Author Topic: windows 7 beta available for free Jan 9 (!) (Read 144,006 times)

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #100 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:43 PM »

Quote from: nontroppo on January 11, 2009, 03:38 PM

No, neither VMWare nor Parallels can run the windows experience index to completion, and hang in the same place you found. I tried editing registry values to force aero to show, but it didn't work. I know VMWare are working on getting aero supported, don't know why they find it so difficult as they are DirectX 9c compliant.

It probably doesn't help that the VMWare display adapter only allocates 16Mb of memory - and I think Aero requires 128Mb as a minimum.

Darwin · « **Reply #101 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:50 PM »

Crap! So much for my cunning plan to run the 64-bit version in a Virtual PC (note to self: RTFM before downloading the iso!).

Looks like I'll have to install to an extra harddrive afterall...

Darwin · « **Reply #102 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:56 PM »

Just as a public service announcement to others considering their options: few (if any?) of the free or cheap virtualization options support a 64-bit guest OS...

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #103 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:08 PM »

Another strange issue - with multiple boot systems:

If you install Win7 in new partition when you boot into Win7 the active partition doesn't seem to be listed as a drive!

For example my system has:

1 ... Win XP
2 ... Vista 32
3 ... Vista 64
4 ... Win 7

When in Win 7 partition 1 is listed in disk management but is not assigned a drive letter. Partitions 2,3,4 show up and have letters as normal.

Others seem to report it isn't an issue with XP but if you have Vista in the boot partition that doesn't show up either.

f0dder · « **Reply #104 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:17 PM »

Carol, sorry to hear you've had that amount of problems - good thing this is a beta, after all

IMHO everything looks OK without Aero, but of course not having the acceleration sucks. I was able to run the performance index just fine under my vmware 5.5.9 btw, perhaps because it doesn't try supporting recent Direct3D?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #105 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:19 PM »

Quote from: Darwin on January 11, 2009, 04:50 PM

Crap! So much for my cunning plan to run the 64-bit version in a Virtual PC (note to self: RTFM before downloading the iso!).

Looks like I'll have to install to an extra harddrive afterall...

You can install it in a VM - it is just Aero doesn't work so the TaskBar look clunky (though it still works)

Eóin · « **Reply #106 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:24 PM »

Interesting, my Vista (1st drive) didn't show up either. A part me just put it down to a purposeful decision by MS to prevent 7 messing up another installation without you expressly allowing access to it. But I have no backing for that, just a hunch.

Darwin · « **Reply #107 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:48 PM »

Quote from: Carol Haynes on January 11, 2009, 05:19 PM

Quote from: Darwin on January 11, 2009, 04:50 PM
Crap! So much for my cunning plan to run the 64-bit version in a Virtual PC (note to self: RTFM before downloading the iso!).

Looks like I'll have to install to an extra harddrive afterall...

You can install it in a VM - it is just Aero doesn't work so the TaskBar look clunky (though it still works)

Yes, but I'll need to download the 32-bit version to run it in most of the VM solutions available and, AFAICT, in any of the free/cheap options.

So, I could run it in VM but I'll need to download the 32-bit iso. No big deal, I'm just not sure I can be bothered at the moment.

Eóin · « **Reply #108 on:** January 11, 2009, 06:16 PM »

Quote from: Darwin on January 11, 2009, 05:48 PM

Yes, but I'll need to download the 32-bit version to run it in most of the VM solutions available and, AFAICT, in any of the free/cheap options.

Not necessarily so, VirtualBox now supports 64bit guests if you have VT-x or AMD-V.

40hz · « **Reply #109 on:** January 11, 2009, 06:21 PM »

Quote from: fenixproductions on January 11, 2009, 04:32 AM

2Deozaan
How does it look like without whole fancy-glassy Aero stuff? Is it possible to disable theming service?

Looks pretty good to me. Especially since it can't run Aero with my test machine's onboard video.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #110 on:** January 11, 2009, 06:33 PM »

Just lacks transparency and there are none of the magic preview-thumbnails in the taskbar.

Ehtyar · « **Reply #111 on:** January 11, 2009, 07:26 PM »

Quote from: Eóin on January 11, 2009, 06:16 PM

Quote from: Darwin on January 11, 2009, 05:48 PM
Yes, but I'll need to download the 32-bit version to run it in most of the VM solutions available and, AFAICT, in any of the free/cheap options.

Not necessarily so, VirtualBox now supports 64bit guests if you have VT-x or AMD-V.

As does VMWare (VirtualBox ftw). VirtualPC sucks

Ehtyar.

Deozaan · « **Reply #112 on:** January 11, 2009, 07:57 PM »

So VirtualPC 2007 doesn't support 64-bit OSes at all? I thought it just wouldn't let me install a 64-bit VM on a 32-bit host OS.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #113 on:** January 11, 2009, 08:10 PM »

VirtualPC is a pretty pointless toy in comparison with other solutions (at least the free version - it doesn't even support USB).

f0dder · « **Reply #114 on:** January 11, 2009, 09:43 PM »

Quote from: Eóin on January 11, 2009, 05:24 PM

Interesting, my Vista (1st drive) didn't show up either. A part me just put it down to a purposeful decision by MS to prevent 7 messing up another installation without you expressly allowing access to it. But I have no backing for that, just a hunch.

Perhaps it hides the partition that contains the BCD? On my vmware install, Win7 insisted on creating a separate 200meg partition for that stuff, and didn't assign it a drive letter. Curious to see what this partition contained, I assigned a drive letter to it myself... which Win7 then wouldn't let me unmap, doh!

Hirudin · « **Reply #115 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:08 PM »

I guess that partition is some kind of "recovery partition" like what HP, Dell, etc. put on their computers. 200mb seems a bit small for recovery, but at least it's small enough that I can just ignore it.

I saw some page that had instructions to prevent that partition from being created. I didn't read it very carefully, but it looked like the main idea was to partition/format the HDD before installing Windows 7.

f0dder · « **Reply #116 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:19 PM »

Quote from: Hirudin on January 11, 2009, 10:08 PM

I guess that partition is some kind of "recovery partition" like what HP, Dell, etc. put on their computers. 200mb seems a bit small for recovery, but at least it's small enough that I can just ignore it.

I saw some page that had instructions to prevent that partition from being created. I didn't read it very carefully, but it looked like the main idea was to partition/format the HDD before installing Windows 7.

I don't think it has anything to do with recovery - it's simply Boot Configuration Data - perhaps some bootloader code too. Didn't look super closely at it.

Sounds reasonable that you might be able to prevent it by pre-partitioning (the BCD would end up on your system partition then). It's a bit annoying that the installer is so inflexible wrt. partition creation.

Darwin · « **Reply #117 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:21 PM »

Quote from: Deozaan on January 11, 2009, 07:57 PM

So VirtualPC 2007 doesn't support 64-bit OSes at all? I thought it just wouldn't let me install a 64-bit VM on a 32-bit host OS.

No... I looked at both it and Parallels Workstation (I was excitedly thinking that the key I got for free and archived would benefit me!) and neither supports a 64-bit guest OS

I looked at alternatives and *thought* that this was pretty much de rigeur for free/cheap VM solutions. It appears that I was wrong! I'm not interested in spending any money on this, but will take a look at the suggestions offered here. Thanks Eóin and Ehtyar

EDIT: added some missing words...

Darwin · « **Reply #118 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:42 PM »

Crumb!

VMware Workstation 6.5 for Windows = $189.00

and VirtualBox doesn't support my chipset, it seems (Intel Dual Core T5750)... Will have to investigate alternative VMs/install to a spare HD/download 32-bit version.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #119 on:** January 11, 2009, 11:27 PM »

I haven't tried them but what about some of the free VM Server editions (VMWare server is free).

I'm not sure what Server is lacking with respect to creating desktop apps.

There is also VMWare player which is free with VM appliances - and I am sure someone will produce a Win7 appliance for both 32-bit and 64-bit before too long.

MrCrispy · « **Reply #120 on:** January 12, 2009, 02:38 AM »

Quote from: Hirudin on January 11, 2009, 10:08 PM

I guess that partition is some kind of "recovery partition" like what HP, Dell, etc. put on their computers. 200mb seems a bit small for recovery, but at least it's small enough that I can just ignore it.

I saw some page that had instructions to prevent that partition from being created. I didn't read it very carefully, but it looked like the main idea was to partition/format the HDD before installing Windows 7.

Yes, that 200MB is the Windows recovery partition. It lets you run the recovery console without needing the Windows dvd. If you install on a system which is already partitioned, then the recovery files are placed in c:\Srd instead.

MrCrispy · « **Reply #121 on:** January 12, 2009, 05:55 AM »

This is what the recovery environment looks like -

http://www.aeroxp.org/2008/12/windows-7-error-recovery-actually-works/

f0dder · « **Reply #122 on:** January 12, 2009, 06:38 AM »

Are you sure it has anything to do with recovery? It sure doesn't look that way to me...
[attachthumb=#]

app103 · « **Reply #123 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:35 PM »

Quote from: Carol Haynes on January 11, 2009, 06:33 PM

Just lacks transparency and there are none of the magic preview-thumbnails in the taskbar.

I am not sure if TaskbarEx will work with Win7, but if it does, you got thumbnails if you want them (and you can adjust size & quality to get best performance)

mediaguycouk · « **Reply #124 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:49 PM »

I've just bought VM Ware, but I found this out about it

VM Ware Player = Plays virtual PCs but cannot make virtual hard drives
VM Ware Workstation = 30 day trial, after 30 days cannot play virtual PCs

Both together = Create hard drive in VM Workstation (even once the trial has expired) and then turn it on in VM Player