Thinking of replacing W7 64bit with the W8 preview. Need feedback

[windude99]

If I were you, stick with Windows 7 until Windows 8 is in the stores. Most likely, with all of the new Metro stuff, wait for service pack 1, so you know all of the major bugs will be fixed.

 

[JCClouser]

Under "normal" circumstances, does the driver installer also install software too, like an .exe that starts with Windows?

If so, try just running that .exe off of your already installed 7 partition. If that works well, try copying the folder that holds that .exe to a permanent place on your 8, then add the .exe to autostart with Windows 8.

To keep this thread in line with the OP, I know longer have a Win 7 partition. I installed Win 8 originally as a dual boot with Win 7, played with it for a week, and uninstalled 8. Fixed my corrupted boot manager with EasyBCD.

This is the first dual boot I've ever done...The learning curve and all that. I then did the whole dual boot from scratch again to make sure I knew what I was doing. Didn't want to load all my software in Win 8 to test how it all worked together, so I next just upgraded my Win 7 (no dual boot). Everything was cool, so I did a Win 8 refresh, which basically gets rid of most vestiges of 7.
That's when the keyboard driver would no longer work and I tried reinstalling it, with resulting errors.

Gman, to answer your question, yes, once installed the OS loads a keyboard driver stub at startup. This maps all the extra keys for media control and a few other functions. Essentially I then have a 125-key keyboard.

John

 

[GMan]

Do you have a link to the driver installer? I'll see what I can do with it for ya - maybe extract the driver stub software or something.

 

[JCClouser]

Here's the link...Original HP Multimedia Keyboard Driver - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

Thanks for your help!!!

John

 

[Vince53]

My advice to anybody who is considering getting rid of Win 7 in favor of the Win 8 Preview is not to do it. I have Win 8 on a virtual machine AND on a separate partition. I like it better than 7, but there are some things 7 does better. A few months ago, we had people writing in that they had installed 8 over 7 and now they wanted to go back and were having trouble.

And if you can't figure out how to install a VM or another partition, for $20 your local computer store will do it for you.

 

[area 66]

My advice to anybody who is considering getting rid of Win 7 in favor of the Win 8 Preview is not to do it. .

you right, you don't install a preview or beta as the only OS, I have it in VM and on a test PC.

. for $20 your local computer store will do it for you.

You have shops who make $ 20 work ? If I don't install the OS, I don't make partitioning, and it cost more than $ 20.

 

[Vince53]

You have shops who make $ 20 work ? If I don't install the OS, I don't make partitioning, and it cost more than $ 20.

Well, uhm, you have to live in Mexico.

 

[Coke Robot]

To add a pro to the list, boot times are ALWAYS, 99% consistent. I've been testing Windows 8 since the Developer Preview release back in September, and every restart I've done both in the Developer and Consumer Previews; they are always at the same time. Three full turns of that little loading circle animation (I know, very archaic way of measuring a boot time) and I get to the Welcome screen and a few seconds later, a glorious startup sound I added in plays and my cool blue tiles on a black background appear.


In Windows 7, I CAN achieve that fast boot time, but that means I have to do additional maintenance to get that.

Windows 8 already does that.