Upgrading a Vista laptop to Windows 7
I finally got around to upgrading my partner's Windows Vista laptop at the weekend, and it turned out to be quite a drawn-out process and much more involved than I had anticipated. If Vista throws up this many problems with an in-place upgrade, it's no wonder that Microsoft decided that an upgrade path from XP wasn't worth contemplating.
The upgrade accounted for pretty much all of Sunday afternoon and evening, taking in the region of eight hours from start to finish. With hindsight, a clean install would have been a better option, but the laptop had a number of applications such as Microsoft Office that have been personalised with various settings and options, and it seemed that an in-place upgrade was the way to proceed.
The first thing I did was to backup all documents and files to a network share, as The Boss would not have been impressed if anything had gone wrong and resulted in the loss of any of her work.
Secondly, I downloaded and ran the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft's website to get some idea of any problems that might be lurking.
This turned out to be a useful tool, so I fully recommend it to anyone planning a similar upgrade. As well as confirming that the laptop (a HP Compaq Presario F500 series) met the minimum requirements for Windows 7, it identified one or two drivers that were not compatible with Windows 7 (see screenshot).
It also recommended removing several applications before the upgrade, including an old version of iTunes, Windows Live Messenger and the Windows Mobile Device Center.
Unfortunately, uninstalling one of the applications caused the laptop's DVD drive to stop working, which put a brake on the upgrade until I could fix it.
The problem was that the application had hooked into the DVD driver, and its uninstall routine had not removed the link. A quick web search provided me with a fix, which involved editing the Registry to remove any reference to the application from the DVD's entry.
With the DVD drive re-instated, I popped in the Windows 7 install disk and kicked off the setup. However, this performed its own compatibility check, which after an extended scan of the computer, threw up a new list of applications and drivers to remove.
One of the applications it identified was Skype, which wasn't actually installed on the laptop, and so caused some head scratching. It turned out the compatibility check had found a bundled Skype installer that HP must have pre-loaded onto the hard drive when the laptop was built.
After removing the new problems and a quick reboot, I re-started the install and waited...and waited...and waited. After copying and expanding the files needed for Windows 7, the installer than scanned for existing applications and files, and this is what really took up a lot of the time, as it eventually reached a grand total of 342,814 items!
Of course, the upgrade was only half complete, as after rebooting into Windows 7, the installer then had to import all the applications and files it had previously identified.
Just as I was about to retire to bed and leave the upgrade running overnight, the installation finished and Windows Vista was finally replaced with shiny new Windows 7, with no loss of data and all vital applications intact.
So far, The Boss is pleased with the upgrade, although she complains that it is still a little slow for her liking, but an improvement on Vista's interminable startup and shutdown times.
The upgrade was thus a success, but not without its share of hitches, and it makes me wonder how less tech-savvy users would cope with a similar scenario. And this was with a Vista laptop bought as new just a couple of years ago, not an ancient XP machine.
Asus shows off new kit for Windows 7
Asus today held an event to showcase the various laptops, netbooks, desktops and all-in-one systems that are set to ship with Microsoft's new Windows 7 platform, once this is available later this week.
The UL series laptops feature a brushed aluminium cover and are claimed to have a battery life of up to 12 hours thanks to the latest Intel CULV processors.
Shown here is the Asus UnLimited (UL) series UL50AG with a 15.6in high-definition (1366x768) screen, which is set to ship with 64bit Windows 7 Home Premium and 4GB memory for £699.
The next photo shows the Eee Box EB1501, a compact mini desktop designed for home entertainment with Nvidia Ion graphics driving a high definition HDMI video output, 5.1 Surround sound speaker support, slot-loading DVD drive and dual-core Intel processor. It costs from £339.
Next is the Eee PC T91, a tiny netbook-style system with an 8.9in display, but which features a touch screen that can swivel around Tablet PC style to convert the system into a slate-mode system. This costs £409 for a system with 1GB memory and hybrid storage consisting of 16GB Flash SSD plus 16GB SD Card and a 30GB hard disk drive. The demo system was also running XP Home edition.
The Eee Top ET2002 and ET2203 are all-in-one multimedia touchscreen PCs with a 20in or 21.6in display respectively.
The ET2002 is based on a dual-core Atom 330 processor with DVD drive and 2GB memory for £559, while the ET2203 has a Core 2 Duo processor, Blu-ray and 4GB memory for £819. Both have surround sound.
Next, the Asus K70 is a no-frills laptop designed to provide multimedia performance and computing versatility without any extra fuss or additional cost, according to Asus. It has a 17.3in display and up to 4GB memory.
Finally, the Disney netbook is aimed at children and is very much the successor to earlier Asus Eee PC models with its 8.9in screen, Atom processor and XP Home. It comes in a choice of pink or blue designs for £299.
Installing Windows 7 on a netbook
For those wondering whether Windows 7 will run on a typical netbook, the answer is yes. While testing out Toshiba's NB200 mini laptop, I took the liberty of installing the release version of Microsoft's new operating system and found it runs with no trouble at all.
Interest in Windows 7 on mini laptops - otherwise known as netbooks - was piqued by Microsoft's claim back at the Professional Developer Conference in 2008 that the new platform would run on such small systems.
Currently, these devices are most often shipped out with Windows XP Home edition pre-installed, since Windows Vista is simply too resource hungry to give a satisfactory experience on netbooks.
As Windows 7 is based on the same core code as Vista, many people were understandably sceptical about Microsoft's claim.
Toshiba's NB200 netbook has the typical hardware specifications seen on many other netbooks: single-core Intel Atom processor, 1GB of memory and 160GB hard drive, plus a 10in display.
Like most compact laptops, the Toshiba doesn't have a DVD drive, so I used a USB Flash drive instead, first turning it into a bootable drive and then copying the setup files to it.
[A step-by-step guide on how to create a Windows 7 USB install disk is given here on one of Microsoft's blogs. Note that you need a drive at least 4GB in size.]
The install took about half an hour and re-booted the system a couple of times, after which I had a working Windows 7 netbook - see the screenshot above.
I was surprised to find that the Toshiba seemed just as responsive with Windows 7 as it did before the upgrade when running Windows XP.
However, Windows 7 rates the upgraded system with a Windows Experience Index (WEI) of just 1.0 - the lowest score possible. A look at the individual subsystem scores revealed that the integrated graphics in Intel's 945 Express chipset is holding the score down.
This means that playing the latest 3D shoot-'em-up game is probably out of the question, but in reality, most people buy a netbook like this because they are affordable, portable, and are good enough for surfing the web, email, and the odd spot of word processing, rather than for anything fancy.
Nevertheless, I was able to turn on the Aero user interface with its translucency effects (it was disabled by default after installation), and a few checks showed that the netbook was perfectly capable of playing music and video content.
So it seems that Microsoft's promise was no idle boast, and Windows 7 will indeed run perfectly well on a netbook.
Potential buyers should note that if netbooks do ship with Windows 7, the version included may well be the Starter edition, which has a number of limitations such as the Aero user interface disabled.
However, Microsoft has now lifted the earlier restriction that limited the Starter edition to running no more than three concurrent applications.
New PCmover features aid XP to Windows 7 upgrades
Laplink has disclosed details of an update to its PCmover tool that will enable Windows XP users to upgrade seamlessly to Windows 7, keeping all files, applications and settings intact.
PCmover already enables users to migrate their entire environment when they upgrade to a new PC, even if the replacement system is running a different version of Windows than their current PC.
The soon-to-be released version of PCmover updated for Windows 7 will enable users currently still using XP to perform an in-place upgrade to the new platform on their existing PC, according to Laplink.
The company believes that there will be demand for such a tool, as Microsoft is only providing an upgrade path from Windows Vista. XP users will have to perform a full install of the new operating system, although Windows Easy Transfer will enable users to keep files and settings.
"By taking the same logic employed for a new computer migration and applying it to the single computer upgrade process, we are able to provide users with an easy-to-use tool that performs an in-place upgrade," said Laplink chief technology officer, Jack Wilson.
Laplink also said the updated PCmover can migrate user email data from Outlook Express or Windows Mail to Microsoft's new Windows Live Mail.
As well as Laplink's direct USB-to-USB connection, the new version will also allows users migrating to a new PC to use Ethernet the same way. Using Laplink Ethernet, two computers can be connected instantly with a simple physical connection without relying on other hardware such as a router, according to the firm.
Another key feature is provision to upgrade seamlessly from a 32bit version of Windows to a 64bit one.
"If you have 32bit Vista and wish to upgrade to 64bit Windows 7 in order to address more than four gigabytes of memory, that upgrade is not supported by Microsoft. PCmover properly handles all issues related to 32-bit and 64-bit upgrades and migrations," said Wilson.
Windows 7 and XP
Our recent Top 10 Windows 7 features article on V3.co.uk prompted quite a few responses from readers, with several asking why we didn't compare Microsoft's new version of Windows with XP, as this is the operating system most people will currently be using.
That article was actually a light-hearted look at what we like about Windows 7, now that the code will soon be available, but if you want a brief opinion on moving up from XP, read on.
Firstly, Windows 7 is much less resource-heavy than Windows Vista, but it still requires a minimum 1GHz processor, 1GB memory and at least 16GB free space on your hard drive.
This level of hardware is easily surpassed by just about any PC bought within the last couple of years, but if you have been clinging onto XP since before Vista was launched, you're probably better off investing in a new box with Windows 7 rather than installing it on your existing system.
Secondly, how does Windows 7 compare with XP? Well, as several comments to our article pointed out, Windows 7 is much closer to Vista, both under the hood and in its user interface.
But don't let that put you off. With Windows 7, Microsoft has addressed most of the things that were really annoying about Vista - such as its sluggish performance and the pop-up nag prompts - then added in some neat extras as well. This is why many experts regard Windows 7 as "Vista done right".
On the other hand, if you have held off from upgrading to Vista because of compatibility problems with software you are running on XP, then Windows 7 isn't going to solve those problems. As just pointed out, it is based on the same core code as Vista.
Microsoft currently has a beta release out of a tool called Windows XP Mode that offers Windows 7 users an XP virtual machine in which to run any problem applications. However, this requires even more memory (2GB recommended) and only works with AMD or Intel processors that have hardware support for virtualisation. It is unlikely to deliver a satisfactory experience for playing games.
That said, I've been running Windows 7 on a laptop ever since the first beta was released, with one or two applications that were written for XP, and encountered no problems at all.
If you want my personal opinion, Windows 7 is a worthy successor to XP, although it may take a short while for upgraders to get used to where some things are in the new user interface.
Photos: Toshiba's new Satellite laptops
Toshiba's new line-up of Satellite laptops are due to go on sale by the end of July, comprising several wide-screen designs, one of which boasts a 17in display, plus an ultraportable model.
The Satellite L500 is a mainstream model priced from £429, which is available with choice of either Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion X2 processors and a 15.6in 16:9 format display.
Designed as a desktop replacement, the Satellite L550 has a 17.3in wide-screen display with an LED backlight and up to 4GB Ram with prices starting at £699.
The Satellite A500 is intended as a "premium multimedia" laptop, with a 16in TruBrite display, Harman/Kardon speakers and optional chrome edging. It features Intel Core 2 Duo processors up to the 2.53GHz T8700. Prices for this line start at £599.
All of the three previous models can have an optional GPU for better performance than using the graphics functions built into the chipset.
The ultraportable Satellite U500 has a 13.4in screen and is aimed more at mobile professionals. It features a textured casing and a battery life of 3 to 4 hours, plus optional 3G modem. It also has a back-lit keyboard for typing where ambient light is restricted, and optional chrome edging. The Satellite U500 is priced from £599 to £899.
All of the Satellite models come with Toshiba's Eco utility, which optimises the system's power consumption for longer battery life. It includes a graphical trace display showing exactly how much energy your system is consuming whether in or out of Eco mode.
Also included is a health monitor that warns you if your battery is wearing out and need replacing, as well as showing you details such as the temperature inside the case.
Toshiba also announced new colour schemes for its NB200 netbook. Pictured are the blue and pink models.
Heads up: IE8 to be pushed out to enterprise users
Microsoft is set to make Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) available as an update rollup for Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) from August 25.
The move means that IT departments using WSUS to control deployment of updates across their network need to be ready ahead of this date.
Microsoft announced the move in a recent posting on its IEBlog site, explaining that organisations which have configured WSUS to auto-approve update rollup packages will have IE8 automatically installed onto all compatible systems unless they take action to forestall this.
IE8 is generally regarded as a great improvement over earlier releases of the browser, offering better security and greater compliance with published web standards. It also comes with a slew of new group policy settings to allow administrators to control settings and behaviour via Active Directory.
However, it is possible that IE8 may prove incompatible with some web-based enterprise applications, or that IT departments may not yet be ready to roll out the new browser.
Microsoft's IEBlog site has instructions for companies that use WSUS, but who wish to have control over when IE8 gets deployed on their network.
IE8 is compatible with Windows XP systems with Service Pack 2, XP Professional x64 Edition, 32bit and 64bit versions of Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.
Photos: Packard Bell's new line-up
Here are some images of the new PCs on show by Packard Bell at its big re-launch event today. These were snapped by camera phone, so apologies for the blurry quality of some of the images.
First up are the new netbooks, with two examples of the dot s model with a 10.6in display nearest to the camera, while the third is the dot m with a larger 11.6in screen.
The dot s is available in both black and red colour schemes, the latter shown in the second shot.
White is also a colour that Packard Bell is keen on, with a nod to Apple's influential MacBook models. This shot shows one of the new EasyNote models, while the shot alongside shows three more on display at the event.
This rather indistinct shot of a desktop shows Packard Bell's compact iMedia chassis design, which brings out many of the ports users will need to access to the top front of the case. There is also a recess on top to hold external drives, as you can see.
The final image is of Packard Bell's iPower system aimed at gamers.
These systems will be available from June in retail outlets only.
Hands on: Using Windows XP Mode in Windows 7
The Windows XP Mode that Microsoft is planning for Windows 7 does allow you to access applications straight from the Start menu as promised, and it also enables you to save files straight to the hard drive of the Windows 7 host, I can confirm.
However, in my tests at least, performance was not entirely impressive, with a distinct lag between keys being pressed and the application inside the virtual machine responding.
Windows XP Mode, for those that don't know, is a tool designed to help users moving to Windows 7 if they have any compatibility issues with applications they are currently running.
Still currently in beta, it sets up a virtual Windows XP environment using Microsoft's Virtual PC software.
Users can then install applications inside the virtual machine, which will be available from the Start menu of Windows 7 afterwards.
The first hurdle a prospective user faces is hardware requirements. Not only does Windows XP Mode require at least 1.25GB of memory (2GB preferred), but it will only run on systems with hardware acceleration for virtualisation. This means you must have an Intel processor with VT-x extensions or AMD processor with AMD-V technology. These must also be enabled in the system's Bios firmware.
I tested Windows XP Mode on a Lenovo ThinkPad X300, which was already being used as a testbed for the Windows 7 Beta. This has a Core 2 Duo L7100 processor that supports Intel's VT-x, but I had to enable this in the Bios.
After installing the new Windows 7 Release Candidate, I downloaded and installed the Windows XP Mode installer, which turned out to be about 445MB in size. Users can also now download it here.
After installation, a new Virtual PC folder appeared in the Start menu, but clicking on the 'Virtual Windows XP' option revealed that Virtual PC itself had yet to be installed. Fortunately, this was automatically downloaded, and a short while later I was fixed up with a pre-configured XP environment.
At this stage, the virtual machine has no applications other than those that come with Windows XP. To install applications, you need to fire up the virtual machine in its normal mode, where the XP screen appears as a window on the Windows 7 desktop (see screenshot).
As you can see, the XP machine automatically maps to the drives available on the Windows 7 machine, allowing you to install software by DVD or hard disk, or by downloading from the Internet.
For test purposes, I downloaded and installed the latest version of the OpenOffice.org suite in my virtual machine, then closed it down. As you can see from the screenshot alongside, the applications now appear in a sub menu on the Windows 7 Start menu.
Clicking an application name starts the virtual machine in the background, but all you will see is the application itself, as if it was running natively on Windows 7. The giveaway is that the application window retains the look and feel of XP, as you can see in the final screenshot below.
The good part about Windows XP Mode is that you can create a document, as I did in OpenOffice Writer, and save it to the My Documents folder on the Windows 7 machine along with all my other files.
The downside is the virtual machine's performance. I found that as I typed text into Writer, nothing would happen for several seconds, whereupon all the characters I had typed suddenly splurged across the screen in one go. This is quite off-putting, and I would hope that Microsoft will address this before the final release is made available.
If you have an application that just won't run under Windows 7, then this solution will get you by, although I personally have found very few applications that don't work with the new platform. However, it remains to be seen whether end users will be satisfied with this. Waiting for an updated version of your application is still likely to be the best option.
Windows XP Mode - useful or not?
Will the Windows XP Mode compatibility tool Microsoft plans to provide for Windows 7 prove a boon to those worried about application compatibility, or is it just a half-hearted kludge to try and convince XP die-hards to upgrade, as some observers believe?
For those not up to speed, Windows XP Mode will be a tool that users can download for Windows 7 that basically provides a pre-configured instance of XP inside a virtual machine. Any software not compatible with Windows 7 can instead be run in this.
A lot will depend upon how XP Mode is implemented, but getting a straight answer from Microsoft is not always an easy matter, as it turns out in this case.
When I met with the company, one question I wanted to know is where document files ended up if you hit the save button in an application running in XP Mode. Would it just go onto the hard drive inside the virtual machine, or has Microsoft been clever and allowed XP Mode applications to map to folders on the host machine?
This is something that Parallels has already implemented in its Desktop for Mac product, which lets Mac users run Windows applications. It means that users don't have to worry about moving documents into the virtual machine in order to edit them with Windows applications.
Has Microsoft done the same with XP Mode? Here is the response I finally got from the company;
"Windows XP Mode is the combination of two features. The first part is a pre-packaged virtual Windows XP environment. The second is Windows Virtual PC, which is used to run the virtual Windows XP environment. Customers can install their applications into Windows XP Mode using typical installation processes such as downloading from the Web or using the product CD. Once installed, the applications are automatically available on the Windows 7 Start Menu and can be launched just like any Windows 7 program. Optionally, these Windows XP applications can be pinned to the Windows 7 Task Bar and launched using just a single click from the Windows 7 desktop."
Like a response during Prime Minister's Question Time in Parliament, this carefully avoids addressing the issue in hand. However, other sources on the web seem to suggest that Microsoft hasn't gone this far, meaning that XP Mode is likely to have a separate file system from the host system. If so, this would be a shame and renders it much less useful than it otherwise would be as a compatibility tool.
I hope to soon have the answer - either by clarification from Microsoft, or by testing the beta of Windows XP Mode and finding out for myself.
