Windows 7 updates - ALREADY!

Microsoft this week released the first stability and reliability update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on Windows Update. The patch resolves issues that affect some computers, reported by customers who use the Error Reporting service or Microsoft Customer Support Services. If you didn’t see this update on Windows Update, the update is also available for download from the Microsoft Download Center for: Windows 7 32-bit(15.9MB), Windows 7 64-bit (20.8MB), and Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit(20.8MB).

Microsoft has released stability and reliability updates for Windows 7 before, but those were for testers running builds 7000 (beta) and 7100 (RC). Microsoft plans to regularly release Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 stability and reliability updates, so this is the first of many to come. This update builds on those that preceded it, adding the following fixes:

• When you view a PDF file that was created by using an Office 2007 document, the PDF file is displayed on the screen correctly. However, when the document is printed, some characters are missing. This problem occurs in fonts such as Calibri, Cambria, Courier New, or Gabriola, in which characters such as “fi”, “ti”, “fl”, and other combinations are frequently presented as ligatures.
• In certain scenarios, an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message does not automatically tune to the appropriate channel in Windows Media Center.
• You connect a secondary monitor to a computer that is running Windows 7. When the computer resumes from hibernation, a black screen is displayed.
• In certain scenarios, the Windows 7 Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) diagnostic information settings are configured incorrectly for Windows Explorer. Only those users who are enrolled in the Windows 7 CEIP will be affected by this part of the update. This update limits the diagnostic information that can be collected by the CEIP.
• You put an x86-based computer that does not have Physical Address Extension (PAE) enabled into hibernation. However, it does not enter hibernation correctly. When you try to resume the computer from hibernation, a black screen is displayed. This issue does not affect x64-based or Itanium-based computers, or computers that have the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) feature enabled.
• A problem in Windows 7 affects the playback of certain media files in Windows Media Player, when Windows Media Player is started from Internet Explorer. Only those users whose media associations were changed incorrectly will be affected by this part of the update.
• On a computer that is running Windows 7, you use Internet Explorer to open the certificate enrollment webpage and to install an end entity certificate. However, the installation fails. This issue occurs if the certificate chain for the new certificate cannot be built, or if the root certification authority (CA) has not first been installed in the Trusted Roots on the computer.

Software - you've bought it (not licensed it)!

According to a story in The Register, a US Court has ruled that software companies cannot prevent purchasers from re-selling software, in effect disallowing the claim that only a licence to use the software has been sold to the purchaser.

This obviously has far-reaching implications, since the licensing of software is enshrined in all end-user agreements which purchasers have to sign when they install the software.

The court ruling arose from an action by Autodesk, who sued Timothy Vernor, who was selling legitimate copies of Autodesk software on eBay, for copyright infringement, claiming that it sells only licences to use its software and that those who pay for it do not necessarily have the right to sell it on.

The court ruled: ". . . the transfer of AutoCAD copies via the License is a transfer of ownership".

Windows 7 upgrade from XP - a possible solution

A message from the CEO of Laplink

On October 22, 2009, earlier than originally expected, Microsoft® will release worldwide its newest operating system Windows®7. Unlike the release of Windows Vista, the press and early testers seem to be in agreement that this version of Windows is the best yet.

Headlines and Reality

Public opinion has markedly changed towards Windows recently, and now even the most cautious analysts recommend upgrading to Windows 7 sooner rather than later. Whether you want to benefit from superior performance, improved ease-of-use, or new multimedia functionality, the biggest question is how to “get” to Windows 7. The easiest solution is to buy a new PC with Windows 7 pre-installed. But for many users, their hardware isn’t too old and will run Windows 7 just fine. In fact, one of the major improvements of Windows 7 over Vista is the need for less “horsepower“ – a PC that is working just fine with Windows XP or Vista will probably handle Windows 7 without any problems.

That’s why I expect many users will choose to upgrade their PC rather than buy a new one. Our data suggests that around 70% of computers are still running XP and a majority have PC’s that are Windows 7 compatible – they may not have upgraded to Vista in the past because it required greater hardware resources.

There is one catch, however. Microsoft does not support upgrading from XP to Windows 7.

If upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 and if you’re choosing a “like version” (say, Vista Home Premium 32-bit to Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit), then the upgrade Microsoft provides is smooth, easy and effective.

However, if you choose an “unlike version” of Vista (or any version of XP), you may have a problem. For example, let’s say you have Vista 32-bit and want to add RAM to your PC as part of the upgrade. You need a 64-bit version of Windows 7 to address more than 4 GB of RAM, which means you are upgrading to an “unlike version.” Or perhaps you want to move from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional. Again, this is an “unlike version.” In these situations (and many more), Microsoft will allow you to install an upgrade version of Windows 7, at the upgrade price, but requires you to do a “custom” install (not "upgrade"). This means you must copy all your data and applications to a safe place (external storage), install Windows 7, and then reinstall all your applications and copy back all your data.

I think there will be many confused and frustrated customers, because out of the 66 upgrade scenarios outlined by Microsoft, only 14 are supported by Windows 7 as an in-place upgrade. In reality, there are many other scenarios – even more than Microsoft has outlined, but the big issue will be XP to Windows 7. All of these “unsupported” scenarios require a custom install; no easy upgrade path available from Microsoft.

The Solution

That’s why we just released PCmover® Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant. It is the ONLY software program available that is able to facilitate a complete in-place upgrade to Windows 7 on a computer running Windows XP (or most other Windows versions as well). All programs, files and settings will remain the same as they were on the old operating system.

As you probably know, PCmover is the #1 selling software in the world to help move from an old PC to a new PC – all your programs, files, and settings are automatically transferred over. Since we have this “complete move” technology, we decided to modify it to handle an in-place upgrade scenario, which is similar to a normal migration – the old PC just becomes the new PC.

We will be selling PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant for about US $30, but we are offering “Windows 7 pre-release” pricing of $14.95 until October 22. (That’s about €12 or £10.) I am confident that if you buy this product, you will agree that it is money well spent!

My Personal Experience

Last week, I upgraded my business laptop from XP Professional to Windows 7 Ultimate. Naturally I used Laplink PCmover. Before I actually started the migration, I created an image of my hard drive to archive the entire PC. I used our new disk imaging software (Laplink DiskImage, which will be released publicly later this month) and saved a perfect copy of my system to an external hard drive. Using PCmover, I decided not to “move everything”, but de-selected those applications that I did not want to have anymore or that I knew were not going to work on Windows 7. I also de-selected some folders where I stored multimedia files that I had already copied to a portable hard drive.

Installing Windows 7 on the PC took nearly 20 GB of hard drive space (seemed like a lot to me). Then I ran PCmover again which restored my applications, settings and data automatically. It was pretty quick – and I didn’t have to find all my CDs, serial numbers or find the various programs I have downloaded off the Internet the past few years. Not having to reinstall 30-40 applications probably saved me 4-8 hours.

My experience wasn’t unique. Just last week, PCmover received the prestigious Editor’s Choice award from PC Magazine. The last paragraph says it all:

"Laplink PCmover is an impressive piece of software for those who want to move on to Microsoft's latest and much-praised new operating system without losing all their precious apps and settings. It's worth the price of purchase for Vista users, because it's better than what Microsoft offers, and it can be a life saver for XP users, who aren't supported at all. Some of its processes seem geared towards migrations between two machines as opposed to an in-place upgrade, but that's a minor inconvenience. I think Laplink has addressed what is possibly the biggest obstacle to anyone wanting to upgrade to Windows 7, and I can't recommend the software highly enough."

PCmover Editions

For all who move to Windows 7 by buying a new PC, the best solution for saving time, money and aggravation is to use the latest version of PCmover. It is the only program that moves all your selected applications, settings and data to your new PC.

PCmover comes in several different “editions” designed to meet your specific needs. In addition to the Upgrade Assistant, we continue to offer Professional (our flagship) and Home, which is so named because it meets the needs of most “home” users at a lower price.

We are also releasing PCmover Netbook Edition, which will have all the power of Professional but designed to work with Netbooks – also at a lower price.
And we will soon be releasing updated versions of Business and Enterprise, as we continue to provide money-saving solutions for organizations deploying new PCs.

Conclusion

Windows 7 is not all hype. This is a case where headlines and reality meet. It’s a good product but implementation can be a bit difficult. That’s why Laplink is working hard to smooth the bumps in the road, so you can more easily move to Windows 7 – which I highly recommend.

And whether you buy a new PC or upgrade your old PC, I thank you for considering buying PCmover to help you. I assure you that PCmover will save you time and money.

Sincerely,

Thomas Koll

CEO Laplink Software

P.S. Learn more about the different editions of PCmover. And remember that PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant has a special low price until October 22. Best of luck with using Windows 7!

Note:

Laplink.com add the following notes which should be borne in mind:

• PCmover Upgrade Assistant should be used only as intended and as described in the User Guide. If you attempt to use this product for unintended purposes, your computer may become unstable or unusable. If you have any questions, please visit technical support.
• Some programs on your old computer may not be compatible with a newer operating system.
• Files with Digital Rights Management (DRM) such as music files and programs that require keys or serial numbers with a hardware fingerprint may require reactivation.
• Some programs with unique copy protection may need to be reinstalled or reactivated with their original key or serial number.
• Be sure to deactivate programs with online-managed activation (such as various Adobe products and iTunes) before upgrading your operating system.
• Antivirus and Anti-Spyware programs may not be automatically installed on your new operating system
• Specific hardware drivers will not be moved to your new operating system.
• PCmover is not designed for migrations from newer operating systems to older operating systems. For example, we do not recommend attempting to migrate from a PC running Windows 7 to a PC running Windows XP as doing so may render your system unstable.
• Please note that PCmover Upgrade Assistant serial numbers are unique to PCmover Upgrade Assistant and will not work with other editions of PCmover.
• Windows 7 upgrade DVD is not included.

We have not yet evaluated this product. Reader reports would be welcomed.