9.5.2011

My 3 year old PC has been running Vista Home Edition without any major problems or issues. In fact my experience with Vista seems to run counter with the majority of other Vista users, especially from reviewers here.However, I felt it time to upgrade to 7 primarily because I have a company laptop running 7 Enterprise, and this is a dream to work with, easy to use, smooth, stable and fast.So I bought the W7 upgrade for Vista discs, printed off the online help guides, used the Windows 7 Upgrade advisor; created a back-up of everything on my C drive and dumped it onto an external.So now I was ready for the Big Jump.My PC was running a 32 bit version of Vista, but my CPU chip was capable of handling 64 bit OS.I had also bought 8Gb of RAM. Unfortunately not even 32 bit W7 can handle all of this RAM very well, so I decided to take the leap from 32 bit technology to 64 bit. I made sure my existing drivers, hardware & apps were compatible. And for those that weren't it was a simple case of going to the manufacturer's website and downloading the latest x64 drivers.The actual installation took less than 30 minutes. Although something to be weary of: if you put the 64 bit W7 disc in your drive and reboot (as per instructions) the PC may not see the disc, or even if it does it might return an error saying this version of Windows is not compatible.DON'T PANIC!! After doing some research it probably means the boot-up sequence needs changing, so that rather than using the instruction-set on the C drive to boot, you really need to change the sequence so that it looks at the DVD drive first. This will mean going into the BIOS menu (F2, F12 or Break, during initial bootup), going into "Advanced BIOS" (or a variation thereof), and changing the order of the boot sequence so that the DVD Drive is read first, followed by the C drive) This should work (obviously if you're not sure how to do this it would be best to get an expert in to do it for you).I made the BIOS change, rebooted, and bingo, the installation started!It took about 30 minutes to do the upgrade (which required 3 or 4 auto-reboots), but I had no errors or problems during that time. The only time-consuming part was recovering all the backed up files, settings & programmes from the external drive. I also had to manually install some programmes from their original discs, and install the appropriate x64 compatible drivers for my printer and other peripherals. But the basic installation was really smooth, and my original account was restored with everything in place.I checked Task Manager and also the basic information settings on the System page (Windows Key + Break Key), to confirm all was well. And it was - Windows 7 Home Premium, 8 Gb RAM (fully allocated, unlike Vista which could only "see" 4 of that 8 gig); and a system type of "64 bit Operating system"I had to install about 80 Windows 7 x64 updates, including the all important SP1. This took another couple of hours, but again no problems to report.So having started the project at 1pm Saturday afternoon, I was fully up & running by 8pm the same night. I still have a handful of applications to install, but that's no big deal. All I will say is that the upgrade was possibly the easiest, most trouble-free I have ever had with a Windows OS since the days of 3.0. And I have to say the speed of the PC is considerably faster than with Vista - and performing a Windows Experience Index pushed my PC from 3.7 to 4.5. Applications like Excel 2007, SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, along with graphic-intensive games, are far more stable and responsive compared to when I was trying to use them on Vista.All in all, a great product. Lessons have been learnt from previous OS upgrades, and Windows 7 is probably the best OS Microsoft have ever produced. Long may it continue. Kudos to Bill & co.

21.1.2010

Just a few things to be aware of when considering an upgrade.Without doubt download from Microsoft's website Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor before purchasing either the full version or an upgrade version of Windows 7. This will scan your computer hardware and software and list any problems it may experience or whether things are going to be ok.I think something that most people seem annoyed about is problems with different hardware after upgrading. With an upgrade you are literally improving the thing that is keeping the whole thing ticking over. Sound cards often use an additional piece of software to make it work, the same with dvd drives when using them to record on or to play films.These will all need to be purchased as software separately afterwards.For example if you use Cyberlink to play DVD's or Blu-Ray on vista then you would need to purchase this for Windows 7 this is not provided by Microsoft as it was supplied free with your computer on purchase by the manufacturer of your computer.The soundcard driver provided commonly by Realtek needs to be installed after and so on and so on.Whether you believe rightly or wrongly that Microsoft should provide that is a completely separate argument.When you purchase a computer the Operating System is only a small part of the work that the manufacturer of the computer will go through to make it work, such as providing software to allow certain pieces of hardware to work but then it is up to you to pay for the upgrade.Now the argument with whether that would be available on a Mac or not is also raised, a Mac comes with very little in terms of software off the shelf and you as a customer purchase the software on top. One being better than the other is more down to what you need it to do and also to preference. I think the challenge has been as more and more people buy a computer they expect it to do more than what it is capable off out of the box.Remember a computer is only able to do what it is instructed and programmed to do.A computer like many other things with working parts needs a regular service without doing so will always cause it to have problems. So over time the operating system will often be needed to be reinstalled, updates via the internet will definitely be needed so the computer will be needed to connect to the internet on regular occasions.If you want it to be stress free either get a professional to upgrade the Operating System and update hardware problems caused from upgrade or buy a new computer. Computers are a bit like cars you either love tinkering with them or you don't. But most people wouldn't tinker with the engine of their car they would seek professional advice, if your in any doubt I'd do the same for computers.If you don't mind spending time going through all the niggles until the computer is running smoothly then you've reached the point where you could upgrade yourself. But be warned it could take some time.You cannot blame Microsoft if you hourly wage is £50 an hour and this is taking too much of your time, if you are earning that much then just buy a new computer. It will save you the stress!Lastly only upgrade if you need the new features, and are willing to go through the work necessary for upgrading, if your old computer works perfectly well then don't bother.I hope this all helps.

11.1.2011

I knew this was going to be a leap of faith jumping from XP service pack three to Windows 7 64 bit but with a bit of planning, a fair bit of time it went without a hitch. I have a fairly old Intel quad core self built machine that is capable of running 64bit, which would allow me to manage more memory with this OS. More memory is good if you play games or, like me, require a more stable computer for video editing. Be warned that your hard drive will be completely wiped clean so all your files and settings will need to be saved elsewhere. I used a large USB hard drive (1TB) to transfer all my files and settings from XP. I had a lot of stuff on my 400GB C drive so the transfer was just over 250GB and you must use the 'Windows 7 file transfer'wizard. Download it from the Microsoft site. The XP version is NOT compatible. Be prepared to wait as this transfere takes a long while. I did disconnect the USB drive after the transfer.You get two disks, one 32bit, the older version for older hardware, and the 64bit for more memory management. Choose wisely as you can't swap once installed. Following the on screen instructions, the install wiped the hard drive, asking for permission first, and then went on to install the 64bit operating system. If you have installed any of the windows family before this should be all plain sailing. I reached the final leg when Windows 7 informed me that I had 39 minutes left before completion, this passed without hitch. It did the internet connection routine and then went in search of drivers for my hardware. I am pleased to say it found everyone, so far so good. Finally I arrived at the new Windows7 desktop. Now I had to re-install all the main programs I had used previously and transfer back my files and settings from the USB drive using the Windows7 transfer wizard again. You do get a list, a long list, of everything transfered, so you can pick and choose what to copy back over. Leave the stuff you dont need or don't recognise, you can go back and retrieve later, if you find its needed.I found the OS pretty easy to adapt to, it's similar to Vista but nowhere as near as clunky or slow. If you have only used XP it will be different but using common sense you can soon learn where Microsoft have re-arranged and placed the menu's. Don't worry too much about 32bit programs as these seem to run ok under 64bit. I have 6 of these, word processing to video editing, all are running the same as they always did. (If you require the Windows video editor, its a free download from the Microsoft site.)I have used this OS for about two months, everything works fine, it feels quite quick and responsive and I have access to all 4GB of memory. (This shows in faster encoding times.) I would recommend Windows7 64bit, as it adds a bit of future proofing, but read up on how to upgrade from XP to Windows7 first( see Mirosoft site ), then there should be no suprises.

3.8.2012

I bought this upgrade for my Toshiba Satellite P-200 as I had finally become frustrated with the problems encountered in running the laptop with Vista. Before actually upgrading, I also upgraded the laptop RAM to 4GB to avoid any potential resource issues. There are RAM suppliers out there that really make this upgrade easy and error free, so search them out. I chose to go with the 64bit upgrade (both 32 and 64bit are available in the pack). The 64bit required a clean install and thereby lengthened the process, as I had to reload data and programs afterwards, but as the whole process ran smoothly and without any issues, I was not too bothered by having to do this.It is advisable to do do your research before going down this route as the instructions in the pack are extremely sparse and you need to understand what is going on to carry out the 64bit upgrade successfully and pain free. Go to the Microsoft website for advice and print out the info. before you start, I found that this really helped. Do carry out the upgrade in a step by step fashion and don't rush, it will be worth it!!Once the upgrade has finished, allow Windows 7 to update itself with all of the latest updates, this may take a couple of restarts, as there will be a considerable number to get through and they don't all come in one download. When you are sure that Windows 7 is up to date, then start on reloading data and programs. Load one program at a time and allow each one to update to the latest patches or upgrades before moving on to the next. This may seem laborious, but pays dividends in minimising crashes, problems etc. It took me about 8 hours ( and a few glasses of wine) to complete the process, including the re-install of about 30 important programs and ~100GB of data. I only found 1 program that would not run under 64bit Win7 and soon found a workaround for that one. I did lose my webcam software as well, but soon found that again on the Toshiba website, so there was no real harm done there either.Having all three of my computers running on Win7 Home Premium has solved loads of issues for me and this OS is stable and reliable in a way that Vista never was. I know that some people have had issues with the upgrade, but I have had no problems running Samsung, Packard Bell and Toshiba machines on this OS.As Win8 is due out any time soon, I guess this upgrade will soon disappear off the shelves, so if you don't fancy the Microsoft change of direction with Win8, then buy this now!! Microsoft should be supporting Win7 for a few years yet, so get yourself a decent OS while it is still available.01/03/2013 Having seen and tried Windows 8, I am glad that I got all my machines on to Windows 7 Home Premium prior to the switch to Windows 8 - not impressed!!

26.10.2009

INSTALLATION TIME - As you might expect with Windows, the installation is not instant. It took my laptop approx. 2 hours to install but there was no major input required and it went nice and smoothly (a first for me and windows installations)START-UP TIME - I've not really seen any improvement in the start-up time but nor is it lengthy or tiresome. The user login time is faster than Vista but it takes a little while for all the desktop features to load.DESKTOP - The desktop has a few nice improvements. I like the wallpaper slideshow function, although you have to tick pictures you want in the slideshow carefully or you might click the actual picture itself which sets it as a single wallpaper

24.9.2012

After at least a year of complaint from my parents regards their Vista machine I went and bit the bullet to upgrade them to Windows 7. It was the operating system that Vista should have been and in itself I didn't have a worry about it's performance. I did however worry about the upgrade as I've heard one or two horror stories about it. So, I set aside a day to get it done not knowing that even that would be enough time. Well it need the day with it taking approximately 6 hours in all to get from Vista to a working version of Windows 7 with all the updates installed (all 92 of them). From first impressions as well, it looks to have solved the speed issues with the machine in question.Tips for those of you contemplating this upgrade are- Backup!

3.3.2010

In 2007 I purchased a new Dell computer, which I was very excited about as it would have Windows Vista installed on it. However, although I really loved the look and style of it, it was very temperamental: regular freezing, regular crashing (the dreaded blue screen),loads of continual background noise etc. Then in late 2009 I started hearing more and more bad reviews when surfing the Internet and even family relatives were complaining about it. By this time, too, my computer was crashing more than once a week and it was also freezing much more frequently (sometimes more than once a day). In fact, it was very, very irritating and I can only put the deterioration down to the regular updates Microsoft were installing,

30.10.2009

Windows 7 looks and operates like Windows Vista but the main difference is that Windows 7s response time is considerably quicker than Vista and the entire programme has been modified in such a way that Windows 7 is a dream to use when many have complained Vista was troublesome in daily use.The download time if you upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 can take up to three hours but the difference in use is remarkable.The fact that Microsoft have introduced this new operating system when Vista is still fairly new indicates that Vista had some serious teething problems.Windows 7 is the system that XP lovers will simply adore,as it's less demanding on hardware and like Vista is fabulous to look at in

21.10.2009

Got this as an upgrade to Vista, I was very happy with that op system but Amazons pre release price was too good to miss.I think that if you are upgrading from XP Win 7 is a real step forward and certainly to be recommended. However, from Vista, I don't really think so. It is very similar in appearance to Vista - in fact when loading it you could be fooled into thinking that you were loading Vista until the final screen!The blurb says that it loads faster than Vista amongst other benefits. That maybe true of a clean install though it did not seem to be, but it certainly isn't that noticeable after an upgrade install.In the main it installed problem free although it isn't a fan of Kaspersky which has to be uninstalled before Win will load.

15.1.2013

I installed this on a laptop running Vista to give it a new lease of life. I was tempted to do a clean install but decided on the upgrade option instead. If you're upgrading from XP you'll have to perform a clean install. For safety purposes (you can never be too sure with Microsoft!) I removed all my files to an external hard drive prior to the upgrade. The upgrade was very straight forward and it took about 4 hours (with a few re-starts in-between) to complete.I did initially have a problem after I'd installed it - I kept getting a Windows Update prompt to install the same five security updates for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 every time I switched on my laptop. Eventually I un-installed Microsoft .NET Framework 4,

18.10.2009

Windows 7 is essentially the best of both worlds: It is faster and runs on lower system requirements like XP did but it retains the improved visual effects of Vista.Can see why people may have been Anti-Vista cause of its rough start (Even though its now been stable for a good while and is better than XP in my opinion).Windows 7 does not have the issues that Vista had which tarnished its reputation. Its stable and works really well.Have seen people asking what's the point in getting this version instead of the standalone. Well boys and girls did you happen to notice the 2 words "Upgrade Edition" in the title? meaning that you will be able to "Upgrade" to it.

9.8.2010

I used to run Windows xp..Lovely. I bought a new computer with Vista...ARRRRGHHHHH...ETC ETC. Instability, Crashes Blue screens of death, Odd notices popping up, Printer not communicating..well if you have vistas you probably know all this already.. But racing to the rescue comes...... The people who gave us the problem in the first place..(???)..with a cure. The miraculous.."TA DA" Windows 7 upgrade. This pack is worth it's weight in gold, but as usual, comes much cheaper from Amazon. I hate large upgrades they always go wrong for me. NOT THIS ONE. sooo easy. They say back up your files..common sense, but I'm realy lazy and didn't. (if your upgrading from XP you REALY MUST back up your files..no REALY!!!)

4.12.2009

Took advantage of Amazons pre-order offer and have been using the software ever since on my Acer Aspire 9302AWSMi laptop with 2.5 gb of ram. Saved all my important stuff onto a memory stick and installed the Win 7 32 bit. It loaded itself in place of my previous Vista OS and I would say, (as I was not really clock watching), the whole thing took about an hour or so.It was upon booting the machine up after installation that I got my first scare as the video driver was not found and the display was in generic mode meaning the graphic image was poor. I watched as the system proactively sought out drivers for my laptop and those it could not find I had no problem in finding them myself at the Acer web site.

13.12.2011

Not a full review of Windows 7, everyone must have come across Windows 7 by now. If you haven't switched, you don't know what you are missing. Some people claim Win7 is too restrictive, but it is easier than ever to live inside those restrictions and they help make computing easier and more reliable. If you currently have Vista, Win7 is easier to use, has additional features, and is compatible with more older software. You might find that old Windows program that won't run on Vista can now be used again on Win7, and that alone might justify the price.Of course you could just wait for Windows 8, but I'd stick with 7 for a year after 8 comes out while the inevitable bugs get fixed and the web

24.11.2009

I tend not to keep up to date on my Windows systems, but with all the bad press for Vista, which I have on a Sony Vaio, I thought the time had come to break out of my rut. The product arrived on Release date and I installed it the next day. At first I wondered what all the fuss was about, but having had it now for a month, I do rather enjoy the nicer interface and generally better speed and feel to the product.I choose to do an upgrade rather than clean install to preserve all the pre-installed software. The installation went well except for needing to completely eliminate all traces of AVIRA anti-virus before Win 7 would install.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Reviews

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