If Windows 7 doesn't work, it's your fault
When, like Microsoft, you've suffered more criticism for your operating system than Tom Cruise has for his height, you have to really think deeply when you launch something new.
You could go out and continue to tell people that you're very clever. But then they'd be a little more reluctant to believe you.
You could tout Windows 7 as the brainspawn of a whole new generation of terribly clever engineers. But then consumers might have a vision of an operating system created by pot-smoking, pot-bellied youths with the body odor of mousetrapped rats.
So you reach the conclusion that you've listened to both the great washed and unwashed out there and designed a new operating system completely according to their needs.
Then you draw on a little creative license and suggest that Windows 7 was actually not Microsoft's idea at all, but that of all the suffering, frustrated, maddened folks who screamed at Vista till their neighbors called 911, shortly followed by a call to their local Apple store.
This new ad undoubtedly embraces Microsoft's newly discovered zest for emotional values. It is charming, safe, warm--visual cocoa for a bleak economic winter.
It's just that I can't help thinking that if Windows 7 does go wrong--or at least if your own copy of seizes up like a nervous "America's Got Talent" contestant--then aren't you, one of the billions of brains behind this new system, just a little complicit in its failure?
They're really clever, those new marketing people at Microsoft.
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
Good way to start out with the simplest Microsoft operating system.
That's your own damn fault.
I hate Vista, I hate Win 7, I love XP engine with the Classic look from the get go. Tell you what,.. why not offer Win 7 Classic??? Don't want to? Ever heard of the Edsel???
@Vegaman_Dan : In my experience it did fine with those lying around.
@Radar_ : Have you even used Windows 7 yet? There is enough changes abound to separate it from Vista. Virtually everyone I know hates Vista but has happily been switching over to Windows 7.
I had the same problem upgrading Vista Ultimate to Windows 7. It was probably the Dell restore partition, but I just took the opportunity to do a clean install so that I could go to the 64 bit version, which you can't upgrade the 32 bit version to anyway without doing a new install and did an easy transfer of my settings.
Honestly, it's probably better to do a clean install anyway. A fresh install of Windows 7 is a breeze. Unlike all other Windows installs, this one is pretty much automatic. It finds all of the devices on it's own, it's finally smart enough to figure out your display settings and time on it's own, and if your not using the 64 bit version you will need to do a clean install at some point anyway so it's best to do it now than when you finally do decide you need more than 3GB of ram.
I've upgraded all of my PCs to 64 bit Windows 7, and I have absolutely no complaints, which is a lot more than I could say for Vista when it launched.
You must be off your mind to cancel a installation half way.Even a iliterrate Pc user would understand that.I run Win 7 release canditate for 3 months with no probs and installed win7 ultimate about 10 days ago as a lucky choosen one with houseparty.com.
Don't get me wrong I critisised microsoft on many occasions but this time I cannot praise them enough.This installation of win7 is idiot proof and my grandson of 9 years old managed to upgrade his Pc from Vista ultimate to Win 7 ultimate in a matter of hours.I think you should speak to him and he will be gladly help you with it.
Read instructions first and than start install and stop blaming others for your mistakes.
Hans
98 and xp are only ones that are any good. Vista,,,, Austa la Vista..... is that the same.
anyway, Apple is about to get my next purchase, Where is Bill Gates when you need him. Or is this his brainstorm to stay atop of the most wealthiest people in the world. that is next to the scumbag illegal drug dealers, growers, manufacturers..
you're right, windows is not easier.
you're only choice is to take out your drive, put it in an external drive and hope that another windows computer will be able to read your drive. if your account is password protected you'll have to put in a CD that clears(deletes) your password. If your drive cannot be detected, then the file system is messed up and you'll have to put in a CD with a utility to recover 'deleted' data. it might take a couple hours or up to a day but your email PST can be retreived.
if you have no idea where to start... then find a friend to do it for you cause otherwise you'll get charged a lot!!
Windows XP SP3 is not the same OS as the OS that shipped 8 years ago.
XP is still best for old hardware. Anything that is a Pentium 3 equivalent or oldert (Which would include the junky Atom processor) that can't be upgraded past 1-2 GB of ram I would personally rather run XP. But a P4 or better with 2GB or more of ram I would absolutely upgrade to Windows 7 in a heartbeat.
People are used to cars that last 20+ years, TV's that are good for 10-20 years, Hi-Fi's that can last a lifetime. They have not got their heads around built in redundancy yet. Windows (or most OS updates) are best got with a new machine. If you have a machine that runs well on it's current OS then it's not worth updating.
Where can I find the latest Taylor Swift 8-track?
Sure you can. XP is solid, it works. When it finally doesn't do the job then it's time to upgrade to something that does. Life isn't about constant upgrades.
Renegade_knight said it best "Life isn't about constant upgrades"
Next you ought to look and see if you can upgrade that Pentium 4 CPU, to something better like a Pentium D, or a Core Duo/ Core2 Duo.
I diagnosed a computer with your exact same symptoms and it had the same issue.
To check for that issue just tap "Spacebar" as the system boots up to get the boot menu. Once you get that press "Tab" to highlight "Microsoft Memory Tester" (it is the one on the bottom -- don't remember exact name) then press "Enter". Let that test run and it will test if you have a memory issue or not. The test is accurate. Yes you can do this from the DVD too. That's why I mention the Spacebar option as the other route won't work for the DVD.
It flagged bad memory within a few minutes (first 10% of test). I ran Memtest+ against this particular system too and it had 7000+ errors flagged in that tester within the first 15%. Replaced the 4GB of bad ram with 2GB of good ram and the issue went away. He RMA'd the ram.
Apple issues: ah! Apple makes $$$
i'm wondering who got more computer skills!! hm...
On the other hand, IF a Mac has an issue, the Genius Bar is free.
Not everyone is a PC geek. Walk down your street and ask the first ten people if they know how to edit their registries.
http://www.classicstartmenu.com/ to get it, then install it,.. now, why in the world
does a third party have to invent software for Microsoft Classic Menu???
Who cares, thank goodness they did,.. now we can use Win 7!!!
Once you are used to the new layouts they actually are better. XP works fine. Vista/7 a bit more efficiently (once you learn).
Kudos, Microsoft!
Next challenge for Redmond: making a *product* that doesn't induce vomiting.
As for a product that doesn't induce vomiting... to each their own. I love the new OS.
I'm sorry, but was this a potshot by the author at Apple?
Relax... you are among friends.
If you can't install this simplified OS, I'm going to have to say you're absolutely retarded. (Coming from a teenager)
In all honestly its a paraphrase of exactly why some Mac fans suggest theier friends and family get a Mac.
WGA can not be found in a real operating system, only M$ slaves accept that.
ALL operating systems need antivirus protection. An OS is an OS. It is not intended to be a security package. Windows is nice because they DO give you some basic protection right out of the box. Any idiot who thinks his system is safe from hacks and bugs was either deprived of Oxygen at birth, or should have been, No matter what operating system they are using.
The only reason you don't see more Viri on the Mac side is because only around 4 percent of the computing world uses Macs. There are numerous reasons for this, but hackers simply do not think they are worth bothering with. The same is true for Linux PCs.
There are NO OS' that DO NOT require antivirus, anti malware, and firewall software.. And anyone who thinks there are, needs to have the cobwebs cleared out of his brain.
If the harden criminals wants to get something done, no matter how secure it is, it'll still be broken... just a matter of time. SO, irregardless of how secure an OS is, weakness will still be revealed by people with specific purpose, in this case MS Windows. Given it has a huge share of users, by controlling even 10% can bring down servers, thus, isn't it easier since to garner this number, you go with the largest pie first.
At this stage
Desktop OS -> MS Windows
Mobile OS -> IPhone/IPod Touch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Smartphone_2009.svg
and for those that dislike wikipedia (i don't always trust them either)
http://www.intomobile.com/2009/03/13/mobile-os-market-share-stats-confirm-rim-apple-leading-the-charge.html
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/23/android-catches-up-to-palm-in-mobile-ad-market-share-iphone-still-blows-it-away/
and here is gartner's forecast for 2012
http://techcrunchies.com/gartner-mobile-os-market-share-forecast/
yeah, because you bought it in the first place, serves you right!
And people who buy a shirt deserve it's ugly color, inability to go with certain pants, and have to deal with knowing they can have that shirt fitted.
All opinions, eh?
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/44402/140/
You crank up the FUD machine !
And rush to market the world`s worst mouse.
how is this a perception of the new generation of engineers? That's ridiculous.
any who. Windows 7 can't fail. If you're holding up Windows XP as a standard barrier then Windows 7 wins seeing how it has XP Mode fully integrated into it.
I've upgrade all my XP systems to 7, and have noticed a big improvement in startup, performance, and overrall new convient features.
The Home versions don't. Also, XP Mode won't work unless your CPU supports VT extensions, and you may want to let Joe Sixpack know that he has to turn those on in the BIOS first. ;)
I seem to recall Ballmer laughing at the iPhone; who's laughing now?
The only thing Microsloth manages to do right is to try and copy Apple's lead, with their doomed store, with their attempt to *finally* get networking to work properly, with their taskbar that doesn't work for me at all.
you would want to re-install it again..
wait for few months. install few more programs, fill up the drive....
you would want to re-install it again..
wait for few months. install few more programs, fill up the drive....
you would want to re-install it again..
....
.....
So I spent 5 minutes after the phone call on the net searching for solution, and find the perfect solution on Microsoft's own tech forum by "normal people" on the net. The issue wound up being MS and digital river (the download provider) never tested the download copy on any machine, as the downloaded file try to initiate a 64 bit install program on my 32 bit XP box after unpacking, sending a bewildering error box about "Unloading the Box"...
Isn't that great, MS failed to test it's download copy of Win7, their own tech support could solve the problem , but bunch of "normal everyday joe" on the net already had the problem solved.
I guess it is the users problem if win7 doesn't work, because users are much better than MS's own tech support in solving their own problems.
Just in case any poor soul got excited and bought a down load verions of windows 7, here's a link to the solution (not pretty but definitely works:
<http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7install/thread/13450eb9-b158-4c95-be1e-a13fe03f0632>
As far as pro is concerned, I managed a 500 node computer network for a well known hospital for 4 years as a college gig, so I would think I quality as a pro. I doesn't take a genious to program the installation routine to detect itself running on a 32 bit OS and suggest to burn a install DVD instead of marching down the upgrade path as if nothing has happened.
In addition, you would think PROFESSIONAL Microsoft technical support would at least trying to point our my errors when they asked what OS I am upgrading from, which I clearly stated was 32 bit WInXP, and which on the tech support's little "script" clearly stated was a valid path of upgrade for the downloaded 64 bit Win7 Pro.
The upgrade was sold to masses, and labled as an easy to do process. Disregard that I have many years of computer experience and is an engineer by trade, the box does not state "consult for professional help if upgrading from 32 bit OS's". The software should work as it is intended, I shouldn't have to worry about I am coming from a 32bit XP box, if MS doesn't want to deal with that (which they could perfectly do if they wanted to), then make it explicit that the downloaded OS is only valid for 64 bit OS to 64 bit WIn7 upgrade.
BTW, do a bit search on the net, the story is upgrade from 64 bit Vista or XP to 64 bit Win 7 was even worse than my experience, and the error produced by the downloaded installation file was even worse on the 64 bit OS. So the bottom line is DigitalRiver, MS's exclusive ESD partner in the US, had corrupted install image on their servers, which failed to work for a lot of poeple.
If I was an isolated case, I will desist and walk away, the fact is that it is not. It arrogant to state that I should consult for a pro's help if the package is sold over the regular channel and labeled as a "Painfree" way of upgrading from both Windows XP and Vista.
It is the company's responsbility to make sure their product work as advertised, not the customer's responsiblity to find out different ways of how things do not work. That's the bottom line.
For the people who blamed me for the install issue, the order was place spacifically for upgrade a 32 bit XP to a 64 bit Pro version of WIndows 7. There's nothing magical about upgrading a 32 bit OS to 64 bit, I have done it many times on the Linux end.
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Ah, here's your flaw right there. You're assuming w7 is like a real operating system. It's not. In the real world you could do what you're attempting, but in the M$ world you can not. Backup, do a fresh install, restore your home and hope it works. When it doesn't, fix the problems by searching on Google - you've already learned that M$ support is thoroughly incompetent (nearly as incompetent as their security division, but not quite).
Better yet, go back to Linux. It doesn't contain any idiotic kill switch WGA excrement-ware at all, your machine can be yours once again.
- by CammKelly October 22, 2009 11:04 PM PDT
- I own a fully specced macbook pro, guess what operating system I use? WIndows 7. Faster, more compatibility and just easier to use. And snow leopard, easy upgrade? I have had rolling kernel panics since installing that POS, and was only slightly mitigated when I did a complete wipe of the drive.
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- by shellcodes_coder October 22, 2009 11:30 PM PDT
- That's cool
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- by heavydevelopment October 23, 2009 12:23 AM PDT
- I have a fully specced MacBook Pro 17" that has been running Snow Leopard just fine since day one. I also have a Mac Pro for that matter that has Snow Leopard. Yet zero kernel panics.....ever. In fact, I have not had ONE kernel panic in the 4 Macs I've owned. Look, I think you should take your Mac back to the local Apple store and ask what is up. Because a new MBP should not have kernel panics.
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- by solidasiraq October 24, 2009 3:41 PM PDT
- Yeah dude, just take that faulty macbook to the store, they will replace it for sure. I have never had a single kernel paic.Try whining less too.
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- by longtermsolutions October 25, 2009 2:15 PM PDT
- Yeah, sure you do.
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- by Dalkorian October 27, 2009 12:06 PM PDT
- I can back up the experiences with the others here, I'm running SL on a Mini (upgraded from Leopard in fact, not a clean install and done on the first day it was released - living dangerously!) and haven't ever been happier. No kernel panics whatsoever. In fact this is the first time I've installed a 10.X.0 version and not seen even one kernel panic (they typically end after the first or second minor update). I also have it installed on a number of machines at work (including laptops, iMacs and other Minis), all with the same stable experiences.
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Showing 1 of 4 pages (170 Comments)Why is that that I have 30 Macs running here, several with Snow Leopard on them, and have yet to see this rolling kernel panic you mention?
You're clearliy another Windoze droid hiding behind a lame mention of owning a MacBook Pro. If you're running Windows 7 on your MBP and you use it as your main OS, you're the ONLY ONE.
CammKelly is obviously a lying shill for M$. Hope they paid you well to trash your own credibility with obvious lies.