33 replies to this topic

[Perm Shadow Form]

So, Upgrading to w8 is rather cheep now.
Currently I'm using W7 Home Premium,
Specs - 6gb Ram / I5 / HD 6770.
Nothing fancy but everything works perfectly for me, even GW2 on low/med/high mix.
Mostly use my PC for Internet and GW2.

I wonder,
1) If I use this download assistant, will it keep my files, folders, games, etc?
2) Will w8 make my PC slower/ decrees GW2 FPS? It is said to be less power consuming but still.
3) What would you suggest? Is it worth it or not?

Edited by Perm Shadow Form, 19 December 2012 - 08:14 PM.

[Khlaw]

I'm happy with it.  From W7 to W8, I did notice a FPS drop of about 5, but the overall experience is much smoother, so the net effect is a performance increase.

Prior to running the upgrade assistant, you may want to copy your Guild Wars 2 program folder to a remote location.  I upgraded from Vista, so the upgrade assistant didn't give me the option to leave existing programs in place, which means I can't speak to how well that works, but GW2 is completely portable, so even if you don't leave it in place as part of the upgrade, you can copy it back.  On the other hand, going from W7 to W8 does give you the option to keep your programs and folders.  The upgrade assistant will tell you whether it thinks it can do this, and will back up your old Windows installation anyhow.

I liked Vista a lot. I like Windows 8 even better.  I do recommend downloading and installing Start8, a $5 app from StarDock that reproduces the Start Menu from Windows 7.  It really helps with the transition.

[Perm Shadow Form]

What about the driver? Will I have to download them again?
Oh, and I'm using a laptop by the way. ...
And the last manufacturer update was back in 2011 November even though this laptop is only a year old.

[Xuphor]

The drivers depend, but chances are that Windows 8 will have some form of driver for your device, whatever it may be, built into the OS. The thing is that most of the built in ones are made by Microsoft, even the Nvidia graphics card ones are. They work, but they are significantly worse than the official Nvidia ones. Same applies to ATI/AMD video cards.

All other drivers should be fine though, unless you have a specialty device, like a 17 button Razer Naga mouse, that doesn't have a Microsoft equivelant. In that case, you'll need to get them again.

[tijo]

Perm Shadow Form, on 19 December 2012 - 08:31 PM, said:

What about the driver? Will I have to download them again?
Oh, and I'm using a laptop by the way. ...
And the last manufacturer update was back in 2011 November even though this laptop is only a year old.

What laptop are you using, most win 7 drivers will work, GPU drivers, you can get directly from the manufacturer and vendor specific drivers might have a Windows 8 version not listed on your laptop's driver download page.

As to should you upgrade: it is really up to you, you may or may not miss the start menu. The OS feels very snappy on a SSD, even more so than 7 though. I actually got both installed (each on their own SSD) on my laptop. I'm not sure which one I prefer yet.

The upgrade assistant will check your devices and programs to see if anything is compatible for an in place upgrade. The devices listed as not compatible usually have a windows 8 driver that you can download separately though.

Edited by tijo, 19 December 2012 - 09:05 PM.

[Perm Shadow Form]

HP DV7. Actually I'm using Leshcat drivers, I checked, they also have drivers for 6770 x64 W8.
Watching reviews now. Stuck on Buy screen and can't decide whether its worth it or not.

Edited by Perm Shadow Form, 19 December 2012 - 09:32 PM.

[Baldur The Bold]

Metro aside there are quite a few good improvements on Win 8. The redesigned task manager is a good example.

[Perm Shadow Form]

Ok...so I was installing, everything was alright, then it asked me to uninstall Daemon Tools, I did that, and next was HP Bluetooth, but when I tried uninstalling it, everything was written in some weird language and I had no idea what I was pressing, when the uninstall ended, it restarted my pc.
So what do I do now...? I have the key but no installation, apparently W8 Upgrade assistant work only after you buy the key not when you already have it.

[Perm Shadow Form]

Ok so I installed w8 everyte was working fine. . . and then after downloading setup for new drivers and restarting the internet wasnt working anymore and random messages were popping left and right so I used refresh thinking it'll keep my programs and files,  well too bad now I dont even have a MS office, it was a god damn clean instal! The ----? Not to mention boot takes around 2 minutes if not more. Geat just ----ing great.
What the hell am I supposed to do now.

[Baldur The Bold]

Format, try again.

[Mr.Kotte]

Perm Shadow Form, on 20 December 2012 - 02:03 AM, said:

Ok so I installed w8 everyte was working fine. . . and then after downloading setup for new drivers and restarting the internet wasnt working anymore and random messages were popping left and right so I used refresh thinking it'll keep my programs and files,  well too bad now I dont even have a MS office, it was a god damn clean instal! The ----? Not to mention boot takes around 2 minutes if not more. Geat just ----ing great.
What the hell am I supposed to do now.

Time to get out that other computer and make a bootable Linux USB (If you're a rookie with linux, get Ubuntu). Boot from this USB on the "corrupted" computer and backup as much as you can, assuming there's still things left to grab!

After that, to be sure it'll run stable, I'd also recommend a clean install, aka format and re-install.

Edited by Mr.Kotte, 20 December 2012 - 12:21 PM.

[Perm Shadow Form]

Alright, after 6 hous of searching for drivers and software its finally working again. I think. And then .... I found that I still have my windows.old file containing al the programs and everything else I had on my w7...
So,  can I somehow add those old programs back to W8?
Office, Photoshop, Sony Vegas etc? Will simply copy pasting work?
Or maybe somehow roll back to W7 and try installing W8 again by keeping all programs?
So confusing.

Oh and gw2 was working perfectly. Smooth with no lag

[Lord Sojar]

Most programs you can merely copy to your Program Files (x86) or Program Files from the Windows.old folder, assuming they are properly done.  On first run, most will reconfigure.  

If not, run the setup included or download it online and run it, then replace the files after it finishes base install (Steam is a great example of this) and replace the files from your current install with the Windows.old ones.

[Stargate]

From what I have heard and seen of Windows 8 I would not spend 1 euro on that operating system. Windows 8 reminds more of a mobile phone OS then Windows 7. On top of that mouse does not work so nice and most menus are completely different form Windows 7.

Windows 8 was designed for mobile phones and touchpads i.e do not use mouse logic. That is the feedback what I have heard. I skipped windows Vista and I will also skip Windows 8. Windows 7 already supports Direct X 11.

I have a modern budget gaming laptop. My desktop is ancient, but late 2013 I will buy a desktop computer with Haswell high end CPU. However I will absolutely not buy W8. Only if my employer requires that I use Windows 8 then I would do that.

At the end of the day it is subjective taste. A minority actually likes Windows 8.

Edited by Stargate, 20 December 2012 - 07:49 PM.

[typographie]

Stargate, on 20 December 2012 - 07:35 PM, said:

A minority actually likes Windows 8.

It only seems like a minority because the internet is full of loud, angry people. Once you're at the desktop, what's left to dislike? The Start menu was a clumsy, catch-all mess to start with, and Windows 8 actually has some minor functionality improvements over 7. I don't think its really that hard to "like," or at least cope with, if you're already happy with 7.

That said, I don't think its worth the money to upgrade if you've already got a working Windows 7 license. But for new systems, why would you buy a new license for an old OS?

Edited by typographie, 21 December 2012 - 01:37 AM.

[Quaker]

All things considered, there's not much reason to upgrade from Win 7 to Win 8.

[malevolence]

1 advice I can give people changing OS: Make backups of everything before changing to a new OS, and if possible, install the new OS (windows 8 in this case) on a new HD or a separate partition and test the OS there without modifying or destroying the old OS, just in case you don't like the new OS and want to go back to your old OS quick.

Edited by malevolence, 21 December 2012 - 04:23 PM.

[Black Autumn]

Quaker, on 21 December 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

All things considered, there's not much reason to upgrade from Win 7 to Win 8.

I don't know about that.  The boot times alone convinced me (not even using an SSD).  I use Windows 7 and Windows 8 every day and I can say without reservation that Windows 8 is the platform I prefer.  There are a few driver issues, but that's true of every major update.

I think the most important trick is to do like those who have recommended backing things up first.  It makes a world of difference in your experience.

[Perm Shadow Form]

Well, after getting everything to work again, I must admit, PC feels much more faster and smoother than before, maybe that's because of the clean install.
I like the new UI, BUT, it's not really useful, there are close to 0 useful apps.

Was it worth to upgrade? I don't know, W8 feels unfinished and WAY too much tablet pc oriented.
Would I pay 39$ again? I doubt. It feels like I'm using W7 with W8 metro interface.

Conclusion: Looks good but doesn't provide anything actually new for desktop PCs.

What I'd want to see: more customization for the start screen  tiles and background.
More, more and MORE apps. Apps that increase productivity not just for entertainment.

Edited by Perm Shadow Form, 21 December 2012 - 08:05 PM.

[Stargate]

typographie, on 21 December 2012 - 01:37 AM, said:

It only seems like a minority because the internet is full of loud, angry people. Once you're at the desktop, what's left to dislike? The Start menu was a clumsy, catch-all mess to start with, and Windows 8 actually has some minor functionality improvements over 7. I don't think its really that hard to "like," or at least cope with, if you're already happy with 7.

That said, I don't think its worth the money to upgrade if you've already got a working Windows 7 license. But for new systems, why would you buy a new license for an old OS?

The only point I see with your post that makes sense is that in future when there are some laptops that have already preinstalled OS one day then unfortunately they will have Windows 8. New license? New license you maybe need if you want more support from Microsoft helpdesk, but some support like virus support is usually free no matter how old os. Maybe Microsoft will release a new Office version that only works in Windows 8. Well big cry my current Office version is good enough.

I get touch with lot of IT people in my workplace. Generally companies in my country think Windows 8 is crap. None of them consider Windows 8 that I have heard about. Some of them are still in the process of upgrading Windows XP to Windows 7.

As a gamer I can see crystal clear difference with Windows 7 and Windows XP. Windows 7 offers Direct X 11 support.

There are some critics about Blizzard, but those are more oriented towards perhaps Mr Kotik(I am neutral to that subject I do not criticize any person). However Rob Pardo who has lots of power have seemed like a solid and very technical lead person.

Rob Pardo who is in lead of Blizzards next MMO Titan is against Windows 8:
http://www.neowin.ne...for-the-company
It is very interesting because same Mr Rob Pardo talk about future tech in this interview:

Valve also more or less hates Windows 8.

Internet is full of criticism from experts:
WEAK ON TABLETS, TERRIBLE FOR PCS
http://bgr.com/2012/...ability-expert/

I don't care about random forum talk. Generally my workmates dread the day somebody asks for Windows 8 support. Whatever no way I am going to buy that OS. I never bought Wíndows Vista either.

Perm Shadow Form, on 21 December 2012 - 08:01 PM, said:

PC feels much more faster and smoother than before, maybe that's because of the clean install.
I like the new UI, BUT, it's not really useful, there are close to 0 useful apps.

Was it worth to upgrade? I don't know, W8 feels unfinished and WAY too much tablet pc oriented.
Would I pay 39$ again? I doubt. It feels like I'm using W7 with W8 metro interface.

Conclusion: Looks good but doesn't provide anything actually new for desktop PCs.
.

Yeah it is made for tabloids. However those of you who bought Windows 8 don't cry it is not horrible as Windows Vista was. Live with it.

I also understand the interest in new tech. My plan is to buy Haswell generation CPU that is released in late 2013:

Stargate, on 15 December 2012 - 07:23 AM, said:

That said I have been very patient with computer upgrading, but I'll buy a super Haswell CPU desktop computer in late 2013. There is really not much performance difference between a Sandybridge or IVY generation CPU, but when Haswell comes out we have a crystal clear winner though it will not be some groundbreaking shocking improvement.

Edited by Stargate, 24 December 2012 - 07:13 PM.

[Zerk2012]

Quaker, on 21 December 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

All things considered, there's not much reason to upgrade from Win 7 to Win 8.

^^^^^^ This is 100% right.

Stargate, on 15 December 2012 - 07:23 AM, said:

That said I have been very patient with computer upgrading, but I'll buy a super Haswell CPU desktop computer in late 2013. There is really not much performance difference between a Sandybridge or IVY generation CPU, but when Haswell comes out we have a crystal clear winner though it will not be some groundbreaking shocking improvement.

Ivy 10% or so improvement over sandy per clock speed, but heat problems overclocking so about the same performance. Haswell is more or less a wait and see, If you get the standard about 10% performance per clock speed my sandy should still be good till something newer.

Edited by Zerk2012, 25 December 2012 - 01:55 AM.

[iLag]

Khlaw, on 19 December 2012 - 08:22 PM, said:

I'm happy with it.  From W7 to W8, I did notice a FPS drop of about 5, but the overall experience is much smoother, so the net effect is a performance increase.

Prior to running the upgrade assistant, you may want to copy your Guild Wars 2 program folder to a remote location.  I upgraded from Vista, so the upgrade assistant didn't give me the option to leave existing programs in place, which means I can't speak to how well that works, but GW2 is completely portable, so even if you don't leave it in place as part of the upgrade, you can copy it back.  On the other hand, going from W7 to W8 does give you the option to keep your programs and folders.  The upgrade assistant will tell you whether it thinks it can do this, and will back up your old Windows installation anyhow.

I liked Vista a lot. I like Windows 8 even better.  I do recommend downloading and installing Start8, a $5 app from StarDock that reproduces the Start Menu from Windows 7.  It really helps with the transition.

yea when someone likes Vista you know they are mentally unstable

[typographie]

Stargate, on 24 December 2012 - 06:09 PM, said:

Rob Pardo who is in lead of Blizzards next MMO Titan is against Windows 8:
http://www.neowin.ne...for-the-company

Valve also more or less hates Windows 8.

You're oversimplifying. Gabe's (and I think its safe to assume, Rob Pardo's) comments were directed at Microsoft's integration of the Windows Store and their new controls over the platform. Its not hard to see how that could affect Steam's business model, as well as Blizzard's software distribution system. I don't blame them for being critical, but it doesn't seem to have a major, direct impact on us as the users.

They were not criticizing the underlying system, which is apparently no worse than Windows 7 with some minor improvements and questionable UI changes. Comparing it to the problems Vista had is flat-out untrue as far as I know.

Just a tip: boldface type stops working when you use it for entire sentences and in nearly half of a post.

[tijo]

iLag, on 25 December 2012 - 02:11 AM, said:

yea when someone likes Vista you know they are mentally unstable

I beg to differ, there is absolutely no reason to prefer Vista over 7 (or 8), but there are many reasons to prefer Vista over XP these days, if only for the better security. At launch Vista was terrible, partly due to awful driver support, but Vista in late 2008/2009 was alright overall. Vista's stated minimum requirements which were too low for what the OS really needed didn't help either.

Edited by tijo, 25 December 2012 - 02:31 AM.

[Khlaw]

iLag, on 25 December 2012 - 02:11 AM, said:

yea when someone likes Vista you know they are mentally unstable

I'm well aware I am inthe extreme minority with Vista, but I've used 2003/2008 Server, Win7 as well as everything older than that, way back to 3.1 (even Me - retch), and for me, Vista was the least troublesome with the features I liked the most.

[Gilles VI]

typographie, on 25 December 2012 - 02:12 AM, said:

Just a tip: boldface type stops working when you use it for entire sentences and in nearly half of a post.

He just loves using bold text and quoting himself..

@OP I would not consider W8 at the moment, maybe later if they manage to buff it up a bit.

[Dilbon]

Already got Win 7 = no need to upgrade
New computer = no reason not to get Win 8

[The Comfy Chair]

There's not any major reasons to upgrade, i like windows 8 though, I feel it suits multiple monitors better 'natively' than windows 7 does, and i quite like using my leftmost monitor out of my 3 for metro apps, which can be pretty useful or do things better than a desktop version (which is more often than not opening a browser and going to a site).

Also, you can make the start menu pretty much what you want too (got to a point where i'm quite happy with mine). So i wouldn't worry too much about the metro interface, it's not bad at all. Not convinced it's a good thing on only one monitor though.

This is my current start menu:

[Stargate]

typographie, on 25 December 2012 - 02:12 AM, said:

You're oversimplifying. Gabe's (and I think its safe to assume, Rob Pardo's) comments were directed at Microsoft's integration of the Windows Store and their new controls over the platform. Its not hard to see how that could affect Steam's business model, as well as Blizzard's software distribution system. I don't blame them for being critical, but it doesn't seem to have a major, direct impact on us as the users.

They were not criticizing the underlying system, which is apparently no worse than Windows 7 with some minor improvements and questionable UI changes. Comparing it to the problems Vista had is flat-out untrue as far as I know.

Just a tip: boldface type stops working when you use it for entire sentences and in nearly half of a post.

Yeah once again we disagree slightly ar least. Quote "Again, it's not clear as to why Newell and Pardo think that Windows 8 will be such a disaster." So to speak exact reasons precisly is not known. I know why I don't like W8 and thats good enough for me. IT people in my country most of them don't consider W8 good.

I have heard enough of criticism both from workmates and in internet that I will not buy that OS unless they make it much better with patches/windows update. It is not impossible they could do it better. Windows XP was high security risk until Service Pack 2 was released.

Besides Rob Pardo criticism was milder. Quote: Newell did hint that his views about Windows 8 were part of the reason why the company has been trying to port their Steam PC game download service to the Linux platform.

As for security between Windows Vista and Win XP yes Windows Vista has much better firewall. Windows XP firewall is so simple so it only blocks incoming signals, but if you have infected computer with spyware it will do NOTHING to prevent outgoing signals.
http://rogerkar.blog...s-firewall.html

It is no problem for me with Windows XP in my old desktop computer. I simply use Zonealarm Free Firewall and Avira Free Antivirus which both are free for personal users. Zonealarm is also very user friendly and easy to use firewall software.

Of course if you got MR Joe who don't know anything about computers except that he barely can read his email then maybe Windows Vista is better then Windows XP(with service pack 3) if he can not install software. However before SP2 Windows XP was a huge security risk. I would rather use Windows Vista then Windows XP with less then Service pack 2(Service Pack 3 is the newest). If you use Windows XP then make sure that you have at least SP2, but even better if you have SP3 installed.

Windows 7 has only Service Pack 1 released so do not confuse with that. SP3 was my recommendation for those who still use Windows XP.

Edited by Stargate, 26 December 2012 - 11:15 AM.

[Zino]

The Comfy Chair, on 26 December 2012 - 01:12 AM, said:

There's not any major reasons to upgrade, i like windows 8 though, I feel it suits multiple monitors better 'natively' than windows 7 does, and i quite like using my leftmost monitor out of my 3 for metro apps, which can be pretty useful or do things better than a desktop version (which is more often than not opening a browser and going to a site).

Also, you can make the start menu pretty much what you want too (got to a point where i'm quite happy with mine). So i wouldn't worry too much about the metro interface, it's not bad at all. Not convinced it's a good thing on only one monitor though.

This is my current start menu:

would like to find out from you those game that is display out is from steam?