bob3160 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 (edited) Windows 7 Beta ISO links and keysRemoved to conform with Forum regulations. Edited January 13, 2009 by bob3160 removal of forbidden information on Microsoft product keys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 FYI: The 64 bit keys will work on the 32bit versions as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob3160 Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 FYI: The 64 bit keys will work on the 32bit versions as well.Good to know thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 And vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tushman Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 quite a few must be trying to download this...but here goes!I thought about trying it out - but what happens when it expires in August? Do you have to download a new version or do they give you a new key? I hate the idea of having to reimage my system every 6-7 months just for a beta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 The way I'm led to believe is that after that date its end of the game, it just stops working. You then will need to buy it if you want to use it any longer, a license for the final version that is. No way to enter the new and final key into the version which you're maybe used to by then: it's install time for the new (final) version. So that means restoring an image or something like that. And after that you may install the final version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Urmas and I were talking about the Beta, Microsoft providing free, unlimited keys and maybe having to use Internet Explorer to get it and having to sign up for the Windows Live passport or use an existing Hotmail/MSN account to sign in and get your Product Key and the ISO. Turns out that's not necessary. When you click on the Download Now, you can use either the Microsoft ActiveX Downloader or a Java downloader to get it.I used Firefox on the Mac to get it and it automatically used the Java Downloader since Firefox doesn't do ActiveX.It was annoying to have to register for a Windows Live passport account, but again using Firefox and the Mac I was able to get it.I don't know if it was needed, but I was prompted for an Silverlight update when I went to the Microsoft site location for the Windows 7 Beta. I will either install it on my Windows box as a secondary OS or in VirtualBox on the Windows or Linux box. Not sure yet, but I am heavily leaning towards VirtualBox preferably on Linux.Yes, it is not free as in beer or free speech but it is without cost till August 2009. It's just a Beta and I think Microsoft's reason for wanting it out there is to help fine tune it and create (hopefully) positive buzz. Can't blame them for that. All OSes and software need to get the word out and hope for positive buzz on the product.With so many still dependent upon Windows, I hope this will be a better option than Vista turned out to be, IMHO.My Jim burned the ISO today as well and got his own Product Key so he could play with it in Parallels on his hardware. It didn't like his SoundBlaster Live sound card, or his Intel Pro 100+ network adapter (I think that was the network card's name). He didn't have the full 1GB RAM to give, so he gave it 1GB (512MB RAM and 512MB virtual memory) and of course it was very slow because of the virtual memory.Because Urmas had also used it in VirtualBox on Linux, he said: That's how it's running here (my religion prohibits me from installing "anything MS" outside VBox )Just give it all the RAM you can afford; I'm using it with 1GB, and it's darn sluggish with it; moreso than ANY Linux with 500MB RAM. My first install attempt blue-screened, but the second attempt went through without my making any changes (pure Windows! ). Guest additions need to be installed in [Vista] compatibility mode. VBox folder sharing doesn't work, but if you "open" a folder in your host OS (or in any puter in your LAN) for sharing, you can access it from your "virtual 7" --> \\ip_addy\shared_folder_name. Ditto for printers --> \\ip_addy\printer_name. Thanks Urmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Couple of things:1. Avira free version (formerly known as AntiVir) seems to be working fine.2. I'm a "Linux-only-user" since 2005... so I can not understand why MS hasn't bolted workspaces into desktop... especially since they've obviously looked at KDE. Solution?VirtuaWin (Open Source): http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/You'll also need a module called "Cool Desktop Switcher" - looks tacky (GREEN LED digits, gimme a break! ), but it works: http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/modules.php3. You'll need Skype BETA... otherwise I've encountered no problems; got the essentials (FF 3.0.5, Opera 10 Alpha, OOo 3. Songbird, WinAmp, Paint.NET etc.) installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Kewl Urmas!My Jim switched to VirtualBox and got Win7 Beta to work with the network card! Yea! But still having problems with his SoundBlaster Live even in VirtualBox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 But still having problems with his SoundBlaster Live even in VirtualBox.Yes, audio is choppy. Very choppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tushman Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 (edited) The way I'm led to believe is that after that date its end of the game, it just stops working. You then will need to buy it if you want to use it any longer, a license for the final version that is. No way to enter the new and final key into the version which you're maybe used to by then: it's install time for the new (final) version. So that means restoring an image or something like that. And after that you may install the final version.Not the final version. They will probably release a RC version afterwards.Urmas,What is 'workspaces' anyway? Edited January 13, 2009 by Tushman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 What is 'workspaces' anyway?Here's an explanation: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13880_3-9902034-...tag=mncol;title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Keep trying Temmu. I got it in Firefox, maybe try that? Or make sure activeX is working for you in IE7.I got it and I have to say, it's been a bit of a disappointment so far. I will have to see if my other computer will work with it. It doesn't seem to like either video card I have for this computer: Radeon 9200 and a Radeon 9800 XT 256MB ... and I am not sure it likes my 3COM network card either. It hangs at every turn during the first boot from the CD (beginning of the install, copying, expanding files, etc.). Then it reboots and just hangs forever at a 'blank, black' screen. After removing the partition and starting the computer again, I was able to get back into my existing Windows installation (since then it would pause for a second at boot). Now that computer just shut itself down all by itself and won't come back on. Coincidence? Who knows. It was working perfectly before I tried to install Win7 on it. Will have to evaluate what's going on there.I may try again on another computer. Not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 i've been trying since yestarday to connect to the beta download site.i get as far as entering my hotmail address.for that, i am using ie 7 on xp...anyone have a link to another site??thanks! http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/evalcenter/dd353205.aspxhttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7...a-download.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goretsky Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hello,I had an interesting experience with the Windows 7 beta: I installed it on a spare computer and it installed without any errors. The machine is attached to a KVM and when I last powered it up, the KVM was set to another computer. When I switched over, the display was at a lower resolution, and when I went into the display properties to change it to a higher resolution, the window had a message saying that a KVM had been detected and it was at an optimal resolution. There was no difficulty switching it to a higher resolution, but I it was interesting that the operating system detected that a KVM was in use and attempted to provide lower screen resolution.Regards,Aryeh Goretsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdunn Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I thought about trying it out - but what happens when it expires in August? Do you have to download a new version or do they give you a new key? I hate the idea of having to reimage my system every 6-7 months just for a beta.Microsoft is very clear - the beta version will expire (stop running) on 1 August 2009. Beta testers at this stage are not entitled to a free copy.If you have ever been in a MS beta program, you would know that beta is not a complete version and many times dialog boxes and other 'experiences' will be changed with the Release Candidate.If you want to be a 'professional' beta tester, you should have your HDD in a removable drive bay (with a desktop PC) with separate drives for each OS/version. If you have only one HDD and it is not easily changed (I use the Compaq laptops that you can change your boot drive in 10 sec. after you power down - the N620c and other EVO models). With the price of HDDs so low (compared to XX years ago), it is nothing to have a HDD dedicated to a beta version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tushman Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) It doesn't seem to like either video card I have for this computer: Radeon 9200 and a Radeon 9800 XT 256MB ... and I am not sure it likes my 3COM network card either.Bambi,What kind of problems are you having with the video card? No compatible drivers? I'm not surprised that Windows 7 doesn't recognize your 9200 card. They say that Windows 7 has pretty much the same requirements as Vista. So if the video card doesn't support DirectX 9.0 - chance are slim. Especially if there's no available drivers for it with WDDM support.The 9800 XT however, should be OK - did you try installing the Vista drivers for it by chance?Try posting in the MSDN Technet forums. They have a subsection dedicated for Windows 7 Hardware Compatibility issues. Edited January 14, 2009 by Tushman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 The ATI Radeon does support DirectX 9.0c. But it didn't recognize either video card. That computer had no problems whatsoever before I started Win7 testing. They call it a Beta for a reason LOL! I don't have any other hardware I can spare to test it out. I am done with it.And the system's power supply got cooked in the process of trying to install Win7. I have given up on it for now. My Jim got it working in VirtualBox and natively on the system he gave me to replace the dead computer since we didn't have a power supply on hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hello,I had an interesting experience with the Windows 7 beta: I installed it on a spare computer and it installed without any errors. The machine is attached to a KVM and when I last powered it up, the KVM was set to another computer. When I switched over, the display was at a lower resolution, and when I went into the display properties to change it to a higher resolution, the window had a message saying that a KVM had been detected and it was at an optimal resolution. There was no difficulty switching it to a higher resolution, but I it was interesting that the operating system detected that a KVM was in use and attempted to provide lower screen resolution.Regards,Aryeh GoretskyWin7 recognized my KVM and Wireless Kensington Desktop no problem. It was the video cards (both ATI that I had problems with). And now my Power Supply (hopefully that's all) on the computer I used for Beta testing Win7. I think I have given enough for the cause of Beta Testing. I am done with Win7 till they get the bugs worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob3160 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 i've been trying since yestarday to connect to the beta download site.i get as far as entering my hotmail address.for that, i am using ie 7 on xp...anyone have a link to another site??thanks! http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7...a-download.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tushman Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 The ATI Radeon does support DirectX 9.0c.You're talking about the driver correct? The 9200 card itself does not DirectX 9.0 - atleast that's what the specs show on ATI's website. At any rate, given all the troubles you've had w/ the beta version, I don't blame you for giving up on it. I thought about trying it out for a short while but MS can go find their own guinea pigs. I don't feel like subjecting my hardware to a beta test program that will eat up a power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I wanted to have a look but my slave hd is only 10GB and it needs 16GB. I don't have any spare 20GB drives that I can put into a computer and I'm not ready to sacrifice any of the three working computers with 20GB or larger hard drives.I'll read about it and look at the screenshots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Well an update on my Win7Beta experience.Jim gave me an HP Pavilion to replace the failed computer so I could still do what I needed to do. It was the first computer that Jim put Win7 Beta on natively and it installed great for him. (note he took his drive out so he could use it on another computer since I planned to put my own hard drive in it from the failed computer (with my working Win2K on an NTFS partition and the failed Win7 Beta on the second NTFS partition.)After verifying that my Win2K worked and updating drivers for sound and video and reformatting the Win7Beta partition, I was off to try to install Win7 again. Guess what .... it did the same thing - black screen on reboot. Only hardware that was the same between the two computers was the hard drive (Maxtor 6Y080L0). OK, I think we have narrowed the problem down. My other computer died for nothing. :'( But there was nothing wrong with that Maxtor hard drive either before I started playing with Win7.Anyway, I don't think it was the video card after all that was the problem -- Since this HP computer worked for everything hardware wise except the sound (even though it uses AC'97 sound card) when Jim installed Win7 Beta on this HP Pavilion.Well, I figured I would just fixboot to get my Win2K to be the automatic bootable OS again. Worked great and went right into Win2K.I reformatted the Win7 partition and tried again. I still wanted to try the Win7. Hoping to not sound like too much of a broken record ... it did the same thing again - black screen on reboot. And when I went back into Win2K (by quickly hitting up arrow to stop the automatic reboot on the Win7 install, all the failed Win7 boot entry items were back in the list after the boot fix. So, I figured it was time to do a fixmbr to get rid of them ... well, that was a mistake to be sure.I rebooted and it claimed there was now an invalid partition table. :D OK, I am really upset now with myself for bothering to try this again. :'( Jim and I put in another IDE drive (Seagate ST3100011A as hda/master), and made the Maxtor a slave to it on the IDE chain, and added in my SATA drive (Seagate ST380817AS) from my old dead AMD computer (drive had been in the recently failed computer after that - drive was still good and had some data on it that I needed).I reinstalled Win2K on the first partition (40GB) of first drive (hda1) and left the balance unallocated.During the Win2K install I saw all three drives with ALL their partitions -- including the 4 partitions on the Maxtor! This was a good sign and I was beginning to be hopeful that I would still be able to get the data from the drive.And, Yes! On reboot on the newly installed Win2K was able to see all the partitions -- without using any special software to look at them which I had ready in the wings since it had claimed 'invalid partition table' and wouldn't boot. So what was all that crap back there about?!Looks like Win7 puts a hidden Boot folder on the first drive's first partition when it installs and it won't let me delete it for some reason even when that drive is not the boot drive now. I will likely have to move all the data off that partition (for backup purposes -- less the boot and OS stuff) and reformat it. I have already reformatted the Win7 partition to FAT32 for storage.Well, seems to me there are definitely some bugs that need to be worked out. But I did get to play with Jim's Win7 Beta for a bit. I am done with Win7 on this computer to be sure. And I don't have another to spare for it.I am glad that many have had such good results with it. Even my Jim says it's stable on the installs he did both natively and in virtual environments. His complaints center on hardware support mainly for standard network cards and sound cards that any OS you install would be able to handle such as SoundBlaster Live and an Intel network card.Oh, my Win2K is working great again after a day of reinstalling, updating and getting the programs I needed again. I didn't have a drive to put a full system back on before I tried this so I feel I made out pretty good considering the things that went wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Win7 does in fact put about 200mb of data on your default system. Try using Vista Boot Pro, I am quad booting with it and I have no problems whatsoever.Vista Boot Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Interesting to note how many people on the various Win7 (and other Windows) threads are using Linux to correct problems with their Windows. I never heard of anyone using Windows to fix Linux issues. My experience with the beta:Installed last night in Virtual Box. No problems with the install. Looks like a ******* son of Vista and Linux KDE desktop. (Maybe we'll see MS Linux yet. ) Seems better than Vista though.No network card detected. This is possibly the first time ever in VBox. Even XP could connect almost immediately.No sound. No programs (almost). After using Linux for a while and enjoying being able to do most tasks immediately after install this is still a major pain. Yes I know it's commercial software and they need to maximize your financial input by selling everything as an extra, it is a pain in the uknowwhere.Ok, back to Linux to do real stuff now. Win7 tested, noted. Yawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 lilbambi, i'd drop the partition on the disk with the unremovable folder.i've had some bad experiences reinstalling an os when i only format the partition.just a thot...Yep, that's my next step after I get all the data off of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdunn Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Interesting to note how many people on the various Win7 (and other Windows) threads are using Linux to correct problems with their Windows. I never heard of anyone using Windows to fix Linux issues. Sorry to burst your bubble, but...I had installed Ubuntu on an extra Fujitsu 100GB HDD a year or so ago. Later, I decided that it was not a flavour that I wanted, as good as it is, and tried to reformat the HDD for Windows XP. No luck. I pulled out a floppy drive and booted from a floppy that had FDisk and deleted all of the (Ubuntu) partitions and reinstalled XP (Pro). When I went to boot the XP installation, it booted to the Linux shell.To cut to the quick, when I decided to install the Windows 7 public beta, I thought that it might be a good time to try to get rid of the Linux boot tracks left by Ubuntu. Lo-and-behold, Win7 did enable me to delete all of the partitions and then reformatted and installed. I was surprised to say the least.I think that Linux, regardless of the flavours is great. But, I also think that it requires an 'engineering degree' to get the most out of it. Windows can be just as difficult, but, not out-of-the-box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Bubble intact here. Sounds like your xp install failed, but you are on your way to an "engineering degree" in windows now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Vista 7 is Should be… KDE4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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