Hate to say it but Windows 7 sucks in my experience

True, but there are utilities that could port back the VHD but lets not even go there in this thread ... or any thread on this subject.

Well,I don't know how to install operating systems anyway. So if I bought a Windows CD I would not know how to install any version of Windows on my computer. The only thing I know how to do when Windows goes wrong is to do a system recovery. That is a factory restore by pressing the F11 or F3 key. Andrea Borman.

Originally Posted by Andrea Borman

I would not know how to install any version of Windows on my computer.

Have to get you helping on the BSOD forum then, that'll be two of us.

Originally Posted by Elmer

Have to get you helping on the BSOD forum then, that'll be two of us.

Really? Is that true Elmer that you are like me with computers and you don't know how to install operating systems?

Windows 7 make it easier to do a factory restore as you can access System Recovery direct from the Control Panel.

But on Windows XP and Windows Vista,you can only access it by pressing F11,F10,the key varies, according to the make of your computer. Andrea Borman.

Originally Posted by Andrea Borman

Really? Is that true Elmer that you are like me with computers and you don't know how to install operating systems?

I'll be honest, I haven't a jack of a clue. I just suggest things in the blue screen forum. If they don't answer within 2 days, I think, well that didn't work, so I'll not try it.

LMAO, you two must be best firends. Installing an OS is not hard. I could teach you the basics in a few hours. That will also include some Linux distrobutions. Don't get me wrong, you wont be able to shoot a fully customized install of Slackware or even Gentoo. Though you will be able to install RedHat/Fedora, Mandrake/Mandriva, Ubuntu as well as Windows from 98 to 7. If you can get the basics down and take a few notes, then you can start doing it yourself and the more you do it the easyer it gets. This is a service I am willing to provide...for a modist $1,024.64 an hour. Just kidding, but the offer is true. I can and will help if people want to learn how to install an OS.

I wonder, I have not seen this on the site, but I have not looked. What if I did a how to section for newbies. I could go through and run an install of Linux and Windows in a VM. Take screen shots and with the screen shots tell what is going on. I could even get into some easy ways to deul boot Windows and Linux. I would even go as far as to include Mac OS as well. I wonder if we would get in trouble for using a Hackintosh for that? Though this is just an idea, I wont do any of it till I get Mike's okay first.

Naiya
Have you tried using the virtual hard drive in Windows 7 yet? I don't mean a virtual machine Ultimate and Pro let you create a folder and use it to dual boot just like another partition. I tried it for the developer preview and it worked pretty good.
Joe

Joe, how does this process work? I haven't heard of this before, although I have seen in Services something referring to a virtual disk. I'm very interested in learning about this.

Cat

Originally Posted by NaiyaShamiso

LMAO, you two must be best firends. Installing an OS is not hard. I could teach you the basics in a few hours. That will also include some Linux distrobutions. Don't get me wrong, you wont be able to shoot a fully customized install of Slackware or even Gentoo. Though you will be able to install RedHat/Fedora, Mandrake/Mandriva, Ubuntu as well as Windows from 98 to 7. If you can get the basics down and take a few notes, then you can start doing it yourself and the more you do it the easyer it gets. This is a service I am willing to provide...for a modist $1,024.64 an hour. Just kidding, but the offer is true. I can and will help if people want to learn how to install an OS.

I wonder, I have not seen this on the site, but I have not looked. What if I did a how to section for newbies. I could go through and run an install of Linux and Windows in a VM. Take screen shots and with the screen shots tell what is going on. I could even get into some easy ways to deul boot Windows and Linux. I would even go as far as to include Mac OS as well. I wonder if we would get in trouble for using a Hackintosh for that? Though this is just an idea, I wont do any of it till I get Mike's okay first.

Would be worth writing a tutorial about it.

Since Windows XP was released, we've had a great way to recover from those occasional 'Ooooops!' that seem inevitable, the more you mess around with your OS.
The feature is known as "System Restore" and it's turned ON by default when Windows installs. And unless some #^$% turns it off, for whatever sick reason, it's right there to help you when something either you or a Windows Update had done to mess up your OS.
The 'System Restore' app is found in 'Programs>Accessories>System Tools -- System Restore'.
I use it often enough that I just keep a shortcut to it on my desktop.

As careful as I am, at least once a week, some @#%^ thing messes up my PC and I have to use System Restore to set things right again. NO data is affected, although a few electrons are inconvenienced in the process.

My System Restore points are so VERY valuable to me that I force a new Restore Point to be created every time I turn on the PC, using a little .reg script in my Startup folder.

Since some things can disable System Restore or even delete the Restore Points, I use "Erunt AutoBackup" also running in the Startup folder to make a backup of my Registry, every time I boot up my computer. I may get a lot of backups that I'll never need, but it's a lot better than having NO backup when I do need one.

Likewise, to take care of the "AWshitz" that go way beyond an "Ooooops", I do a weekly Ghost backup of my entire C: drive.
That backup can be to another internal drive, an external drive or even a DVD (x3). That's my disaster recovery.
There is NO Recovery partition on my PC, since I built the PC myself and installed the OS myself.

I think I've used Factory Restore twice in the past ten years. Once on a Toshiba Laptop where the owner started the setup, got confused and turned the PC off. When I got there to do the setup, after I'd already told him to not even turn it on till I got there, the little PC was in a constant boot loop. That was one of those "Awshitz" that I mentioned earlier.

I had to use the Factory Restore DVD that came with the PC to get back to where I needed to be, to finish the install.
Dang! I wish people would just do what I tell them! Life would be so much simpler. Eh?
* That factory restore DVD from Toshiba, was actually a Ghost backup of the factory setup for that Laptop.

The second time I used it was just recently, when I inherited an HP Slimline PC with a blown power supply.
After I replaced the power supply, Windows Vista did not want to boot. Since I really needed to wipe out all the previous owner's STUFF anyway, I just did a Factory Restore from the Recovery partition, on the hard drive, and it was like a brand new PC again.

In conclusion, using Factory Restore is only for Technicians or Geeks who need to make a PC like new again, or where Windows has gotten corrupted beyond repair, or for total novices who don't know how to do anything else. It can be almost like using dynamite to crack a walnut.

Windows 7 does have some built in "Repair" function, but it's not always sufficient. Ergo, the need for making frequent backups.

But once Win-7 is properly set up and maintained, a full recovery should not be required. But then, 'Schmitz' happens. Eh?

Cheers Mates!