Windows 7 Beta Available Tomorrow

[Ian]

I've not paid to join technet, so I'm not sure why I can log in ok - I just used my hotmail details? Not signed up for Technet or MSDN either.

If you are trying to get the keys, please PM me and I may be able to help

 

[Abarbarian]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...C1-3E7C-4551-A899-C3FCC5175BB6&displaylang=en

Here is your first security update for Windows 7.

Good luck folks.

Darn just realised this is for the Pre-Beta.

 

[Ian]

Good News


I noticed that some MS downloads come from dlservice.microsoft.com rather than download.microsoft.com... so I changed the first part of the domain on the old download links. And guess what, it works! It also appears to allow resuming and multiple connections, so I'm downloading at one heck of a speed now

I've not seen these MS download links on any other site, so they should work great for the short term until news spreads

Download: Windows 7 x86 (32bit) and x64 (64 bit)

 

[itsme]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...C1-3E7C-4551-A899-C3FCC5175BB6&displaylang=en

Here is your first security update for Windows 7.

Good luck folks.

Darn just realised this is for the Pre-Beta.

PMSLOL Patchwork quilt time me thinks

 

[Waynos_Face]

Hey,

Have got it working using the 64 bit download and keys from Ian.

3 failed installs on a clean ISO image of 32 bit.

Standby for some shots.

 

[Waynos_Face]

Looks like an even crisper, prettier Vista, have had a look around, pretty much the same layout but more options, i think as its the Ultimate Version and i have Home Premium of Vista.

Install Options are Upgrade or clean Install.

It uses 11.2Gb of your HDD, as i used a spare 40Gb laptop drive in my PC and have 26Gb left.

Restarts about 3 times during install and takes a while, longer than Vista.

There is also a Home Group setup option which is quite cool if you install on multiple computers in your own home, it offers a password as well and i imagine setups a home network on its clever little self.

Heres some shots then,

Default desktop, Control Panel, Games and for Vista Users what used to be the Welcome centre.

Any requests for other shots are welcome.

I had to resize the images using the included paint, i hope they are ok.

Oh it uses IE 8 (Beta)

 

[Waynos_Face]

Okay i see they are small will try 50% as those are at 20%.

 

[floppybootstomp]

And my first impressions:

I installed the 64 Bit version on this system using a 160Gb HDD:

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 Audio X-Fi Sound Card
Linksys Wireless WMP54G V4.1 Network card
Sata II Caddies For Primary drive x 3 housing:
250Gb Samsung SATA II Hard Disk (Win XP)
160Gb Maxtor SATA II Hard Disk (Linux Mint V6.0)
160Gb Maxtor SATA II Hard Disk (Earmarked for another distro)
Storage Hard Disks:
320Gb Samsung SATA II Hard Disk
750Gb Samsung SATA II Hard Disk
Western Digital 120Gb Hard Disks x 2
Pinnacle Analogue PCI TV Tuner Card
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
NAD 7140 Receiver, 40W per channel
A pair of Bush SPK2025 Loudspeakers
HP Photosmart 7960 Inkjet Printer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First impression: It's a faster version of Vista.

Waynos_Face has given you the screen shots

Slightly different layout, no 'Old style' display choice for Control panel.

Quicker boot time.

At 11Gb + for install, it's huge.

Latest Nvidia drivers V180.48 54 Bit, work ok with my 8800GTS card.

Creative's supposed 64 Bit drivers don't work (they also didn't work with Vista 64 Bit) so I can't use my X-Fi Audio soundcard.

Loaded Linksys Wiresless network card Vista 64 Bit drivers, card still unrecognised. This means I can't join my network or get online.

It saw my printer, mouse & keyboard ok but asked for drivers for the printer. I didn't try that.

And again: It's Vista with the snappiness of XP which is probably a good thing.

I'm still disappointed with it's failure to see my sound card and nic card but Vista 64 Bit didn't see them either.

Linux Mint 32 Bit, on the other hand, saw every single item of this computer, including the printer, and everything worked out the box.

I will try and download the 32 bit version of 7 and try that but I would have preferred to use latest technology.

The sound card and nic card are still current models, the nic card in particular is a very popular card.

All in all, for a Beta, it's good.

And the good news is that now Microsoft will shortly stop issuing XP licences, it does seem likely Windows 7 will be the Vista we all wanted in the first place. Just a shame I had to spend a hundred quid on Vista Home Premium to find out....

I hope the 32 Bit version sees my hardware and if it does, I'll try a few games.

 

[Waynos_Face]

I can send you my disc for the creative labs cards if you want Flopps???

It seems to work on 64 Bit fine? Althought the drivers off of the Creative site didn't? Thats with Xfi extreme gamer and Audigy 2.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I can send you my disc for the creative labs cards if you want Flopps???

It seems to work on 64 Bit fine? Althought the drivers off of the Creative site didn't? Thats with Xfi extreme gamer and Audigy 2.

That's nice of you

I downloaded the latest drivers from Creative website, supposed to be for Vista 64 Bit, but as mentioned above they didn't work.

The installation stopped with the message that - supported hardware for the software could not be found. Same in Vista 64 Bit and 7 64 Bit.

I have had the Audio X-Fi card working in Vista 32 Bit.

And the X-Fi Audio is not a true X-Fi chip, more a tarted up Audigy 2.

And even if I got the sound card to work it still doesn't solve my NIC problem.

I suppose I could try the onboard AC97 sound, but am not going to.

But no, I will try the 32 Bit version of 7.

I do apreciate the offer though

 

[crazylegs]

I'm downloading the 32 bit version as we speak but like Flopp's has said it looks like Vista to me..


I did say in Ians Windows 7 thread a while back that its just the service pack for vista with all the updates..Its How Vista should have been by the looks of it..

We've all been beta testing windows Vista for them at a hundred quid a time..You gotta laugh.. Balmer and Gates have got some front ain't they..

Woohoo hits the 2 and a half grand mark for posts..

 

[Nobody in particular]

The link is back on the Windows 7 site.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/

when you download the version that you want, you have to sign in with your Windows Live credentials, to recieve a Product Key

 

[Waynos_Face]

It is quite cool, whereas on Vista it lets you know its installing device drivers it appears to have done it without telling me.

If i leave them enough feedback will they let me keep it? Or send me a Genuine key for a retail edition?

 

[crazylegs]

It is quite cool, whereas on Vista it lets you know its installing device drivers it appears to have done it without telling me.

If i leave them enough feedback will they let me keep it? Or send me a Genuine key for a retail edition?

You'll be lucky..

 

[Abarbarian]

 

[Waynos_Face]

Funny, i don't have a picture of Hitler on mine, you must have the special edition.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I'm just about to try the 32 Bit install.

There is, of course, another way of looking at this.

Vista has been around about two years and MS know it was awful which is why Seven has been rushed and the Betas widely released.

It was a similar scenario with ME and jsut like that glorified unreliable version of Win 98, Vista is being swept under the carpet by MS.

Ironically this comes at a time when Vista is now stable, has generally been accepted by the public and drivers are widely available for all hardware.

Microsoft say that Vista drivers should work for Seven, they may do now but if MS follow their usual path the finished version of Seven available this August will be nothing like the Beta you're using now. It was the same with Beta versions of XP, vastly different from the finished product and deliberately user and driver friendly when first released.

Again, if Microsoft follow their usual path they will perobably shift the goalposts shortly before release and leave hardware companies struggling or unable to supply drivers at such short notice.

Microsoft, by sweeping Vista under the carpet, are admitting it was a turkey. A turkey millions of users have paid full price for. What Microsoft should have done, if they had any honour, was offer Seven to existing Vista licence holders for, say, one third of the full retail price. And former OS licence holders would of course pay full price.

If word got around to users still clinging on to XP that Seven actually worked well, MS would still make their millions.

But no, they are greedy conniving shysters who have hoisted an inferior OS upon the public for full price and now expect us to cough up again now they have sorted out all their mistakes.

Never forget Microsoft care little for you, they just want your money. Your money and world domination of software by whatever means possible, be they dirty tricks or no.

That, fellow forum members, is the full truth of it and it's worth bearing in mind as we're dazzled by this shiny new showpiece of theirs.

 

[Waynos_Face]

Don't get me wrong, if it cam out in august i wouldn't consider buying it for at least 6 month or until the first service pack was relkeased, thats the problem i made with Vista nearly 2 years ago.

 

[guest_9323wk]

do vista drivers work on windows 7? has there been any drivers made yet?


Cheers

 

[floppybootstomp]

do vista drivers work on windows 7? has there been any drivers made yet?


Cheers

In answer:

1) Supposedly, according to Microsoft.

2) No.

Well, what an evening.

I was going to install Win 7 32 Bit on my machine with removable HDD caddies so I thought best thing to do is format the disk over Win 7 64 Bit.

So I did.

Trouble was, I'd forgotten to swap HDD caddies over so when I booted on a Paragon Disk manager floppy and formatted I promptly erased my active and working XP disk

Damn

So instead of trying Mr Ballmer's latest and greatest I have spent the better part of this evening re-installing Win XP Pro SP3.

Not really a biggie though as the previous install was getting on for 2 years old and had slowed down one helluva lot, it took a full four minutes to boot everything and there were some quirks in Control panel. Plus I'd just installed that crap Windows Live to try and get Win 7 Beta activation code (failed) so it's good to see that go.

Install of XP was painless, it activated online which was good (I had expected to make a phone call) and I'm about half way through installing stuff before starting on games. One thing that struck me was how quick I was online and the way I encountered no problems whatsoever installing stuff, unlike Vista and Seven.

Still, XP is old so we all gotta upgrade, right?

Also, as is usually the case in a fresh XP install, this OS is flying, it's fast

How long that fastness will last is of course another matter

Anyhow, that's why I no tried Win 7 32 Bit today, cos I wuz stoopid and blasted my XP install

And just to rub salt in the wound I quickly booted my Linux Mint Install and it showed multiple errors whilst loading the kernel and GUI (X). It did eventually boot into Mint quite ok but that cheesed me off a bit Oh well, fresh install maybe, no probs. No activation to worry about anyway

So there ya go, who was the bright spark who declared 'Having a computer will save you time'?

Whoever he/she was, they deserve a ducking in a stagnant pond