On Buying Win 7

[Hawk]

Well, I've finally decided to break down and buy Win 7. Actually, I now have a few extra dollars to buy it.
I'm now trying to decide on whether to buy 32 bit or 64 bit. Any recommendations?

[Shamough]

64 well worth the extra $. IF you have a CPU that supports 64 bit instructions. ... nothing like buying a super fast car and only operating in in a trailer park with speed bumps every 9 feet..

Of course you know that MS will stop supporting Win7 next year.

Win 10 is breaking out of the womb early next year and might be worth the wait.

[Silverback]

Shamough replied as I was writing the stuff below si som duplicate info.

It depends on how much RAM in your PC - 4Gb or more RAM and 32 bit wont see it all.
If you are upgrading from XP on the same hardware and don't want to reinstall everything then the best path is likely to be to 32 bit Win 7 as otherwise I THINK it has to be a complete reformat and reinstall. Check the Microsoft website. (there is a 64 bit XP but you are very unlikely to have that.)

Some older games (like Railroad Tycoon 2 from CD) won't install on 64 bit windows 7. (but will RUN if the installed game is copied from a 32 bit PC)

I run 32 bit windows 7 as I only have 2Gb of RAM in the current PC.

One further point to consider is that most versions windows 7 are no longer supplied retail, so windows 7 will need to be bought soon (other than the PRO version) before stocks run out. Official last sales date for Win 7 other than PRO was October 2014. Windows 7 is only in mainstream support until January 2015 i.e no more bug fixes other than security fixes.

Windows 10 is due out mid 2015 (NO windows 9) Avoid windows 8. 64 bit is the true way forward but may not let older games etc. run.

If your PC is new enough then some versions of win 7 will run a virtual XP PC if the PC is new enough BUT I'm not sure if that allows games to run (never tries it as my hardware is too old).

I hope the above helps.

[Blackhawk]

64 bit is the next generation, but if you are still using old equipment it might not make that big of a difference to you. If you still have a 32 bit processor and don't have any intention of going over 4gb of RAM (real world it's more like 3gb as 4gb is the total amount of all memory allowed). Also before you decide, I would check into seeing what drivers you need for your hardware and see if they have a 64 bit version. If there aren't 64 bit drivers for your hardware and you don't plan on upgrading any of the hardware anytime soon, then 32 bit is the way to go. Although going forward much of the new hardware only comes with 64bit drivers now.

Last I heard Windows 10 is anticipated around late summer/early fall. Of course if you're feeling adventurous you could always try partitioning a hard drive (or if you have an extra put in another drive) and dual boot the developers preview of Windows 10 to see if you'd like it and it would be worth waiting for. It's what I did a few years ago, I dual booted Vista and Win8 Preview. Windows 8 was nice in that it loaded very fast, but that's about where it stopped. The metro menu, the removal of the start button, and moving the settings around seemed rather pointless (just like Microsoft redesigning Office with its inefficient ribbon menu). I suppose some of what they do is make changes for the sake of changes to say it's a new edition and sell people something new.

I don't remember having issues playing RT2 on 64 bit Win7 although I can't remember for sure. Depending on the size of the hard drive you could always again dual boot. Win7 and XP.

I'm not sure where you plan on buying Win7 from but you could always check out ebay for a key, or maybe find a cheap broken laptop that you can pick up for a few bucks and comes with a COA sticker for the version of Win7 you want and use on your computer.

And while Mainstream support of Win7 ends next year, Extended support goes until 2020 so security patches would still be released as needed.

[Hawk]

My CPU does support 64 bit architecture. I've already run the Win 7 Upgrade Adviser. I currently have 4 GB RAM installed, but with two video cards XP only shows 2.8 GB.

Critical (extended) support for Win 7 (security patches and such) doesn't end until April, 2020 (I see BH already commented on that ). I never used any Microsoft support anyway. Just the patches you can download.
With XP getting a bit long on the tooth, and the fact that a lot of AV apps will stop supporting it this April (and MS stopped last April), I figured I'd go a head and get Win 7 now, since I have the money. The 32 bit and the 64 bit dvd's are the same price. $99.00 USD at New Egg. They're selling the OEM versions of both 32 and 64 bit, which is what I always buy anyway.

I don't have any plans on Win 10 until much after any service packs are released. I just don't see paying for a beta test.
Besides, all Win 10 will be is an upgraded Win 8.1, with the start menu back in place, and some other modifications/upgrades.

I have an extra 10,000 RPM hard drive so I'm thinking of setting up a duel boot with XP and Win 7. I haven't really decided yet. I'm not going to use my XP drive for Win 7.

I've already done a lot of research on this. I just haven't decided on whether to get 32 or 64 bit yet. I'll probably go with 64 bit though, maybe.

To run the Virtual XP, you have to buy the Pro version, but I don't intend on that, since I have an extra hard drive. Besides, I've not read any good reviews of the virtual XP on Win 7. I'm just going to buy the Home Premium. I want to go a head and get it while I still can. I think everyone has to quit selling even the OEM versions this April. I know you can't buy the Retail version any more. At least not a legal version.
My MB doesn't support that anyway. It doesn't have the visualization option.

[Gumboots]

I'd go 64 bit. Well, I did. Still runs everything I want to run, just does it faster. If you want to add more RAM later, it's easy and it will work.

[Hawk]

That's pretty much what i was thinking, but the price of RAM these days kind of discourages that idea. I've got 4-1 GB sticks installed now so I would have to buy at least 4-2 GB sticks, since I haven't been able to find any 1.5 GB sticks.
For a decent brand that's going to cost well over $100. USD. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. Especially since I'm not too keen on a lot of the newer games coming out, and the fact that most developers are going the Steam route, which I don't want anything to do with.
Then again, with a 64 bit OS I could utilize more of the memory I currently have installed.

With an OEM version you have to contact MS to get a new license to run the OS if you replace the MB, and it's not 100% guaranteed that you'll get one.

Then again, I wasn't planning in setting up Win 7 right away anyway. Maybe I could just hold off until I get some more parts to build a new rig. Then a 64 bit OS would make more sense.
Since money is so scarce for me these days, that $100. needs to be spent as wisely as possible.

I just can't decide.

[Hawk]

Well, I've decided to go a head and get the 64 bit.

Thanks for all the advice folks. Much appreciated.

[Hawk]

For whatever it's worth.......

I got Win 7 SP1 64-bit installed. So far I'm not impressed. On a scale of 1 to 10, using XP as a base and a rating of 10, I give Win 7 a 3.

I don't like Windows Explorer. Having the same files and folders in multiple locations is just so much unnecessary bloat. Having to find directories that I knew their location in XP was a bit of a task but I finally found them.

I very much dislike the new taskbar. It's just so much less productive than XP's taskbar it's ridiculous.

It's slower than XP.

I don't like Aero. I turned that crap off.

There's some other stuff about it I don't care for either, but the above are my main cons about it.
So far I haven't found any pros for it. It's all cons to me.

I have a friend that said he would buy it from me so I don't have a $99. coaster - so I think I'll let him have it. I haven't activated it yet so it will still work for him.

I might buy the 32-bit version - maybe. I don't know. I understand it's a bit faster than the 64-bit version, but the other cons might outweigh that decision.

[RulerofRails]

That's too bad that you aren't satisfied.

If you persevere with it, you will probably find some features that you like as well as those that are a step backwards. Overall, I do think that XP may be better, but Win 7 has enough redeeming features to counteract the bad ones that once I got used to it, I don't miss XP.

Things that I find are useful are the web-style search field in Windows Explorer, and better functionality options with right click, this includes on the new style task-bar. The show desktop, slim bar on the RHS of the task-bar is nice too. I feel that Win 7 is a bit more customizable as far as organizing placements, schemes etc.. If you aren't happy with what you see, maybe there is a way that you can make a solution available. I believe it is possible to make many things (boxes surrounding programs, pop-up windows, etc.) look just like XP. Also, in Windows Explorer, the first section are your "Favorites", adding things to this can help with the hard to find things that are buried in the stupid User/.../... folders.

[Hawk]

Well, after 5 days of working with Win 7 I have not found one thing that I like - not one, and I spent a good deal of time searching the Internet for tweaks and such. None of which satisfied me as well as XP does, especially the taskbar. The Win 7 taskbar is a joke, in my opinion. Definitely a step or two backwards.
Not to mention some of the apps I like to use don't work in Win 7 64-bit, and I couldn't get RT3 to run no matter what I did, following all the advice given here.
I know others have got it to work on Win 7, and I probably could also, with a bit more diligence, but given the fact that Win 7 does absolutely nothing for me, that expenditure of diligence just didn't make sense.

Like I mentioned, I had considered getting the 32-bit version, but now I can't see that happening. I have a lot better things I can spend $100. on than Win 7. I'll just stick with XP.
Back when I converted from 98 to XP, I didn't really like having to convert, but at least XP offered some neat stuff that 98 didn't. There was incentive to convert. With Win 7, there is absolutely no incentive for me.

[Shamough]

Did you create a NEW from scratch Railroad Tycoon 3 from the 2 disc set into a folder where you keep the rest of your RT3 games?
Just underscore your existing _Railroad Tycoon 3 V1.00 or V1.03 folder, IF you are running from Railroad Tycoon 3.
RT3 has a piece of garbage that it tosses into the register sets.
I also had to reboot my comp the first time I wanted to play the game ... and still do from time to time when RT3 fails to spin the boot CD ... seems that RT3 leaves some garbage that needs to be flushes periodically.
And of course mark ALL of the the RT3.exe files to run in Win XP SP3 compatibility mode.

Once you have RT3 working rename its folder and remove the underscore from your original RT3.
Once all of your existing RT3.exe files run you can:
Delete the new RT3 folder leave it with a new folder name.

[Hawk]

You may have hit on something Hans. It may be a registry issue, since the Win 7 registry is a bit different than the XP registry.

I did install from the original cd, set the compatibility mode to XP, then stuck the 2nd Play cd in and all I got was a black screen, on all 3 monitors. Had to do a cold boot to get back to desktop.
I tried the Vista fix config file and patched all the way up to 1.05 and the no-cd exe and still got the same thing.
I did not create a new folder and move the original contents to there. I might try that. By doing so would bypass the registry.
I never had the chance to remove the check mark from T&L.

Even though I don't really have much use for Win 7, you did get my interest up on the RT3 issue.

[obertran]

Hawk then don't even think on Win8 or 8.1 much worst than Win 7 in my opinion, but probably we'll get used.

I installed RRTIII on my Win7 64bit and I did it as you said in your post to install it on XP and worked correctly for me. I remember that I installed it with XP compatibility mode. Also I remember I had to change the compatibility of the RRTIII shortcut to open it correctly. I hope it can help.

[Hawk]

I have no intention of getting Win 8 or 8.1. That's why I thought about getting Win 7 now, while you still can. I believe everyone will have to quit selling Win 7 this April, even the OEM version.
I figured getting Win 7 now would be a world better than having to buy Win 8.1 later if it came down to it not being feasible in any way to run XP. I'll deal with 2020 when the time comes. Maybe by then they'll have Win 12 functionally decent and reasonably usable.
A friend of mine has 8.1 and he hates it. I don't hate Win 7. I'm just not that fond of it. I've used Win 8 on a friends laptop and as far as I'm concerned it sucks big time. I would never buy it or a computer with it on it.

[Hawk]

I finally got RT3 to run on Win 7.
I uninstalled RT3 using Revo Uninstaller. Then I ran a registry cleaner to finish cleaning up the registry.
Then I copied the complete RT3 1.05 directory from my XP drive to the Win 7 drive, used the Vista Fix config file, and had to set Comodo Internet Security to recognize the RT3 exe as a trusted program.

Now it seems to run fine.

That's two games I've got to run on Win 7. Now to try more.

---

Edit 1: I got 1.06 to run using the same method as for 1.05.

[Wolverine@MSU]

For what it's worth, I found that when running installation programs in Win 7 (or any .exe for that matter), it helps if you right-click on the file and choose "Run as Administrator". I don't use my Win 7 installation much on my default computer (still in the XP-stoneage like Hawk), for a lot of the same reasons you listed Hawk. I assume you've set your "Screen Preferences" to Windows Classic theme. Another thing you can do to avoid the irritating messages whenever you try to run someting (installer etc.) is to set your User Access Control to a lower level. If you're the only one that uses your computer, and you trust the Badger if she uses it, you can turn it way down so you don't get so many pop-ups. Win 7 is much tighter on Administrator priveledges, presumably to idiot-proof it as much as possible, but I find it annoying at times. Don't know why 64-bit would be running slowly and whether 32-bit would be any better, but Win 7 is like anyting new and different: you hate it at first because you're fumbling around trying to figure it out, but once you do you may find yourself warming to it. As others have said, stay away from Win 8; I've heard nothing but bad about it from seasoned Windows users. Give it a chance, and remember, the answers to most questions you might have is just a Google Search (or whatever search engine you use) away. I've used that route extensively as I became familiar with how Win 7 works, and while I still run XP both at work and at home, I am becoming more adept at using Win 7.

[Hawk]

I assume you've set your "Screen Preferences" to Windows Classic theme.

I have it set for best performance. I believe that turns Areo off. My WEI is only 4.8 as it is. I think I have themes turned off. I use an app to better enable usability with my 3 monitors, and withi it I have it set up to change my desktop backgrounds every hour or so.

Index Score.jpg (18.91 KiB) Viewed 8106 times

Another thing you can do to avoid the irritating messages whenever you try to run someting (installer etc.) is to set your User Access Control to a lower level. If you're the only one that uses your computer, and you trust the Badger if she uses it, you can turn it way down so you don't get so many pop-ups. Win 7 is much tighter on Administrator priveledges, presumably to idiot-proof it as much as possible, but I find it annoying at times.

I turned UAC off completely. I really don't think I need it running at all. I've not had any malware on any of my computers since back in my early 98 days. I practice safe surfing, plus I have Comodo Security installed which does it's on monitoring.

Don't know why 64-bit would be running slowly and whether 32-bit would be any better,

I've read a lot of comments from others that say the same thing. Maybe it's system related somehow, especially on lower end systems like mine. Here's my specs (I currently have Win 7 installed on a 300 GB 7200 RPM drive with Vid card driver version 306.97).

Motherboared - Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4
Processor - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ AM2 - 2.4 GHz
Video Cards (2) - EVGA GeForce 7600 GT KO 256 MB, EVGA GeForce 8600 GT 256 MB - Driver Version: 296.10
Hard Drives-Internal (2) - WD Raptor 150 GB SATA II 10,000 RPM, WD 500 GB SATA II 7200 RPM
Hard Drives-External - WD 650 GB SATA II 7200 RPM
Optical Drives (2) - LG HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH22NS30
Operating System - Windows XP Pro SP3 32-bit
Case - Antec P-180 ATX
Power Supply - Sparkle 650-W ATX FSP650-80GLC (80-GLCR)
Memory - (4) 1024 MB PC2-5300 DDR2-SDRAM Kingston - 667mhz
Case Fans (5) 120mm
Sound Card - HT Omega Striker 7.1
Speakers - Altec-Lansing 5:1 w/sub woofer
Monitors (3) - HPvs15 (15" LCD), ECS (17" LCD), Hanns-G (21" LCD)

Give it a chance, and remember, the answers to most questions you might have is just a Google Search (or whatever search engine you use) away. I've used that route extensively as I became familiar with how Win 7 works, and while I still run XP both at work and at home, I am becoming more adept at using Win 7.

I'm trying to give it a chance. I really am.
I've done a lot of Internet searching on Win 7. That's how I've got as far as I have. I've tweaked quite a few things.
BTW! I use StartPage instead of Google.

---

Edit 1: Turns out I didn't have Aero turned off. I just changed it to Win 7 Basic but it didn't change my WEI score any. It does look better though.

[Gumboots]

For whatever it's worth.......

I got Win 7 SP1 64-bit installed. So far I'm not impressed. On a scale of 1 to 10, using XP as a base and a rating of 10, I give Win 7 a 3.

I don't like Windows Explorer. Having the same files and folders in multiple locations is just so much unnecessary bloat. Having to find directories that I knew their location in XP was a bit of a task but I finally found them.

I very much dislike the new taskbar. It's just so much less productive than XP's taskbar it's ridiculous.

It's slower than XP.

Depends what you're running it on.

[Gumboots]

Did you create a NEW from scratch Railroad Tycoon 3 from the 2 disc set into a folder where you keep the rest of your RT3 games?
Just underscore your existing _Railroad Tycoon 3 V1.00 or V1.03 folder, IF you are running from Railroad Tycoon 3.
RT3 has a piece of garbage that it tosses into the register sets.
I also had to reboot my comp the first time I wanted to play the game ... and still do from time to time when RT3 fails to spin the boot CD ... seems that RT3 leaves some garbage that needs to be flushes periodically.
And of course mark ALL of the the RT3.exe files to run in Win XP SP3 compatibility mode.

I don't use XP compat mode. I just run the "Vista fix" and the no_cd patch.