The beta really impressed me with it's speedy boot-up time. The release candidate isn't quite as quick, but still an improvement over vista.
I love the following features:
* the preview that appears when hovering over task bar icons;
* the multi-pane view which shows a preview of each open tab when hovering over Internet Explorer;
* the snap to 2 column display;
* new media codecs, so that Media Player can handle the divx, xvid and vob formats "out of the box";
* ability to set up a wireless printer without a bulky CD installation of driver software;
* the new Libraries - which enable me to associate files from anywhere on the PC, with my Documents, Videos, Music and Pictures; this makes it a snap to switch back to Vista;
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
a basic set-up to work with Vista dual-boot
Before I tweaked or installed any programs to Windows 7, there were a few things I needed to consider. I'm a web developer and a family man, with a daughter who occasionally uses my notebook. Previous experience with the Windows 7 beta has taught me that some programs do not play nicely if installed to a single partition and shared by two dual-boot Windows systems. I also want to return to Vista when the RC license expires. With all that in mind, to set up my fresh windows 7 RC installation, to enable me to work best with a Vista dual-boot, I took the following steps:
* add wireless printer and check it works in win 7 with current driver;
* install AVG 8.5 (to win7 partition);
* install utorrent (to win7 partition);
* forward port in Netgear router console for utorrent in Windows 7;
* add Documents, Music, Video and Pictures folders on Vista partition to counterparts in Windows 7 library;
* import (previously saved) bookmarks to IE8;
* install Google Chrome, mkv2vob and Apache (to win7 partition);
* set up Apache web server;
* install virtual PC (to Vista partition) and set up virtual machines;
* install Firefox, Opera, Safari and CDisplay (to Vista partition);
* set up new account for Myne-leeve-dohter and activate guest account;
* install Messenger and Movie Maker (to win7 partition);
* display selected desktop widgets;
* set up periodic backups to a new folder (win7_backup) on portable hard drive; do initial backup;
* install Dreamweaver and Fireworks (to Vista partition);
* add wireless printer and check it works in win 7 with current driver;
* install AVG 8.5 (to win7 partition);
* install utorrent (to win7 partition);
* forward port in Netgear router console for utorrent in Windows 7;
* add Documents, Music, Video and Pictures folders on Vista partition to counterparts in Windows 7 library;
* import (previously saved) bookmarks to IE8;
* install Google Chrome, mkv2vob and Apache (to win7 partition);
* set up Apache web server;
* install virtual PC (to Vista partition) and set up virtual machines;
* install Firefox, Opera, Safari and CDisplay (to Vista partition);
* set up new account for Myne-leeve-dohter and activate guest account;
* install Messenger and Movie Maker (to win7 partition);
* display selected desktop widgets;
* set up periodic backups to a new folder (win7_backup) on portable hard drive; do initial backup;
* install Dreamweaver and Fireworks (to Vista partition);
Saturday, May 9, 2009
running Apache web server
The following is adapted from a sitepoint article by Craig Buckler on how to install apache on windows.
Step 1: download the file apache_2.2.11-win32-x86-no_ssl.msi from http://www.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/.
Step 2: install but choose the custom option; shorten the installation location to just C:/Program Files/apache2.2; don't install any of the options (e.g. documentation) - you'll need to click and choose don't install for each; don't install taskbar or system tray icon.
Step 3: find services through control panel and change the configuration for the Apache service to manual startup; stop the Apache service; close services; then hold down control and drag the services icon to the start button to pin it to the start bar;
Step 4: navigate to the conf folder in C:/Program Files/apache2.2; right click, choose properties and change the permissions of your own user to full control; now you can make changes to the httpd.conf file;
Step 5: double click httpd.conf and make the following changes -
* Line 116, enable mod-rewrite by removing the # (optional, but useful):
1 LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
* Line 224, allow .htaccess overrides:
1 AllowOverride All
* create a new folder C:/htdocs, where you will house your web project;
then at Line 179, set the root:
1 DocumentRoot "C:/htdocs"
and at line 204:
1 <Directory "C:/htdocs">
Step 6: copy your web project into C:/htdocs
Step 7: open Services, select Apache and press the green play button to start the service;
Mission accomplished!
Step 1: download the file apache_2.2.11-win32-x86-no_ssl.msi from http://www.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/.
Step 2: install but choose the custom option; shorten the installation location to just C:/Program Files/apache2.2; don't install any of the options (e.g. documentation) - you'll need to click and choose don't install for each; don't install taskbar or system tray icon.
Step 3: find services through control panel and change the configuration for the Apache service to manual startup; stop the Apache service; close services; then hold down control and drag the services icon to the start button to pin it to the start bar;
Step 4: navigate to the conf folder in C:/Program Files/apache2.2; right click, choose properties and change the permissions of your own user to full control; now you can make changes to the httpd.conf file;
Step 5: double click httpd.conf and make the following changes -
* Line 116, enable mod-rewrite by removing the # (optional, but useful):
1 LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
* Line 224, allow .htaccess overrides:
1 AllowOverride All
* create a new folder C:/htdocs, where you will house your web project;
then at Line 179, set the root:
1 DocumentRoot "C:/htdocs"
and at line 204:
1 <Directory "C:/htdocs">
Step 6: copy your web project into C:/htdocs
Step 7: open Services, select Apache and press the green play button to start the service;
Mission accomplished!
accessing your Vista files from Windows 7
One of the first things you'll want to do after installation is access your documents, music tracks, videos and pictures, which are by default inside the /users/[your username here] folder over on the Vista partition.
Now if you've never fiddled with the sharing or security settings of your personal folders in Vista, this is a simple matter. In windows 7 you click on 'My Computer' and navigate to /users/[your username here] on the Vista drive and double click. A dialogue box appears, you click the 'yes' (or 'OK' or 'proceed' or words to that effect) button. And hey presto, you're in. You can also save files to any of the folders inside /users/[your username here] on the Vista drive.
But if you have fiddled, and believe me - that's not an uncommon scenario, you may encounter some obstacles in Windows 7. And if you try to override the Vista security settings on those folders from within windows 7, you may and end up digging a deeper and deeper hole and eventually find yourself unable to access your files in either operating system.
My firm advice - if you encounter obstacles in windows 7, go back to Vista and set up a test user account. Log in, which will automatically create document, video, music and pictures folders for the test user. Right click on any of these folders and examine the security settings. Write down who is listed as a user and the permissions set for each of these users. Then log into your own account and apply these same security settings to each of your personal folders. (Note - I don't think the sharing status of the folders matters at all since sharing applies to network users, not users on a different drive of the same PC.) In my case, I had to add both 'SYSTEM' and 'Administrators' to the user list, alongside [my username], and assign 'full control' to each.
Now if you've never fiddled with the sharing or security settings of your personal folders in Vista, this is a simple matter. In windows 7 you click on 'My Computer' and navigate to /users/[your username here] on the Vista drive and double click. A dialogue box appears, you click the 'yes' (or 'OK' or 'proceed' or words to that effect) button. And hey presto, you're in. You can also save files to any of the folders inside /users/[your username here] on the Vista drive.
But if you have fiddled, and believe me - that's not an uncommon scenario, you may encounter some obstacles in Windows 7. And if you try to override the Vista security settings on those folders from within windows 7, you may and end up digging a deeper and deeper hole and eventually find yourself unable to access your files in either operating system.
My firm advice - if you encounter obstacles in windows 7, go back to Vista and set up a test user account. Log in, which will automatically create document, video, music and pictures folders for the test user. Right click on any of these folders and examine the security settings. Write down who is listed as a user and the permissions set for each of these users. Then log into your own account and apply these same security settings to each of your personal folders. (Note - I don't think the sharing status of the folders matters at all since sharing applies to network users, not users on a different drive of the same PC.) In my case, I had to add both 'SYSTEM' and 'Administrators' to the user list, alongside [my username], and assign 'full control' to each.
installing windows 7
The following assumes a dual-boot scenario - that you currently run either Vista or XP and that you wish to install windows 7 on a separate partition (of at least 15GB in size.)
The first thing to note about the installation process is that you should do the bulk of your disc partitioning and resizing before you start. That's partly because you may miss (or perhaps not be offered?) the opportunity to do so during the installation process. How to Perform a Clean Installation of Windows 7 advises that during installation, the screen which asks "Where do you want to install windows?" has a link at bottom right 'Drive Options (advanced)'. Clicking that link will present further screens which enable you to shrink, extend, delete and format partitions but NOT (as far as I can tell) to move partitions.
I have a DELL Inspiron 1525 which has a typical DELL configuration containing a 10MB recovery partition sitting in front of the main partition which houses Vista as well as My Documents. To my mind, that recovery partition is a waste of space, since I'll never need it. I want to put it to better use. However to house Windows 7, in a dual-boot scenario, I need to expand that partition by 5MB. To do that, I first have to shift my main Vista partition (the C: drive) to the right to open up that 5MB. That is the main reason why you should do your disc resizing and moving before you install Windows 7. And this is where GParted comes in.
Using GParted to Resize Your Windows Vista Partition describes the procedure clearly. Here is a summary:
* Make sure that you have a bootable Windows Vista installation DVD, as you will be unable to use your computer otherwise.
* Download the GParted Live CD and burn it to cd.
* Boot off the GParted cd, and you will see your hard drives in the drop-down list.
* Select the Vista partition, shrink it by 5MB then shift it to the right.
* Delete the Recovery partition then click apply.
* Once the processes are done, quit, remove the live cd and then reboot your computer.
* You'll be greeted by an error message saying "Windows Failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause."
* Insert your Windows Vista installation dvd and make sure you boot off it.
* At the welcome screen click the Next button.
* On the next screen, click the Repair your computer link in the lower left hand corner.
* The system recover options dialog will show up, and will ask you if you want to Repair and restart, which we do.
* Your computer will reboot, and you'll see "Windows Vista... (recovered)" in the list.
* When Vista first starts up, it will start running a check of the disk. Don't hit any keys here because we want the system to check the disk.
* Once it's done it will reboot, and you'll have Vista back up and running again!
You should start the installation from within your current operating system. That way, the drive mapping (i.e. the assigning of drive letters such as C and D) in Windows 7, will match your current set-up. And sharing files, particularly those containing file references, such as media playlists, will be far easier as a consequence.
In order to start the installation from within Vista, you'll need to create a partition in the empty 15GB space which you just created. You can do that through Vista's Administrative Tools > Computer Management . Note - there's no need to format the new partition. The Windows 7 installation will take care of that. Now install windows 7 from within Vista. Select the new 15MB partition as the location of the installation. (If you neglected to create the partition in Vista, you'll need to choose the Drive Options (advanced) link at this point, in order to create a partition in that space and to format it.)
Notes:
* All of the above applies equally to the newer DELL Inspiron 15 laptop, and possibly to all DELL home computers.
* An alternative to GParted is the Disk Partition Tool in Ubuntu. You can access that by running Ubuntu temporarily from the installation CD, without installing the OS.
* Be aware also that the resizing and shifting of a partition can take a long time. It's not something you should start late in the evening. It took over four hours in my case on a 200 GB partition. And it doesn't seem to matter how much data is stored on the partition being resized.
The first thing to note about the installation process is that you should do the bulk of your disc partitioning and resizing before you start. That's partly because you may miss (or perhaps not be offered?) the opportunity to do so during the installation process. How to Perform a Clean Installation of Windows 7 advises that during installation, the screen which asks "Where do you want to install windows?" has a link at bottom right 'Drive Options (advanced)'. Clicking that link will present further screens which enable you to shrink, extend, delete and format partitions but NOT (as far as I can tell) to move partitions.
I have a DELL Inspiron 1525 which has a typical DELL configuration containing a 10MB recovery partition sitting in front of the main partition which houses Vista as well as My Documents. To my mind, that recovery partition is a waste of space, since I'll never need it. I want to put it to better use. However to house Windows 7, in a dual-boot scenario, I need to expand that partition by 5MB. To do that, I first have to shift my main Vista partition (the C: drive) to the right to open up that 5MB. That is the main reason why you should do your disc resizing and moving before you install Windows 7. And this is where GParted comes in.
Using GParted to Resize Your Windows Vista Partition describes the procedure clearly. Here is a summary:
* Make sure that you have a bootable Windows Vista installation DVD, as you will be unable to use your computer otherwise.
* Download the GParted Live CD and burn it to cd.
* Boot off the GParted cd, and you will see your hard drives in the drop-down list.
* Select the Vista partition, shrink it by 5MB then shift it to the right.
* Delete the Recovery partition then click apply.
* Once the processes are done, quit, remove the live cd and then reboot your computer.
* You'll be greeted by an error message saying "Windows Failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause."
* Insert your Windows Vista installation dvd and make sure you boot off it.
* At the welcome screen click the Next button.
* On the next screen, click the Repair your computer link in the lower left hand corner.
* The system recover options dialog will show up, and will ask you if you want to Repair and restart, which we do.
* Your computer will reboot, and you'll see "Windows Vista... (recovered)" in the list.
* When Vista first starts up, it will start running a check of the disk. Don't hit any keys here because we want the system to check the disk.
* Once it's done it will reboot, and you'll have Vista back up and running again!
You should start the installation from within your current operating system. That way, the drive mapping (i.e. the assigning of drive letters such as C and D) in Windows 7, will match your current set-up. And sharing files, particularly those containing file references, such as media playlists, will be far easier as a consequence.
In order to start the installation from within Vista, you'll need to create a partition in the empty 15GB space which you just created. You can do that through Vista's Administrative Tools > Computer Management . Note - there's no need to format the new partition. The Windows 7 installation will take care of that. Now install windows 7 from within Vista. Select the new 15MB partition as the location of the installation. (If you neglected to create the partition in Vista, you'll need to choose the Drive Options (advanced) link at this point, in order to create a partition in that space and to format it.)
Notes:
* All of the above applies equally to the newer DELL Inspiron 15 laptop, and possibly to all DELL home computers.
* An alternative to GParted is the Disk Partition Tool in Ubuntu. You can access that by running Ubuntu temporarily from the installation CD, without installing the OS.
* Be aware also that the resizing and shifting of a partition can take a long time. It's not something you should start late in the evening. It took over four hours in my case on a 200 GB partition. And it doesn't seem to matter how much data is stored on the partition being resized.
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