Windows 7 ?

[NutmegCarrera]

Anybody here have experience with Windows 7?
I've currently got XP (Media center) running on a 2.8gHz dual processor dell.

Started looking into bumping up RAM (from 1G to either 2 or 4), and one of the IT guys at work suggested that W7 would improve performance. Particularly if going to 64-bit.

I ran the MSFT "analyze my system for W7 compatibility" thing tonight, and didn't see any alarming info - but should I expect to?

Anyhow, if anybody has any good or bad experience - or pointers, I'd be interested.

I'm guessing the worst of this whole thing will turn out to be the "clean install" related crap that goes along with trying to keep all of my good stuff (files, and the applications that I actually like) while ditching the junk that causes slowness.

I'm sure this would turn into a weekend full of my kids learning new vocabulary.

So... is it worth it???


Thanks much.

[Red88Carrera]

I have an AMD Phenom II X4 945 processor running at 3.0GHz. 8GB RAM. Running 64-bit Windows 7 since November 09. Haven't had any issues at all. Was using XP on an older system. Absolutely no comparison. Windows 7 seems very stable.

[MysticLlama]

Works great.

It's Vista minus a few irritations and plus a few handy things. Overall it's great, have it on all of my machines (home, laptop, work) and several other office machines.

[red-beard]

I'm having a problem with slow network drive performance if the Win 7 machine is left on overnight. I've shutdown the network compression feature, which solved the general issue, but the ovenight issue is not fixed. Reboot helps.

Win 7 likes to generate a full screen window when saving files (generating a PDF from web pages with Adobe Acrobat 9). XP was plenty stable and fast enough. I'm considering a dual, boot system, or downgrading my new Laptop to XP Pro, 32 bit.

It has some issues with Quickbooks 2009, and refuse to upgrade 3 pcs to 2010, to fix the win 7 64 bit issue. Creating PDF files from inside Quickbooks. Work around is "printing" a PDF instead of a direct generation.

Under win 64, flash doesn't work in Explorer. Works fine if you run the 32 bit version of Explorer.

Other than that, runs very well, and stable.

[island911]

Great description, Rob.

I will add, that I'm running 64bit win7, and with any of the 64bit versions drivers can be a bit of a PITA. I think that microsoft has some online tool for figuring out if drivers are available.

[red-beard]

Oh, and my desktop icons like to re-arrange themselves on reboot.

[NutmegCarrera]

Good info. Thanks guys.
Sounds to me like maybe 64bit isn't best for those of us wanting to keep "old stuff"?

Note- I'm handy with installing, removing, etc... Not an IT person by any stretch.

Trying to keep it simple, and make sure the household functions online at a reasonable pace. If any of this helps Internet Explorer performance, I'm all for it.

Thanks again!

[BGCarrera32]

Win 7 64 bit on two laptops here, an HP and a Dell, only issue I have is the Flash video player embedded into websites like YouTube will hang the browser (IE or Firefox, doesn't matter) and force a restart to clear it up.

I think its a Flash problem, but does it on both of my Win 7 machines.

Otherwise I like it.

[red-beard]

Well, I think instead of a dual boot, I'm going to swap in a new HD and install XP Pro. I have an old dead Laptop which I can use the license key. The PITA will be loading and updating XP and then re-loading all of my programs. Data isn't an issue, since I have it stored on the network, for the most part. $70.88 for a 320 GB, Sata 3.0, 16MB 7200 RPM drive...

[MysticLlama]

I use 64, but I don't bother using the 64bit IE.

It's odd that I've heard this a few times in the last couple of days, but the 64bit version isn't the default one, you have to specifically pick it, so the question is, why?

Is it the default on some OEM versions or something? (As opposed to clean win-only installs?)

[red-beard]

If you click on start, the one that shows up is the 64 bit version. If you go to "programs" you have the choice. I have icons setup on the desktop, but they keep re-arranging, which is annoying.

[slodave]

No point to 64bit, unless you are working with huge files. There are no real processing benifits when using a 64 bit OS and using Word or Excel, web browsing..

It does allow you to go over the 3.5 gig RAM limit of 32 bit.

[mikester]

I have my desktop set to dual boot - I tend to lean towards the XP partition more and more because I just hate the new interface so much.

Still, the W7 partition hasn't had any major problems. It is a relatively new system, Intel Core 2 Quad 9440 system with 8GB of ram (but only 3.5 in XP!).

I would say that Windows 7 is much snappier in the OS than the XP partition is. The drives are similar so I don't think that is it.

I just wish it had the classic interface...if it had that I wouldn't even both with the dual boot. It is sad that the new interface is so problematic for me - it is a reflection on both me and microsoft I think. We're both too stubborn for our own good. To be honest, I would never - EVER buy it. I received a free copy of Ultimate 64bit from one of our MS sales guys and I needed it for experimentation at work.

[Scuba Steve]

That's a good point - IMO it costs way too much. Drop the good version(s)? to no more than $125. Corporate, OEM and business use is probably the lion's share of their Windows revenue anyway.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Well, I think instead of a dual boot, I'm going to swap in a new HD and install XP Pro. I have an old dead Laptop which I can use the license key. The PITA will be loading and updating XP and then re-loading all of my programs. Data isn't an issue, since I have it stored on the network, for the most part. $70.88 for a 320 GB, Sata 3.0, 16MB 7200 RPM drive...

Huh?

Last weekends Fry's electronics had an advert for a 1 TERRAbyte drive for under $100. No way I would spend $70 for a 320 gig drive.

[Lazarro]

3gig max on 32 bit XP (ram)

I was running 32bit XP. After an update the os system gave me a BSOD and went into endless reboot. Could not rescue or restore. Up until then it had been great. Bought a 64 bit 7 rig and saved all of my files off the XP machine and reinstalled OS sans updates. No problems.

The new 64 bit 7 system crashes at least every 3 days.!?!? I'll be working or surfing and the damned thing will just reboot. Sucks. Other than that no problems. It's snappy with 6 gigs of ram but not stable. I haven't heard of anybody else having any problems though.

[Scott R]

I just switched to Windows 7 PRO 64 on my Core 2 quad system with 16GB and Dual 8800 GT cards. It's a huge improvement over Vista X64, very stable, very responsive. Runs everything I had before, even some very old legacy software that I wrote.

[MysticLlama]

Is everyone with crashing problems running systems that were OEM installed with all the added crap?

I just can't understand, I can count at least 6 Windows 7 machines in the office plus the few I have, and not a single one of them has had a crashing issue. (We have had a couple of software hangs, but that's the app, happens in XP and Vista just as often)

The one I'm on right now has been running 33 days since I rebooted for an update.
It's currently got the following open:
2 Outlook windows
5 Network folders
10 IE windows
3 MSN messenger windows
5 Notepad docs
5 Excel docs
SqueezePlay Beta SqueezeOS player
5 Remote desktop sessions
AD Users and Computers
2 Command prompt windows (one doing a network file copy)
Task manager
Calculator
Besides whatever is in the tray...

I'm just trying to figure out where the issues are coming from, I just haven't seen them.

Maybe it has something to do with all of these machines are Business or Ultimate vs. Home/Home Premium?

Maybe the 64bit IE thing being default is a Home Premium thing too? I just looked at two other computers of users that never change things and the default taskbar IE opens 32bit.

Weird.

[MysticLlama]

On the interface stuff, I feel it's kinda like moving to Office 2007. If you give it a fair shot and try to relearn using it as intended, it is better in some ways.

The W7 search bar on the start menu works so much better than Vista, which itself was a huge improvement over XP that it's useful now. I resisted using it for a long time too, but I'm starting to find it very handy.

Also the shortcuts and such in the open dialogs are a little funny at first, but instead of resorting to doing everything manually like I'm used to, I've actually made some custom shortcuts and they show up in the right places to be useful.

Also on the taskbar, being able to shuffle things around, and having a useful preview are really nice, and the jumplists are a great feature that speeds things up.

Even with all the changes, I still can't quite follow where the big gripes with the interface are, you still can to everything the old way for the most part, but maybe I'm missing something? I don't think it's near as shocking as the Office 2003->2007 interface change.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Huh?

Last weekends Fry's electronics had an advert for a 1 TERRAbyte drive for under $100. No way I would spend $70 for a 320 gig drive.

Laptop drive.

I've decided to be a C.A.B. and use a 250 GB drive I have laying around here...