Windows Operating Systems

Wirral_paul

Hi

Any IT guru's on here?

I have a spare computer that i bought via Ebay from a computer recycling business. The computer came loaded with Windows 7 Pro, although the product key attached is for Windows Vista.

Turns out the Win7 Pro was just a 28 day trial version and so i guess i have a few options.

1. Take it back to the seller and demand my money back (dont want to do that as it was really cheap and came with a top notch graphics card).He also gave me an Epson Projector for nothing as they had loads of them.
2. Pay for a Win7 Pro 64bit Product Key
3. Remove Win7 and put Vista back on the computer.

Can I just download Vista from Microsoft etc? The computer is only used to run my Tacx Fortius on - and so i guess i dont really need to go to the expense of Win7 Pro??

Anyone know how much I can actually buy a Win7 Pro Product Key for??

Cheers
Paul

alihisgreat

Don't go anywhere near Vista its worse than you can possibly imagine.

surfatwork

^^ dont go near vista, its hopeless.
I dont like Win 8 personally, but it seems to work better with older hardware than Win 7. and its cheaper atm.

Wirral_paul

I knew Vista wasnt great but thought it would be ok when all that is going on the computer is Tacx software.

Ok then - so it seems like Win 8 is the way to go - I have seen that MS are offering a cheap upgrade (£50) at the moment so can i buy that and use the Vista product key??

cheers

surfatwork

http://www.tesco.com/direct/microsoft-w ... tAodgFYAsQ
that seems to confirm that you can use this to upgrade from Vista to Win8 using this.

sharky1029

you should be able to download the original OS (if available) from windows and register using the product key on the base of the PC, see here for more on it:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/193 ... en-laptop7

Wirral_paul

Thats great guys - thanks. I'll have a look at downloading Vista on to the computer this evening and then upgrade from there. Will have to work out if i need to remove Win7 first though - and start from a formatted disc

Wirral_paul

Just wondering if i can upgrade direct from the Win7 that is installed already. Do teh Win8 Pro upgrade discs come with a new Product Key?? If so then i should be able to upgrade directly i recon

declan1

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Don't go anywhere near Vista its worse than you can possibly imagine.

Haven't read the OP, but this ^

ooermissus

Windows 8 is one of the worst pieces of software I have ever used. I am still reeling in shock from its utter awfulness. Though the touch screen on the laptop is surprisingly useful.

Wirral_paul

ooermissus wrote:

Windows 8 is one of the worst pieces of software I have ever used. I am still reeling in shock from its utter awfulness. Though the touch screen on the laptop is surprisingly useful.

I'm only using the computer for the Tacx Fortius turbo trainer - with Windows 7 Pro on both my laptop and work computer that i also have here at home for everything else. 8 is supposed to use less memory than isnt it - should be better for the Tacx software and videos?

surfatwork

The good thing about Win8 is that you dont really have to use the MetroUI. You can drop into a Win7 like interface pretty quickly and stay there.

ooermissus

surfatwork wrote:

The good thing about Win8 is that you dont really have to use the MetroUI. You can drop into a Win7 like interface pretty quickly and stay there.

Which is mostly true - once you get your head around the fact that you need to download another version of key programs like Skype. The unbelievably awful 'app' is already there and works hardly at all. To stay in the desktop interface, you need Skype for desktop as well.

You also need to work out how to tell programs like Chrome to work as a desktop rather than in Metro style. And to cope with the fact that the screen does weird things if you dare move the mouse to the top right hand corner of the screen (where the back button is on a browser) or anywhere on the left hand side (where once you would have been able to scroll).

For those of you who haven't tried it, imagine riding a bike that has been welded to a mobility scooter.

RDW

surfatwork wrote:

The good thing about Win8 is that you dont really have to use the MetroUI. You can drop into a Win7 like interface pretty quickly and stay there.

Yes, this. The default settings are very annoying, but easy to fix. Install Classic Shell to provide a Start Menu etc.:

http://www.classicshell.net/

and use these settings to restore sanity:

http://www.intowindows.com/classic-shel ... windows-8/
http://www.howtogeek.com/127450/how-to- ... windows-8/

then assign common file types to desktop rather than Metro apps:

http://www.howtogeek.com/127559/how-to- ... windows-8/

A bit of a pain, but you should have it sorted out in 15 minutes. And at least it's not Vista:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC4vz6IbdtY

ooermissus

Thanks very much for this @RDW.

solosuperia

I resisted responding to this thread because I know I can become a bit one-eyed about it...........

Had to have my shout!
Why muck about with Windows in any shape or form when for free you can for something so much better in most areas!

Yes LINUX

A popular misconception is that it is geeky. Try "Ubuntu" rock solid OS just as easy/easier to use as Windows or if the spirit takes you.... As geeky as you like.

PLUS a lot of extras that you would have to pay for in Windows.
Sorry about that.....Just had to have my say.

BillyMansell

To the OP, As you're only looking to run Tacx TTS on the computer it's best to go to the Tacx forums and see what OS people are using and any issues they've had, otherwise all you'll get is people telling you what they think is the best OS regardless of your intended use.

http://forum.tacx.com/index.php?sid=dd95cc9e0c5f11b158d82bbe1bb489d4

For starters, I use TTS3.10 on Win 7 32 bit and all TTS/Fortius software will work with Win 7 64 bit as well but you'll need to check the website for any issues with Win 8.

4kicks

RDW wrote:

surfatwork wrote:

The good thing about Win8 is that you dont really have to use the MetroUI. You can drop into a Win7 like interface pretty quickly and stay there.

Yes, this. The default settings are very annoying, but easy to fix. Install Classic Shell to provide a Start Menu etc.:

http://www.classicshell.net/

and use these settings to restore sanity:

http://www.intowindows.com/classic-shel ... windows-8/
http://www.howtogeek.com/127450/how-to- ... windows-8/

then assign common file types to desktop rather than Metro apps:

http://www.howtogeek.com/127559/how-to- ... windows-8/

A bit of a pain, but you should have it sorted out in 15 minutes. And at least it's not Vista:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC4vz6IbdtY

thats really helpful indeed, but the irony of having to reinstall and "fix" a product you just bought is so blatant, my next pc will be a mac!

ooermissus

SoloSuperia wrote:

Yes LINUX

A popular misconception is that it is geeky. Try "Ubuntu" rock solid OS just as easy/easier to use as Windows...

Yeah right - here's just part of the process for installing a commonly used program like spotify...

Click ‘Add’ [2] and paste the following the entry field of the box that appears:

deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free

Click ‘Add Source’ to confirm the change, then close Software Sources.

That's not geeky?

CiB

I'd vote for Linux too. D/l Ubuntu's latest version and run the installer. Out of the box it works fine and is as customisable as you want it to be, from no thanks to whoo-hoo.

It does everything you want from a PC - browsing, Office type functions (Word, Excel, PPT etc) and is a doddle to use. Why pay (more)?

mfin

For most of the necessary tweaks to get Windows 8 to work in desktop mode, I use Start8 by Stardock, its 5 dollars, but its better than some of the free ones, and puts a Start bar back on there too.

Only thing I do is select the option that disables the hot corners (top left and bottom right) that bring up the menu on the right of the screen.

Then its just a few moments of right clicking the odd file and setting the 'open with' default program to whats needed for some files that were 'throwing you back into metro' when you open them.

Ive done this with about 15 win8 installations now and don't know anyone not happy with it. Okay its 5 dollars for something Microsoft should have built in, but hey-ho, if you're the kind of person that moans about spending £3.50 on top of the price of the computer and software you're using then you'd probably be what's known as a moaning c______________________________ //[hangs up]

RDW

4kicks wrote:

thats really helpful indeed, but the irony of having to reinstall and "fix" a product you just bought is so blatant, my next pc will be a mac!

I think the default Win8 configuration is a sort of horribly misguided advertising campaign - by 'exposing' as many people as possible to Metro by making it the first thing they see when they boot the system, and unexpectedly switching to it through a filetype association, they hope everyone is going to go out and buy Windows tablets and phones. Never mind that it's going to annoy the hell out of all the desktop users without touchscreens who've been using the standard interface since Win95, and completely baffle inexperienced users (where have they hidden the shutdown button?). Easily fixed, but deeply silly that it's necessary, especially as the product underneath is pretty good, arguably the best version of Windows to date. A simple global 'desktop only' switch and an optional start button would have avoided all the bad publicity.

ooermissus

RDW wrote:

Never mind that it's going to annoy the hell out of all the desktop users without touchscreens who've been using the standard interface since Win95, and completely baffle inexperienced users (where have they hidden the shutdown button?).

It's not as if it works if you have a laptop with a touchscreen (like me). It's still a car crash.

ddraver

I have to say I'm getting used to it now....

That said I ve had to reset the computer twice in the 6 months I ve had it so the reliability of it is pretty dire!

sharky1029

Does Linux of any sort run the tacx software though.
And the installation of spotify is the just following instructions and copying and pasting so not tricky at all.
Most programs can be installed using the software centre which is far easier than a normal windows install wizard install.
The only problem is lack of programs to run including the software mentioned in the OP so it is completely irrelevant for this purpose.

Drfabulous0

sharky1029 wrote:

Does Linux of any sort run the tacx software though.
And the installation of spotify is the just following instructions and copying and pasting so not tricky at all.
Most programs can be installed using the software centre which is far easier than a normal windows install wizard install.
The only problem is lack of programs to run including the software mentioned in the OP so it is completely irrelevant for this purpose.

Golden Cheetah will happily run the Tacx Fortius in Ubuntu, there are other drivers available but some need compiling in the terminal rather than a software centre install.

smoggysteve

OP

PM me and I will tell you all you need to get the Windows 7 you have working.

sumosprintstar

I think Windows 8 is pretty good. I seem to be in a minority though.

4kicks

RDW wrote:

4kicks wrote:

thats really helpful indeed, but the irony of having to reinstall and "fix" a product you just bought is so blatant, my next pc will be a mac!

I think the default Win8 configuration is a sort of horribly misguided advertising campaign - by 'exposing' as many people as possible to Metro by making it the first thing they see when they boot the system, and unexpectedly switching to it through a filetype association, they hope everyone is going to go out and buy Windows tablets and phones. Never mind that it's going to annoy the hell out of all the desktop users without touchscreens who've been using the standard interface since Win95, and completely baffle inexperienced users (where have they hidden the shutdown button?). Easily fixed, but deeply silly that it's necessary, especially as the product underneath is pretty good, arguably the best version of Windows to date. A simple global 'desktop only' switch and an optional start button would have avoided all the bad publicity.

This. It presupposes that most, if not all, of its users will gladly submit to a Microsoft oligopoly moving you seamlessly through multiple Microsoft devices using Microsoft applications: The fact that I couldn't use its mail program out of the box (and Windows Mail/Live Mail no longer supported) without a Hotmail/msn email was the last nail in my Microsoft coffin.

Wirral_paul

SmoggySteve - you have PM

I've actually picked up a copy of Windows 8 Pro upgrade, although i checked this thread before opening the celophane (and do have 2 other computers it can go on). I'm hoping Windows 7 can be made to work though - so awaiting a reply from Steve ^^

Cheers
Paul

smoggysteve

Wirral_Paul wrote:

SmoggySteve - you have PM

I've actually picked up a copy of Windows 8 Pro upgrade, although i checked this thread before opening the celophane (and do have 2 other computers it can go on). I'm hoping Windows 7 can be made to work though - so awaiting a reply from Steve ^^

Cheers
Paul

Should be ok now. I have a PC running Win 7 Pro and its not had a problem. Even updates as normal.