Windows 7 on Virtual PC 2007

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Daddy

I want to buy a new PC, a few months after Windows 7 has been officially released. In the meantime, I'd like to get some firsthand experience with Windows 7, so I can make a smooth transition to my new computer. Here's my plan:

I'll start by installing Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 on my copy of Windows XP Home SP 3. Then I'll install the Release Candidate of Windows 7 into VPC 2007. I'm not sure if Microsoft officially sanctions this approach, but instructions for doing these things are widely available on the internet.

Not to boast, but I'm a fairly sophisticated computer user, so I'm not worried about doing this. All I really want to is learn Windows 7 (and something about virtual machines, while I'm at it) - I don't intend to use it for day-to-day computing. I like the idea of VPC over dual-booting.

My question is: Are they any disadvantages or other reasons for not doing this? Would you recommend against this? Thanks for your advice.

Daddy
 
Windows 7 Release Candidate: Installation instructions
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/installation-instructions.aspx

Things you need to have before you start:
Dedicated test PC: Please don't test the RC on your primary home or business
PC.

While we consider this a stable and high-quality pre-release version of
Windows, the RC is not the finished product. It could crash your computer or
cause you to lose important files or information.

Windows 7 Forums
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro?query=index
 
Thanks to you both for the information.

Are these web forums available as newsgroups? That's how I prefer to read threaded conversations, but I couldn't find groups for Windows 7 in Outlook Express' listing of groups on the Microsoft server. Thanks again.

Daddy
 
Daddy said:
[..snip..]
Windows 7 Beta
Support Forum (technical)
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro/

Getting Ready for Win7 Forum (less technical)
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/GettingReadyforWindows7/threads
Click to expand...
Are these web forums available as newsgroups? That's how I prefer to
read threaded conversations, but I couldn't find groups for Windows 7
in Outlook Express' listing of groups on the Microsoft server. Thanks
again.
Click to expand...

No unfortunately there are no newsgroups specifically for Windows 7.
Though I, like you, prefer reading threaded messages in newsgroup and
tend to shy away from online forums. I use a newsreader for the
convenience of having all the messages in one location for reading. If
I were to have to use Web forums, then I'd have to visit several
websites on a daily basis to read new messages, no thank you I'd rather
not have to do that.
 
Thanks, Roy.

By way of bringing this thread to closure: I've already learned a lot from the forums. I have only 1GB of RAM - the most my motherboard will take - so I'll probably get a better experience by dual-booting. Virtual machines will have to wait for my next PC.

Word to the wise: Don't think about release candidates unless you backup often.

Daddy

Roy Smith said:
Daddy said:
I want to buy a new PC, a few months after Windows 7 has been
officially released. In the meantime, I'd like to get some
firsthand experience with Windows 7, so I can make a smooth
transition to my new computer. Here's my plan:
Click to expand...
[..snip..]
My question is: Are they any disadvantages or other reasons for
not doing this? Would you recommend against this? Thanks for your
advice.

Windows 7 Beta
Support Forum (technical)
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro/

Getting Ready for Win7 Forum (less technical)
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/GettingReadyforWindows7/threads
Click to expand...
Are these web forums available as newsgroups? That's how I prefer to
read threaded conversations, but I couldn't find groups for Windows 7
in Outlook Express' listing of groups on the Microsoft server. Thanks
again.
Click to expand...

No unfortunately there are no newsgroups specifically for Windows 7.
Though I, like you, prefer reading threaded messages in newsgroup and
tend to shy away from online forums. I use a newsreader for the
convenience of having all the messages in one location for reading. If
I were to have to use Web forums, then I'd have to visit several
websites on a daily basis to read new messages, no thank you I'd rather
not have to do that.
Click to expand...
 
YW.

Not at this time, no. (And you're not the only one who wants NNTP access to
them either!)
 
Important - USB not functional in Virtual PC 2007 - one gig is sufficient.
However consider Windows Virtual PC 2007 (Currently - Beta) (not same as
Virtual PC 2007) - designed specifically with Win 7 in mind and provides
USB support and ability to run prorams seamnlessly between/from Win 7 and
client OS.

Currently have Windows Virtual PC 2007 on a Win 7 RC with two virtual
machines running Vista and XP Mode.
 
No confusion here other than why anyone's posting about Win7 Beta issues in
this newsgroup?
 
The respondent in question did not really read my post, since their response
was about something entirely different. In any case...all settled now.

Daddy
 
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