Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[SneakySnake]

I just received a text - My flight has been cancelled. It would seem I have been rebooked on a later flight (tommorrow not today - I think) I hope not today because I am not at the airport! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! I is ready to go home. *stamps foot*

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I'll be interested to hear your experience. I'm thinking about doing the same. I have no problems using WinXP, but in another year or two the newest software might not support it. I need to make the switch just to keep up with the evolution. CostCo is selling a teeny tiny ASUS notebook for about $350 USD but it has a Japanese version of Windows7 on it. It would be perfect for handling e-mails and the Internet while traveling. I also have to figure out how to install the OS without using a CD. This unit is too small to have a CD player. I guess I could use an external CD player, but I'd like to learn how to use a Thumb Drive memory stick to do an install.



Stitchawl

We'll I've got through it relatively unscathed. A couple or three things worth a mention (okay, four):

- if you want to upgrade and keep current settings and installed software (rather than a clean install), ensure the version of Win 7 is appropriate to upgrade with. I didn't, and found that you can't upgrade Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional, which is the version I had bought. Had to get a refund and order Windows 7 Ultimate - more expensive...
- there were problems with .NET. I eventually found the solution was to completely uninstall .NET and then let Windows Update take care of reinstalling it
- check the output of the compatibility test that the installer runs and saves to your desktop (Windows Compatibility Report.htm). There were a couple of products I had to reinstall with W7 friendly versions
- you will need to import your Outlook mail into the new Windows Live Mail (assuming you are upgrading), which should happen automatically the first time you fire Mail up. I got a message at the end of the import that it had failed, but when I looked at the mail folders, everything was there.

All the above come with the caveats that I was upgrading from Vista, not XP, so your experience is bound to differ.

Otherwise it seems to be okay, and I'm just tidying up bits and pieces. I am about to look into Homegroups and link the various home laptops into my desktop system, which was part of the reason I upgraded, as I was having trouble doing that with a mix of XP, Vista, Win 7 and Win 8 platforms around the house.

I recently bought a Netbook, and ended up buying a USB DVD Writer as well, so that I could install software as needed. Maybe I should have tried the thumb drive route...?

[Stitchawl]

Thanks for that.
I will probably by a USB DVD drive too, but I want to learn how to install from a thumb drive anyway. And on Dylrob's suggestion, went searching and found that if the Japanese OS is Windows 7 'Ultimate,' I can just change the display language with a single click in the Control Panel too. But I still want to learn more about doing a clean install of Windows7...


Stitchawl

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

But I still want to learn more about doing a clean install of Windows7...

I just couldn't face the thought of a clean install, and having to put back all my apps.

If you do go for a clean install, there's a nice site that lets you script all your software installation (has all the major apps). All you do is tick-box the stuff you want installed, then go for a nice cup of tea (or Bombay Gin, perchance?). It handles all the "click OK to continue" stuff for you - very nice.

The site is www.ninite.com. One useful hint is to do the anti-virus and malware software installs first, then come back and do the rest.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by orlok

I just couldn't face the thought of a clean install, and having to put back all my apps.

I do a clean install every six months or so. Keeps my computer running much faster. I notice after 4-5 months of adding apps, removing apps, juggling stuff, etc., that the machine slows down considerably, especially taking much more time to re-boot. A clean install only takes me an afternoon, as I don't need to 'set up' each program. I keep a clean copy of the Application Data for all my important programs, so after I re-load them, I just copy over the entire AppData file and everything is back to the preference settings I need.

I keep copies of all my programs and loaders (and serial numbers) on an external hard drive that I hook up after I install the OS. That way I don't have to switch CDs to reload my 'puter. I sit with my guitar in my lap, in front of the keyboard, and just entertain myself while the programs are loading. All I need to do is watch the screen for prompts every few minutes. It's really not so bad.


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

OK... so I bought the Acer Netbook yesterday, but I can't change the display language to English. Today I'm going into Osaka to the electronics neighborhood to buy an external DVD/CD player-writer, then I'm going to install WinXP onto the netbook. I was going to install Windows7 but I decided that I didn't want the hassle of trying to figure out how to use a new OS at the same time that I was learning how to use a new computer. I can always install Win7 later. This net book won't be filled with all my toys. I'm only planing on using it for travel needs, so Internet, Skype, Navigation, and music will be the primary filler.


Stitchawl

[Rumpelteazer]

Already packing the first things for when I go look after dog Luca for friends for two and half weeks.

Usually Lexie gets angry when she figures out someone is going away but she's too busy spying on the birds in the garden. Sitting on a chest and peeping through the curtains to looking at the birds being busy eating at the feeders. All the while she's chattering and mumbling to herself.

[Stitchawl]

Changed my mind and put in Windows7 Ultimate...

I picked up a USB DVDwriter for about $25 USD this afternoon, came home loaded it with a copy of Windows7 booted the netbook and watched as the book continued to ignore the DVD player on boot-up. I finally wised up and changed the boot priority to recognize a USB device FIRST, re-booted, and sat back and watched as Windows7 slid into the computer like a hockey puck on ice!

Nice... Now all I have to do is learn how to use this new OS. So far it's got me baffled.


Stitchawl

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Changed my mind and put in Windows7 Ultimate...

I picked up a USB DVDwriter for about $25 USD this afternoon, came home loaded it with a copy of Windows7 booted the netbook and watched as the book continued to ignore the DVD player on boot-up. I finally wised up and changed the boot priority to recognize a USB device FIRST, re-booted, and sat back and watched as Windows7 slid into the computer like a hockey puck on ice!

Nice... Now all I have to do is learn how to use this new OS. So far it's got me baffled.


Stitchawl

Windows 7 is not much different to Vista, at least on the surface, but the leap from XP is bigger. I have XP on the work machine and Win 7 on my home desktop, and even an old codger like me can manage .

I'm still trying to work out what the Ultimate version is giving me for the extra money, over and above the Professional version? Probably all enterprise and business related (sigh).

[Rumpelteazer]

Looking at the recommendation on Goodreads based on my reading.

In other words: procrastinating. I should be packing for two and a half weeks of dog sitting but I don't like packing. I'm also trying to figure out how much and what I can take myself tomorrow morning and what my father will bring tomorrow evening.

[Rumpelteazer]

Lexie has discovered my bags...
And since she doesn't like it when someone leaves she's now in POPcat (p***sed off pussy cat) mode. Sitting on the biggest bag and starting at me with a look in her eyes telling me that she'll try her best to stop me.

[Stitchawl]

I'm thinking about switching my desktop computer to Windows 7. It will take a lot of work finding the new drivers, but I think it might be fun! I've been using WinXP for a lot of years and was worried that too many of my favorite programs wouldn't run on Win7. Having installed it on my notebook, I've only encountered one program so far that won't run, and it's nothing major...


Stitchawl

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I'm thinking about switching my desktop computer to Windows 7. It will take a lot of work finding the new drivers, but I think it might be fun! I've been using WinXP for a lot of years and was worried that too many of my favorite programs wouldn't run on Win7. Having installed it on my notebook, I've only encountered one program so far that won't run, and it's nothing major...
Stitchawl

I would advise you to first check of there are drivers for all your hardware. After upgrading I found out that there are no win7 drivers for my scanner (about five years "old" but working fine) and at our store we had to replace an older printer because there were no drivers for the 64bit version (strangely for the 32bit version there were).

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I'm thinking about switching my desktop computer to Windows 7. It will take a lot of work finding the new drivers, but I think it might be fun! I've been using WinXP for a lot of years and was worried that too many of my favorite programs wouldn't run on Win7. Having installed it on my notebook, I've only encountered one program so far that won't run, and it's nothing major...


Stitchawl

Which is what I have just done this week. So far all the drivers work fine (nothing is more than 2 to 3 years old on my system, though), and just one program so far that hasn't got a Win 7 version (it's a password finder for my web accounts, so I can live without it). Printer, webcam and other peripherals all work fine. As you probably found out when you installed it on your Netbook, there's a compatibility checker that you can download from MS, and this should tell you where the potential problems will lie.

[Stitchawl]

What I found is that the Windoze Easy File Transfer didn't want to transfer all my files... It lied to me and said it would after I picked and chose them, but when it came to stuff them into the new netbook, it said 'Sorry Charlie, we don't wanna!' Fortunately, it did transfer the four crucial programs and their related data files, so all my e-mail addresses, cookies, bookmarks, browser add-ons and Google Earth placemarks did transfer. I was not able to load my preferred Video player, but found several others that work just as well...

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I would advise you to first check of there are drivers for all your hardware. After upgrading I found out that there are no win7 drivers for my scanner (about five years "old" but working fine) and at our store we had to replace an older printer because there were no drivers for the 64bit version (strangely for the 32bit version there were).

Thanks. Good call. I imagine that my scanner may not make the transition. It's got to be 10 years old at least! I changed the Mothaboard and Video card about three years ago, so they shouldn't be problematical. And the sound is on the board so no problem there. I use one of the Driver Genius sorts of programs to back up and update drivers so I should be good to go with that. I installed that into the notebook before I removed the Japanese OS, backed up all the drivers, then just re-loaded them after I intalled the English OS.

But I'm going to wait until we come back from our ride. We just decided to take few days next week to explore western Honshu. When I get back I'll make the change.


Stitchawl