Godplace/Mission238 forums

Open Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tricia Lea on February 19, 2011, 12:46:41 AM

Title: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on February 19, 2011, 12:46:41 AM
I have Windows Vista now and its a pain at times. Through school I have the opportunity to get Windows 7 free. I asked on FB and people seem to think Windows 7 is way better. Do you agree and....
Is it something I could do or would I be better getting someone to do it.
I  am not a computer dummy but in no way a computer genius lol
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 19, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
GET IT! 

Windows Vista is a pain all the way around.  Windows 7 seems to be smooth as silk.  If you can get it for free, go for it!
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on February 19, 2011, 02:46:54 AM
I also want to know is I know changing OS is not easy but is it somthing that I could probably do or should I have someone install it for me?
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 19, 2011, 02:58:52 AM
If you know what an .iso and an image disk are, probably yes.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't do it yourself.  Get a local nerd friend to install it for you.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 19, 2011, 03:02:57 AM
One important question people never ask themselves is, is this something you NEED?  Windows 7 is better, but better is only good if what you have can't get the job done.  Can you do everything you want/need to do on what you have?  Just because Windows 7 is better than Vista doesn't mean you absolutely have to get it. 

Ask your nerd friend to make sure there are Win 7 drivers for your specific computer, and make sure you have a restore disk to reinstall Vista if Win 7 doesn't work somehow on your computer.  I've not personally heard of anyone having trouble with Win 7 not working with certain hardware, but in the computer world you just never know.  Better to make sure.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on February 19, 2011, 03:06:58 AM
When I first got this computer I burnt me 3  reboot DVDs and thankfully I did because I had to use them once to restart after a virus
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 19, 2011, 03:13:59 AM
Oh, well... in that case, with a safety backup all ready to go, you could learn to do this yourself.  If you do mess up, who cares?  Just go back to your backup DVD.  :D

Just let me know. 
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Babs on February 19, 2011, 03:18:23 AM
well i would say backup any personal files, since you are getting a new copy of win7, all you should have to do is pop in the disc and run the install. i would tell it to reformat as well just to start fresh. just me  :twocents:
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on February 19, 2011, 03:27:49 AM
I am waiting for my login to the academic website
http://msdn07.e-academy.com/elms/Storefront/Storefront.aspx?campus=rwccc_btech&np1=112
Once I do I have access to downloading anything on this site. I recieved an email from the school saying I should have it within a week

I just wish they had MS Office 7 or 10 on there too lol
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 19, 2011, 03:28:28 AM
Shhhh!  We're not supposed to tell them how easy it is until they say they want to try it!  How are nerds supposed to preserve nerd/computer mystique if you keep giving the game away? :P

But yeah, it really is that easy... assuming Windows 7 comes with drivers for your hardware.  Which it probably does, if your computer's hardware is all class compliant.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Babs on February 19, 2011, 03:29:30 AM
well as far as i live from her being or not being a nerd is useless for me lol
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on February 19, 2011, 03:30:27 AM
well I might need a phone consult when doing it lol

if its free
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 19, 2011, 03:36:32 AM
Free on this end, if you're calling me... we don't have long distance on the house phone, and the other phone uses up minutes. 

The safest way would be to go to your computer's website, under Support, Drivers, look up the exact model for your computer and download all Windows 7 drivers for it - sound, video, network card, wireless, etc.  Then you'll have them on hand if you run into the old needing-a-network-driver-to-get-online-to-get-the-driver paradox.  Or tell me what kind of computer you have and what exact model number, and I can download what you need, zip it and send it.

EDIT:  Changed "easiest" to "safest."  You probably won't need to do all that, and if you didn't do all that and found out you needed it you could just reinstall Vista from that DVD you burnt, get online and get what you need.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on February 25, 2011, 01:13:31 AM
Well I got my login info to the site Prolly will download and burn it to cd tomorrow. Sti\ll a bit leary about doing it  lol
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on February 25, 2011, 01:31:17 AM
With the backup DVDs you have, what could go wrong that cannot be fixed?  If you are burning backup DVDs and reinstalling from them anyway, you probably already know all you need to know to do this.

If you think you'll get in a bind PM me or probably Barb for phone tech support.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on March 18, 2011, 10:00:36 PM
Burning windows 7 to disc now. Going to try to do it this evening...

Burnt my music to 2 data dvds and going to save a couple other things first
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on March 18, 2011, 10:48:57 PM
If you run into trouble, Chel has my number.  If she gives it to you, you can be trusted to have it.  ;)

Windows 7 is smooth, everything Vista was supposed to be.  I got it on my new laptop and love it.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on March 18, 2011, 11:38:57 PM
Wellllll....
I made it back.
I have windows 7 running. Wasn't hard.
I was just worried because it wasn't a ready made set up like reboot cds
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Babs on March 18, 2011, 11:40:20 PM
hope you did a clean install? how do you like it so far?
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on March 18, 2011, 11:48:48 PM
I second the clean install.  If you didn't, start over and do.

First thing I always do is switch to Firefox.  Second thing is go to Control Panel, Folder Options, View tab, show hidden files, turn OFF the stupid "Hide extensions for known file types."

By the way Tricia, after you get everything set up just the way you want, go to Start > All Programs > Maintenance > Backup and Restore.  In the Backup and Restore window, first make a system repair disk (Windows won't specify type of disk, but a CD is plenty big enough... this is just the boot disk that will handle the restoring from the disks you will make next.)  Then make a system image.  Make it on "one or more DVDs" and be sure you have at least three blank DVDs on hand, probably more like four or five.

Yeah it takes a while.  But if your Windows goes totally down the tubes and you restore from these DVDs, it will already be set up the way you had it at the time you made all these DVDs.  No reinstalling all your programs, changing settings, trying to remember bookmarks, etc.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on March 18, 2011, 11:59:06 PM
So far so good

And yes I did a clean install. I have the CD if I did something wrong


Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: World Traveler on March 19, 2011, 12:24:06 AM
HEY! Windows 8 is coming out April 1st!!!!
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on March 19, 2011, 12:35:02 AM
Too late, Linux Mint 10 already has it pwned. 
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Babs on March 19, 2011, 12:38:09 AM
Quote from: World Traveler on March 19, 2011, 12:24:06 AM
HEY! Windows 8 is coming out April 1st!!!!

never, ever ever ever install a windows OS as soon as it is released unless you are just looking for trouble.

:yikes:
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on March 19, 2011, 12:41:26 AM
He's just picking.  Everyone knows 8 won't be out until '12.  But yeah, conventional wisdom is don't install a new Windows until the first service pack is out.  By then it is widely considered stable enough to be trusted... at least as far as you can trust Windows.
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on March 25, 2011, 10:14:42 PM
Well everything is going good except for one problem. I go to sites like Holy Ghost radio and try to listen it tells me I need the plugin so I get it and its not recognizing it still saying I need it. I can listen to a couple sites but several are giving me this over and over. Any ideas?
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Babs on March 25, 2011, 10:27:12 PM
for hgr, click on this link, and when it asks what to do, click save file, then just click on the file when u want to play it

http://www.holyghostradio.com/player/itunes.html (http://www.holyghostradio.com/player/itunes.html)

i play mine in vlc media player, but you can use windows media player or winamp i would think
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Tricia Lea on March 26, 2011, 03:27:48 AM
I still can't get it to work right with windows but I did get QuickTime to work
Title: Re: Windows 7
Post by: Lynx on March 26, 2011, 03:29:25 AM
What plugin is it demanding, flash?  Also what browser are you using, and are you using Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit?