Windows 7 clean install

Not completely understanding your post- but I don't use IE, I use Chrome and on occasion Firefox. Even fooled around with Tor some time back. Also, I use Open Office rather than MS Office.

Although I've never tried W8 or newer, I have heard nothing but raspberries about the newer systems, that's why we made it a point a couple of months ago, when buying a new laptop, to get one with W7, and why I've put 7 into this desktop. 78 zillion techs all panning the newer systems must know something! And MS must realize they shot themselves in both feet, since they bypassed #9 to go to 10. If their engineering were on a par with their marketing, maybe they'd be better off.

As a semi- Stone-Age user, I was quite pleased with myself that I figured out (with your help) how to get those files copied at all. Recall that to us, the computers are not that extensively used- this one was new about 5 years ago, and in that time I have only used about 140 Gb on the hard drive, and that includes the OS and other programs.

The only issue that has come up since the install is that Windows Update has spent an hour or more looking for updates, but has produced none. Just finished an hour-long chat session with a MS tech who took over the computer and I have no idea what I was watching, but she couldn't fix the issue and I'm expecting to hear from level 2 tomorrow. This copy of the OS is from a legal disc, all properly documented and registered with a product key, so I'll have to see what happens there.

 

You have to be patient with Windows Update, it can take 4-5 hours for WU to find all the updatyes for a Windows 7 install, and another 5-6 hours to install them. That is one of the major dreads of doing a Win 7 install these days and BTW I was not exaggerating at all, could take longer.

What I was saying is you copying files so you can see them by one or the other versions of Windows is a huge waste of time and you would have to update each one wherever they are anytime you make changes to any of them. The software you use can find the files if you browse to them. Open Office has an envelope in the left top of the top task bar as do most programs and if you click that open all you have to do is browse to your documents (on the second drive) the first time and then every-time you open that envelope it should go there again so no need to cop[y anything.

 

I'll try your suggestion re the files tomorrow.

Re the updates- I'm sure there are a ton of them, as this copy of W7 is new out of the pkg, never been touched (but as I recall, it has SP1). Should I just let the updater run? It could even go all night, not concerned.

I am in Rhode Island, US- Eastern time zone

 

Yes I usually leave it go all night just to find the updates then all day to install them. Personally I think the server is real slow because of all the Windows 10 downloads going on.

 

Well... this has become quite a saga. After a 1-hour plus remote control session with a MS tech yesterday, no joy, I let the computer run all last night, still nothing. The chat agent had set up a Level 2 phone call for this morning, never happened. Just got through with a second remote session, 1½ hours, this tech says, reinstall the OS.

I think before I do that I'll let it run tonight, just in case.

 

I think you are right. I have seen it take over 8 hours to have just the updates available come up.

 

Maybe it's an act of desperation because now I've started adding programs, etc., and a new install puts me back to square 1.

 

And, BTW, the agent today tried to get me to install W10. Shot that idea right down, natch!

 

When you do the install what I do is install Windows then motherboard drivers and finally all Windows updates before installing any programs.

 

Yes, I'll do that as well, just finished confirming that the product key would still be valid after a reinstall, and that agent persuaded me to let him try. He struck out, that's 3 outs. I'll let it run tonight on update just for yuks and then work on a reinstall tomorrow.

 

The computer found 214 updates overnight. Rich, you saved me a ton of misery with your comments about the long wait for the updates to show up. Your advice trumped three MS techs! Can't thank you enough! I'll start the downloading and installing right now. And I've been warned that MS is trying to slip in W10 as an update, so I'll look at each update before using it.

 

Yep I have been there before. MS techs may know Microsoft but they don't install Windowes 7 clean to new pcs every week as I do so you live and learn. Once you are done with the 200, you will have to go back in to Windows Update in Control Panel and disregard how it comes up and again "search for updates" two more times as there are another 40 or so and then another 8-10 before you are done and each time it will come up saying there are no new ones so you have to again "search for updates" and these times will also take along time but not overnight as there won't be that many that need doing!

 

Well, Rich, you saved my bacon! And now I realize why the updates didn't show up during the first overnight- I never checked the power settings when 7 was installed, come to find out they were set up for a laptop, with default to sleep mode after ½ hour- so the computer didn't run long enough to find the updates. Yesterday, I changed the sleep setting to "never" and it ran overnight, with good results. Installation ran from 6 am to about 11:30. I'll take your advice and look for more updates.

Looks to me like MS techs are told to push W10. Two of the three were ready to install it for me. They aren't anxious to help users with 7.

On a new topic, do you have a recommendation for a defrag program? I used Ultradefrag for a while in my Vista system, but it got to where it would make the computer freeze up. Seems to me you're better off to go beyond the defrag function in the OS, but maybe that's not true for W7.

 

I always used and recommended "Diskeeper" paid version and "Disk Defrag" free by Auslogics until I started running only Ssd drives and not only is it unnecessary to defrag ssd drive but it can be harmful to the drives. Why not schedule the Windows Dferagger as am sure at this point it is as good or better than any of the others. I used to be made by Diskeeper and may still be anyway.

 

Nice to get the skinny from a pro.

This whole project has been a learning experience. Although it's the second time I've been in the computer case (power supply went belly up, about 1 yr. ago), this was at least an order of magnitude above that replacement. As a hands-on kind of guy my whole life (69 so far), the education I got here is most valuable.

I've followed your suggestion and all afternoon I have been looking for more updates regardless of what the screen says ("no more updates".) As you predicted, MS has continued to find more, did several more batches, to where I think I'm now up to date. Once again, my thanks.

 

Glad to help its why we are here!

 

That is right defrag isn't needed for SSD drives, nor is it recommended at all. The only thing about SSD's and Windows 7 is that you may need to manually set trim whereas in Windows 10 it does it automatically.

 

Windows can't tell the difference between Spinner Drives and SSD's
You need to turn off "Scheduled Defragment" if it's an SSD.

 

I believe on newer Ssd drives Trim is set even on Windows 7.

 

That is correct, Rich. On my Windows 7 rigs Trim is set by default.
On my SSD's all have Garbage collection.