green g, many thanks for the pointer.

I've now got it installed (32-bit version)...but so far it looks too much like Vista to convert me! I've already started drifting back to XP when I can't find how to do something. I think I'm just getting old and don't like change.

[QUOTEI think I'm just getting old and don't like change.[/QUOTE]

I know the feeling well Spitoon, :( But it's well worth persevering with

It's now on the "other" hard drive in my laptop. I was amazed: it took under half an hour from start to "up and running". That was as a clean install to a brand new 80GB drive. Everything worked straight off.

What amazed me even more was that it found drivers for the "IBM" buttons, and for the fingerprint reader. The only thing it couldn't cope with was the Jeppesen data card writer for the Garmin GNS430. I think that needs a driver from Jepp.

Yes, it looks quite a lot like Vista. The difference is, it works.

Got my fingers crossed here - have been writing a windows service for the contract I am on and guess what under vista home premium which came with the lappy you cant debug as you cannot get trusted authentication (Has been fine at home as have ultimate on this machin) .....

So my options were put the clients xp professional build on or try out windows 7 RC (Ultimate) - or of course pay for upgrade to vista ultimate.....

Well not hard to guess which way I went.

OS is installed, now installing the development tools and hoping I dont come across any huge hurdles.... Will let you know if I find anything intriguingly different between vista and W7...

Having spent five hours yesterday unscrambling a friend's "new" laptop that came with Vista, no: Win7 isn't Vista masquerading. They just look similar ;)
The sillinesses in Vista are mostly gone from Win7.

Her Vista would start up, and then do a BSOD - always 2½ minutes after start. If I waited and didn't log in, it crashed waiting at the login screen. If I logged in quickly, it crashed after her desktop was up. Nothing in the Event Viewer showed what was crashing. Turning off everything in MSCONFIG didn't make any difference. It would start and work OK in Safe Mode, with the limitations that brings.

In the end, we decided to install Win7 over the Vista, on the basis that should fix it. The Win7 DVD started, took a good look at it, and reported that two files on it needed to be "removed or replaced" before Win7 could install. We removed those two files, and Vista is working again. So she doesn't have Win7, which is probably a good thing since she isn't really a "computers" person.

My guess is that something in automatic updates glitched. Those are now OFF.

Ahh, good old auto updates.

I never allow that to happen, I let it tell me what is there and then I decide what goes on, and drivers are NEVER allowed to install.

But which files are you talking about, out of interest?

Although I will, more often than not, install an updated version of a program, I have never allowed a windows update.

I suppose it's a distrust of M$ behind it, but my XP has performed without crashing since the day it came out of the box, so why mess with it?

I just knew someone would ask that!

Longish and meaningless names ending in .exe. I think one had SMS in the middle of it. Not files I'd ever come across or remembered meeting before.
Memory isn't my long suit: I write stuff down.

The page of notes that I made as I was working on it went into its bag, to come back with it if it returns. This is Keef's new policy to avoid having to remember stuff, or remember where I put the notes ;)

Creating a disc
 

Having just taken 12 hours to download the software for '7' then copied at 4X to a DVD I find after selecting a clean install started the installation process. After copying the software the disc got stuck on the installation part so I gave up and now have no operating system. Any ideas and thoughts? Perhaps a dud copy, in which case how do you know the software was downloaded correctly?

Thanks

You check the MD5 hash of the downloaded file.

I do hope that means something to crewmeal. To me it's about as useful as 'Error 1357'.

It's a checksum. If the checksum on the website matches the checksum of the file you downloaded, then the file is identical to the original. An error in a single bit generates a wildly different checksum, so you don't have to look too hard to spot a problem.

"Too many domains on the server", incidentally.

Now I'm totally lost

Have a look on a few windows 7 websites and I guess Microsoft. There you will find the checksum for RC1. This will tell you, if it matches the RC1 download you have, that your copy hasn't been hacked or corrupted. If it's different, avoid.

It will look something like this:

SHA1: 6071184282B2156FF61CDC5260545C078CCA31EEISO/CRC: ABA5A48

Anyway, hold the front page: build 7127 is all over the internet if you feel lucky!:}

I fear I have a dodgy disc as I've tried to copy it all to a folder and after about 10 mins it comes up with an error message. This means it will take at least 36 hours to download a fresh copy. By the time I get it sorted out it Microsoft will stop the evaluation sites and it will be on the shelves in PC World for sale!!!

Using Windows 7 now on a laptop, no problems upgrading from Vista basic, other then the main memory has taken some from the graphic card and running at 1024 x 768 instead of 1280 x 800, will need to upgrade memory to 2GB i think.

Also did a clean install on a XP laptop, installed but coudn't find the realtex ac97 sound or the railink wireless card, so uninstalled and put XP back on, now have both back.

Berliners,

Got my Realtek HD Drivers and Ralink wireless card drivers direct from their respective websites. Both had 64 bit versions too!

Sorry I haven't got a link, but at least you know they're out there!

NMRL

Thanks i will try the websites later.

Worked, downloaded updated driver, now have wireless and sound.

At last I managed to download and with the aid of ISO software I finally downloaded RC and it really works well. However a couple of issues:

It asked for a license key, where can I get one from?

Blu ray discs don't play anymore, even though the cyberlink BD advisor states all is ok. I've tried updating GPU and NDVIA drivers to no avail. Any thoughts?

As part of the dowload process via the Microsoft website.

You need a "windows Live" ID if you don't have one just open a HotMail account and you will get one. Then as Bushfiva says go to the download page: Windows 7 Release Candidate and it will click and set your desired language click on the arrow and the next page will ask you to sing in using your password it will then E-Mail you the serial number and allow you to download.

I've had 2 welcome emails using my live id neither gave any codes. However I've written down about4 different key combinations from the download sight. I need this because windows 7 will stop working after 1 month without the key.

FWIW...............

I've burned five discs using three different utilities and am still unable to get past the 13% stage in 'Expanding Windows files'.

According to this site, it is possible to instal Win 7 using a USB stick. If I had one of the necessary capacity I'd give it a go. As things stand at the moment I'm inclined not to bother at all!

N o t a

Don't bother burning it. Download winrar & install if you don't already have it. Use it to extract the ISO files to a new folder, then click on setup within your new win 7 folder & it'll install from there.

Thanks Sprogget and StaceyF.

I'm attempting the installation on my experimental box (main distro being Ubuntu) where I just fit a hard drive and swap connections as the mood takes me:hmm:.

Consequently, I can't fall back on any of the dark arts you've kindly mentioned. I think I'll have to try a SATA drive and/or try to do the installation in the main box aka the 'None of the above Patented Difference Engine'.
I definitely don't want to run the risk of the edifice crumbling so that will have to be a separate HDD job as well.

Who knows? It might work and, like everything else in computing, worth a try.

N o t a:ok:

Getting ready to drop Winblows 7 on as soon as new hard disk is formatted. Any pitfalls I should be aware of?

(Note, will be comparing it to XP, this PC has never seen Vista)

No it should go with no issues, just done my wife's Acer laptop with no problems.

HellsB
Given that it's a beta, and Microbore, it's the least troublesome so far - and I tried them all :8.
When it's going to be released tho', as usual there will be too many different versions. On my (admittedly) big system (3 screen, multi-partition etc,) one of the interesting features is the virtual machine option to run XP pro, with apps for that. It seems to work..:bored:
Still no competition for Mac though

Added to say that I had uninstalled all vista last year , and 7 seems to be at least an improvement over that - be prepared to search around for a lot of 7 beta third party drivers, but they are out there now, and in greater numbers than the early days of Vista

I installed it on a separate HD in the CD drivebay of my Thinkpad. It installed with no fuss, worked first time off, and is noticeably faster than XP. The CPU runs about 5 degrees cooler, too.

I can see me having to buy two copies of Win7 Ultimate come next March when it starts to time out.

Having now got 2 machines running 7 I was very impressed by the ease of the network set-up, it asked me which network I wished to connect to (it could see 3) it then asked for the encryption key and then told me to contact xyz on the downstairs computer for the home-group password which I typed in and immediately I could access all the shared folders
and the shared printer

I like it but I've found it slower than Vista when negotiating explorer & I still have sound woes on it. In fairness, the sound problems are almost certainly driver related. Overall though, it is sexy. The best effort from MS in years.

Ok, the install was sweet and problem free. It doesn't like my webcam and didn't like my sound card, but the sound issue was sorted out by telling it to install the Vista driver from the CD for the card (might help you Sprogget, download the Vista driver for your sound card).

All in all, it is nice (even on this old clunker of a PC I am running). Haven't fully explored it yet but compared to Vista it is an improvement

hellsbrink

It didn't like my built-in webcam so I searched and found a suitable driver. It may help yours too - just search for "CMOS_Camera_D-Max_GD-5A35A_VT_071213" vista driver.

HB, I've tried every combo of driver for my s/card going without success. The issue I reckon lies with Creative & their notoriously crappy support. Auzentech here we come.

I actually get fantastic 5.1 surround sound throughout windows 7 with the exception of live tv where it defaults to stereo. Since I'm a lazy b*****d who loafs about in front of the idiot lantern most nights, it's something of a show stopper for me. Such a shame as it's the one piece of the puzzle that's missing.

It's my intention to read carefully through this thread again tonight, but I was halfway through an answer to Green Granite on another thread when I thought I'd best move over to this one.

Following some hiccups, I now have one 400 gig drive destined to be my Win 7 unit. It is divided into C: 100g D: 50 g and E: the remainder. I still have a lot of data on E: but D: is newly formatted. E: is backed up.

My XP home, is on a smaller physical drive, and temporally holds the OS. This only has C: plus D: as a restore partition.

The OS in the larger drive still operates at this time. (XP pro.)

I would like a coherent download that could be used again, and therefore will be copied onto a DVD. But what is the most logical way to do this?

D: on the target drive has 50g to use as a dumping ground. Can I then install from there?

C: could be formatted first, giving a green-field site, but this would, I assume, mean using the other physical drive as the holding tank and indeed using its OS and browser to facilitate the maneuver. I would have to be sure in this case, that the download would not be installing as it arrived, or the drive letters would be wrong.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to maneuver but am really demonstrating my lack of knowledge.

NB. It might be obvious exactly how to proceed when I press the download button. But I've never downloaded anything bigger than Open Office, and that of course didn't involve the OS. I'm concerned of course, that I'll end up with no valid OS and no start-up disc.

My thoughts would be to down load the file, it matters not where to, then burn it to a DVD and check that it can be read by using windows explorer.
Assuming you wish to retain the OS on the smaller disc and not the larger one then Leave the smaller HD with XP on it in the pc and add the new HD as a slave (assuming its an IDE drive) or as the second channel if it's a SATA drive, reboot into XP and make a note of the new drive letters assigned to the larger drive, and decide which partition you want to install W7 onto on the new drive lets say it will be E:. Shut the mc down insert the DVD and switch on. W7 will then look at the drives and ask you which one you want to install it to tell it E: and it will install it's self there and set up a dual booting system with XP automatically with W7 as the default OS.

The alternative is to remove the smaller drive (I presume you can boot from it ok) and have the larger one only in the mc when the DVD asks you where you wish to install it to tell it D: and it will then set up a dual boot with the OS already on that disc but still with W7 as the default OS. NOTE that the partions will change so that what was D: will now become C: as far as W7 is concerned.

And you can still put the other HD in in the unlikely event that it goes pear shaped and be able to use that system.

That's the main question answered. Any idea of the total size of the download?


I'm fairly committed to keeping both drives insitu as they were very difficult to scheme in neatly while keeping them cool.

I posted a while back on how I change between them by selection in the BIOS. Needless to say, their drive letters are dynamic...but I've labeled them so that I can see the letter they would be when booted from the other disc.

I'll try to download the soft tonight when all the kiddywinks have stopped surfing...about 4 am that'd be I suppose. :suspect: I'll go from there.

Thanks again.

2.35GB

SD

Ah, not too bad - thanks.

Downloaded file and cut the DVD. The first sign of any problem was when the PC would not boot from the DVD drive.. I wasn't sure that it should, so I booted from the spare HD and asked for the install to be on drive 0. they were clearly marked, but I was scared that it would write to the XP drive.

At 64% the install failed. :ugh:


Thankfully the small drive still works, and there's quite a lot of data on the correct drive, but the main issue is, should it have booted from the DVD?

I intend to cut another DVD, then if that fails, take to the bottle. Mmm 2:40 Am why do we do this?

How do I do a checksum of the file? I see some check numbers in this thread but I don't know how to compare them.


BTW, it took 4 hours to download, that's not very good is it? I have SBC on 'Two Wire' phone line. R