Windows 7 Beta (FREE) Virtualization?

So I just want to have some programs like Windows Live Mail and MSN Messenger on my mac since they are WAY easier to use on windows (Especially the brand new 2009 versions!!!!)

So a couple question for you guys:

-How do I install Windows 7 Beta on my MacBook? (Which Virtualization Software is the best? VMware vs Parallels seem to be famous)

-How long will Windows 7 Beta last before its closed? (usually a couple months between closing and release)

-How much battery power will this setup suck up?

-Anybody already doing this?

 

You had to download the beta software from MS before Feb 10 to qualify for the beta testing. Battery discussions talk about 2.5-3 hours, rather than 4+ under OSX.

If you can find a copy of W7 you'll still need an activation key from Microsoft (the latter are supposed to still be available); it is currently scheduled to work until mid-August.

There are multiple guides to installing W7 on the MacBook if you look around. Try MacWorld or AppleInsider if you want to use BootCamp - else, MS main website has instructions on how to install from your burned ISO dvd.

 

Aw =[

Ill try to get it ASAP

My main reason for trying this is running OS X and Windows side by side... and I dont feel like shelling out $$$ on Vista since I already have vista on my Gateway and come on... FREE WINDOWS 7 !! ! !

Any way of getting it to run side by side?


EDIT: The BETA seems freely available on http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/
I am downloading the 32bit

 

It is easy.



1. Follow the instructions to burn the image to a DVD

2. Put the DVD into the MB and start boot camp.

3. Follow the instructions to create a partition and install Windows 7. I would recommend at least 25GB.

4. When the Windows 7 startup screen appears click next until you see a list of drives to install the operating system on.

5. Click the advanced option, select the partition you created via bootcamp (it should be called BOOTCAMP), and hit format.

6. Install Windows 7 onto that partition.

7. Once Windows 7 starts and you log in pop in the OS X DVD and install all of the drivers. The drivers are actually Vista drivers but most of them should work fine. I can't say with 100% accuracy for a new MB but the older MBP works fine.

11. Restart via the bootcamp control panel by selecting it in the system tray and hitting "Reboot into OS X."

12. Start VMWare Fusion or Parallels and select the install.

13. Start the install.

Thats it. Very easy. I like Windows 7 a lot.

 

It's good window version. I used it and i have only a problem with my voice chat and everything is good. It's good and cood, simple and fast

 

my macbook pro runs cooler on windows 7 than vista. i'll buy it when it's released. i had many compatiblity issues with vista..there were crackling audio noise. the only reason i'm using vista is that i'll continue getting updates whereas winows7 expires on 1st of july.

 

the crackling noise can be solved by disabling the wi-fi a-band

 

StrongerThanAll, can you please elaborate on what you mean by the wi-fi a-band? do you mean the whole wifi card or there is a specific band which can be disabled??

 

What he is saying is that you can disable the A band of the wireless card, and will help your problem. You go in system preferences > system > Hardware profiles... and disable the A band.

 

yeah, sorry about that..

 

OH!!!
Aaaah!!
OOOOOH!!!

I never knew you use BootCamp to install another OS and THEN use virtualization to run it!!!

AAAAH IM AMAZED NOW

I will be buying VMware very soon (hopefully this is the right decision...) and already run W7 on bootcamp for now



OP: Even though its only until July 1st, why not enjoy it until then!? You DO get updates

Just make sure you dont use W7 as your main system and have all your files there etc... make sure you back them up before July and your set

 

I was having problems and getting this message:

"backup the disk and use disk utility to format the disk as a single mac os extended journaled volume boot camp"

so I just bumped it down to 25GB instead of 32GB and its now working... I thought 32GB should work because its the highest FAT32 could be...!?

 

My work subscribes to PCWorld magazine.

I got a free copy of Windows 7 beta with this month's copy of PCWorld magazine this month and I've been playing with it extensively.

I work with a lot of virtualisation at work (desktop VDI) and so I promptly replaced my "vista install" on my desktop with windows 7.
My experience with it thus far as been very good.

So I took it home and installed it into a VMWare Fusion image.

There are a few Fusion blogs on the vmware site already which gives you a few tips and tricks.

Just pop in the CD, choose either windows server 2008 or windows vista, create image, boot it and then install the rest of the operating system.
Once it is finished, get to the desktop and proceed with the vmware tools.

Pretty much everything works, I've had no problems with it. For a beta, it feels just as polished as my first experience with vista 64 bit

It's a very good way to get windows for free currently...

 

Wow... sounds amazing

So your saying I should get VMware Fusion Image?

And are you running Vista AND W7 at the SAME TIME? Or just dual booting? Im looking at Virtualization so I can do both at the same time.

Do I pop in the ISO I created? Or Normal Vista Reinstall DVD?


Oh yeah, definitely awesome because its FREE, wicked fast and just... come on! Go to best buy say youve got a problem and theyll all be like "What The Heck Is This !?" hahaha

 

I'm sorry but your last post is confusing...

At work I run W7 on my desktop, because all my office programs and email sit in a virtual machine running vista on an ESXi server.

I use RDP from W7 to get to this virtual machine. I sometimes use my MBP to RDP to it as well, especially if I am not in the office.

Do you have VMWare Fusion? If you do, just put the ISO of W7 into your mac's CD drive, start VMWare and use the new virtual machine assistant to make a Vista Virtual machine, W7 will install just fine into it. You don't need to do anything fancy in bootcamp.

 

What I thought you were doing is running W7 and Vista on the same machine

I am going to run OS X and W7 on the same machine

Im talking about both at the same time ^^^

I dont have VMWare Fusion... yet... im still looking around for different solutions and options (Ill still probably just buy VMWare)

 

Umm yeah when I run W7 on fusion in my MBP I am running them at the same time...

 

Woah... ok ok lol chill


OP: So I have W7 ISO burned on a DVD and I only have Bootcamp and im sitting here at starbucks...

As I already said heres my problem:

 

you do not need to ever use Bootcamp unless you want to be able to boot directly into WIndows (or linux) and not use OSX at all.

VMware and Parallels are both decent programs, but I like VMware better. You can download free trials of both of them, and just run the program and set up a virtual machine and install your OS... nothing is needed with bootcamp. You really nly need bootcamp over VMware if you have some games you want to play that need direct access tot he video card... they'll be like 1000X faster in a native windows boot than in a virtual machine.... for non graphics related things, VMware runs really quick.

 

Oh!
ok

See now I need to know... can I use Bootcamp to install windows and then run VMware/whatever to use it and boot into it natively if I ever need to, or can I do this anyways if I dont use bootcamp?!

I will download the VMware demo right now
(I still have tha partitioning problem which will maybe occur once I run VMware)


EDIT: I DEFINITELY want to install W7 under Bootcamp so if I ever need to run Bootcamp I can do so... and it wont affect VMware in ANY way... so why not just use Bootcamp INCASE right?

 

YEAH!!!
I figured my MacBook could NOT ever ever be wrong and Microsoft could be right for ONCE hahaha
So I rebooted my MacBook and POOF Bootcamp created my partition

Installing W7 now
W7 glowing logo and stuff is looking AWESOME!!!!


PS: I couldnt install W7 since it wasnt NTFS... so I formatted it real quick pressing... format and im guessing its NTFS now which means I will have some problems like not being able to access it and copy paste files right?
Anybody have W7 on a FAT32 partition?
I would gladly reinstall W7 if you can tell me how to get it on a FAT32 system

PS: After reading online I found out Vista cannot be installed on a FAT32 partition, so im pretty sure its the same for W7


Im so excited

 

some already apparent problems...

-Optical Out is on... I never understood how that would work... but when I walked into my room seeing a red beam shooting out of the audio out I was freaking out im telling you

-MacBook's trackpad is being well... weird... almost like a 4 way directional pad
It tends to go straight down or sideways rather than being normal haha

-Startup resolution isnt 640*480 anymore or 600*800... its... 1040*768? WOW we must be really moving up in the standard res. right! hahaha

-Windows 7 "basic" is the current visual...? COME ON!!! Were back into the 5 flavors again for sure now...
*And whats up with the "Theme For United States" in peach orange glass and random landscapes?
**btw again... cant get "aero" to work... I guess I will have to pop in the OS X CD to get drivers and then do Windows Update

-Network speeds are horrible... 19.3KBps average on G and N... (DRIVERS need update)

-Bluetooth pairing is not going anywhere with my mighty mouse (I BLAME DRIVERS, update needed obviously)

-AUTOMATICALLY SET TO "BALANCED" POWER MODE!!! AND HIGH PERFORMANCE IS HIDDEN... WHAT DO WE PAY FOR? USING 75% OF OUR INVESTMENT!?!?!?!


NOTE: OS X install Disk from Apple has an exe. file that automatically loads when you install "BOOTCAMP" but its actually DRIVERS and stuff for bootcamp so it uses your hardware in you Mac ! ! ! (WOW everything from nVidia graphics to Apple Infra Red remote receiver to Keyboard to iSight etc...!!!



FAAAST!!!

VMware is amazing... you have no clue how much Virtualization will help me in life