Windows 7

Noah Ruiz73 said:And who on earth is actually going to buy this at such a massive price tag!? 🤔

Mainly because this OS isn't even immune to the same old headaches from before—like how unstable things get when you're running third-party software, or even its own stuff (like Media Player, for example). And don't even get me started on the lack of support for all the different audio formats. It means you're stuck constantly digging around and messing with codecs and plug-ins just to get something like FLAC to work... which is honestly unacceptable!

Plus, the way they just ignore slightly older hardware—take DVB-T TV cards for laptops, for instance—because there aren't any drivers available, is just such a shockingly amateur mistake.
They’ve built most drivers right into the OS, yet for a huge chunk of users, there's still zero support. And that's especially true for manufacturers who couldn't care less about a product once it's a year or two old, since they're too busy trying to push the next shiny thing. It's just a cycle that goes on forever....

To be fair, Windows 7 looks great and it's definitely faster than Windows Vista, but none of that makes up for that price point. And then, of course, we have those famous patches 🙄
So, look, if someone actually buys an original copy, they better be ready to start patching immediately after installation. Just like everyone else downloading it for free!

It's all the same old story... boring and overpriced. After all these years, billions in lost revenue, and a very well-retired Bill, I guess free is the only real price for 7. 👍

Just go online and look up the differences between the various versions of Windows. I'd bet anything you—and probably most people on this forum—will never even touch half the features found in the Ultimate version.
So, maybe don't rush out to grab the most expensive one right away.

Does anyone actually know why WinZip, J-zip, and stuff like that are running so slow for me? It’s taking forever... like, I'm sitting here for 6 hours just trying to extract one single 7GB ISO file from a zip archive. On my old Windows XP setup, this would've been done in 30 minutes tops. What gives?

darkviper7 said:Go ahead and look up the differences between the Windows versions online. I’d bet anything you won't, much like most people on this forum, ever actually touch half the features packed into the Ultimate version.
So don't go rushing out to buy the most expensive edition right away.

Oh, please...?! Bet on something more substantial; maybe you might actually win something. 😉I'm using the Ultimate version now and I used it with Windows Vista too, so spare me the lectures about functions I (don't) use or what I choose to do with my life.
The point of my post wasn't even about that—if you want to have a coherent discussion, try reading a little more carefully!
Besides, even that "your" Home version has decent pricing globally; take Germany, for instance, at http://www1.conrad.de/v.php .And it's the exact same thing here in the US! That's my point—we live in a massive country where big-time theft is practically an art form. And fine, let it be so, as long as they can get away with it, and Microsoft certainly knows how to exploit that.
That specific "feature," for the record, isn't even implemented in the Ultimate version. 🙄
☕

I’ve run into a bit of a headache with Windows 7. Ever since I swapped in my new graphics card (an ATI 4770) and installed the drivers, that glass effect—you know, where the borders and toolbars look transparent and glassy—has completely vanished. I figured the drivers might be the culprit, so I tried uninstalling them. Sure enough, my resolution tanked immediately. After a reboot, Windows 7 recognized the card and installed its own driver, and after one more restart, everything looked fine again; the resolution was back to normal and the glass effect returned. But there's a catch. Every single time I restart the computer, it reverts to the old state and I lose the glass effect all over again. When I try running the Windows troubleshooting tool, it tells me the Desktop Window Manager is disabled. However, when I check Services, the Desktop Window Manager shows up, and I can manually stop or restart it, which implies it's actually running. I did a little digging online and saw I should probably check the Windows Transparency settings, but since the glass effect is gone, I can't even get to the usual spot. Normally, under Windows color, I could pick a color and toggle Windows Transparency on or off, but now I’m stuck with just a "Windows color and appearance" option. Does anyone know if there’s another way to reach that menu where I can actually adjust the Windows Transparency?

Keith Hall43 said:....does anyone know if there's another way to get to that menu where I can pick the Windows Transparency settings???

How about this path then?: Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Performance Information and Tools \ Advanced Tools > Performance options >

I just finished installing Windows 7, but I'm running into a bit of a headache with my sound card settings.

Back when I was using Windows XP, whenever I plugged something into the 3.5mm jack, a little pop-up window would appear asking me what I had just connected. It made things so easy since I usually have both my headphones and my monitor speakers plugged in at the same time.
Now, it seems like I can only use one or the other, because the system is only outputting audio through a single jack.

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3
DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo E8200, 2000 MHz (6 x 333)
Realtek ALC889A @ Intel 82801 IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller [A-2] PCI
Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR4

I'm curious about how resource consumption in Windows 7 impacts laptop battery life...

A friend of mine uses an HP laptop; back when he was running Windows XP, his battery would last about 2 hours on average, but since switching to Windows 7, he’s getting closer to 3 hours.

I personally have a Toshiba Satellite A300D-205 currently running Windows Vista Home Premium (which came pre-installed). As most people know, Vista is notorious for being a total resource hog. Right now, my battery barely lasts between 1.5 to 2 hours MAX—and that’s just web browsing with Power Saver enabled and every single unnecessary program and process shut down. To be fair, the laptop itself is only a few months old; I picked it up relatively recently, back in June.

Do you think upgrading to Windows 7 will actually extend my battery life? Even at IDLE, Windows Vista is eating up over 1 GB of RAM!!

Also, how does this affect gaming performance? I've heard it's significantly better than Vista. Does that improvement carry over to multimedia work as well? (I do web design for a living).

Noah Ruiz73 said:I mean... seriously? You might want to bet on something a little more logical, maybe then you'll actually win 😉 I'm running Ultimate and I'm using Windows Vista now too, so there's really no need to stress about features I (don't) use or what I do or don't bother with.
The whole point of my post wasn't even that—maybe try reading a bit more carefully if you actually want to have a coherent discussion!
Besides, even that "your" Home version has decent pricing globally—take Germany, for example, at http://www1.conrad.de/v.php. And it's the same thing here in America! That's what I'm getting at—we're just a small enough market for people to pull off some major scams. And hey, let them keep doing it as long as they can, since Microsoft knows how to exploit that.
That specific "feature" isn't even implemented in the Ultimate version yet, anyway 🙄
☕

Sorry, I think we totally misread each other 🙂 (I wasn't talking about the Home version—man, talk about a massive communication breakdown)

Look, it's not Microsoft's fault that local shops are ripping us off.
If you're too embarrassed to order new Windows versions from overseas or just buy directly from Microsoft, well, that's on you.
Nobody is forcing you to buy from our local stores.

Noah Ruiz73 said:And what about this path?; Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Performance Information and Tools \ Advanced Tools > Performance options >

So, this is how it looks on my end after the second restart (after the first one, it looked just like yours been did)🤷

Thomas Hernandez21 said:Give this a read:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/0...ble-aero-peek/

PS: resize that massive image

I've tried several times now and nothing works... "whenever I run the Windows troubleshooting, it tells me the Desktop Window Manager is disabled, yet when I go into Services, I can actually stop or restart the Desktop Window Manager myself (meaning it's definitely running).."

So, I finally pulled the trigger and installed Windows 7 today, and man, it is absolutely killer! Honestly, it feels like such a massive step up compared to Windows Vista. 👍

Keith Hall43 said:So, this is how it looks on my end after the second restart (after the first one, it looked just like yours)🤷

There are really only two or three logical explanations for why you're running into this error. Either you installed it as an upgrade over Windows Vista—which is messy enough—or even worse, you upgraded from Windows XP. Or perhaps you swapped out your graphics card after Windows 7 was already up and running? That always triggers unforeseen complications.
Alternatively, it’s entirely possible you installed some pirated or beta version, in which case, nothing about this should come as a surprise. 😁

Look, regardless of the cause—just wipe the drive and perform a clean installation. It’s worth its weight in gold! 👍

darkviper7 said:It isn't Microsoft's fault that local retailers are ripping us off.
If you find it embarrassing to order all these new versions from abroad, then just buy them directly from Microsoft.
Nobody is forcing you to shop at our local stores.

There is a Microsoft America branch that should be overseeing the sale of its own products within this country. They ought to be enforcing the pricing policies set by their home office! If they don't, they should at least ensure items are sold at manufacturer suggested retail prices, regardless of whatever arbitrary pricing structures those retail chains use to gouge us.
I would love it if you could actually tell me—if you even know—where and how one supposedly orders "directly." Just drop the link! Since you're so certain...
At Best Buy, using the link I provided, the shipping for a single package to the US is "only" $26, which really puts the supposed savings of ordering from Germany into perspective. And I am talking about legitimate online ordering here, not some scheme involving an aunt visiting from Hamburg next summer.
Personally, I don't need it, but it would be helpful for others who are interested to actually understand the procedure! 😉

Look, nobody is coercing anyone into anything, but a link to those inflated prices was posted, and I reacted! That is all there is to it.
A completely different issue is how sales will hold up during this economic downturn. Especially when the vast majority of the target demographic is either unemployed or dealing with slashed education budgets.
☕

Tyler Morris3 said:Hey guys, I just got it up and running. That program. Can someone tell me if my computer can actually handle running Windows 7? Everything is fine except for Windows Aero..a Got a new graphics card, but now the screen just stays black. Great.Everything is running smoothly. Even the most demanding videos play without a hitch. Some computer geek was actually surprised that my screen can handle stuff like that. If my hardware is handling high-res video this easily, does that mean I can install Windows 7 without any issues? Looking for some advice here. Thanks.

Is this about... With this program.? 😉

How "new" of a graphics card are we talking about? 🤔
If the issue is actually with the screen itself, have you considered just picking up a new LCD? You can find 19" models starting at... $333And maybe it can be found for smaller ones too. 🙂)
Read up more on Aero. here And especially that. here Pay attention to the "Aero hardware requirements."

Besides that, speaking from my own experience, I can't recommend a clean install of Windows 7 enough. I'd give it a solid 9 out of 10—because let's face it, nothing is ever perfect. 😁)

Alright, I've dug them up—here are 10 interesting reasons why you really ought to make the jump to Windows 7...

Unlike his predecessor, Windows Vista—it’s honestly a struggle to come up with even a handful of solid reasons to actually make the jump to this new operating system...

Faced with a wave of intense criticism regarding Windows Vista, Microsoft has actually stepped up—admitting their mistakes and throwing everything they have at fixing the situation. This past week, several bugs within Windows Vista were finally squashed, and it honestly looks like Microsoft might actually deliver something we can call a finished product... rather than the half-baked mess that many of us—and plenty of others—have been calling Windows Vista lately.

UAC isn't nearly as much of a headache as it was back in Windows Vista...

User Account Control irritates Windows Vista users so much that most people have just gone ahead and disabled the feature entirely—even though its whole purpose is to protect the computer from unauthorized actions. Security features shouldn't be getting in the way of actual work... and frankly, UAC in Windows 7 is far better tuned for the user; in other words, it won't harass you every few seconds.

It isn't even better—it’s just that the Windows XP rules have been rearranged differently... 😉)

2. Fast system boot times...

A shorter OS boot time is always a welcome sight—it’s genuinely encouraging to see Microsoft moving in the right direction with every new generation of Windows. That said, don't expect Windows 7 to be some massive leap forward in terms of speed—booting was already pretty snappy in Windows Vista, after all... Based on our own testing, the startup times for both operating systems are almost identical, with only a negligible edge going to Windows 7.

3. Automatic window snapping... one next to the other.

Widescreen monitors are pretty much dominating the market these days. We’re mostly seeing 16:10 models—though 16:9 ratios are definitely catching up fast... On those kinds of screens, most users end up snapping two windows side-by-side, and Windows 7 actually automates that whole process. You just have to drag each window to its respective side and Windows handles the rest, snapping them perfectly into place.

4. Simpler Home Networking...

Windows Vista made networking an absolute nightmare—it was unnecessarily complicated and just plain difficult for average home users. Windows 7 actually fixes that mess, making it far more suitable for a home environment. I still think the whole process could be simplified even further... but users will likely adapt to this new way of networking without much trouble.

5. Improved performance...

Windows Vista became notorious almost immediately after its release—largely due to those massive hardware requirements that ended up bottlenecking actual application performance... It was a mess. Laptops were running incredibly slow, and that whole new category of devices known as netbooks? They simply couldn't handle Windows Vista at all. Now, Windows 7 isn't going to have the tiny hardware footprint that Windows XP had, obviously, but the requirements will be significantly lower than what Vista demanded. You can really see the difference in the graphics subsystem—it responds quickly while still looking sharp (and according to most people, even more attractive than it did in Vista)...

I honestly think Windows 7 consumes quite a lot of power...

6. Windows XP mode...

A massive number of computer users have simply refused to embrace Windows Vista—largely due to its endless list of flaws and those constant compatibility headaches with applications originally designed for Windows XP... Honestly, utilizing XP mode should be the solution for dealing with that kind of software incompatibility.

And because of the software library and everything else—Windows XP is still, unfortunately, the better choice...

It works on netbooks...

Cheap, small netbooks are currently a massive segment of the industry—but let's be honest—Windows Vista runs miserably on them. With Windows 7, users will actually get a functional and modern operating system...

Windows Vista performs miserably—it’s a total disaster—and now Windows 7 is stepping in to take its place. Honestly? Windows XP remains king...

IE8 can be uninstalled...

Some users of alternative browsers carry bitter memories regarding Internet Explorer—and now, they'll finally be able to strip it from their computers entirely. Alternative browsers are seizing an ever-larger share of the market... even though Microsoft has significantly improved its IE.

9. Action Center

In previous versions of Windows, this was known as the Security Center—but let's be clear, this isn't just some simple rebranding... they've actually integrated security, troubleshooting, and system maintenance into one single hub. It's more than just a name change; it’s a complete consolidation of tools... all in one place.

10. Resistance is futile

Because Windows dominated the market, Windows Vista managed to grab a decent chunk of it—even if it was a subpar product. If Windows 7 proves to be even slightly better than Vista, it’ll flood the entire market in no time. Let’s face it: Windows XP is an eight-year-old relic, and support for it is drying up fast. Instead of wasting your breath hunting down drivers for an ancient OS—or struggling through the mess that is Vista—just move to Windows 7; you won't regret it.

(Oh, you definitely will regret it—everyone is still pumping out drivers and support for XP, but they aren't doing the same for Windows 7)

Just a prettier, slower system designed to swallow hardware whole🤷

@Keith Hall43/">@@Keith Hall43
If you actually want the transparency to work, you need to head over to the Windows Experience Index and run it so the system can "evaluate your hardware." Only then will the Aero effects actually kick in.
The screenshot should make my point pretty clear.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/W...Properties.png

I’m with marshal on this one.

Windows 7 is definitely snappier than Windows Vista, but I guess Windows XP still reigns supreme in most benchmarks—you know, file writing, reading, data compression, audio and video processing, all that stuff.

I don't get why people keep comparing Windows 7 to Windows Vista ???

They should be comparing it to Windows XP, like how fast applications actually run and all. Honestly, Windows 7 feels more like just a decent service pack for Windows Vista. 😁

Kyle Gray89 said:I'm installing Windows 7 and I've got this weird issue with my sound card.

Back on Windows XP, whenever I plugged something into the 3.5mm jack, a little window would pop up asking what I just plugged in. Now, I have both my headphones and my monitor speakers plugged in at once.
But now I can only use one or the other because only one output actually works.

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3
DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo E8200, 2000 MHz (6 x 333)
Realtek ALC889A @ Intel 82801 IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller [A-2] PCI
Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR4

Kyle Gray89,

Maybe try going into your Realtek audio controller settings and check "disable front panel jack detection."
That should do the trick, making the front and back audio jacks work at the same time (like having your headphones and speakers active together).

Alright, so I've decided to pull the trigger and install Windows 7 Ultimate—the latest updated version. Since I'm making the jump, I have a few quick questions:
Is the installation process pretty much the same as it was with Windows XP? You know, just booting from the CD and all that?
Given my current setup, should I go with the 32-bit or the 64-bit version?
And will all my current programs and games from Windows XP actually run on this?

I've been strictly using Windows XP for six years now, so I'm a bit out of the loop with everything else. Please bear with me if any of these questions sound a little silly!