD/CD and I have my Click Free Back Up System. I had use the Win 7 release candidate also and never had a problem with. I have Win 7 release candidate on my Netbook along with XP and Ubuntu. I use Webroot Spy Sweeper/Virus protection on both and had now problem with it and Win 7. I must say this was the easiest install I have ever done on any computer I have had. Now with open office I don't need to buy Office 2007 so this was good present for Christmas. As far as LOML's computer and Netbook they stay the way they are, she is happy so why rock the boat.

Tom

[Eric]

When I installed Win 7 64 Pro it took me about 1/2 hour to load the main OS and then probably another 1/2 hour to install the device drivers. I didn't have any problems at all, might not of taken as long if I was sitting in front of it all that time.

I do have newer components though.

When I first loaded it the system would lock up, but I think there was an issue with Flash or Shockwave.

Been super stable since. Haven't had to restart that system for over 2 months now, it does go into sleep mode to save on power.

[BasementDweller]

I'm very happy, but then I waited until Win7 to make the jump to 64bit on my laptop... oh how I should have done that long ago. To actually have a computer that uses more than 2GB of memory properly is so nice. The boot and load times are amazing. I've ordered a SSD hard drive that should make this thing off the charts fast, not really sure why i did that?? I think the performance increase from Win7 impressed me so much now I just want to see how fast I can make it go!

Now if I could get it to do my work for me...


- BD

[cabinetman]

We have XP on all our boxes (4) and don't want to even think of anything else. It's that old saying..."If it ain't broke...don't fix it".
.

[crokett]

We have XP on all our boxes (4) and don't want to even think of anything else. It's that old saying..."If it ain't broke...don't fix it".
.

That's what I thought. Then I put Win 7 on the home machine. I am not looking back.

[Ed62]

Just a tip for you. I bought Roxio Creator 2010 on E-Bay for $23.00, shipped. They had a bunch of them available.

Ed