Windows 7

Sean Perez21 said:Wait, what exactly? 😕

Is this a beta version or the full release??

Mine’s fully loaded.

Kyle Perez50 said:Mine is the full version.

So, are you actually happy with it? I haven't been following this thread closely enough to see what everyone else thinks...

installed Windows 7, looked at it, and honestly? Seems way more demanding than Windows Vista—and I could never wrap my head around the Vista interface to begin with, so Windows 7 feels even clunkier. I couldn't even change the damn background, so I nuked it because the whole thing is garbage:

- the taskbar uses icons instead of icons plus text
- everything is just grey now instead of that blue/grey/black vibe
- the look alone reminds me of GNOME Linux
- couldn't find any drivers—tried using the NVIDIA GeForce drivers from Windows Vista, but couldn't even select my resolution (1280×800)
- tried the driver CD meant for Windows XP, but as soon as I popped it in, a pop-up tells me it's only for Windows ME, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, and won't run no matter what I do
- couldn't even get online to download drivers (AC 97, the NVIDIA GeForce ones, WLAN, LAN, whatever)—it wouldn't even recognize my WLAN card
and yeah—that’s basically it. Nothing kept me on this OS. That Start menu, where the programs aren't listed like they were in Windows XP? Total GNOME Linux vibes
one last thing—during installation, I couldn't even format the partition; it forced me to fill it up completely (leaving like 2-ish GB free, though I figured it would just format it)

The only good parts: faster boot times and an easier install (which, again, feels like Linux since they basically invented that style first), but I just can't deal with something this complicated. Maybe I'll try reinstalling down the road, but only if I find the drivers first.

So, I went back to the good old Windows XP Home Edition.

That's that. It's just stupid that half the software and zero drivers work, when everything used to just work on Windows XP.
Windows XP is staying on my laptop as long as it's still kicking—I mean, what's wrong with Windows XP? I paid for this stuff a year and a half ago and now I feel like I wasted my money on some "old piece of junk."

🤷Where on earth is Outlook Express in Windows 7? And where have they hidden the email settings? Go ahead, feel free to attack me if you must, but I simply cannot find them...😲

That's what they call Windows Mail from the Vista 😉era.

Jonathan Hayes14 said:I installed Windows 7, and honestly, it feels much more demanding than Vista to me—and since I could never quite get used to the Vista interface, Windows 7 feels even more cumbersome; I could barely manage to change my desktop background.

- The taskbar just uses icons instead of having both icons and text labels together.
- Everything looks gray now, whereas before it had those nice blue, gray, or black tones.
- The whole aesthetic reminds me of KDE on Linux.
- I couldn't find any drivers; I tried using the ATI Catalyst drivers meant for Vista, but I couldn't even select my preferred resolution (1280x800).
- When I popped in the driver CD meant for XP, a pop-up immediately appeared saying it was only compatible with Windows ME, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, and there was absolutely no way to run it.
- I couldn't even get online to download the necessary drivers (like AC 97, the graphics drivers for my NVIDIA GeForce, the WLAN, LAN, and everything else) because it wouldn't recognize my wireless card at all.
And that’s basically it; nothing really made me want to stick with this OS. Even the Start menu, where the program list isn't organized the way it was in XP, feels like GNOME Linux.
One last thing—during the installation process, I couldn't actually format the partition; it insisted on filling it up completely (leaving only about 2-something GB free, even though I fully expected it to format properly).

On the bright side, it boots faster and the installation itself is smoother (though again, it feels very Linux-like since they pioneered that style), but I just can't seem to wrap my head around such a complicated setup. Maybe I'll try installing it again down the road, but only after I've tracked down the right drivers first.

For now, I've gone back to my reliable old faithful: Windows XP Home Edition.

So that's where I'm at. It's just frustrating that half the programs and drivers don't work when everything used to run so seamlessly on XP.
As long as this laptop stays running, XP will be my go-to. After all, what's wrong with XP? I paid good money for it a year and a half ago, and now I feel like I wasted my cash on "old junk."

Don't give me that—you're telling me Windows 7 is too difficult?🤣 😂😂 😂

I mean, what else would you expect? Would you rather have to configure everything through a command console like you're using Linux? All those issues you listed aren't actually flaws in the system; they're just things you haven't figured out how to set up yet...
The taskbar is incomparably better than it was on XP, and the icon-only look is an improvement... plus, the taskbar isn't gray, it's transparent once you actually get the correct graphics drivers installed.
I personally sat down and configured every single driver, program, and setting myself. Everything that worked for me on XP works even better now on Windows 7, and I've transitioned to using Windows 7 as my primary OS. I don't really understand people who refuse to keep up with technological progress in hardware and software—it's not a personal jab at you, just a general observation...☕

By the way, I actually managed to crash Windows 7 by using Metasploit with an exploit originally designed for Windows XP SP2... 🤣🤣🤣😂 🙏🙏🙏

Sean Perez21 said:btw I managed to crash Windows 7 using Metasploit by running an exploit meant for Windows XP SP2... 🤣🤣🤣😂 🙏🙏🙏

What are you even talking about??🤣

Quick question for you guys. I'm thinking about installing Windows 7, but I wanted to check if anyone's run into major issues with drivers or gaming lately?

wearypilot6, you can go ahead and install them; those Vista drivers should work fine for you.

Thanks. I'm gonna jump into the installation now.

I grabbed a Windows 7 ISO from Microsoft, but it's just showing up as an image file. I tried burning it to a DVD-ROM, but my PC won't recognize it as a bootable disc. Any idea what I should do?

Just run the installer directly from within Windows

Noah Miller6 said:Just install it straight from Windows itself

I'm not sure I follow. What do you mean by "straight from Windows"?

So, you're running Windows now, right?
Just pop the DVD in and run the setup. Do you get it now? Since Windows 7 isn't even bootable yet.
Are you kidding me?

Look, let's break this down for the absolute beginners out there:
Just pop the DVD in. The setup screen should launch automatically, then you just click Install Now.

I tried doing it that way, but I just got hit with this error message:

Windows could not collect Information for (OSImage) since the specified image file (instal.wim) does not exist.

Wait, are you actually getting a screen like this?

Yeah. And once I hit Install Now, I get that same pop-up message I was telling you about.

It’s weird. If you're missing the install.wim file, honestly, just toss the damn DVD in the trash and be done with it.
Is that file actually sitting in the sources folder on the DVD?

Edit: My mistake, I screwed up there.