I'd like to start this thread off for all users here, who are wanting to install
the new Beta Windows7 OS. Basically just a thread for users to post their
troubleshooting skills, ideas, hints, tips, compatability issues. Anything really.
Anything that'll help inexperienced and experienced users who may come across
any issues whether it be albeit trivial or head scratching pain in the arse!!

So please anyone who's installed this Beta OS, please post what you can to help
others with as much information as you can. Even if it's just a post to rant about it
or applaud it. We'd all love to hear what you have to say about it.




So firstly, I'd like to post my first problematic experience. And this's what most users
will come across. And this's the Drivers. I myself, just jumped into the deep end, and
expected to find drivers easily. There's none. None that I've found anyway. So maybe
I should have prepared everything before the installation. Well, actually I did. You'll
find out below how. But here's the first tip for folks not familiar with Beta OS's and
what I did with the drivers.

Note: Windows7 is not included in the forum, so I had to start this thread off in Vista.




For those who are not too clued up with OS Betas. Then get all the latest drivers
you can for everything. So if you have Vista, then get all the latest Vista drivers
for your OS. Just select the drivers as you would for Vista.

Once you've installed Win7, your drivers will not work. So you have to run them in
Compatibility Mode (Right Click, Properties and select Compatibility Mode) & select
Vista.

Or

Right Click on the selected Driver, and then choose "Trouble Shoot Compatibility Mode".
This will do the same as manually selecting Compatibility mode, but it will also save
the settings for future reference, and you can just install as per normal.

For me, I just dived in, and hoped there'd be drivers for this Win7 OS. There maybe some,
but I hunted high n low, and didn't get what I wanted.

These latest Vista Drivers I have now installed work good, and no problems as yet.

As for XP users, and chosing the latest drivers, and running these drivers modes on
Win7 I can not offer advice since I have Vista. But I am sure all the latest XP Drivers
for all current components & Hardware will be acceptable. They'd have to be.

For those who know what they are doing with Win7. Please post other helpful
hints & ideas please.

Tam...

I guess depending on the hardware you have depends on driver issues. first l me say that you will most likely not find any Win7 beta drivers any where. Don't fret. Since Win7 is an evolution of Vista, 90% of Vista drivers will work. I can vouch for this since i installed it on my machine and its pretty old. Just used the latest vista drivers for your components and everything worked out fine. . . Hopefully

Also for the vista users out there that want to do a dual boot, i can say that its extremely easy. Whats great about Vista is that its Disk Management app has some pretty beast albeit basic partitioning bits. Here are the steps to access Disk Management and create a separate partition for dual booting:

Start> Right Click "My Computer"> Select "Manage"> Provide Permission> Select "Disk Management" on the left.

Here are the steps to partition a slice of Harddrive for the install*.

Right Click on desired drive> Select "Shrink"> Allocate the amount of space you want**.

Once it creates the partition, don't worry about formatting it. during the install of Win7 it will take care of that. also if you're worried about it killing the Master Boot Record of your previous Vista install, don't worry. Vista and Win7 use the same one so you won't have to worry about fixing it. From here it gets even easier, reboot, insert the disc, install Win7***, install Vista drivers, and enjoy. Remember to let every one know about your trials and tribulations here.

*Note that Win7 requires at least 13.5GB's of space. what ever size you elect to go with, make sure that you account for a 7% loss after creation.
**Since shrinking reads in Megabytes, just remember that 1024MB equals 1GB.
***During the install, its going to ask you for a Product key, ignore it and hit next.

Hmm, this will be helpful once MS officially announces the public beta. I'm waiting until they do in case there's a slightly updated revision; plus as I do recall, some of those who helped beta test vista got a free legitimate copy so that's always worth a shot to do it that way. Thanks guys.

- Windows7 well it's really not worth getting rid of Vista to use it as from what I can tell after viewing XP,Vista and windows7 side by side in virtual machines.Windows7 is just a Vista vamped up version of XP.Like microsoft said (quote)We have listened to all the problems customers had with Vista and made Windows7 easier to use(unquote)
-Well they did that,,listen to customers that is and on the whole they said they all prefered XP to Vista so why is this so new OS out 3 years earlier then first said,,,because all it is is XP made to look simulier to Vista with just a few new features within the Help support features.
-I have had some XP drives that wouldn't work on Vista installed in windows7 without a problem when it won't accept the Vista drivers.I would say this explains a lot,including why it's going to be cheaper than Vista was,bet you the next one won't be.
-Really if you have XP then yea upgrade to Windows7 but if you have Vista stick with it as the next OS out will be based around Vista and not XP.
-Thats only my opinion focks.I know I won't be making Windows7 my default OS at all

ATK0110 driver not installing in Device Manager.

The Vista driver DOES work for this, download it, but do not use the autoplay to install it, do it manually through Device Manager and it will work.

Hi

Firstly I downloaded Windows7 on a 30Gb HDD thinking I would have 25gb left to play with and by the time windows started and all the updates where added I was left with 2gb of free space.p**sed off I was I tell you.Now if I want to do anything else with this I have to restart the whole process on a bigger drive,And they say Vista took up space,,,

not all Vista drivers will work or work properly,,,it's like a reverse of Vista when it first came out where some would install but not work properly,Well Windows7 has these same issues even though Microsoft said it would be more driver friendly than Vista was,and the accual fact is it's probabily worse as I'm sitll trying out different drives.I have written to mocrosoft about this and there comment was ,,Where working on fixing these clitches,,as they call them.

Don't forget this is only a Beta version and we are expected to run it through what ever we can give it and give feedback on that.

If you some of you only have it because you might get it free when it's released then you are a lowlife,People did the same with Vista and look when it got them,,,and they still haven't learnt anything.

All OSs new the help of the public to make them better as like everything 1 billion of exactly the same thing will have 1000 different problems each as that is the way of the human race,,,we create,search,and make happen our own problems and them blame it on who ever they can to make themselves look/sound good.

It just annoys no when I see or hear about wingers that can do nothing but insult or degrade others for the lack of thier own incompatence.