Windows 7 Beta is Here!

...and I need information on how to download it. I'd like to try it out on one of my hdd's on my 9262, but I can't find an official download link for it. Before anyone says anything, I am aware of the potential repercussions of beta testing. So my question is, may I legally download it via a torrent (which I am also aware of the risks)?

To make this post more relevant to the forum, is there ANYWHERE I can buy new grips for the D901C? I'd really like to know.

Thanks

Pimpaholic

 

Here you go:

32-bit:
hxxp://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-45A4-B985-F0FDFFE1B021/EN/7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULFRE_EN_DVD.iso

64-bit:
hxxp://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/3/633118BD-6C3D-45A4-B985-F0FDFFE1B021/EN/7000.0.081212-1400_client_en-us_Ultimate-GB1CULXFRE_EN_DVD.ISO

Obtaining the keys are a bit difficult right now though.

 

You are a god among men. Thank you. What features are limited without a key, and, if possible, how would I obtain one?

Thanks

Btw I wasn't blowing smoke about the grips. If anyone has any information on how to go about obtaining replacements, I would be in your debt if you would disclose said info. Thanks

Pimpaholic

 

how do u know if ur 34 bit or 64 bit
im on a dell xp vostro1700

 

I don't but it said it'll expire Aug 1st

 

nope you you have 30 days to get a key before it becomes inactive and august 1st is when the beta ends with the key

 

That's mind-boggling. I'm sure I'm missing some logic here for I'm not in the development team, but why the product keys for a beta OS?

If you have a 64-Bit processor, then you're both : )

 

Did anyone try to install Windows 7 on a M860TU?

I've tried it but without success. I'm not even able to load the installation: after the boot, the screen becomes black with a blinking underscore in the top left corner and nothing else happens.

 

I've installed it on my M860TU (running it as my main).
Everything has installed itself, or the Vista drivers worked.
One problem though, Device Manager lists a device under Other Devices called SMBus Controller. I'm guessing this is the chipset drivers, but I can't find ones that work with it.

edit: Never mind, sorted it. I installed the driver off the CD, installed using 'Have Disk', chose Intel P45 Device, done.

 

I'm dual booting Win7 64-bit on my M860TU. It's a really nice OS, and I'm pretty much going to retire Vista at this point. I love Vista, but 7 is just an improved version of it, so there's no point in keeping both. I'll buy 7 whenever it comes out. Awesome OS.

 

Is it really that stable? I'm getting more and more excited about it. I'd buy it too if that's how good it is. I just hope they don't overprice it like they did Vista.

BTW:
Grips? Anyone? Please?

 

i dont know if im 64 or 32 on a dell vostro 1700 laptop

 

It really is that stable. While I've only been using it for 3 days now, I've had no problems at all with crashes or installing drivers. I'm using a Sager NP5797. I went out on a limb and installed it as my primary OS (with everything backed up of course), and I don't regret it so far!

The only real bug I've found is that I can't boot the machine with an external harddrive plugged in. It's not a BIOS settings issue.

 

Keys:

64-bit

482XP-6J9WR-4JXT3-VBPP6-FQF4M
JYDV8-H8VXG-74RPT-6BJPB-X42V4
RFFTV-J6K7W-MHBQJ-XYMMJ-Q8DCH
7XRCQ-RPY28-YY9P8-R6HD8-84GH3
D9RHV-JG8XC-C77H2-3YF6D-RYRJ9

32-bit

GG4MQ-MGK72-HVXFW-KHCRF-KW6KY
4HJRK-X6Q28-HWRFY-WDYHJ-K8HDH
6JKV2-QPB8H-RQ893-FW7TM-PBJ73
QXV7B-K78W2-QGPR6-9FWH9-KGMM7
TQ32R-WFBDM-GFHD2-QGVMH-3P9GC

What does this even mean?

 

skythian
This that you cant boot with external drive is not from the Windows 7
i used Win7 Build 6956 3 weeks after that i use for a little time 6936 x64 and now from about 2 weeks i'm using Build 7000 x86 and i have 2 external drives
and i dont have any problems with boot i just once get blue screen USB Driver Error

 

Kevin here you can download Genuine Activation Crack for Windows 7 Build 7000 work very good and Windows 7 PlusPatch v7 Final with this you can Remove Desktop Watermark, Remove SendFeedback & Unlock Hidden Themes


http://rapidshare.com/files/181854029/Windows_7_Build_7000_Genuine_Activation.7z.html

 

How to get a key, from Neowin: http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/01/10/psstheres-how-to-get-your-windows-7-beta-key

I'll give it a try next week

 

Is this a legit one? I've used it and I didn't receive any warning. Am I a legit owner of a Windows 7 beta key?

 

Everyone who signs up today will get one of 10-12 keys. They're all legit and set to be used for more than one activation. Thousands of people have used that same key I bet.

 

Yup, each time you refresh the page you get a new key. 2.5 Million downloaders cant be wrong.

 

I have the 32 bit installed on my m860tu, installed good. I have it setup to dual boot with vista, because this is my school laptop and need a stable OS for school work/projects.

Running tests soon and will post results later

 

I'm sure they also want to beta test the activation process.

 

ok, so what great improvements are we seeing using windows 7?
it loads faster?
shows files cleaner or something?
application installs go without a hitch?
any 3dmark06 or vantage scores with this?
video encoding and trans coding audio and video?
any games played on this?
any other benchmarks ran on this?
how does ie work?
any new enhancements?
how long was the install?
how long to reinstall?
did microsoft add some interesting features?
how are the video drivers fairing with it?
any one running raid with it?
how are the drivers working?

im hearing a lof of "it's great", but yet no one is really defining what great is in detail

i mean, ill get around to loading it, but i was just curious is all...

 

it loads faster?
For me, yes, it loads a little faster than Vista SP1 did.

shows files cleaner or something?
I'm not really sure what you mean by this

application installs go without a hitch?
I haven't had one problem with any applications so far *fingers crossed*, but I have heard that compatibility mode works just as well as it did in Vista.

any 3dmark06 or vantage scores with this?
Sorry, will have to post my 3DMark06 score later.

video encoding and trans coding audio and video?
Video encoding feels slightly faster, and audio encoding feels about the same.
I used DVD Maker for the video test, and WMP12 for the audio test.

any games played on this?
I am now starting to install my games again (starting with Viva Pinata, no reason to start it first, it was just on top of the pile ;p)

any other benchmarks ran on this?
I ran the Windows Experience Index, and got a base score of 5.8, you can see my other results at OcUK here

how does ie work?
I am very surprised by Microsoft. IE8 feels fast, very fast. In fact, it might *just* beat Firefox 3.0.5. The new IE8 has great use of Accelerators, and RSS Feeds can now be placed on a Bookmark Toolbar Folder (guess where they got that idea )

any new enhancements?
As with every new OS, yes, there are many. Two of the biggest for me are Device Stage, and Homegroup. Google them if you are interested.

how long was the install?
Quicker than the Vista SP1 install; around about 15 minutes to desktop.

how long to reinstall?
No idea, seeing as I've only installed it once.

did microsoft add some interesting features?
Yes, they have added some great new features, two of which I mentioned earlier. They have also added Windows PowerShell by default (I think it was an add-on in Vista), which will be very useful to developers. Also, this release sees the upgrade of many applications, such as MSPaint, WMP, and IE as mentioned earlier.

how are the video drivers fairing with it?
First thing I did when it installed was install the Nvidia Forceware for Notebooks, and it is working flawlessly so far; The device is allowing for standby, hibernate, and brightness fade (added by Windows 7).

any one running raid with it?
Can't comment, sorry.

how are the drivers working?
The only problem with drivers I had was the SMBus Controller (mentioned in another thread) but that was easily solved with the 'Have Disk' install method. Apart from that, nope, no problems.

 

ok, now we're talking!

shows files cleaner or something was more of a joke than a real question.

thanks for the info!

 

No problem, if you have any other questions, just ask.

 

If its running this stable maybe I will back up my music share on my Vista notebook and bite the bullet. No point in delaying things further!

 

im loading it on 2 computers to see how well it fairs...the np9262/d901c and the hp nw8240

 

Fair warning. Back up all important documents and files. Early reports had Windows 7 chopping off the beginning of MP3 files, rendering them all useless. A hotfix was apparently quickly released to fix this.

Aside from that, I've heard very little but positive reviews, but as always, run beta at your own risk.

 

Here is the fix for the MP3 corruption: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/961367

 

Run the install updater prior to running the upgrade install. Its what I did and I didnt run into this problem at all.

 

This is my second day with it and I know what you mean. Open up the task manager and compare how many resources are used. It's not even comparable to Vista. It's piqued my interests that's gor sure. My only issue is you can't use lv2g drivers : (, only the one through windows update. However, I haven't gamed yet. The plug-in-play wasn't as elaborate as they commercialized it though. I plugged in my iPod Touch, and nothing great happened, just the request to import some photos. Effin' iTunes. On the other hand, I plugged in my Archos 5, I had all the choices I needed for transfering my vids and music.

I do love the improved interface. Its's exquisite. Say you visited 3 folders recently. Clicke and hold the pinned documents icon and move the mouse up. You'll see a drop-down menu (actually it rises but w/e) with your recent explorer history. Or if you have several windows open at once, grab the window as if you were going to move it, and give it a shake. It's really cool. You can also pin windows to the sides but dragging them to either center-side. It's the little things like that that make me love this.

 

Little things that compiz and the mac OS have done for years. Microsoft is just finally realizing that people will soon leave them if they don't pretty up.

And maybe make a stable OS...

 

Word. Now we'll have the "little things" AND the wide compatibility and ugradability of a PC.

P.S. I think saying people will leave MS because of it's "unsexy" interface is quite debatable. Not everyone is attracted to pretty lights and shiny things, lol.

Pimpaholic

 

A lot of people are though. I realize that alone won't do it, but look at macs. People buy them cause trendy people say they're great and they look slim and sexy"

On that note, there are plenty of other reasons. Such as stability, resource eating, etc

p.s. Not trying to start a flame war. Ignore my very much so stereotypical mac hater comment.

 

lol My intentions barred flaming as well : ). I'm not going to lie, though. The mac OS is very stable, and it's the finer touches (as I said before with 7), that make it a very user-friendly one. I also enjoy using the multi-touchpad on my friend's Macbook Pro (I'm glad to see Windows is finally implementing this feature). What I've noticed with all of the operating systems is that stability and sexiness are never proportional to upgradability and compatibility. It's sad, but true.

But Windows 7 is DEFINITELY one step closer to remedying my sorrows.

Pimpaholic

 

I wonder if they finally just decided they weren't going to be able to make people feel ok about every bit of computing power and memory actually being put to use rather than just sitting doing nothing. Fact of the matter is that people shouldn't worry about how many resources are being used, as long as they're not hurting for them when they need them, which with Vista they weren't.

Heck, they're probably doing the exact same thing they were before, only now just showing you what is actively being used.

 

i think you better put a check in that "show all process from all users"

it's pretty close to when i first install vista. 35 to 40
but it is definitely using less memory.

 

Can anyone comment on the menu's? My biggest gripe with vista was the bass ackwards menu's. Such as the display properties menu's still being in tabs, but for some reason in separate windows. I am a fairly advanced user and I get all turned around navigating the Vista menu's. I really hope windows 7 alleviates this problem.

 

Lol I did. It's probably because of all the services I have installed on Vista. I just installed 7even.

Yes, I'd be surprised if they weren't doing what they are with vista. At least they manage it a lot better with 7even. Transtions between menus, explorer windows, and especially tabs in IE are a lot smoother and lovelier then its predecessor. I haven't tried minimizing from a game yet. That'd be a good test. See how quickly It can minimize whilst playing Crysis, or some other RAM hungry game.

 

i was looking at that myself and was like...nice, then put that check in and was like...ok, there they all are...lol

 

Just as a note to the serial keys... here's what it says on Microsofts Windows 7 FAQ:

What’s a product key and why do I need one?

A product key is a long sequence of letters and numbers that’s used to activate the Windows 7 Beta and ensure your copy is genuine. (See Activating Windows: frequently asked questions.)

When you download the Beta you’ll be given a product key. (See Installing the Windows 7 Beta.) Be sure to use the product key to activate the Beta within 30 days, or the Beta’s functionality will be limited. Your product key will work for up to three separate computers, so if you want to install the Windows 7 Beta on another PC, you can re-use the same key.

So yeah, a serial works for three computers and you can get as many as you want.

 

except that that's bo**ocks. They're only giving out ~10 keys and they'll work on unlimited computers

 

anyone try installing games in windows 7? like crysis, gears of war or left 4 dead?

 

Yes. Up to double the framerate compared to Vista. Crysis Warhead now runs at 1680x1050, Enthusiast, 2x AA, and still retains 25-30fp minimum, with my maximum overclock.

Flight Simulator X Acceleration I can run completely maxed. 3DMark scores are up 600-1000 points.

Since MS Betas are geared toward stability, I'd be confident in saying that the final build of 7 will perform even better.

 

L4D and TF2 work great, don't know if they're any faster as I have vsync turned on and it ran at pretty much constant 60fps max settings(4xaa 8xaf 1920x1200) in vista...

 

This will definitely be due to something wrong with your Vista installation.

I did some basic tests with Windows 7 x64 beta and my 3DMark06 scores were identical to my nearly year old install of Vista x64.. I also don't think any properly functioning Vista installation on EARTH will literally be half the framerate of Windows 7 in anything.

They tightened up the code and it's definitely improved, but it's not some magical fantastical "function beyond the capabilities of the hardware" thing. Vista as it stands now is close enough to XP in real-world gaming benchmarks that nobody cares anymore. If Win7 squeaks out another couple of FPS that's great, but no it's not going to "double" performance or even come anywhere near it.

 

well, i can now happily play L4D and TF2 on absolute maximum settings comfortably, no gfx card overclock

 

No... my vista install was just fine. Perhaps your Win7 install is wrong. Did you do a clean install? Upgrade installs are buggy and do not see a performance increase.

It does double the performance of Vista. Even in bare bones installs, Win7 see's a phenomenal increase in performance. Perhaps it has something to do with my hardware vs. yours. What hardware are you running?

 

I'm in the boat with those who have identical performance between Vista and 7, in games and 3Dmark06.

I'm running a clean 64-bit Windows 7 install on a completely formatted harddrive.