Windows 7!

Hi, everyone!

I'm in the process of purchasing a new computer. It comes with Windows Vista Home Premium and a free Windows v.7.0 Upgrade - 64-bit.

Is anyone currently using the 64-bit version of Windows 7 and, if so, are you having trouble playing any of the computer games, or would the 32-bit version be better?

I'm going to hang onto my current WinXP system, but the reason I'm buying a new one is because this one just isn't cutting it anymore.

Thanks for your input.

Susan

Susie, I'm using the 32-bit version of the Windows 7 RC. When you get your free upgrade, from what I understand, it will have both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions on the disk.

The 32-bit version is playing games quite well. I've really been quite surprised with how well it does. So far, the only game I had to go to my XP hard drive to play is Zanzarah. I haven't done much trouble shooting with it, but so far it plays pretty much everything I've thrown at it.

Hi, Draclvr!

Thanks for your response. The system I'm buying should be more than capable of running the 64-bit version of Windows 7, but I don't want it if I'm going to run into problems with my computer games. I plan to hang onto my current WinXP system, but I just bought "Still Life 2" and can't get it to load because my video card isn't capable of rendering Pixel Shader 2.0, so I'll have to wait until my new computer arrives to play it.

I assume if I choose to install the 32-bit version of Windows 7, I can't change my mind down the road and switch to the 64-bit version, or can I?

Everyone who is running Windows 7 seems to like it much better than Vista, so I'll only have to suffer for a couple of months !

Susan

I don't know the answer to whether you'll be able to switch between the versions. It could be that one of the FAQs on the Microsoft website will clarify.

I've certainly been pleasantly suprised at how much I like this OS... Especially since I was prepared to dislike it as much as I do Vista!

Hi, Draclvr!

I'll read up on the different versions of Windows 7 on Microsoft's website and, hopefully, will find the answer to my question.

At least I'll only be stuck with Visa for less than 2 months because I probably won't be getting my new computer until the beginning of September.

BTW, I love your saying at the end of your posts. Now I know what to do with all those tomatoes I'm getting out of my garden !

Susan

Yes, my 104 tomato plants are providing plenty of distraction for me right now!

Susie07, I am running the 64 bit, and my games are working very well for the most part, however I have had some problems with certain games. The Longest Journey won't run properly - it freezes up on the opening scene and won't go any farther than that - and Grim Fandango won't even install.

Strangely enough, some older games like Gabriel Knight 2 and the King's Quests work perfectly fine, as long as you install DOSBox. (I've also applied the patches so I can run them more easily.)

I am not sure which games you are looking to install, but I thought providing you with some examples might help.

I am hoping that patches will eventually be made in order to run the games that won't work on Win 7 (they are two of my all time favorites ), but in the meantime, most everything works beautifully, and like Draclvr, I love this OS in general.

Interesting, venus. Grim Fandango is playing perfectly on my 32-bit Windows 7. I am glad to hear most games are playing for you as I am leaning towards installing the 64-bit when I get my upgrade in October.

Hi, Draclvr and Venus!

Draclvr, 104 tomatoe plants? WOW! I bought 2 twin packs of those "topsy turvy" hanging thingies (2 for tomatoes and 2 for cucumbers), but our Summer has been cold and damp up until a couple of weeks ago, so my tomatoes are just starting to ripen now. I hung 2 cucumber plants from the other 2 "topsy turvy" hanging thingies and I'm also starting to get cucumbers.

venus, thanks for letting me know about your experience with 64-bit Windows 7. At the moment, TLJ is being held hostage by my old Win98 computer because I was in the middle of replaying when it died, as in it won't even turn on. All I have to do is figure out how to pry open the CD drive without power, and I'm all set. If I can replay my old Gabriel Knight, Tex Murphy and Nancy Drew games as well as a few other old favorites, I'll be a happy camper. It seems as though Windows 7 is more stable and compatible than Vista, which is probably why Microsoft came out with Windows 7 in the first place !

Susan

@ Venus - you might have more succes with this Grim Fandango installer for x64 Windows

@ nanette - Thank you! It worked! It was a bit of a challenge, however. The launcher installed the game but would not run it. Once the game was installed, I had to run it with its native launcher and use Windows '98 compatibility, but it's working flawlessly now.

Now if anyone knows how to run The Longest Journey in 64-bit Windows, that would be great.

@ Susie07 - Wow, I'm sorry you can't eject TLJ! Have you tried disassembling the computer and seeing if you can get it out that way? As for the other games you mentioned, they all should work as far as I know. I can tell you for a certainty that all the Gabriel Knight games work for me, and GK3 does not even require a patch. Oh, and I'm not sure about Still Life 2 as I don't have it yet, but if you install the first SL, make sure you run it in NT 4.0 compatibility. I thought the game wasn't going to work initially, but when I switched it to this mode, it worked beautifully.

@ Draclvr - I definitely recommend the 64-bit. Granted, I've had a few small issues, but the world of patches should catch up eventually , and I believe it is probably better in the long run as most everything will probably be made for 64-bit eventually.

Hi Susie,

I have been running win 7 32 & 64 bit for many months and vista 32 bit for a couple years on a couple of machines..I have not run into any issues that could not be remedied by running the game/program in compatibility mode.

The biggest reason / difference to run 64 bit would be the ability for the computer to address more memory, so If you ever want to install more than 3 GB of RAM you will need 64 bit.
If your new computer will have 4 or more gb installed it will probably have 64 vista SP2 installed......Run all your favorite software and any hardware you use on a daily basis and if that works out then you have your answer.....If it works on vista in theory it will/ should work on win 7 .

Another option would be to run win 7 64 for a month without activating it......if you run into any serious issues than simply go to 32 bit, but from what i understand you are able to install 64 bit than back to 32 bit on the same machine....

The cons for 64 bit are no 16 bit programs will run, 32 bit programs may have problems but very few . Drivers may not be available for some older hardware.

i am away from home where i have my list of many games/programs/hardware that i have installed without issue..

But since you will have the latest hardware and assuming drivers are available for the rest of your hardware , then it may be worthwhile taking the step up to a 64 bit OS....we will all be moving to 64bit soon enough.....FWIW Windows 7 in any flavor is a winner .....

I sure hoped this helped
Take Care

P.S.
@Venus:
I am currently running The Longest Journey my laptop using win 7 RC1 64 bit on a duo core t5800 with 4 GBs so far after about 3 hours of play with no issues. If you are using the 4 cd version , i needed to Copy MFC42.DLL, msvcirt.DLL, and msvcp60.DLL from Disc One into your TLJ installation folder and run game.

It should be working now (at least for me it is)

Thanks for all the info, patchman, it was informative for me as well.

About TLJ - I am running the two disk version, unfortunately. Do you think the same thing would work for me? I have no problems installing the game, it just won't run properly. Do you think I would have any better luck with the Dreamfall Game of the Year edition? I was thinking of purchasing this, as I know TLJ is included.

Yup, I put 4 GB of RAM in this computer I built this spring and I would like to make use of it, so I am leaning toward the 64-bit.

Hi, Venus and patchman!

Venus, I guess I've got nothing to lose by trying to take my old Win98 computer apart and rescuing my TLJ CD because, right now, it's just a big old doorstop ! I'll also keep in mind the "compatibility mode" when I get my new system.

patchman, thank you SO much for your input and it definitely helped. My new system will have 12GB of RAM and comes with Vista Home Premium, so I assume I won't have any trouble obtaining Windows 7 drivers when the time comes to use my free upgrade.

FYI (and anyone else who is interested), here's the specs for my new machine.

1 Asus P6T Ci7 IntelX58 ICH10R LGA1366 DDR3 PCIE SATA2
8CH Audio ATX
1 Intel Core i7 920 Processor - 2.66GHz, 8MB L3 Cache, 4.8GT/s
QPI, HyperThreading, LGA 1366 45nm
1 Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black SATA II Hard Drive -
7200rpm - Serial ATA/300 - Internal
1 13019 Western Digital 160GB SATAII 7200RPM 8MB 3.5in Hard Drive
3 Kingston 4GB 1333MHz DDR3-1333/PC3-10667 - Non-ECC -
DDR3 SDRAM - 240-pin DIMM Memory Module
1 Asus ATI Radeon HD4870 1GB DDR5 2DVI-I HDTV HDCP
PCIE2.0
1 LG Electronics 6X Super Multi Blu-Ray Serial ATA Disc
Rewriter - Store and Playback up to 50GB of High Definition
1 Antec Sonata III Front Mounted USB eSATA 500W 9 Drive Bays
Standard ATX Sonata III
1 26012 Creative Sound Blaster X-FI Xtreme Gamer
1 22003 US Robotic 56K PCI V.92 FaxModem USR265670
1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OEM with Service Pack
1 and With Free Windows v.7.0 Upgrade - 64-bit
1 Logitech Z-5500 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System
1 LG Flatron 24" WideScreen TFT LCD Monitor - 1920 x 1200 -
16:10 - 5m
1 Logitech Ms - 2000:1 - Black
Cordless Desktop Revolution Keyboard and
Mouse w/Bluetooth Technology

Since I really don't have any use for a cordless mouse and keyboard or Bluetooth technology, I'm trying to find a USB keyboard and mouse that will meet my needs, and I also plan to get an internal media card reader.

I plan to hang onto this computer just for gaming and hope to install Win98 on my second drive, so I should have all of my bases covered.

Susan

THAT is a sweet machine, susie! I came close to going with the i7 920 processor when I built this machine last February. Maybe the next one! Of course, by then they will have come out with something even better...

Hi, Draclvr!

Thanks! I know exactly what you mean about someone coming out with bigger and better a few months later. When I bought a new computer in 1995 with a smoking 90MHz Pentium processor, it was the fastest on the market. We both know how long that lasted !

Once I decide on a USB keyboard and mouse (they recommended cordless with Bluetooth technology, but I really have no need for either), I'll place my order and, hopefully, won't have to wait too long. From the various comments I've read about Vista, I'll be upgrading to Windows 7 the first chance I get.

Susan

Susie, I had a laptop custom made 3 years ago just for gaming and it is now at best buy for diagnositcs....keep getting horizontal dots and black screen....I am so upset about it since it cost me $2400.00. I hope it isnt anything toooo serious. So, anyway, I was looking at laptops at BB today to see what is out there without going to the extreme of having one built.

My question is where are you buying yours? If this puppy is already built sign me up....lolol.

After reading the posts about windows 7 and 64 bit, I am not as frightened of the new operating system. Still a little leary since I have had no problems with XP and 32 bit.

I have a desktop puter so maybe I will upgrade it (keeping xp and 32 bit) with new hardware and use that if I have a problem with any games in 7.

This has been an extremely helpful thread for all of us.

Eileen

Is this a laptop or desktop computer you are discussing?

If this is a desktop computer (not a laptop), most CD/DVD drives have a small pinhole in the front, just about the size to stick the end of an unbent paper clip in, that is supposed to be the emergency eject.

***Here*** <-- are some instructions.

And here's a youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjOBQWSjrg0

Hi, Eileen and Jenny!

Eileen, I'm sorry to hear about your laptop and I hope it doesn't turn out to be anything too serious. I've always bought desktops and have been extremely lucky because <touch wood> I've never had a problem with any of them.

My new system is a desktop, and I'm having it built by a local company. They've been in business for over 15 years and seem to be extremely knowledgeable. I did request specific brand names (like an Asus motherboard, ATI video card and Soundblaster sound card), but they came up with the specs themselves based on what I told them I used the computer for.

I've also had no problems with WinXP. In fact, IMHO, it's the best operating system Microsoft has come out with since DOS ! I know absolutely nothing about Windows 7, other than it's scheduled to be released on October 22nd and it's far superior to Vista (which, apparently, nobody likes). I've decided to give the 64-bit version a try and see how it goes because I'm sure, eventually, that will be the norm.

Jenny, thanks for the tip for opening my CD-ROM drive and rescuing TLJ. I'll hunt down my paperclips and give it a shot! I just took a close look at the drives on this computer and, sure enough, both have a pinhole. Who knew ?

Susan

Thank you Susie, I am having my desktop updated. I am going to stay with XP as I also think it is great. My laptop will have Windows 7 and hopefully I won't have a problem with games (knock on my desk).

If I have to have another laptop custom made I cant use the company I used before as they have gone out of business. Do you think the company you are using would build one and/or give me a ball park figure on how much it would cost?

I am looking at laptops in the stores but I am not reall happy with what they have pre-installed. I just don't think they will do the job for gaming. I also want to have the latest Nvidea card for when Direct X goes to 10.

Thank you, Eileen

It's a long way from Ontario, Canada to Naples, Florida, Eileen. But you never know!

Hi, Eileen!

Unfortunately, I don't think you can still get WinXP on new computers because most come with Windows Vista preinstalled, but there may still be a few places that will install WinXP. Mine will have Vista Home Premium preinstalled with a free Windows 7 upgrade.

The company who's building my computer is located in Toronto, but I'm sure if you do some research, you'll be able to find someone reputable in Florida who will build one to your specs.

I went this route because the major computer manufacturers (HP, Dell, etc.) always preinstall software I neither want nor need, and they usually provide a recovery disk that restores your system to its original factory configuration instead of the original disks for the operating system and hardware. Also, many models have integrated motherboard video and sound chipsets instead of stand-alone cards. Dell computers can be customized to a certain extent but, by the time you're through, the computer ends up costing as much as having one built from scratch where you get exactly what you want.

Susan

We purchased 2 weeks ago a Dell that came with XP Pro installed. They also have an option to not install any of the extra cruft they usually put on computers.

Howdy everyone, just checking on the posting functions, we had a hiccup earlier.

Hi, the last laptop I had custom made came from CA to Florida...lolol....so I dont think Ontario, Canada would be a problem. The cost for shipping might be prohibitive...lolol.

I had the laptop built for the same reasons you had your desktop done. Thank you so much for the conversation, as I said before this thread really is informative and timely.

Eileen

Susie07, I hope you are able to rescue TLJ! Maybe if you figure out how to get it running on the 64-bit, you can let me know. Do you have the two or the four disk version?

That's great that the company you are working with can give you exactly what you want. I know exactly what you mean about the recovery disk issue, as I've just been through that myself. One of the many reasons I got Win 7 installed in the first place. Does the company you are working with also provide you with a warranty or would you have to pay for any issues you may have yourself?

There are a series of patches for the 2-disc version.
http://www.longestjourney.com/help/patches/
The latest one is probably all you'd need.

That doesn't mean that the 4-disc version doesn't need new patches, just that they don't support that version with up to date patches anymore. The only patch for the 4-disc version that they have is the one for the Police Station, that was made around the time the game came out.

Thanks, Jenny100, but I've tried the patch already, and it didn't work for me. Do you think that it would be worth purchasing the Dreamfall Game of the Year Edition? I know TLJ is included, and it may be more updated to run on modern systems.


EDIT: Never mind. I don't know what happened or why it was different this time - perhaps because I disabled the 3D shadows before I installed the patch? - but IT WORKED!!! The shadows don't look as nice, but at least the game runs, and that is the most important thing. Very happy now.

pry open the CD drive without power

There should be a small hole in the side of the drive that will open it...hmmm, I bet that when I post this I will find that a million others have made the same suggestion. Anyway, I hope it works for you, it did for me.

OOPS, seee Jenny already told you how, sorry to be repetitive, should have taken time to read much further.

Hi, Ellen, venus and Jody319!

Ellen, You're very welcome for the conversation. I found it informative as well. I have no idea how much it would cost to ship a computer from Canada to Florida, but I'd worry more about Customs charges than shipping costs. If US Customs is anything like Canada Customs, they'll squeeze every dime out of you that they can get !

venus, I assume that my new system will have a warranty, but I'll discuss the details when I place my order. I examined the CD drive of my old Win98 computer and couldn't find any pinholes. Then I checked TLJ box and I have the 4-disk version but, much to my surprise, all 4 disk are there. If it wasn't TLJ, I wonder what game I was playing when the computer died !

Jody319, no need to apologize. Since I can't find any pinholes in the CD drive, I'm gonna open the case to see if it can be opened from the inside.

Susan

reading this post on TLJ I tried to install my dvd version under windows 7, installed fine & started okay until it came to the first video screen & then started blinking & then the screen blacks out. I can hear the audio of the fire. Tried the win 7 troubleshooters for compatability mode but non worked.

Cannot understand how it's not working under win 7 when it plays under vista.

Hi Plumgas,
I have installed TLJ on computers running win 7 RC1...I did not have to use any compatibility mode, but there are patches that may help ....I assume your using the 2 disc version...Jenny100 had this link that has the patch

http://www.longestjourney.com/help/patches/

Hope this helped

thanks but I have the dvd version with the patch already loaded.

Had a feeling it was a video problem due to the fact the game installed so well, so I tried a few different drivers & found the microsoft driver for nvidea worked . Seems the lastest 2 drivers for windows 7 do not work with this game.

driver 9038 & 9062 did not work but 8171 works.

actually 8618 also works, this driver includes the nvidea control panel which I needed for dreamfall to display full screen.

Hopefully all the other games will like this driver as well.

I had win 7 installed for a few months now but i hadn't installed any games on it as I was trying to keep them all on xp.

so far I have loaded up Lost via domus, TLJ, dreamfall & black dahlia (with no cd patch)
Gabriel knight 2 also plays okay.

Hi, Draclvr & anyone else who is interested!

I ordered my new computer on Tuesday and, hopefully, will have it early next week. I originally didn't want a wireless keyboard and mouse, but I tried them out and really liked them, so I decided to give them a try.

I'm keeping my six-year-old WinXP machine for gaming because there's nothing wrong with it, other than it's slowing down and can't handle some of the newer games. I have two hard drives, so I'm going to try to install Win98SE on my C: drive and WinXP on my D: drive. Thankfully, I still have all of the Win98 drivers for my hardware because this was a Win98 machine before I upgraded to WinXP.

Susan

Anyone installed W7 on a virtual machine? I tried it and it was dog slow so I uninstalled it only to find that I was supposed to turn on virtualisation in the BIOS. Oops. Would doing this make it run faster. Don`t fancy going through the install again if there will be little or no difference. I`ve got a dual core with 3 gigs (if that matters;)) Anyone with experience with VMs know what the BIOS setting actually does?

I have a VM up and running, and as you say - it runs slow... The BIOS setting enables Hardware Virtualization features.

is it working under games as I was under the impression it was only for applications & not for games.

If you're asking if Virtual PC is capable of supporting games - yes, it is. The only limitation is the emulated graphics card (it doesn't support 3D hardware acceleration). Other than that, you’re generally good to go.

I thought the BIOS setting helped with what the ***wikipedia*** calls "Type 1," "native," or "bare metal" virtualization (***Xen***, Hyper-V, or VMware ESXi) and not with the more familiar Type 2 ("hosted") virtualization (VirtualPC, VirtualBox, normal VMware).

This Windows7 topic is very good. I have throughly enjoyed all of the questions, answers and comments.

I got lots of good information from everyone, not to mention anwers to quetions I have had regarding the Windows7 upgrade.

It's been great

Thanks
June

I believe it is just that - As I understand it,Windows Virtual PC is not the same as Virtual PC 2007, and requires hardware virtualization.

I’m extremely familiar with the Mainframe hypervisor (I go all the way back to the IBM 360/158 days – my how time flies).

Hmmm...
I thought it was only an update to Virtual PC 2007, the way Virtual PC 2007 was an update to Virtual PC 2004. But apparently "Windows Virtual PC" only works on Windows 7 and it does require hardware virtualization.

I assume you could still use Virtual PC 2007 on Windows 7 (with older versions of Windows installed inside the virtual machine) if you didn't have (or didn't want to use) hardware virtualization.

Yes you can - Windows Virtual PC is only included with the High end versions of 7.

Do you know which is the best (fastest) VM software. I`d like to give win7 another go, and perhaps my old 95/98/win2000.

VirtualBox is supposed to be lightweight, but it doesn't work well with Windows 98. It's very slow because it isn't optimized for Windows 98 and they don't make video drivers for it.

But if you want a virtual machine for Windows 7, this guy used VirtualBox
http://blogs.sun.com/fatbloke/entry/windows_7_on_virtualbox

I've had success running Linux under Virtual Box, but that's about it - If you're going to run a Windows OS, stick with Virtual PC or VMware Player.

Of the two, Virtual PC is easier to initially set up, but VMware seems a bit more stable (and faster) with a modest amount of tweaking.

If internet access is a requirement under the guest, Virtual PC the clear winner (VMware has driver issues).

Well I gave it a go and was surprised how fast it is. Very usable indeed and way faster than when I gave VPC a try (although that might be down to the fact that I didnt have virtualisation turned on in the BIOS). Only problem is I cant get the sound to work:( Oh and IE 8 doesnt seem to remember my log in and pass from one Gameboomers page to the next. Dont use IE 8 (or any other version) on my Vista so dont know why that is.

There is an update to Virtual PC SP1 that I ran across today.

You can find it below:

Virtual PC 2007 SP1 Update

Got the sound to work. Downloaded Opera (never used it before) onto my VBox running Win 7 and it Zoooms!!. Looks like a very smart browser.