Windows 7 Beta Observations and Screenshots

[sydras]

This thing takes nearly one minute and consumes nearly one GB just to boot to the desktop I wonder what they will do for netbooks both RAM wise and price wise... can't wait for the next stages (Beta2/RC/RTM) to get a better idea of the eventual performance...

Not good :no:. However, they have some MinWin concept. Wonder if they plan to come out with a netbook flavour of 7.

1. Can you make a bootable USB drive?

2. Can you install the OS from USB?

3. Do you have to keep restarting after installing software?

4. Can you uninstall IE and other apps and re-install them with ease if needed?

 

[vishalrao]

(^ i dont have answers to those questions)

Didn't have to restart after installing software like Firefox and OpenOffice, but did need to reboot after Windows Update installed nvidia drivers etc...

Fingerprint reader even though detected in Device Manager did not show up in Biometric control panel Driver installation did not work automatically needed to download from manufacturer and it asked to reboot again.

Some small UI tweaks like the IE taskbar icon showing the download progress (see the green portion) corresponding to the download window:



Edit: Fingerprint reader is listed in Biometric control panel after manual driver installation and enrollment/logon works...

 

[vishalrao]

Was able to restore Linux bootloader as normal so dual boot is working again. VLC and TheKMPlayer video playback is fine, so off to the movies for me...

Firefox 3.1 beta 2, AVG, ImgBurn, foobar2000, openOffice3, utorrent 1.8, synergy, FRAPS all working... Crysis demo has pathetic framerates but this is on default nvidia 179.xx Win7 drivers

 

[-Anish-]

Having a hard time mounting images. None of the virtual disk applications
working.

I've tried Daemon tools, PowerIso, MagicIso (Magic Drive), none of them worked.

Can install them and also could see the drives getting created in explorer, but when the time for mounting comes, the system just hangs or the application stops responding.

Daemon tools will not get installed, when tried installing, it asks to reboot at the SPTD driver screen, but it comes around again when the system restarts.

Tried disabling Driver Signing option in the advanced menu (F8), nogo

Any idea whats going ?

 

[Keane 16]

Try Alcohol 120%.

 

[Gaurish]

I have AuthenTec AES2501A, but can't get it working

Installed the drivers from AuthenTec homepage as suggested by vishal, it got installed successfully but i can't enroll.

testsuite crashes at step 2 of enrollment

 

[vishalrao]

Looks like my installation is hosed maybe... Installed MagicISO and tried to mount an image.... and ka-boom!

Explorer won't open disks/folders, cant browse to files. Safe mode no use, uninstaller doesnt find the program, tried removing magiciso from msconfig startup options, no use... system restore is kaput.

Firefox is working tho... I guess I'll have to search google for a solution or wait/pray for a windows update...

 

[-Anish-]

I think Windows 7 itself needs its very own native SPTD driver support. I ve tried installing the SPTD driver 32 bit from daemon tools websites, still no luck

Going to try Alcohol 120%

 

[Party Monger]

This thing takes nearly one minute and consumes nearly one GB just to boot to the desktop I wonder what they will do for netbooks both RAM wise and price wise... can't wait for the next stages (Beta2/RC/RTM) to get a better idea of the eventual performance...

Is it snappy and working well or not?



This is the prebeta im using for more than a month, the laptop im using has 1gb ram and medicore processor, and boots very fast.

The screenshot was taken after the laptop was continuously ON for 25 hrs or more..You can see norton AV, and chrome with more than 10 windows open..

Its snappy and sexy..:hap2:

 

[-Anish-]

update : Alcohol 120% shows similar behaviour like Daemon tools : asks to reboot after SPTD drivers, but it asks for a reboot again once the system was up and running at the alcohol 120% installation screen @ startup :|

 

[vishalrao]

Is it snappy and working well or not?

it is snappy, but apparently just the same as vista, this is on a q6600 with 4gb though, i guess any improvements will show up more obviously on hardware which just about struggles with vista

 

[Party Monger]

it is snappy, but apparently just the same as vista, this is on a q6600 with 4gb though, i guess any improvements will show up more obviously on hardware which just about struggles with vista

With that rig you're probably looking at just the UI enhancements and new features, performance will already be very high cause of the uber hardware,
You comment on netbooks was the one i was replying in the second half, & is fast and furious on all the hardware i've tested it on..
In a few days im testing on amd athlon 3000+, only if its dvd drive gets repaired

 

[alsiladka]

To those trying to get the virtual drive running.

Try installing these apps in Vista compatibility mode!

Also, try out Virtual Drive Extension in the Extensions for Windows suite from Extensions for Windows - The Unofficial Windows Upgrade

 

[Gaurish]

I have AuthenTec AES2501A, but can't get it working

Installed the drivers from AuthenTec homepage as suggested by vishal, it got installed successfully but i can't enroll.

testsuite crashes at step 2 of enrollment

Managed to get this thing working:hap2:

 

[vishalrao]

is fast and furious on all the hardware i've tested it on..

good to know cant wait for the final release and benchmarks then...

 

[Kuantum]

windows 7 also adds support for UEFI

it was also introduced with vista sp1

However not many mobos available with UEFI right now...

 

[s_anuj]

Cool review & info on this thread! making me consider getting the x64 version.

Before jumping in.. have a Q. Does it pass the key (at the moment) OS challenge? i.e. playing GTA4.

I had a tweaked version of XP (nLite) & the game just wudn't run. A fresh Vista installed did work thou.

So, Win 7 for GTA 4 or not?

 

[Kumar]

I had the AuthenTec fingerprint reader on my Dell studio 15 lappy.

I did an upgrade of vista to 7. the driver did not even work in vista, so I used the method mentioned here. Now, it works in 7 too after the upgrade.

 

[vishalrao]

Cool review & info on this thread! making me consider getting the x64 version.

Before jumping in.. have a Q. Does it pass the key (at the moment) OS challenge? i.e. playing GTA4.

I had a tweaked version of XP (nLite) & the game just wudn't run. A fresh Vista installed did work thou.

So, Win 7 for GTA 4 or not?

i recall someone posted in one of these threads that "it doesnt support GTA 4"... not sure if he tried compatibility mode etc...

 

[-Anish-]

I dont think it will support, as even Vista needed Service pack 1 to run GTA 4 properly.

Update : compatibility mode doesnt work, tried with Windows XP SP2 and Vista RTM.