iPad – Dot What?

It’s impressive the stuff you can do just by tapping and holding something on your iDevice. Take for example the other day when I was browsing around in Safari and accidentally held the “.com” key on the keyboard.

I got options for .net, .edu, .org, and even .us!

Just tap and hold the “.com” key and you’re good to go!

Give it a try next time you’re browsing – I’m sure it’ll save you some time! Works on other iDevices, too!

--- Nishad S S

Why not just reinstall from the “D” drive for Vista or Win 7. The “D” drive has a copy of the system as it existed when it came from the factory – doesn’t it?

I did not get any set up disks when I purchased my HP with Win 7 on it a year ago. I was told that the vendors now use the “D” in place of disks.

Why not? It’s probably the easiest way to do it, and the vendors who told you that computer manufacturers are now using a partition, called a “restore partition” on your hard drive to restore now rather than optical discs are correct. Probably the most important reason for this (from the manufacturer’s point of view) is that it costs less to use a restore partition than it does to manufacture optical discs. The reason that it’s good for us as computer users is because we frequently lose our restore discs. I can’t speak for anyone else, but the only way that I’ve really been able to keep track of them is when HP produced a PC that had a storage area for them on the computer case itself.

Here’s how you restore from a restore partition. Be sure to back your computer up before you do this. Odds are that you’ll be able to do what’s called a “non-destructive” restore that will allow you to keep all of your files intact, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

You’ll want to check and make sure that your computer includes a restore partition. All HPs and Dells manufactured within about the past five years or so include them, as do most other computers these days. You do this by clicking START and then COMPUTER. What you’re looking for is labeled “restore” or “recovery”.

Next, click START and then enter “recovery” into the search box. Click on RECOVERY MANAGER.

When you run the recovery manager, you’ll see a screen that looks something like the following. This is an HP screen, so if your machine is a different manufacturer, it may look different, but the options should be virtually identical.

If one of the original programs that came with your computer has become corrupt, you use SOFTWARE PROGRAM REINSTALLATION. MICROSOFT SYSTEM RESTORE will close the recovery manager and launch Microsoft’s system restore program to fix broken Windows. The final option here is REALLY the final option. SYSTEM RECOVERY is for when your system has become hopelessly corrupt and you need to start from scratch.

COMPUTER CHECKUP will check your system for errors and problems. If you’re not sure what’s wrong, this might be a good place to start.

RECOVERY MEDIA CREATION is for those who have a hard time leaving the 20th century and are just not comfortable unless they have a disc to lose. All kidding aside, this is a way to create external restore media, which should then be secured somewhere climate and moisture controlled where you won’t lose or forget them, just in case something happens to your recovery partition. In other words, total hard drive failure or destruction. RECOVER REPORT is pretty self-explanatory. I’m not entirely sure why the REMOVE RESTORE PARTITION option exists. If you’re that hard up for hard drive space, it might be time to invest in a larger hard drive.

I hope that this helps!

-----Nishad S S

Just rebuilt from attack. Now on Windows 7. Could you please do step by step to back up entire system to external HD with win 7? I used NTbackup on XP, but not sure how to do on win 7.

Hi all, You all will be glad to hear that backing up your entire system is easier with Windows 7 than it was with NT. Here is a quick rundown of all that you will need to do:

1. First, you need to launch the Windows 7 Backup and Restore utility. You can do that by clicking the Start button and typing ‘backup and restore‘ into the search bar, or by going to the Control Panel, selecting System and Security, and then Backup and Restore.

2. If you have never run a backup before, click the link on the top right that says Set up backup.

3. The next window that opens asks you to choose a location for your system backup, so select your external hard drive from the choices you are given. Just make sure that your external drive is big enough for a full backup. If it isn’t, Windows will warn you before proceeding. Click Next to continue.

You will be glad to hear that backing up your entire system is easier with Windows 7 than it was with NT. Here is a quick rundown of all that you will need to do:

1. First, you need to launch the Windows 7 Backup and Restore utility. You can do that by clicking the Start button and typing ‘backup and restore‘ into the search bar, or by going to the Control Panel, selecting System and Security, and then Backup and Restore.

2. If you have never run a backup before, click the link on the top right that says Set up backup.

3. The next window that opens asks you to choose a location for your system backup, so select your external hard drive from the choices you are given. Just make sure that your external drive is big enough for a full backup. If it isn’t, Windows will warn you before proceeding. Click Next to continue.

 ------ Nishad S S

What’s the Windows “Registry?”

Basically, the Windows Registry is a database used to store system and program settings.

Here’s what it looks like:

So, for an example, let’s say a particular program gives you the option of setting its font. You select a font on its font selection screen and hit OK. When you hit the OK button, *most* kinds of software will make an entry into the registry. Next time you run the program, it retrieves the information you set, in this case the font style.

Yeah, that’s a bit of an over-simplification, so just in case, here’s the Wikipedia entry for those who want to delve a little further.

---- Nishad S S

Computer Has a Black Screen in Windows and Will Not Boot or Start Up

Rarely do I come across a problem with a computer that I cannot diagnose, however when a computer has a black screen in windows it can stump me sometimes. Acomputer black screen on start up is a challenge for me and I always try to trouble shoot the problem manually, without using those fancy programs, because I believe it is the only way to learn.

There are two types of computer black screens that can appear in Windows. One where the computer will not boot up but you have a beep sequence sounding to let you know what the problem could be, and the other has nothing at all. No beeps, no cursor, no logo screen, and no choice to boot to safe mode or access the bios.

If your computer will not boot up and you get a beep sequence, I am not saying it is good news, however it is a step in the right direction towards solving this problem. This is a message from your computer that can be understood by looking up your bios (the brand) beep code. For example you may have an Award Bios, Ami Bios, Phoenix BIOS, Compaq, Dell, or Acer Bios. This list goes on and on.  You can search for Bios beep codes in Google. Here is an example of results in Google search Search results for “bios beep codes”

If you heard a single beep, then the computer posted, and the CPU is OK. POST=Power On Self Test A procedure the computer goes through on starting to ensure all is well.

When your computer has a black screen in windows, and absolutely nothing else, this is where the challenge begins. Sometimes the fans and the CPU seems to be running.

When this happens to me, I have an instant advantage as I have a replacement part for basically any computer component at my fingertips. I also have a magic boot disc that repairs missing files on my hard drive and will boot up any computer, fix and install Windows easy. If you do not have any of these tools then you will need to try and find the errors manually.

Common things that can happen when your computer has a black screen in Windows:

• When the computer will not boot up, it sound like it is booting as the CPU fan is running and the lights are on. It also finds the CD ROM but it won’t boot from a CD either.
• Sometimes when you have a computer black screen on startup and the power switch light will be green and then turns to orange or amber. Everything is running.
• Everything seems to be running but you can’t see anything on the screen, not even a flashing cursor. Your black screen in Windows has occurred before the Windows logo screen.

Some common causes of a computer black screen in Windows:

I have to be honest, there are literally hundred’s of reasons why your computer might have a black screen. Hopefully your problem will be something relatively basic.

If you see the screen that tells you your computer had an error, do not choose to start normally, choose to start in safe mode now. See what is safe mode. This is your chance to go the safe way. Many people rush and press to start Windows normally and sometimes this causes a serious problem. 

Where is your Monitor plugged in? “My computer screen is black”

The first and most obvious reason for a computer appearing to run but you cannot see the video is the monitor. A common mistake is to plug the monitor into the on-board video plug when you actually have a PCI or AGP video card installed. Trust me I have done this myself. Simply move the plug to the correct position. If you see two blue monitor plugs at the back of the computer or even a blue plug and a HDMI port then try using a different plug.

Obviously you should also check to see if the monitor plugged is actually in firmly. It could have been knocked out if it was not correctly positioned in the first place. This is the simplest computer black screen you can get.

Failing Display adapter or video card can cause a black screen in windows:

Most of the time you can tell if your computer video card is deteriorating by seeing little tell tale signs. Lines appearing or flashing can sometimes occur, however sometimes nothing happens at all. You might turn your computer on and have the dreaded black screen. You can try removing your video card and using onboard video, or replacing the video card to see if that is the problem.

People often also see a computer black screen when they have plugged their computer into a different monitor or even a TV where the screen resolution is not compatible. If it is a simple black screen on your computer it can also be a simple problem to fix, but unfortunately people do not realize this problem and start troubleshooting, which actually gives the computer are serious black screen. When I know that my computer is showing a black screen on my Windows computer and I know that I have just connected it to a different monitor, I immediately restart and press F8. This will take me to the the menu where I will choose enable VGA mode or something similar.

The next reason the computer will not boot up is RAM…or memory:

This can be the cause when your computer has a black screen in Windows.

If your memory is not seated properly (not in), is damaged, or even absent altogether, this can cause a black screen.

1. If you have no memory installed at all, some computers make no sounds and just show a black screen on startup. Other computers go crazy and beep their head off. I am an expert at this one, as I build so my computers.
2. When your computer gets a black screen only sometimes, it usually means your ram is on the way out..For example if you boot your computer and it doesn’t work, then go back an hour later, and it does work, your memory is playing up. You can try taking the ram out, gently cleaning it with an antistatic cloth, and replacing it. This may solve your problem. If it does not, then you should try running your computer with another compatible stick of ram installed.

If you plan to open your computer case and remove the ram please read these articles on how to open computer cases safely and Upgrade Memory

Black screen on startup with an amber flashing light

A flashing amber light along with your black screen on startup can be a few things.

1. Not enough power getting to the motherboard.
2. A dead power supply.
3. A bent pin or shorted out USB port causing a problem.

Computer black screen after installing new hardware

Often when computer users install hardware in order to upgrade their own computers they run into problems. If you have just performed an upgrade and then get a black screen, the answer is obvious. Some hardware components may not be compatible with the others in your system. And of course there is always the risk of static electricity damaging your components when you are not an experienced computer repair person.

You might just be installing a new piece of RAM but the best way to troubleshoot this is to go back to where you started from. Always start from the beginning. If your computer was working and you installed something, then take it back out. Think about what you are doing and try again.

This has nothing to with getting a black screen in Windows, as sometimes you have not even installed Windows yet. The hardware must be compatible together and also must be installed correctly.

Leaving a bootable usb flash drive connected to your computer

Yes this can confuse your computer and it won’t know where to boot up. When your computer has a black screen on startup from doing this and you realize this is the problem and remove the USB, the computer just continues to boot normally..this sometimes happens because a computer sometimes recognizes a USB as a CD drive and tries to boot to it. This is the easiest cause of a black screen in Windows as you can simply just take it out and restart your computer.

Corrupting the Boot Sector

A black screen on startup can be so many things! I have learned this lesson the hard way. Never turn off the computer when it is half way through the boot procedure. Even when it is taking forever, or having a major problem you must let it run through if possible. Interrupting it once may be ok, but twice or three times is a no no. After you have carelessly restarted and shutdown a few times the black screen may appear. But this time it may be beyond repair for the average computer user. How to repair a damaged boot sector by replacing the master boot record (MBR) in Windows XP

Black screen on startup – Your CPU is not correctly seated

If your computer has a black screen after transporting one place to another, this is the first place I look. Transporting a working computer, and then not working with a black screen = dislodging the CPU. You can fix this easily by removing the CPU fan and carefully replacing it back in its spot. You may also have to replace some thermal paste between the cpu and heat sink as it stops the cpu from overheating. Be very careful not to bend any pins when dealing with your computer CPU.

Keyboard Faulty

This one surprised me because when there is a problem with the keyboard the computer still boots and says that there is no keyboard detected on the screen. Well this didn’t happen for me. I had a keyboard with a bent pin on the cable, so when it was plugged into the computer, it just plugged in normally. Then the computer black screen on startup appeared, you could here it starting up but no posting beeps, no display, nothing. I even swapped monitors around until finally I tested the keyboard and found the bent pin. I never thought to look there because of the usual default message that appears on the screen when there is something wrong with your keyboard. This is why having a black screen in Windows as a crazy amount of causes and solutions. I really did not expect this one to come out of the woodwork.

Corrupted User Account – Computer Boots to Black Screen

If you have logged into Windows, so you actually saw the login screen, then logged into Windows, this can mean a few different things. One is that it can be a corrupted user account. In this case it would be handy to have another user account to login to. Then you would be able to tell straight away if that was the problem or not. If you can log into another account you will be able to access the corrupted user account through the main hard drive which is usually called C: drive. You will see a folder called “users” and then there will be another folder for the actual username.

If you are using windows XP than the files are in the Document and Settings section.

Notes relating to your computer black screen in Windows:

• If your computer has black screen but you can see one small flashing cursor, I see this as a good sign! It usually means your computer is ok to be formatted. It can also mean that you should try to repair the boot sector first. How to repair a damaged boot sector by replacing the master boot record (MBR) in Windows XP
• Here is an error specific article about your computer boots to a black screen with blinking cursor.
• Lets face it.. Having a black screen on startup is a common symptom for so many problems.
• Sometimes you can repair a black screen in windows or fix boot errors using a post diagnostic card.
• See more black screen troubleshooting tips.

More options when dealing with a black screen:

Buy the Ebook “Recover Your Computer From a Black Screen” only $7..

We also have a Tips4pc forum where you can chat with others that have the same problem.

If your computer has a black screen, please research your possible problem and be patient as fixing this error is usually left to the experts.

I really hope that your computer black screen has been caused by something simple and is a problem that you can fix quickly without too much stress.

Windows 7 installation how-to, step by step

Performing a New Installation of Windows 7

The three basic types of clean installation procedures are as follows:

• Install on a brand new disk or computer system

Erase the disk, format it, and install

• Install into a new directory for dual-booting 

If you intend to use either of the first two methods, be sure your computer can boot from a DVD (most newer computers support booting from a DVD drive). Doing so might require changing the drive boot order in the BIOS or CMOS, but try it first as-is. With no floppy disk inserted and a clean hard disk, try the DVD drive next. The Windows 7 DVD is bootable and should run the Setup program automatically.

Installation takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the speed of your machine. Refer to the following sections if you have questions about any steps in this process.

Note: Windows 7 automatically applies the NTFS format to any disk partition upon which it is installed during a clean installation.

Typical Clean Setup Procedure

If you're installing into an empty partition and you can boot an operating system that is supported for the purpose of Setup (Windows Vista or XP), just boot up, insert the DVD and choose Install Now from the resulting dialog box. Then you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure.

If Windows doesn't detect the DVD automatically upon insertion, you must run the Setup program, setup.exe, from the Start, Run dialog box (after opening the Run dialog box, type D:/setup.exe; on Vista use the Start menu Search box instead [using the corect letter for your DVD drive if it isn't D]). The setup.exe application is located in the Sources directory on the DVD. After the Setup routine starts, you can follow the installation procedure step by step.

If your computer has a blank hard disk or your current OS isn't supported, this process changes. You must launch the installation process from the Windows 7 DVD (this works only if you can boot from the DVD drive). Setup automatically runs if you boot from the DVD.

Yet another setup method involves the network. To initiate a network installation, you must create a network share of the distribution DVD or a copy of the DVD on a hard drive. The destination system must have network access, and the user account must have at least read access to the installation files. Initiate Setup by executing setup.exe from the network share. For example, from the Start, Run command, or the Vista Start menu Search box, type this path: \\\ \sources\Setup. Setup recognizes an over-the-network installation and automatically copies all files from the network share to the local system before the first reboot.

Tip: All versions of Windows 7, 32- or 64-bit, are included on the same DVD. The product key that you enter during setup determines which actual version of Windows 7 you end up with after the installation completes. Keep your Windows 7 DVD and product key in a safe location after you've performed your installation. It's useful for repairs of all kinds.

Installing Windows 7 from an existing Windows installation.

Multibooting Windows 7

In today's world of advanced OSs and low hard-disk prices, it certainly is not unusual for some users to experiment with different OSs. The world of consumer computing is ripe with many options. Along with just plain curiosity and experimentation, here are other good reasons to switch among or between OSs:

• Many users use two or more OSs because of application-compatibility issues. Hardware support issues occur, too: Windows 2000 and Windows XP might have drivers for older hardware that Windows 7 doesn't support.

• Some users want to run specific applications or games in an optimal environment for their use.

• A developer might swap among Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, and maybe even several different versions of Windows 7, to test application compatibility.

Website developers need to use different OS versions to see how pages look and behave with corresponding web browser versions.

Other than buying multiple computers, there are two ways to accommodate such needs. You can multiboot (that is, select the desired OS at bootup) or you can run one OS in a virtual computer inside another OS (that is, in a special application program that lets the alternate OS think it's running on a PC of its own). A virtual approach can be quite useful.

Windows 7 uses a boot scheme introduced with Windows Vista based on so-called Boot Configuration Data, usually abbreviated as BCD. BCD is more complex than and incompatible with the boot scheme used in previous versions of Windows. While Windows 2000 and XP let you set up a boot menu from which you could select any version of Windows, as well as other OSs, Windows 7's boot menu only lets you select Windows Vista or 7 versions, or something else, and all something else selections must be managed separately.

As a result of the boot manager changes, if you want to set up a computer that can boot several different versions of Windows and/or other OSs, you need to follow these guidelines:

·         If you install multiple versions of Windows 7 on the same computer, the same rule applies: You must install each version in a separate disk volume.

·         Install versions of Windows starting with the oldest and working toward the newest. For example, to set up a computer that can boot into Windows Me, Windows XP, and Windows 7, install Me first, then XP, then Windows 7. Youmust install Windows 7 last!

·         To install OSs other than Windows, such as Linux, you might need a boot manager that can recognize all the different OSs in use. Linux offers a choice of several different boot managers. Their use is beyond the scope of this book, but you should be able to find instructions on the Web for multibooting Linux and Windows 7.

 

The Skinny on Boot Scheme Changes

Here's a rough sketch of what's changed: In the boot scheme used by the Intel x86 versions of Windows 2000 and XP, the boot partition's boot sector program loaded ntldr, which read the menu file boot.ini, and then loaded Windows. Aside from the boot sector, all of the stuff was in super hidden files (files marked with the system and hidden attributes), stored in the root directory.

The Windows Vista and Windows 7 boot sectors load a file called bootmgr from the root directory, which loads a set of programs and DLLs in the \boot folder, which then reads the BCD file (actually a Registry hive), and then loads Windows. The BCD hive is also loaded into and visible in the Windows Registry after bootup.

In a Windows 7 multiboot configuration, the root directory file bootsect.bak is a copy of the pre Windows 7 boot sector (XP's version of the boot sector). Choosing Legacy from the Windows 7 boot menu loads and runs the original boot sector program, which carries on as before.

The reason for making this change was to create a common boot system that would work on both BIOS-based computers and computers using the newer EFI configuration system (built around Intel's Extensible Firmware Interface). The impact of this new scheme is that the Windows 7 boot menu can offer only Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 versions, where anything using the older boot loader gets lumped under the Legacy entry. The boot.ini file is used only to list and load non-BCD operating systems.

To create a multiboot installation on a computer that already has Windows Vista installed, follow this procedure. These steps are quite similar to the clean install procedure described earlier.

1. Insert the Windows 7 DVD into your computer's DVD-ROM drive. It should AutoPlay and present the Install Windows dialog box. If not, locate the setup.exe program in the Sources folder on the DVD, and double-click it.

(Alternatively, you can restart your computer and boot from the DVD.)

2. To download, install, and use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, as detailed previously, click the Check Compatibility Online link. Otherwise, to begin the in-place upgrade to Windows 7, click the Install Now link.

3. In the Get Important Updates for Installation dialog box, you are asked whether you want to download updates to the Windows 7 install files. Typically, for computers that have an active Internet connection, you are better off getting the updates. Make your selection by clicking it.

4. In the Please Read the License Terms dialog box, ensure that you read and understand the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA). When you're ready, select the I Accept the License Terms option, and click Next to continue.

5. In the Type Your Product Key for Activation dialog box, you are asked to enter your Windows 7 product key. Enter the key and ensure that the Automatically Activate Windows When I'm Online option is checked, to enable Windows Product Activation. After entering the product key, click Next to continue.

6. In the Which Type of Installation Do You Want? dialog box, select Custom (Advanced) because here you're performing a clean, multiboot installation of Windows 7, not an upgrade.

7. In the Where Do You Want to Install Windows? dialog box, shown in Figure 2.24, select the partition into which you'll install Windows 7. This must be a partition that does not already have a version of Windows installed on it. When you're ready to proceed, click Next.

8. Follow the rest of the procedure described previously under Typical Clean Setup Procedure, from step 6 on through the end.

9. If you plan on installing another version of Windows 7 on this same computer, you'll want to rename the current version's title in the boot menu.

10. You can check out the new Windows 7 boot menu, shown in Figure 2.25, on the next restart of your computer.

Figure 2.24: You must select an empty partition for multiboot installation of Windows 7.

Figure 2.25: The Windows 7 boot menu has changed a lot from Windows XP but not much from Vista

11. In the next dialog box, you are asked to supply a password for your user account (which you must reenter as a double-check) and a password hint to help you remember that string. After making your selections, click Next to continue.

12. In the Type Your Windows Product Key dialog box, enter the product key that came with your Windows 7 DVD. I recommend that you leave the Automatically Activate Windows When I'm Online option checked to take care of Windows Product Activation within the three days after the Windows 7 installation. After entering this information, click Next to continue.

You can also leave the Product Key box blank. If you do this, you'll be asked which version of Windows 7 you want to install, and you can select any version from Starter to Ultimate. You'll have to provide a valid product key, however, within 30 days for whatever version you install or else Windows 7 will nag you regularly and often about registration. (If you install a slip-streamed copy of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, or use the Windows Update service to upgrade to SP-1, you'll be reminded to register rather than receiving constant nags.)

You can use the no-key method to play around with different versions of Windows 7, but be careful if you select a version for which you don't have a key; you must perform a clean install every time you reinstall Windows 7, and you must eventually install a version for which you have a license, or erase it. You'll lose your applications and data every time you reinstall.

Caution: You should definitely not play with alternate versions if you are upgrading from an older version of Windows. After the first such install, there's no way to go back and repeat the upgrade with your licensed version of Windows 7.

13. In the Help Protect Your Computer and Improve Windows Automatically dialog box, you configure the base security for Windows 7. In most cases, you should select Use Recommended Settings. To make your selection, click it.

14. In the Review Your Time and Date Settings dialog box, select your time zone, daylight savings option, and current date options. Click Finish to complete the upgrade process.

15. In the Select Your Computer's Current Location dialog box, shown in Figure 2.17, tell Windows where you'll be using your computer. As with Windows Vista, Windows 7 configures your network adapters for DHCP and does not ask you what to do.

16. Windows prompts you one last time-after you click Start, you're finished with the installation.

17. After a few more minutes, you are finally presented with your brand new Windows 7 login screen, as shown in Figure 2.18. Congratulations, you've completed the installation of Windows 7!

Tip: If you plan to perform a clean installation on your computer that is currently running some earlier Windows version, be sure to get your data and other files off the computer beforehand. You can perform this process manually, or you can opt to use Windows Easy Transfer to automatically copy all your files and settings to an external hard drive or network location. After the clean installation of Windows 7 has completed, you can run Windows Easy Transfer again to reload your files and settings on the new installation of Windows 7.

Figure 2.17: The different location choices correspond to different levels of security on your Windows 7 computer.

Figure 2.18: The Windows 7 login screen is much different than previous versions.

Clean Install from Inside Windows, Step by Step

If you initiate the Setup routine from within Windows XP or Windows Vista, the step-by-step procedure is as follows:

1. Insert the Windows 7 DVD into your computer's DVD-ROM drive. It should AutoPlay and present the Install Windows dialog box. If not, locate and double-click the setup.exe program in the Sources folder on the DVD.

2. To download, install, and use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, click the Check Compatibility Online link. Otherwise, to begin the in-place upgrade to Windows 7, click the Install Now link.

3. In the Get Important Updates for Installation dialog box, you are asked whether you want to download updates to the Windows 7 install files. Typically, for computers that have an active Internet connection, you're better off getting the updates. Make your selection by clicking it.

4. In the Please Read the License Terms dialog box, ensure that you read and understand the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA). When you're ready, select the I Accept the License Terms option and click Next to continue.

5. In the Type Your Product Key for Activation dialog box, you are asked to enter your Windows 7 product key. Enter the key and ensure that the Automatically Activate Windows When I'm Online option is checked, to enable Windows Product Activation. After entering the product key, click Next to continue.

6. In the Which Type of Installation Do You Want? dialog box, shown previously in Figure 2.10, select Custom (Advanced) because you're performing a clean installation here on top of an existing Windows XP installation.

7. In the Where Do You Want to Install Windows? dialog box, shown in Figure 2.20, select the partition onto which you'll install Windows 7. When you're ready to proceed, click Next.

8. The Setup application warns you that the selected partition contains files from another Windows installation, as shown in Figure 2.21. After you read this information, click OK to continue.

9. The Installing Windows dialog box appears and updates the status for the upgrade process.

10. From here, the rest of the process is just like that for a clean installation (on a blank hard disk) above, starting with step 9. After some time, your computer restarts and the newly installed Windows 7 loads.

Next: Multibooting Windows

Figure 2.20: You need to select an existing partition for the installation of Windows 7.

Figure 2.21: Windows 7 Setup moves all your old Windows files to a new directory - you must delete that directory later to reclaim that disk space.

Multibooting Windows 7

In today's world of advanced OSs and low hard-disk prices, it certainly is not unusual for some users to experiment with different OSs. The world of consumer computing is ripe with many options. Along with just plain curiosity and experimentation, here are other good reasons to switch among or between OSs:

• Many users use two or more OSs because of application-compatibility issues. Hardware support issues occur, too: Windows 2000 and Windows XP might have drivers for older hardware that Windows 7 doesn't support.

• Some users want to run specific applications or games in an optimal environment for their use.

• A developer might swap among Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, and maybe even several different versions of Windows 7, to test application compatibility.

Website developers need to use different OS versions to see how pages look and behave with corresponding web browser versions.

Other than buying multiple computers, there are two ways to accommodate such needs. You can multiboot (that is, select the desired OS at bootup) or you can run one OS in a virtual computer inside another OS (that is, in a special application program that lets the alternate OS think it's running on a PC of its own). A virtual approach can be quite useful.

Windows 7 uses a boot scheme introduced with Windows Vista based on so-called Boot Configuration Data, usually abbreviated as BCD. BCD is more complex than and incompatible with the boot scheme used in previous versions of Windows. While Windows 2000 and XP let you set up a boot menu from which you could select any version of Windows, as well as other OSs, Windows 7's boot menu only lets you select Windows Vista or 7 versions, or something else, and all something else selections must be managed separately.

As a result of the boot manager changes, if you want to set up a computer that can boot several different versions of Windows and/or other OSs, you need to follow these guidelines

·         You must install each OS into a separate disk volume (drive letter). To get these separate volumes, you can create multiple partitions on one disk drive, or use multiple disk drives, or a combination of these two organizing principles.

·         If you install multiple versions of Windows 7 on the same computer, the same rule applies: You must install each version in a separate disk volume.

·         Install versions of Windows starting with the oldest and working toward the newest. For example, to set up a computer that can boot into Windows Me, Windows XP, and Windows 7, install Me first, then XP, then Windows 7. Youmust install Windows 7 last!

·         To install OSs other than Windows, such as Linux, you might need a boot manager that can recognize all the different OSs in use. Linux offers a choice of several different boot managers. Their use is beyond the scope of this book, but you should be able to find instructions on the Web for multibooting Linux and Windows 7.

The Skinny on Boot Scheme Changes

Here's a rough sketch of what's changed: In the boot scheme used by the Intel x86 versions of Windows 2000 and XP, the boot partition's boot sector program loaded ntldr, which read the menu file boot.ini, and then loaded Windows. Aside from the boot sector, all of the stuff was in super hidden files (files marked with the system and hidden attributes), stored in the root directory.

The Windows Vista and Windows 7 boot sectors load a file called bootmgr from the root directory, which loads a set of programs and DLLs in the \boot folder, which then reads the BCD file (actually a Registry hive), and then loads Windows. The BCD hive is also loaded into and visible in the Windows Registry after bootup.

In a Windows 7 multiboot configuration, the root directory file bootsect.bak is a copy of the pre Windows 7 boot sector (XP's version of the boot sector). Choosing Legacy from the Windows 7 boot menu loads and runs the original boot sector program, which carries on as before.

The reason for making this change was to create a common boot system that would work on both BIOS-based computers and computers using the newer EFI configuration system (built around Intel's Extensible Firmware Interface). The impact of this new scheme is that the Windows 7 boot menu can offer only Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 versions, where anything using the older boot loader gets lumped under the Legacy entry. The boot.ini file is used only to list and load non-BCD operating systems.

To create a multiboot installation on a computer that already has Windows Vista installed, follow this procedure. These steps are quite similar to the clean install procedure described earlier.

1. Insert the Windows 7 DVD into your computer's DVD-ROM drive. It should AutoPlay and present the Install Windows dialog box. If not, locate the setup.exe program in the Sources folder on the DVD, and double-click it.

(Alternatively, you can restart your computer and boot from the DVD.)

2. To download, install, and use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, as detailed previously, click the Check Compatibility Online link. Otherwise, to begin the in-place upgrade to Windows 7, click the Install Now link.

3. In the Get Important Updates for Installation dialog box, you are asked whether you want to download updates to the Windows 7 install files. Typically, for computers that have an active Internet connection, you are better off getting the updates. Make your selection by clicking it.

4. In the Please Read the License Terms dialog box, ensure that you read and understand the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA). When you're ready, select the I Accept the License Terms option, and click Next to continue.

5. In the Type Your Product Key for Activation dialog box, you are asked to enter your Windows 7 product key. Enter the key and ensure that the Automatically Activate Windows When I'm Online option is checked, to enable Windows Product Activation. After entering the product key, click Next to continue.

6. In the Which Type of Installation Do You Want? dialog box, select Custom (Advanced) because here you're performing a clean, multiboot installation of Windows 7, not an upgrade.

7. In the Where Do You Want to Install Windows? dialog box, shown in Figure 2.24, select the partition into which you'll install Windows 7. This must be a partition that does not already have a version of Windows installed on it. When you're ready to proceed, click Next.

8. Follow the rest of the procedure described previously under Typical Clean Setup Procedure, from step 6 on through the end.

9. If you plan on installing another version of Windows 7 on this same computer, you'll want to rename the current version's title in the boot menu.

10. You can check out the new Windows 7 boot menu, shown in Figure 2.25, on the next restart of your computer.

Figure 2.24: You must select an empty partition for multiboot installation of Windows 7.

Figure 2.25: The Windows 7 boot menu has changed a lot from Windows XP but not much from Vista

----Nishad S S