Topic: Windows 7

[DJ Doena]

For no reason at all I kicked my XP Friday evening and installed Windows 7 Ultimate ("Never change a running system" my ass ).

Once upon a time I installed Vista, but the UOPs were annoying and my XAMPP didn't run properly and I didn't like it at all. So I switched back to XP.

Friday I downloaded the RTM (Release to Manufacturers) from MSDN and installed the 64bit Ultimate edition.

And I have to say, it looks and feels really good. OK, some things need getting used to. But overall it feels like a modern OS and all my programs (DVD Profiler, Visual Studio 2008, TortoiseSVN, XAMPP, Firefox, Thunderbird, ... -> x64 when available) are running just fine.

[Najemikon]

I've been running Windows 7 side-by-side with Vista for a while and find it much better. It's interesting how I had a couple of hardware that never installed under Vista yet are natively supported.

Oh, yeah, and remember the thread about FreeNAS? I've abandoned it and replaced it with Windows Server 2008! Works really well and I've created virtual machines of XP and Vista, so anything I can't run on 7, I'll run virtually...

[Touti]

For the server I use Windows Home Server.  I like the ability to access my files and my computers remotely without having to bother with dynamic IP clients.

I've been running Win 7 Ultimate 64 bits RC for a while (same a RTM) and I like it too.  The only thing that I couldn't run and had to change was my anti-virus but that's not surprising.  I use CA Antivirus and a year ago their only 64 bit was the entreprise version.  It won't even install on Win 7 so I have to use free AVG until CA release a 64 bit Win 7 compatible AV.

Jon, run a quick search on google for "Windows 7 XPM" or "Windows 7 XP Mode".  You can download it for free from Microsoft.  Microsoft released that so they can advertise 100% compatibility with XP applications without having to maintain old code in Win 7.

Basically it's a virtual machine with a fully licensed Windows XP SP3 but what's nice about it is that once you installed an application you don't need to start the virtual machine before lauching it.  Programs that you install in your virtual XP appear in your Win 7 start menu under "Windows Virtual PC->Windows XP Mode Applications".  When you launch them they run in Windows XP Mode but without the full virtual machine so in your Win 7 they just look like any other application but they're look and feel is of XP.  You can of course if you want run the virtual machine itself to have access to your virtual XP OS.

[Touti]

Firefox and Firefox (XP Mode) running side by side in my Win 7 desktop.

[Tom]

Firefox and Firefox (XP Mode) running side by side in my Win 7 desktop.

 
You are not reading our posts 

[Najemikon]

I know about 7s XP modes, but haven't bothered as I'm going to use the more powerful machine just for gaming and other processor intensive stuff. I'll use a Thin Client to connect to the server for browsing and email checking.

[Kathy]

I'm running with whatever my computer came with! I only use it for email, DVDP, here and that other site so I don't think it matters what I use.

[RossRoy]

Well, I did it. I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate at the moment! Thanks to a very generous customer, who didn't want anything to do with Windows 7 and gave me his licence, in exchange for reinstalling his XP!

I love it so far! Though I'm finding Firefox and Chrome (both running at 32bits on a 64bits system) to be a bit slow.. I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't just stick with IE8

[DJ Doena]

I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't just stick with IE8

 

[snowcat]

I don't have Windows 7 yet, but im planning on getting a new laptop soon so ill make sure to get one with it pre installed.

I was with a friend who has it installed earlier today, and it seems alot faster the Vista! which is great

[Touti]

Seb,

You have to IE installed on your Windows 7, 32 and 64.  By default it's the 32 bits that runs unless you specifically start the 64 bits.

There's a nice little automatic search feature in windows 7, click on start and in the text box just type internet explorer, you'll see both versions there and then you can compare.  Honestly, I don't think FF and Chrome are slower because they're 32 bits version, I'd be interested to know if IE-32 is also slow and how it compares to IE-64

[RossRoy]

Well, this morning it seems fine. Maybe they felt slow yesterday because of all the "freshly install optimization", and me doing all sorts of different things at the same (configuring backups, installing and testing drivers and hardware, downloading a bunch of stuff, configuring Media Center.. you get the picture).

I'm a bit anxious about Media Center at the moment though. I've configured it to record the TV shows I liked (1 really - hockey games!), I just hope it does record them correctly. I used to have SageTV but there were always situations where for a reason I can't explain, it would skip recording a game here and there. I hope Media Center fixes that....

Random Thoughts

Guess I'll know tonight if I stay with Media Center or reinstall SageTV!

I so wish Media Player would play Flac... alas I'll have to reinstall Foobar.

I wish PowerDVD7 would see my SPDIF output.. Media Center has a noticeable different between movie-black and unused black-bars at the top and bottom... (PowerDVD 8 does too have the difference, haven't tried 9)

Now that I have Win7.. To Blu-ray, or not to Blu-ray?

Though I do love the new Windows... I'm so lost! Takes me 5-10 minutes to do stuff that I used to do in 2 seconds on XP... So many settings and stuff changed place!

I'm still wondering why when I first accessed Freenas from Win7, it crashed.. Reboot and all is fine.. (I mean Freenas crashed. Win7 has yet to crash a single time)

I need to remember that there's the option to "Run as Administrator".. I keep wondering why this and that error shows up, when all I have to do to fix it is run as admin.

I love the little progress bar in the taskbar icon!!

.... that's it for now! else I could go on and on and on ....

[Touti]

Well, this morning it seems fine. Maybe they felt slow yesterday because of all the "freshly install optimization", and me doing all sorts of different things at the same (configuring backups, installing and testing drivers and hardware, downloading a bunch of stuff, configuring Media Center.. you get the picture).

I'm a bit anxious about Media Center at the moment though. I've configured it to record the TV shows I liked (1 really - hockey games!), I just hope it does record them correctly. I used to have SageTV but there were always situations where for a reason I can't explain, it would skip recording a game here and there. I hope Media Center fixes that....

I wouldn't be worried about that.  Windows 7 Media Center has a new look but I'm pretty sure it's just the same as before behind, I doubt they rewrote any of it so it should work just as before.  Anyway, can't you program it to record something this afternoon to test it ?

I so wish Media Player would play Flac... alas I'll have to reinstall Foobar.

No native support but there seems to be a hack.
http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/01/playing-flac-files-in-media-center.html

Now that I have Win7.. To Blu-ray, or not to Blu-ray?

YESSSS !!!!!! 
But why "Now that you have windows 7", couldn't you do it with XP ?

Though I do love the new Windows... I'm so lost! Takes me 5-10 minutes to do stuff that I used to do in 2 seconds on XP... So many settings and stuff changed place!

It does take some time to get used too.  I haven't had this problem on W7 because I was on Vista before but when I switched from XP to Vista I was lost for a while.  The nice thing though is the "search" I told you about before, if you don't know where something is just hit "start" and type the name.

[RossRoy]

I wouldn't be worried about that.  Windows 7 Media Center has a new look but I'm pretty sure it's just the same as before behind, I doubt they rewrote any of it so it should work just as before.  Anyway, can't you program it to record something this afternoon to test it ?

Yeah I just did that, and it recorded fine. What I'm afraid of (and probably what happens with SageTV), is that once I've watched a game, will Media Center consider it as a "watched" episode, and not record the next game by these same two teams?

No native support but there seems to be a hack.
http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/01/playing-flac-files-in-media-center.html

Thanks, but I guess I'll stick with Foobar, I'm so used to it, and I have it configured the way I like

YESSSS !!!!!! 
But why "Now that you have windows 7", couldn't you do it with XP ?

Yeah, I could have Blu on XP. It's just that now that I have a shiny new OS, why not get a shiny new HD media player

It does take some time to get used too.  I haven't had this problem on W7 because I was on Vista before but when I switched from XP to Vista I was lost for a while.  The nice thing though is the "search" I told you about before, if you don't know where something is just hit "start" and type the name.

Interesting thing that little search. Didn't think it was so broad in what it indexed. I'll have to learn to use it!

And if you want a quick laugh, try to guess how long it took to change my cursor movement and scrolling speed... I was looking for it in Control Panel.. and couldn't find it to save my life! So I give up, and decide to install my printer in "Devices and Printers" ...... doh! 

[Touti]

And if you want a quick laugh, try to guess how long it took to change my cursor movement and scrolling speed... I was looking for it in Control Panel.. and couldn't find it to save my life! So I give up, and decide to install my printer in "Devices and Printers" ...... doh!  

Good one.  But you can also search the control panel.  Check the top right corner.  Just type mouse speed in it

BTW: You've got to try the sniping tool with the highlither