Windows 7 Available Starting Today
Windows 7 is finally available to the public beginning today. While there have been several ways for anyone to get their hands on a beta or RC version, the final product is now available at your favorite retailer.
My Microsoft TechNet subscription (a service for IT professionals) has provided me access to the full version of Windows 7 for a while now so I've had time to fall in love with it and prepare a number of helpful guides for those of you just starting with it this week.
Here's some helpful stuff that should make getting going with Windows 7 a bit easier:
How to Perform a Windows 7 Clean Install
There are several ways to install Windows 7 but since you'll be replacing your existing operating system, a clean install is your best bet in my opinion.
Download the Latest Windows 7 Drivers
Sometimes Windows 7 won't find a piece of your hardware. No problem - most hardware manufacturers now have Windows 7 drivers available. This updated list will get you the files you need fast.
More on Windows 7:
- Best Windows 7 Gadgets for System Monitoring
- Create a Windows 7 Password Reset Disk
- Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc
- How to Update Drivers in Windows 7
- How to Auto Logon to Windows 7
- Complete List of Windows 7 Command Prompt Commands
If you've just installed Windows 7, what are your first thoughts? Do you like what you see?
Installed upgrade from Vista. No problems. The differences in appearance and such seem minimal right now. Still exploring and trying out things that I’d normally not mess with like themes (so fun, goofy ones come with it). The shake thing to minimize all but current window is neat. I don’t see what’s so wow about the task bar thumbnails. I like the improvement to the calculator (shows you what you’ve input already).
Lost all my mail and no way to retrieve it without installing windows mail so I can then export it CSV so I can then import to some other mail program of my choice (at least that’s my understanding from reading online). That should have been a BIG BOLD WARNING at the very beginning of install instead of some vague message which seemed to imply that retrieving mail after install would be an easy task. Not real happy about that.
Otherwise, liking it just fine.
Windows 7 is looking good. I brought an inexpensive 1Tb drive, set up a 500Gb partition and did a clean install there. The installer automatically set up a dual boot system but so far I have only been back to Vista once.
Windows Live Mail is OK but suffers from the standard Microsoft inability to thread mail properly. Consequently, I am switching to Thunderbird. This brings advantages including a decent tagging system and a proper implementation of the IMAP protocol. I am investigating Aid4Mail as both a conversion tool (EML to Mailbox) and as a mail archiving tool.
The other great things about Win7 are the ability to switch off Internet Explorer while leaving its modules in place for those programs that need them and the clean desktop – no need for shortcuts or other clutter. At this stage it is looking very, very good!