In the previous article of this mini-series I described how to install Windows 7 x64 beta 1 into a virtual hard disk (VHD) file. In this post I will share some thoughts on what using Windows 7 x64 actually feels like. Continue reading ‘Eating Microsoft’s Dog Food – A Self-Experiment With Windows 7, Part 3: Usage’
Monthly Archive for March, 2009
In the first article of this mini-series I described how I prepared my work laptop for the installation of Windows 7 x64 beta 1 into a virtual hard disk (VHD) file. This post covers the installation itself.
At this point you may (rightly) ask: “Why yet another description of this process?” The answer is that most descriptions of how to install Windows 7 into a VHD do not work when it comes to installing the 64-bit version of Windows 7 on a computer with a 32-bit version of Windows Vista. In such a scenario the setup program refuses to make the repair option available, a necessary prerequisite to opening a command prompt. Necessary – really? Continue reading ‘Eating Microsoft’s Dog Food – A Self-Experiment With Windows 7, Part 2: Installation’
After reading a lot about the speed and stability of Windows 7 (beta 1), I decided it was time for me not only to use it for real work, but also to move from 32-bit Windows to a 64-bit installation. This mini-series serves as a documentation of the steps I took and the lessons I learned.
You may call me reckless for using a beta, and an early one at that, on my production system, and you may even be right – time will tell. But at least I am trying not to be negligent: I chose not to replace my Vista installation with Windows 7, but install Win7 into a virtual hard disk (VHD) file that can be located anywhere on an existing NTFS volume. Continue reading ‘Eating Microsoft’s Dog Food – A Self-Experiment With Windows 7, Part 1: Preparation’
My colleague Thorsten Christoffers has started blogging, mainly on topics related to Microsoft System Center. If you can read German, check out his first article on the Key Management Service (KMS) for Windows.
Thorsten, welcome to the small but growing community of bloggers at sepago!
Back in the old days, when 64-bit computing was still a novel concept and RISC vs. CISC wars were still fought, HP and Intel joined forces to develop the next-generation CPU. It would be 64-bit only and it would have a new type of architecture called EPIC. That was in 1994.
As the new partners soon found out, developing an entirely new type of CPU architecture is a major undertaking. Not only had they to design the CPU itself, but also new compiler capabilities were required. It did not help that HP and Intel, not having cooperated on such a large scale before, had differing priorities and company cultures. Continue reading ‘Itanium (IA-64), an Obituary’
Although the architecture of Windows x64 is still relatively young, Microsoft already changes it in Windows 7 by removing registry reflection. Just in case you wonder what I might be talking about: read up on 64-bit Windows in my detailed 7-part series whose last article explains registry reflection. Continue reading ‘Registry Reflection in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 x64? Gone for Good!’
Subtitle: Fighting Another Legacy of the NT Era
Hiding network shares by appending a dollar sign is a common practice among administrators. While by itself that is neither good nor bad, it is a perfect example of how customs establish themselves in the IT industry in exactly the same way they do in other subcultures. Putting it differently, another fine specimen of an IT legend. Continue reading ‘Do You Still Hide Your Share$?’
