Last week, Gartner declared that enterprises needn't wait for Windows 7 SP1. But over the weekend, the Microsoft help forums were flooded with questions and complaints from users having installation problems. Two were most reported by the press: an issue that caused some computers to continuously reboot and an issue that made the operating system refuse to acknowledge the product key from software purchased from big-name retailers. It all adds up to the big question for enterprises -- should you wait for SP1 before even contemplating a Windows 7 cutover?
I had previously assumed the answer would be, no. Windows 7 is really an upgrade to Vista and even so, seemed to be the most tested desktop operating system Microsoft ever produced. Microsoft issued I-don't-know-how-many beta versions to thousands upon thousands of users. Plus, the Gartner analyst who said there was no need to wait for SP1 points out that Microsoft now rolls out continuous software updates.
Microsoft says that most of these installation problems are isolated instances. Let's point out, too, that most of the problems being reported by users are from consumer-oriented editions such as Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit. Here's one example: On Monday, a user named RonF57 posted a message to a Windows 7 support forum saying that he was attempting to install Windows 7 Ultimate on a newly built PC.
"By the time the [Microsoft] tech finished 'suggesting' i no loner had a functioning windows 7 ultimate machine...and i began a process of trying to get windows 7 to reinstall. Unfortunately, the installation STOPS at a blank screen with the cursor arrow it and nothing further happens. I have been getting this no matter what size partitio i try to install to and have even tried other hard drives. Something is wrong with Windows 7 installation. I have had no issues with any of the beta or RC installs on other systems or testing W7. This is the first new system install i have done with W7 and it is from the Signature edition DVD, both 32bit and 64 bit have this issue on my machine. This is unacceptable."
To be sure, most companies are not expected to roll out Windows 7 for a 12-18 months, about the time we can expect Microsoft to be at least talking about SP1, if not already confirming a release date.
But if you were planning on leading your company into early adoption, based on your lab tests of Windows 7 beta versions, looks like a dose of caution wouldn't hurt.
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IF you go looking into the
IF you go looking into the version numbers of specific files in c:\windows you'll discover that Windows 7 is *already* at SP1 level. This is old news from 4-6 months ago.
So Windows 7 is automatically SP1?
IMO you can name/declare your software to have any version you want ... but the idea of an updated release is that it fixes all the bugs found in production software. Hard for me to believe an argument that says Windows 7, as shipped on Oct. 22, qualifies as Windows 7 SP1, though I would concede the argument of calling Windows 7 Vista SP3. (Vista SP2 was released May 26, 2009.)
I'm just teasing ... Microsoft hasn't formally announced its plans for an actual Vista SP3. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/servicepacks.mspx
Julie Bort
This is the Beginning of the End my friend
This tells than no one will be upgrading OR installing Windows 8. Many would rather wait twenty-five years for a new OS company to be born then make the jump. Microsoft has ridiculed enough the world of computers to have any credibility left for long term future.
M$
v1.0 syndrome in full bloom. SP1? Nah, they lost ECP controls back in 3.11. Just fixes for RC failures based on a small RC sampling. Early adopters deserve the pain. vis a vis DOS2.0, 3.0, 3.2, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 6.2, win3.0, 95, ME, XP release, ad nauseum.
Hahahahhaa!
If you READ those forum posts, you'll see that users are trying to run an UPGRADE disc as a FULL VERSION install by booting TO the disc. UPGRADEs must be ran from Windows. That means for all the idoits out there, you log into your current OS desktop and browse to the disc's setup file. Then from there you choose either an upgrade or clean install (called Custom).
This is not a problem with the OS but rather a problem IT Support is all to familar with ... USER ERROR.
Some idiot on the forum said he was sending his disc back to Amazon and contacting the local police and FBI for fraud. Maybe he should take some of that energy and put it into reading directions. Also everything I've read on Win7 says you cannot upgrade from WinXP. Some of those forum posters are doing that too!
Give me and Microsoft both a break. If you don't know what you're doing stop trying to do it yourself and then blame others.
That's why I pointed out RonF57's complaint
He says that he is "doing a clean NEW install on a NEW PC I built," ... not trying to do an in-place upgrade. (Though I obviously can't verify if this user is trying to use an upgrade disk for his clean install ... the tone of the complaint leads me to believe he would know the difference.)
There will always be "idiots" out there ... people who make the error, get mad, blame others, particularly Microsoft. But don't you think that Microsoft has some obligation to make the upgrade as easy and as "idiot proof" as it can? Do you think the Vista-to-W7 upgrade qualifies? What about it's choice to not allow an XP-to-W7 upgrade?
-- Julie Bort
I hated Vista, it got better
I hated Vista, it got better after SP2, but still ran horrible.
I have installed 8 production system since beginning of October with windows 7 at work with all new systems being deployed with windows 7. I myself have been running it since early September. We have only one application not like windows 7, ran installer in compatibility mode and set full access to the user on the program files/non vista compliant application folder, problem solved. This is a corporate environment and all users are set as non admins. In admin use, everything works without a hitch. Only other thing we set was users to have permissions to install network printers which is a simple gpedit point and print set to disabled just like Vista.
Retail copy of windows comes in tonight, and will be installing it on my non work systems. I skipped over Vista yet Windows 7 runs great, and the nuances of vista are smoothed out in windows 7 enough to upgrade from Windows XP x64. Thumbs up for 7
it seems some of the trouble is from not waiting for the DVD als
it seems some of the trouble is not waiting for the DVD also, just going with the download. But the "Hahahahhaa!" probably has it nailed. Perhaps MS does not provide *enough* Nanny service now for the dummies. And they'll be complaining now that they need to know what they are doing in order to operate the workstation.
So the anti Goliath sentiment continues, first too much Nanny, now not enough?
Um upgrades can be installed fresh
Its called bleeding edge for a reason...
Haha: You can usually install fresh from an upgrade CD if you can supply the key / disc from the version you are upgrading from, otherwise every time you need to reformat you would have to install the old version first,
Idiot Proof
As soon as someone comes up with something that is idiot proof, the world comes up with a bigger idiot.
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