Windows 7 My Win 7 Experience

[floppybootstomp]

If I'm active enough I may make this a sticky, we shall see.

Ok, this is the system Win 7 is installed on:

Asus M2N sli Deluxe motherboard
AMD Athlon AM2 XP6400+ 3.2Ghz dual core CPU
Noctua NH-U12F CPU Cooler with 2 x 120mm fans
2Gb Corsair XMS DDR2 6400C5 memory
BFG Nvidia 8800GTS 640Mb Video card
Creative Audigy 2 Sound Card
Onboard LAN

Sata II Caddies For Primary drive x 4 housing:
250Gb Samsung SATA II Hard Disk (Win XP Pro, up to date, 32 Bit)
160Gb Maxtor SATA II Hard Disk (Currently Win 7 64 Bit Trial)
160Gb Maxtor SATA II Hard Disk (Currently Linux Mint 7 32 Bit))
80Gb Seagate SATA II Hard Disk (Free to try other Linux distros)
Storage Hard Disks:
320Gb Samsung SATA II Hard Disk
750Gb Samsung SATA II Hard Disk
Western Digital 120Gb Hard Disks x 2

Dazzle Platinum USB Video/Audio interface breakout box
Antec Sonata Case
Corsair 650W Non Modular PSU
Plextor 800A 18 x DVDRW PATA
Asus DVD-ROM PATA
A Floppy Drive
Logitech corded G5 Laser Mouse
Logitech flat compact keyboard, corded
Samsung 22” 2232BW Glossy Black Pebble Monitor
Pioneer A300 80wpc amplifier
A pair of Bush SPK2025 Loudspeakers
HP Photosmart 7960 Inkjet Printer

I'm using the 64 Bit version.

I tried two wireless cards, a Linksys WMP54G and a D-Link 510GL, neither of which I could get to work with Win 7.

The D-Link DWA 522 wireless NIC card works with Win 7 but at time of writing is available in the USA but not the UK.

Conclusion is that at this stage Win 7 is not wireless NIC card friendly.

I hard wired the above machine to my router/modem and Win 7 connected online immediately. And more or less at the same time activated. This was good although as we all know this trial version will self-destruct come March 2010 (I think that's the terminal date anyway).

I applied all the updates.

Amongst them was a driver to get my HP printer listed above working, this was somewhat problematic with Vista so this was a good thing.

It's faster than Vista - and so it should be.

And that, for now, is about it.

In the coming weeks I'm going to treat this as if it was my main system, software, games, everything, and see how we get on.

My reports may be sporadic but anything of interest I find out I will post right here for all you good good people to dissect, digest, chew over and generally pick holes in

 

[floppybootstomp]

Not much going down today but here's progress.

First thing to do, I thought, was install antivirus software.

So I went to type in www.free-av.com but instead, somehow typed in 'net' instead of 'com' and went to a site that wanted me to install Adobe Flash Player. Ok, I will, I thought, so Flash Player was the very first thing I installed

Then installed Antivir closely followed by SuperAntiSpyware and updated both.

Next up Nvidia Video drivers 186.18 for 64 Bit Win 7 - no probs.

Then Photoshop Seven and Acronis True Image 10 - all good.

And finally for this evening MS Office 2003, full edition, and patched to SP3.

And that's about it, no problems, no anomalies, all good.

Installed a couple of gadgets, clock and weather and overall I'm liking the feel of Win 7. Nothing specific but I'm not getting those little irritations I got when I first tried Vista.

I know I'm annoyed that MS messed up with Vista to a degree and I think all Vista licence holders should get Win 7 as a Service Pack for free but I'll be positive - so far, with the exception of wireless NIC card support, Win 7 seems good.

In coming days I'll be trying games, the Pinnacle Sparkle USB Video interface and Pinnacle Studio software, Logitech software for mouse, keyboard and Gamepad, Winamp, Audacity and lots of other stuff.

On my normal OS for this machine - Win XP Pro SP3 - I have a full version of Nero 8 as burning software but it's online registration so I can't install it on here as well. I do have an OEM (Lite) copy of Nero 8 as well but I was wondering if anybody could recommend any free burning software.

I realise anybody making recommendations will probably not know if the free software will work in 7 or not but I'd still be grateful for suggestions.

I tend to use this machine for burning audio CD's and Movie DVD's from all sorts of different file formats.

I also noted V_R's advice that Punkbuster - who infest all Call Of Duty games - will not support Beta Operating Systems which by definition includes Win 7. This means I will not be able to try CoD 4 & CoD WAW online within Win 7.

I don't know what anybody here thinks of Punkbuster but I hate them passionately. They do more harm than good and are making lots of money from a flawed piece of 2nd rate software.

And now they can't even make the slight change from Vista to 7. They are rubbish.

That's about it for now, more to follow...

 

[muckshifter]

You can give this a try ...

http://download.cnet.com/Ashampoo-Burning-Studio-Free/3000-2646_4-10776287.html


...

 

[captain zed]

I'd have to say get ashampoo too. I have it a while and have recently upgraded to the latest version....its free and its worth a look.

Zzzzz

 

[Taffycat]

Not sure if you've encountered these Flopps, but they're free and claim to be compatible with Windows 7. BurnAware Free Then I found Express Burn 4.26 Not tried either of them personally, they're only "finds" that happened to turn up.

 

[Abarbarian]

• Type: full commercial application
• Platform: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista
• Manufacturer: Ashampoo
• Size: 16.7MB
• Number of downloads: remoteload('/remoteload/statistics/hits/display/vth/2235230');
• Review Rating:
  
• Average User Rating: remoteload('/remoteload/statistics/rating/display/vth/2235230');
• Rate this download
• Price:Free full commercial app

http://www.v3.co.uk/vnunet/downloads/2235230/ashampoo-burning-studio-2009

Does Vista so will probably do 7.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks TC for the link to those two, I've noted them but will try this Shampoo first.

But - I'm a little confused. Mucks' link is most definitely a freebie but I suspect is a trimmed down version as it's only 5.67Mb.

Ababrb's link shows an application of 16.7Mb but it isn't clear whether it's a freebie or not.

And to further confuse the issue I downloaded a 16.7Mb version of Ashampoo back in February but don't appear to have a code number for it anywhere.

Apart from the usual audio and data burning, within Nero full version I can take video files with mixed file extensions and burn them all to a DVD in chapters with a menu.

I was wondering if Ashampoo can do that?

 

[Abarbarian]

Price:Free full commercial app

Here is the home site

http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/product_2_2210___GBP.htm

Can't tell you any more as I have 8 and have not downloaded from the link, says it is free. Only ever burn single files so can't say about your other query.



I like it cos it is quick, light and gives me good results.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Ok, I think the February download I have was the free offer at the time but it had to be activated in a time frame, not sure.

I'll try it shortly and let peeps know how I get on.

Don't think I'll be doing anything with either Mint or Win 7 this evening though, doing lots of music stuff, adding all the vinyl I've recorded to media machine and making CD covers.

I swapped out the Audigy 2 and fitted my X-Fi Audio sound card today. I was hoping to get an increased recording level from Line-In when recording vinyl & cassettes but it's just the same as the Audigy.

I may very well go back to onboard sound as I know that gives a good recording level.

Point is, both Linux Mint & Win 7 will have to deal with new sound hardware, should be interesting.

 

[captain zed]

Thanks TC for the link to those two, I've noted them but will try this Shampoo first.

But - I'm a little confused. Mucks' link is most definitely a freebie but I suspect is a trimmed down version as it's only 5.67Mb.

Ababrb's link shows an application of 16.7Mb but it isn't clear whether it's a freebie or not.

Apart from the usual audio and data burning, within Nero full version I can take video files with mixed file extensions and burn them all to a DVD in chapters with a menu.

I was wondering if Ashampoo can do that?

Yeah man its definitely a freebie. I have it a few months now and its cool so far.....it works well with shrink too...not sure about different file types though...i have never tried different types....try it and you can always delete it

Zzzzz

 

[sandywu]

I was able to install it on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007; it gave me trouble loading from a burned image on the DVD drive so I had the program capture the ISO from where it was located on my computer. Creative doesn’t have any sound drivers yet so I’m working around that.

Task Bar looks different, and I see the sidebar’s gone, or at least out of view.

Main topic will be driver and application compatibility; I have Vista Business x64, but most my apps run on XP so this is still my primary OS. Eventually 32-bit OSs will be legacy items and Windows 7 will be the OS that carries into the 64-bit realm for every day use.

 

[Alf]

Creative does have W7 drivers, i got mine a good week ago. Then again im using the 32-bit W7.

 

[V_R]

Google 'Daniel k Creative drivers'.

 

[captain zed]

Go Danny K

 

[floppybootstomp]

Aye, the guy's good. Got my X-Fi Audio working in Vista for me where Creative wouldn't.

Which reminds me why I don't like Creative.

Shortly I'll be buying a top-end sound card to replace my Asus D2X, had settled on Creative fatlaity thingie with front panel but this driver issue has made me look at Auzentec.

But they use a creative chip.

I mean, apart from professional studio sound cards, what other choice is their for a quality sound card apart from Asus (flawed), Creative and Auzentech (Creative chips).

Mucks is right, I wish Philips would start making sound cards again, the only one I ever owned was good.

And on another note, on reading the opening posts to this thread, I have been lax. Haven't fired up Win 7 for 7 or 8 weeks, I have been lazy in that respect.

Just waiting for Oct 22nd really

 

[Ian]

I'm typing this in Windows 7, and I don't think I'd go back to Vista in a hurry It took a little while to get used to the new taskbar system, but I'm persisting with it to see how it goes (rather than just changing it to look like Vista's like I had done originally).

Shortly I'll be buying a top-end sound card to replace my Asus D2X, had settled on Creative fatlaity thingie with front panel but this driver issue has made me look at Auzentec.

But they use a creative chip.

I mean, apart from professional studio sound cards, what other choice is their for a quality sound card apart from Asus (flawed), Creative and Auzentech (Creative chips).

Do Auzentech do their own drivers for cards like the X-Fi Prelude, as if they do it might eliminate many of the problems you had. Their cards seem impressive, and you can stick one of these things in the front of your case

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/xfi_iodrive.php

 

[captain zed]

I downloaded the 7 RC last week and will install(somehow) after i have finished dissecting my gf's laptop.

I'm sure i'll have loadsa questions for everyone LOL

 

[Becky]

I've got W7 on my PC now, and apart from a small glitch with my sound card (which is now resolved) I've had no problems. In fact, my PC is now running faster than a greased monkey on acid

 

[floppybootstomp]

I've got W7 on my PC now, and apart from a small glitch with my sound card (which is now resolved) I've had no problems. In fact, my PC is now running faster than a greased monkey on acid

Good stuff

I'm trying to get a visual of a greased monkey on acid...

Perhaps I shouldn't

Do Auzentech do their own drivers for cards like the X-Fi Prelude, as if they do it might eliminate many of the problems you had. Their cards seem impressive, and you can stick one of these things in the front of your case

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/xfi_iodrive.php

I can't find a UK supplier selling that Auzentech front interface panel but it does look good.

I've been reading reviews and it seems the only big difference between the Auzentech Prelude and the Creative Fatality is that the Auzentech has better signal to noise ratio, slightly better overall sound and you can swap out the primary op-amps should you so wish. But as yet, after searching, it seems there hasn't been a superior chip manufactured since the card's release.

The Auzentech panel also looks pretty much identical to the one supplied with Creative's fatality.

Basically it's a choice between this, the Auzentech at £150.00 with no panel:

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_4020.html

And this, the Creative with a front panel at £140.00:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148375

So, slightly better sound quality or a good card anyway but with a front panel?

The Creative, sad to say, is in the lead atm.

And at my age, it's questionable whether I'd actually hear the difference, it's probably a subtle one after all.

To clarify, everybody's hearing drops off as they get older, regardless of one's state of health, particularly in the higher frequencies, so nothing I can do about that.

 

[captain zed]

Hi Flopp's,
It might interest you to know that at 42 years years of age my hearing is still above average. Yours probably is too. My hearing became fine tuned over the years whilst DJ'ing. Apparently using headphones listening for beats while different music is playing for the crowd, train's the hearing abilities and they become really sharp.

So they're ya go.

At that last gig you did, did you have any probs hearing or matching beats??