The computer is an HP DV7-3060. 4 gigs of ram. 500 gig hard drive and an AMD Turion II dual core CPU.
The time is 1:25 pacific time. I am turning the computer on now for the first time. As expected – the bootup is pretty. Asking me for user name and password and clicking on the license.
1:30 it sees my wireless and connected. It wants to go to the web right away.
It’s preparing my desktop.
I’m not in a HP setup screen wanting me to register. Time: 1:35.
Said to do update. No to Norton security.
Finished HP setup. It looks like I’m back to windows mode.
Time 1:40.
Time 1:43 – computer appears to be up and working. I am now going to try to get online updates. I have to say that the install went faster than I expected.
Time 2:00 – just fixing the line wrap problem because the netbook display isn’t wide enough to edit with Wordpress. I tried to get online with IE to fix this blog post but IE doesn’t like Dvorak’s blog. So downloaded Firefox which I’m using now. Got to Windows update with IE and downloading 22 critical updates so we’ll see what happens when that is done. The more updates the better as far as I’m concerned since this is just the day after it was released to the public. We’ll see if IE works after the updates are installed.
IE is now working with this blog although there is some strange message about a page not found. I have yet to migrate anything significant over but the computer is basically working without and significant strangeness yet. Time is 2:23.
Looking for an XP to Windows 7 migration tool if such a thing exists. Sure would be nice to move my apps and settings.
why do you need to ‘live’ install the OS? Doesn’t the notebook come pre-installed with Windows 7?
And what’s with the awkward line break?
I prefer Linux but I have to say Windows 7 is really very good. Been using it at work and it’s Vista with the annoyances, cpu-hogs and bugs worked out of it. Hope your install goes well.
I’d just like to interject for a moment. What you’re referring to as Windows 7, is in fact, Windows Vista SP3, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, Mojave Experiment 2.0. Windows 7 is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another marketing scheme by Microsoft to trick users into trying Vista, a full OS as defined by Microsoft.
Sorry bud, those squirrel stories were more interesting than this.
18 minutes to switch on a new PC (with Win7 pre-installed) and get it up and running actually sounds about typical.
I’ve done other PCs (with XP and Vista) in about 30 minutes, including updates and customizing settings the way I want.
My Windows 7 “upgrade” experience is here.
I suppose you might have problems but I’d doubt if it was because of the OS.
My own main computer is a couple of years old and looks to be good for several years so I’m just going to have stick with what I have.
BTW – is there some sort of migration tool to move my stuff for an XP computer to Windows 7?
Marc: Google “Windows User State Migration Tool”.
@#3 Though it is “in the eye of beholder” as to what is indeed new OS, most important changes from Vista to Win 7 are definitely not service pack like. On surface (GUI) differences are minimal and could be done by SP. What is real difference is most of the underlying code. Majority of it is completely rewritten (according to independent experts, not MS). You cant change that with SP.
None of this changes my personal view of MS. Practices introduced with Vista made the XP my last MS OS. In particular ingrained DRM implementation affecting both hardware capabilities of my own hardware and on legalese level, my own rights. Since Vista MS OS design does not address customers wants, needs and rights first but third party interests. Unacceptable.
#7. yes, but too complicated for most users. Another way is the “Windows Easy Transfer” utility, that which comes bundled with Vista and Windows 7. Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Windows Easy Transfer
The “Easy Transfer Tool” is also on the Win 7 DVD, so you can run it from XP to backup your settings.
If you want to backup all your apps too, try PC Mover from Laplink. I think it’s $30
A little comparison:
On my desktop PC, running Win XP Pro 32-bit, the WINDOWS folder is 6.41GB
On the same PC, separate partition, running Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit, the WINDOWS folder is 11.4GB
Fry’s?? Why wouldn’t you just go to Tiger Direct?
Chuck–that’s an apples to oranges comparison of disk space. XP has fewer features than either Vista or Win7. You can reduce disk space requirements by installing Win7 (or for that matter Vista) Professional instead.
Personal experience: Vista is much less likely to blue screen (2 blue screens in 3 years) than Win XP. I suspect that Win7 is even more stable.
I had two Vista computers and bought the 3 computer upgrade pack (way cheaper than buying 2).
One computer I did an upgrade. Took about 3 and a half hours.
On my laptop I did a clean install. Took less than an hour, and all the drivers were already on the DVD.
Firefox crashed once, but other than that I have had no problems with Win 7.
#11 A clean install of 32 bit Windows 7 home premium came in at around 8 GB
I also got the Upgrade Family Pack. 3 licenses for $125 plus tax? I couldn’t resist.
On Thursday I only knew of one method of doing a clean install on a bare drive using the upgrade disc, which pretty much amounts to installing it twice. It went well.
Yesterday I found out about a registry workaround, where I can use the upgrade disc on a bare drive without having to install it twice. I’ll give that a shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT9c_1R7wNc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbJGzyYV_X8&feature=player_embedded
Upss…
This post is oddly written…I’m not sure if you bought a new computer (I think you did) or are installing Win7 on an existing computer.
If you bought a new pc with Win7 on it what’s to install??
Did you expect this PC not to work? I’m confused.
The reason I went to Frys is:
1) I want it now.
2) I like to actually touch and see it before I buy.
OK, let me get this straight… your idea of doing an OS install is to buy a new computer with the OS pre-installed and pushing the power button to the “On” position… Is that what’s happening here?
PCmover by LapLink should do the trick for you:
#19 – yes.
I know it’s not like installing Linux but the issue is will it run? Will my apps work? I have a higher standard of review and that is if it does what I need it to do. It’s bjust like when I review cell phones by evaluation if it actually make phone calls.
Running “east transfer” now. If this works I’m going to be very happy with Windows 7.
Marc Perkel: “I have a higher standard of review”
Soo… this is a “review”?
Please enlighten us, what are yuou reviewing here: the easyness of pressing “ON” power button on a new laptop, or the integrity of a pre-installed Windows 7 OS on that laptop? Because I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’m confused with your so-called “review”.
Good God, if you really do such “reviews” of anything (you’ve mention cell phones) please let us know where, on which websites! (so we will know what horseshitcrap sites to avoid…)
BTW: Are you really Marc Perkel? You sound like Lance Ulanoff (the smart-differently “genius” from pcmag)
Pity you chose an HP machine. Those things are so full of crapware you have to spend a couple of hours getitng rid of the stuff before the computer will start to run smoothly.
30 ‘free’ games that expire after only 1 hour of play IS NOT something I ever want on any PC I buy, nor is some stupid HP branded DVD player when I can just use Media Centre, or a 375Mb Customer Feedback Survey program as HP usually installs ‘for your benefit’.
So far Dell notebooks have come the cleanest, with only the bare minimum of Dell branded stuff to annoy me with, I’ll never buy an HP or Toshiba ever again thanks to all the crapware they bundle.
# 16 Syrinx said,
“I also got the Upgrade Family Pack. 3 licenses for $125 plus tax?”
Where?
I’d be a lot more impressed with Windows (any version) and a new PC version if you could just switch it on and start using it.
My father bought three “upgrade” copies of Win7 Upgrade through one of Newegg’s deals. (Awesome). The funny thing was the first set of discs were screwed up majorly. The x86 copy wouldn’t boot, and the x64 copy ended up installing properly up until the part where the license had to be verified. Apparently the local verification after the install was corrupted to the point where any key didn’t work.
End result was he used the second set, and congratulations it worked. Makes me wonder how many other copies were shipped with borked discs (despite that I know it happens on occasion, I’m surprised that the first copy had this problem.)
Well, I just got thru installing Win 7 and three different monitors all get stuck on 800×600 resolution and driver update/rollback/install from video card disk doesn’t do a thing.
Brings up whole issue of how poorly M$ is at screen resolution control. I’m running three monitors and nothing works the way it should with resolutions. Just like their word processor program. There should be “a switch” where everything is “WYSIWYG” instead of all this formatting crap we get instead.
I’m saying this doesn’t work for me and give it another year. Won’t recognize my sound card either. Does seem a little quicker, and IE8 was working like a champ.
#29… so did you go to the vendor websites and check for win 7 drivers? Almost all reputable vendors have a well stocked support site with new drivers, unless you’re talking something from eight years ago. You also might have to check for monitor drivers, though if they are dvi that shouldn’t be an issue unless you didn’t pick the monitor type.
Driver searching is a standard microsoft solution, I would never ever trust that every driver is on their install disks nor the vendor install disks for at least 6 months after a release.