[RealityRipple]

I've been using Win 7 x86 since it came out... Long story short, I downloaded 32 bit for VM use, then decided to install it for real on a secondary hard drive. Due to bandwidth limitations, I didn't download the 64 bit version until just five minutes ago. I've already got Windows XP x64 SP2 installed on my primary HDD.

My question is, which would be the best choice? Wipe the secondary drive and install Win 7 on it, upgrade XP x64 (if possible), upgrade 7 x86 (if possible), or back up my primary drive, wipe both of them, RAID them together (400 + 160), and install Win7 as the only OS? I honestly don't plan to use XP again until August.

[Judas]

i would advise against raiding a 160 and 400gb drive together....

i would get rid of win7 32bit and just installed win7..

you cannot upgrade win xp x64 to vista or win7... you justcan't..

[RealityRipple]

That's too bad... Should I keep XP on the primary HDD, or do you think an RC/second beta will be made public by the time August rolls around?

[Judas]

i haven't a clue really..

but i've been using windows 7 x64 as my main OS since the end of september start of october.... i find it that stable.

and all the drivers work great..... 8.12 catalyst, realtek R2.14, intel inf update utility doesn't work, but extracting it and manually installing the remaining chipset drivers worked without a hitch.

The only problem i'm getting isn't really specifically win7 related... it's a bit of a confusion between hdtv and video card...

[RealityRipple]

Hmm... I think I'll just wipe XP x64 out, format my secondary drive and use it as backup again, and just run 7 x64. If I need to use XP, I can use MS VPC. Thanks for the help!

[Zelig]

Honestly, I'd be hard pressed to recommend either XP x64 or 7 as a main OS.

XP x64 is just brutal for compatibility, and Windows 7 still feels solidly like a beta operating system.

[Syndicate2083]

I've been using 7 x64 as my primary since it went public and haven't had a single issue with it as an OS. It feels great, very smooth, and works with everything I've got hooked into it.

[RealityRipple]

All my hardware is 64 bit compatible. Drivers are never a problem, and as a software developer, application compatibility isn't an issue either.

Windows 7 is lovely except for a few minor issues.

[jychan28]

This is my experience: When people said about there was no problem about an Operating System, there were different standards or definitions of "no problem".

What is something that Windows 7 provides that Windows XP can't do and must have?

I am a computer junkie and everything in my machine has to be the latest and greatest. The cost of that is hours, hours, hours .... missing sleeping time and putting marriage on the rock.

Someday, MS would be sue for putting out half-cooked software and cause broken marriages or families .....

People with a millionth of a sane mind won't use a beta OS as their main OS unless nothing else is important in their life.

Bottom line: I installed Windows 7 on a brand new drive and spent a week with it and had to put back my XP drive in the machine and used VM to play with Win 7. When Win 7 won't load a driver or play with a software, that is the end and period. There is no any help on the Web can solve the problem. Of course, that is "not a problem" because you don't really need that to work.

[Sic Puppy]

Well I'm of sane mind and use it as my main OS. I have Vista as a 2nd OS for my webcam (crappy old one) and Battlefield 2 (problems with PunkBuster) only. Everything else works a treat on Windows 7. I have the odd random non responding IE8 but that is what comes with beta testing. You need to use it like it like your main OS or you're not going to find the every day use problems.
Don't like it? Don't use it !

[Judas]

IE8 problem is widespread.... mostly related to Flash 10 though which doesn't occur as often in IE7.. but does randomly occur.