mod 135639 Report post Posted May 15, 2009 Welcome to the world of linux. Easy isn't it? It's very similar to a MAC and unix systems like this run so much more stable. Enjoy - Tell your friends, install it for your fiends... the more people using it the better As for the Beta... I don't think anyone with the Beta of windows7 should feel ripped off. Beta versions are not FREE operating systems. They are test versions and not meant as a full time OS. It would be nice if they had a migration tool but since it is beta and only released for testing purposes this is an added expense to them that they really don't need and no one should expect this. Companies release the BETA programs so that you report problems to them so they can work out the bugs they don't find before they sell the product. When you downloaded it you agreed to be a beta tester. Really it's for developers and people who enjoy beta testing software. The company says... here is a preview of what we are working on, feel free to download it and let us know if you find any bugs. Once the bugs are worked out a stable version will be available for you to download and install. We all know you have to pay for windows OS so expecting a beta to last forever on a non open source project to be upgradable is really expecting way to much. Sure, some do not expire but they never run stable until the final release is out so your Beta copy will always have some bugs. If you had have read the info on the download site I am sure it mentioned the time out dates upfront as well and the terms of testing the beta. If microsoft did not make this expire than computer stores would be selling computers already with windows7 installed on them (they can not do this legally and if they do it illegally when the software expires the computer store would have a lot of angry customers). Microsoft is a software company and the main software they sell is windows so they would have no intention of giving away free copies of a working OS. Linux however (such as the ubuntu distro) is a open source OS (Free - no strings). It is not 100% compatible with windows software but it's free and distro's like ubuntu are VERY user friendly these days. I am running it right now myself - I love it. If I could get photoshop to run stable on linux I would drop both MAC and PC platforms. Programs such as openoffice are also free (not 100% compatible but very close to it) they do have beta versions for the open source software and since they do not SELL this stuff those beta version are free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
a******s.m*****e 187 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 I understand that. I don't want something for nothing. What I mean by screwing us is that there is no way of upgrading from Windows 7 beta to Windows 7. I just read that after the beta expires it will reboot every 2 hours in an obvious attempt to force you to buy the software, BUT even if you pay for it and try to install, it does not install on top of the beta, meaning that you have to wipe the whole hard drive to reinstall the previous operation system. This is mean and a rip-off in my opinion. It is one thing to want us to pay for the software, but quite another to punish us for trying out the beta. I predict, after many millions downloaded the beta and this happened to them nobody will want to test their software in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 Usually a backup, install new OS version and restore should do the trick. Regardless I do agree they should have warned homeusers about this little quirk. Most developers or sysadmins who would try a beta are likely to a) run it within a virtual machine, b) use a separate partition or c) fully willing to reinstall. If you have Norton Antivirus it should come with a backup utility. Will require a DVD/CD burner though. Another option is to backup to an external hard drive. BUT even if you pay for it and try to install, it does not install on top of the beta, meaning that you have to wipe the whole hard drive to reinstall the previous operation system. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
a******s.m*****e 187 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 Thanks Etasman, I did make recovery disks, but when I insert them nothing happens. I tried to start the computer while having the disk in the CD rom and nothing.... Anyway, this is not a problem, could be that I am doing something wrong and I can always buy recovery disks from Toshiba. I was wondering is it possible to migrate the whole content of the computer to another one? I do have another laptop with a pretty big hard drive. I could make a partition and install Windows 7 beta on it and copy the whole thing over to that one. It would make sure I won't forget anything and will remember all the software to reinstall. Then install the OP system and copy everything back. Might be more complicated, but this way I won't forget and erase stuff. I do have backup software and external hard drive, but it asks what you want to backup and I am afraid of forgetting something. For example how do I backup the system restore? And all the preferences? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest S*rca****sid Report post Posted May 16, 2009 We should have started a Linux thread..... anyone who skips the the last few post will be totally confused! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
a******s.m*****e 187 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 We should have started a Linux thread..... anyone who skips the the last few post will be totally confused! You are right. I feel guilty :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatsup 11893 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 anitas.massage not only did you hi jack the thread you got the Mod in on it as well. :-P :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest S*rca****sid Report post Posted May 16, 2009 I think her profile pic is distracting everyone from what's really going on in this thread!....lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 A backup isn't quite the same as a recovery disk. A recovery disk would help you start the computer while a backup is meant to store applications and setting you currently have installed on your computer. You can then restore the backup and have those settings back. While doing the backup just say everything, when the backup is restored it is smart enough to compare dates and only overwrite older files. Copying a system and later copying it over a newer OS is fraught with complications. If any of the critical files had changed you will be overwriting them with an older version. .... For example how do I backup the system restore? And all the preferences? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mod 135639 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 If your really worried just go buy another hard drive (they are cheap now a days). Install the current boot drive as the slave drive and do a fresh install. Than migrate your files from the old drive to the new drive. If you ever need back into the original windows 7 beta install. turn the computer off, swap the drives around (or easier just unplug the c drive and have the bios boot to the other drive) and away you go. You can probably use a boot loaded are have the option to boot into either system. Another option... You can use ghost14 to ghost the windows7 install and restore it to another computer as a exact image. You will have problems with drivers (especially on a laptop) as the drivers on the ghost image will be from your desktop machine. I would suspect you would probably be able to insert the windows7 beta disk and run the "repair" on the laptop once you instal the ghost to it hopefully you could get in enough to remove the desktop drivers in the device manager and install the proper drivers for the laptop. I would give it a try. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
a******s.m*****e 187 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 We should have started a Linux thread..... anyone who skips the the last few post will be totally confused! I was thinking of starting a ""Miscellaneous dummy questions for Techies" kind-of thread.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
a******s.m*****e 187 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 anitas.massage not only did you hi jack the thread you got the Mod in on it as well. :-P :lol: That doesn't make me feel less bad about it. Poor whatsup :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
a******s.m*****e 187 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 I think her profile pic is distracting everyone from what's really going on in this thread!....lol One would think you guys are used to pictures like this around here by now ??? :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatsup 11893 Report post Posted May 16, 2009 Anita, do not feel bad whatsoever. :-) I am learning things from this thread, which is what it is all about. :wink: That doesn't make me feel less bad about it. Poor whatsup :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mod 135639 Report post Posted May 17, 2009 I installed virtualbox the other day and I must say... I agree. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted May 17, 2009 I installed virtualbox the other day and I must say... I agree. Considering how powerful computers are these days virtualbox is a simple means of trying a new OS. It is the only way for me to do my taxes :) VirtualBox on Mac running Win2K for TurboTax. Other instance runs OpenSolaris. I've tried qemu and it doesn't come close. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
