I installed the Windows 7 Beta without much problem as a dual boot. I found printer installation clumsy since I have a couple of printers that require a full setup to be done rather than just loading a driver. Frankly, without my knowing to go get the .exe files from the printer websites, I would not have gotten that working.Three hardware devices do not work: an etoken USB, the TV tuner card, and the official Microsoft Fingerprint Reader. They work under Vista but not under Windows 7.Windows Help keeps informing that the connection to online help is lost and suggests hooking to the Internet. The system was, of course, connected. This is a particularly troubling problem with a new operating system.Networking worked fine; I did not delve into the homegroup concept since I assume that would be problematic with the Vista and XP systems that are happily networked.Finally, I cannot even install Adobe Reader 8.1.3 or 9 due to some Windows intallation errors.I sent details off through the Feedback and uninstalled Windows 7. At this point it looks like a buggy version of Vista. I assume the bugs will be fixed over time.

Herethe beta driver for the finger print reader as well as others.http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/windows7/support.mspxI must say that I disagree with you assessment of this operating system. I have tested many betas before and this is the most stable and trouble free. I have installed it on two modern systems both 64 and 32 bit and have had no problems.

Actually the fingerprint reader is not supported: Fingerprint Reader See the notes column for this product. No beta software is available. Fingerprint Reader is not supported on Windows 7.I was not arguing that this beta is better or worse than others only that it has too many limitations for me to continue working with it at this stage in its development. I evaluated it, passed on a number of problems to Microsoft, and uninstalled it.

I too thinkthis is one of the most stablebeta OS that I have tested. Install was flawless on a Dell M65 laptop built 02/2007 maybe newer hardware is the factor.

Hi dpx9922 Thanks for posting. Unfortunately, as with any beta product, there will be systems with combinations of hardware/software that will be problematic.Thanks for taking the time to install, evaluate, and report the problems. Regards, Ronnie Vernon MVP

There were plenty of compalints in the pre-beta about the Microsoft fingerprint reader, but maybe it isn't top priority with the development team. I have a Microsoft fingerprint reader but stopped using it because it dramatically slowed the boot time. I haven't even bothered to test it on Windows 7.I can't actually say i've had any major problems with this build; it is far stabler than any other windows operating system at this early stage in the beta programme. However, it is early and as each new build appears more problems will be solved and, inevitably, created. It is just a question of being patient John Barnett - Windows XP Associate Expert; Windows Desktop Experience. - Web: http://www.winuser.co.uk; Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org; Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

Just installed todayon multiboot system (3)XP Pro systems with (1)Vista Ultimate. Still have a lot of software to try, but so far, WINDOWS 7 ROCKS! Will it be convince me toloose XP? Won't know for a while, but so far heading that way. Boot up is fast. Surfing quick. Software installs so far have been trouble free also. Video card, (2) printers and webcam working perfect. I am missing my fingerprint reader though!I hopenot too long! Don't have any other cons yet! I'll see howeditingvideo goes! I have to agree, this is a very stable system so far!With all the nice extra features 7 has, it rivals XP's speed so far.

This is a Beta OS at the end of the day, issues in a large volume are to be expected. Everything that you've described here though doesn't seem that bad, inconvenient but nothing that won't be sorted in future builds in my view. The Vista Beta was far worse for me than the 7 Beta, for others the Vista Beta worked fine from the start. It's to be expected.My personal experience of the upgrade process was flawless. This is a very stable Beta OS, hats off to Microsoft.

I installed Beta 7 in a dual boot through Win XP flawlessly and easily. After "upgrading" to XP from Vista twice (first on Vista's initial availability and then again after giving Vista SP1 a shot) I must say that I am thoroughly IMPRESSED with Windows 7! I'm having a few issues with WMP, but other than that, it's been smooth sailing thus far. Everything configured correctly during installation, including my Canon 2600 printer. Well done Microsoft Windows 7 team; I'm looking forward to the final release!

im having problems with the sound. when i play some thing is sounds like its cuting off and in slow motion. any ideas? i reintalled the driver for the sound card like 3 times.

I've been using the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader for quite some time and I've never had any problems with it. It works just fine in this Win7 Beta and it worked fine in Vista Ultimate x86. Unlike Mr. Barnett, it had no effect on my boot time in Vista and doesn't seem to affect my boot time in Win7.It is the responsibility and duty of everyone to help the underprivileged and unfortunate among us.

I disagree, although this is the first beta OS I've tried, the 32bit version is more stable, more compatible, and faster than 64bit XP or Vista. I'm very impressed with this OS and will be buying 2 32bit copies the day it's released.

Installed on 2 of my systems, a laptop and desktop. Impressive. I really like the new interface and features. I will definitely upgrade to the RTM version. HOWEVER, this is a beta, and not yet ready for prime time. I am currently downgrading my desktop back to Vista. Laptop is next. Maybe the next release will be better.

OH, almost forgot. Downloaded the fingerprint reader beta software. Worked like a charm with my UPEK fingerprint reader.

I've got to disagree with the OP. This is one heck of a release and the gold code will probably be out sooner than expected due to the quality of this first beta.Asrock K8NF6P, AMD64 3200+, 1.5GB RAM, 500GB Maxtor SataII ,Asus 1814BLT optical

I agree with my posters here that this beta is one of the best betas to date. The only glitch I had with my upgrade from vista ultimate was that ZA IS was not compatible and blocked my Internet acces. Once I removed it all was well. I still have one issue left though and I posted it elsewhere with no response. My PC refuses to go to sleep.

dpx9922 said: I Windows Help keeps informing that the connection to online help is lost and suggests hooking to the Internet. The system was, of course, connected. This is a particularly troubling problem with a new operating system.That's not new.XP's H & S does it too. The problem is that the connection is not really on a LAN but the application seems to think that it is. E.g. one way that I can get XP's H & S to connect is to disconnect my DSL PPPoE and redial. H & S can then open as the first session on the new connection. OE and IE havea related symptom at times which is why I have OE configured to dial the the PPPoE connection explicitly (e.g. instead of using its Any Connection setting.) That seems to help IE from getting into its problem stateas often too.I think the problem will be that some of the timeout values involved in those connection setups are too small and that they aren't exposed for user modification but I haven't really found anything that supports this idea. User diagnostics in XP Networking to really understand what is going on seem non-existent. Perhaps this will improve in W7?Robert Aldwinckle---

I installed Win 7 on a multi-boot PC with XP64 and Vista 64. So far I really like it. I have tested many betas in the past and I must say this one rocks. The only thing I am having a problem with is getting printer drivers. I have a lexmark x6150 and I tried downloading the vista64 bit drivers and installing them with vista compatablility but it wouldn't install. I got the x-fi drivers to work doing that but not the printer drivers. But overall, I have found it to work without any major issues.

It's a beta and not an evaluation version. With that said, beta testing is not only about testing the functionality of the software, but finding ways to break the software and report back. And I have to say, so far, I haven't been able to break anything major in either the 32-bit or 64-bit version. So this is good. Actually, it took a DOA hard drive assigned to a RAID 0 array to make Windows 7 crash. Impressive.

awkenney said: It's a beta and not an evaluation version. With that said, beta testing is not only about testing the functionality of the software, but finding ways to break the software and report back. And I have to say, so far, I haven't been able to break anything major in either the 32-bit or 64-bit version. So this is good. Actually, it took a DOA hard drive assigned to a RAID 0 array to make Windows 7 crash. Impressive. Well said, I have managed to break it today and will let MS know the exact steps I used when I finish my moderation duties on various sites.PS System restore works, had to use it today !Asrock K8NF6P, AMD64 3200+, 1.5GB RAM, 500GB Maxtor SataII ,Asus 1814BLT optical

This is one of the best betas that I have ever used. I actually decided to be brave and run this on my production workstation. So far I have everything that I use installed and running (with much less resources I might add). Kudos Microsoft, Windows 7 has blow away my expectations.

Totally agree, I did have it in a dual boot scenario but bit the bullet and did an upgrade over my Vista x64installation with no problems. Over the weekend I will be doing a clean install and hopefully that get rid of the few (DID YOU HEAR THAT MS? FEW) wrinkles I've got. This puppy is going to go gold sooner than expected.Asrock K8NF6P, AMD64 3200+, 1.5GB RAM, 500GB Maxtor SataII ,Asus 1814BLT optical

It totaly agree. If this windows 7 builddid not have the beta label on it, the average person could easily think it was a retail version. I installed windows 7 on my older dell inspiron laptopwith only 1gb of ram but even with aero enabled it uses less resources than the Vista Home Basic that it shipped with.Installing all my other devices was a real breeze and besides a few IE8 issues W7 has been smooth sailing. If the RTM is as stable as the beta or better ,XP hold-outs will have no reason not to upgrade.

At the risk of seeming like a wet blanket, I'd have to say that I'm a little underwhelmed so far, at least after hearing all the hype from some early users of the Win 7 beta ("installed flawlessly on my 4 year old xxx in 18 minutes" , "it's FAST" etc.). From the point of view of a long time (2 years, anyway) and mostly satisfied Vista user (which came pre-installed on an HP laptop I bought back in Feb, '07) I really couldn't identify with all the Vista haters-- my Vista machine almost never, ever crashed, the apps I put on it (Quicken, TiVo desktop, some video editing tools) worked as expected, and once I upgraded to 2GB ram, performance was pretty good. Hibernate and suspendquickly andflawlessly-- always hit or miss prospect on my XP desktop.Only one thing with Vista really annoyed me-- while my ancient HP 895Cxi printer installed flawlessly, my years-newer Dell 942 all-in-one just wouldn't install, even after days of trying. Surely a problem with Dell's drivers (even with the updates and supposed workarounds-- something to do with traces of an older driver left behind) but even when updated drivers were delivered by Windows Update the darn thing never would work (constant "spooler not started" messages). I even read an article (in the Seattle Times online, as I recall) about some guy with a similar experience (Dell printer too) that actually gotpersonalhelp from some Redmond developers to get it going. I wasn't so lucky.With Vista SP1, things went downhill... Hibernate and sleep now resulted in frequent BSOD's. Dell 942 still wouldn't install... and nothing seemed really improved (agreed, I didn't have that many complaints to begin with). Beta testing Vista SP2, I experienced the same problems with hibernate andsleep and duly reported them on Microsoft Connect. "Wont fix" was the reply. I assumedtheir resources were better spent on Win 7... how could I argue otherwise (even though there are *many* reports of problems with Vista hibernate and sleep on a variety of platforms).So after readinglots of press about howmuch improved Win 7is overVista (including the 18 minute install claim, I kid you not) I downloaded and installed it onmy Vista laptop. Result was like taking a cold shower-- in all fairness, I knewit wouldn't install in 18 minutes. I chose "upgrade" and watched the machine chug for 2 hours 40 minutes. Ok, I understand thereis a *lot* of work to do in migrating the applications.But the problem is, the general public might not....It's quick enough to boot, but (am I the only one that had a decently performing Vista GA machine?) not remarkably quicker than it was before.. I like the Aero and taskbarenhancements, but honestly those are theonly notable enhancementsover Vista (at least among those an average user might notice, setting aside claims of drastically improved performance).'More troubling, Win 7 beta's hibernate/sleep worked (or should I say failed to work) in the exact same broken fashion as Vista SP1...and the Dell 942 driversstill won't install. I hesitate to mention (since I *do* realize this is only a beta, and never intended for wide spread distribution) that the upgrade installation also failed to find the wireless and built in ethernet adapters in my PC. None of the device driver and chipset driver installations I did would fix it (my wireless issue was resolved by re-doing the installation using the 'custom' path). Since there is no way to formally report issues to Microsoft, (who can blaim them for not taking problem reports from 2.5 million testers)I can only hope that somehow they are getting credible feedback on the quality of the 'upgrade' experience on relatively recent 'designed for Vista' hardware. HP must have shipped a dozen dozenthousand of those Pavillion dv2000z laptops, after all...Don't get me wrong, I like what I see in Windows 7 (and still think Vista got a bum rap).But I'm baffled by all the people that "passed on Vista because of all the bad press" but are blown away by the Win 7 beta. It's snappy and seems solid, but the couple of ugly warts I saw in Vista that are popping up in Win 7make it clear to methat it is in no way a 'from the ground up' new OS in the sense that Vista was.And that's not a criticism--theplumbing it inherits from Vista is fine.Probably the people that hated Vista (when they tried it on the ir 512MB desktop) will love how Win 7 runs on their4GBnotebook. No wonder. But it seems to me that Windows 7is more like a super service pack for Vista, with improved shell.To erase that impression, IMHO it better fix the things thatgot really broken in Vista (like power management) or the general public's expectations may be getting set WAY too high.

Burdy said: At the risk of seeming like a wet blanket, I'd have to say that I'm a little underwhelmed so far, at least after hearing all the hype from some early users of the Win 7 beta ("installed flawlessly on my 4 year old xxx in 18 minutes" , "it's FAST" etc.). From the point of view of a long time (2 years, anyway) and mostly satisfied Vista user (which came pre-installed on an HP laptop I bought back in Feb, '07) I really couldn't identify with all the Vista haters-- my Vista machine almost never, ever crashed, the apps I put on it (Quicken, TiVo desktop, some video editing tools) worked as expected, and once I upgraded to 2GB ram, performance was pretty good. Hibernate and suspendquickly andflawlessly-- always hit or miss prospect on my XP desktop.Only one thing with Vista really annoyed me-- while my ancient HP 895Cxi printer installed flawlessly, my years-newer Dell 942 all-in-one just wouldn't install, even after days of trying. Surely a problem with Dell's drivers (even with the updates and supposed workarounds-- something to do with traces of an older driver left behind) but even when updated drivers were delivered by Windows Update the darn thing never would work (constant "spooler not started" messages). I even read an article (in the Seattle Times online, as I recall) about some guy with a similar experience (Dell printer too) that actually gotpersonalhelp from some Redmond developers to get it going. I wasn't so lucky.With Vista SP1, things went downhill... Hibernate and sleep now resulted in frequent BSOD's. Dell 942 still wouldn't install... and nothing seemed really improved (agreed, I didn't have that many complaints to begin with). Beta testing Vista SP2, I experienced the same problems with hibernate andsleep and duly reported them on Microsoft Connect. "Wont fix" was the reply. I assumedtheir resources were better spent on Win 7... how could I argue otherwise (even though there are *many* reports of problems with Vista hibernate and sleep on a variety of platforms).So after readinglots of press about howmuch improved Win 7is overVista (including the 18 minute install claim, I kid you not) I downloaded and installed it onmy Vista laptop. Result was like taking a cold shower-- in all fairness, I knewit wouldn't install in 18 minutes. I chose "upgrade" and watched the machine chug for 2 hours 40 minutes. Ok, I understand thereis a *lot* of work to do in migrating the applications.But the problem is, the general public might not....It's quick enough to boot, but (am I the only one that had a decently performing Vista GA machine?) not remarkably quicker than it was before.. I like the Aero and taskbarenhancements, but honestly those are theonly notable enhancementsover Vista (at least among those an average user might notice, setting aside claims of drastically improved performance).'More troubling, Win 7 beta's hibernate/sleep worked (or should I say failed to work) in the exact same broken fashion as Vista SP1...and the Dell 942 driversstill won't install. I hesitate to mention (since I *do* realize this is only a beta, and never intended for wide spread distribution) that the upgrade installation also failed to find the wireless and built in ethernet adapters in my PC. None of the device driver and chipset driver installations I did would fix it (my wireless issue was resolved by re-doing the installation using the 'custom' path). Since there is no way to formally report issues to Microsoft, (who can blaim them for not taking problem reports from 2.5 million testers)I can only hope that somehow they are getting credible feedback on the quality of the 'upgrade' experience on relatively recent 'designed for Vista' hardware. HP must have shipped a dozen dozenthousand of those Pavillion dv2000z laptops, after all...Don't get me wrong, I like what I see in Windows 7 (and still think Vista got a bum rap).But I'm baffled by all the people that "passed on Vista because of all the bad press" but are blown away by the Win 7 beta. It's snappy and seems solid, but the couple of ugly warts I saw in Vista that are popping up in Win 7make it clear to methat it is in no way a 'from the ground up' new OS in the sense that Vista was.And that's not a criticism--theplumbing it inherits from Vista is fine.Probably the people that hated Vista (when they tried it on the ir 512MB desktop) will love how Win 7 runs on their4GBnotebook. No wonder. But it seems to me that Windows 7is more like a super service pack for Vista, with improved shell.To erase that impression, IMHO it better fix the things thatgot really broken in Vista (like power management) or the general public's expectations may be getting set WAY too high. Burdy, don't misunderstand my statement. I have been using Vista since its Beta and have loved every second of it. I just happen to love the new Windows 7 features more. What I do for a living is irrelevant except to say that I am afforded the opportunity to speak with a lot of people about Vista and I always ask the Vista haters the same question. Have you used it? Not have you seen it or what do you know about it. I would estimate almost 99% of the time they have not even used Vista, so I agree that Vista got a lot of bad press.