Windows Vista hits Beta 2 stage - and anyone can try it!

[fillip]

Windows users can now get their hands on a test version of Vista, Microsoft's new operating system. The software giant is letting anyone download or order a beta, or trial, version of the program.
Those installing Vista will be encouraged to send in feedback about their experiences with the pre-release program.
The final version of Vista for home users is due to be released in January 2007.


I've signed up but haven't downloaded yet. The licence you get allows you to install and test it on upto 10 system until June next year.

Should be interesting.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx

[cobalt6700]

well ive downloaded it and im on it now. it looks very nice, and the drivers seem to work after a bit of fiddling.

ill report back in a few days when ive played a bit more (screenys if people want them)

gaz

[Da_Rude_Baboon]

It wont install for me for some reason. :angry:

[cobalt6700]

It wont install for me for some reason. :angry:

really? where dose it get to?

[Da_Rude_Baboon]

I enter the licence code then get an error saying can not open image. tbh i havent bothered trying it again as i ahve been busy with other stuff. It looked like it couldnt find my SATA drive.

[cobalt6700]

It looked like it couldnt find my SATA drive.

i also had that problem. i had to change my SATA drive mode from SATA to IDE for it to find it....and it works fine. ive installed firefox and ive put my LAN drivers on it, just going to play witht he audio tonight, and then get winamp working, and if that works, ill see if i can install farcry, and see what vista is like in gaming. i also need to install my GPU drivers.

vista its self is taking up 11Gig, and like i said, the only other thing ive installed is firefox.

gaz

[fivecheebs]

vista its self is taking up 11Gig, and like i said, the only other thing ive installed is firefox.

:jaw: Wow, bloaty!

[Psykotik]

Did you seriously mean to type 11 Gig? If so, that's quite frankly disgusting!

[fillip]

Are you taking into account the formatted size of your disk?

[furious trout]

Remember that the Beta is for Vista Ulitmate (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/editions/default.mspx) and hence have absolutely everything in it including all the media center functionality, I have it running on my laptop in a 7 Gb partition with Office 2007 and firefox, and I still have free space :shrug:

[Greeny]

Not really that surprising that it uses that much space, compare windows 2k and windows xp. Functionally pretty close, but 2k is about 600MB~ish installed and xp is 3GB~ish. I had heard about 10GB for vista so the number sounds about right.

I have the beta sitting here at work, but I need some new hard drives for me machine so I can have a gander.

[cobalt6700]

umm from what i can remember....ill have a check when i get home.

[cobalt6700]

and its actually 11.9 gig.

i had a problem this evening, system fiel corrupt. and sound wont install.

gaz

[Reitau]

Been running Vista on a P4 3.0GHz test rig at work - 11GB install, 1GB RAM, 6200TC on nVidia beta drivers, and have installed a few testing apps.

The front end shows corruption on the fading-to-background in menus etc - I will blame nVidia for now. As for the MS stuff, its a logical transition, but I hate the way they move networking stuff, it might take me till Xmas to get this fully, but I am getting there. Have an official copy too - lovely System Builder licence for 10 systems as mensioned before.

[cobalt6700]

i have the same fading problems. i also cant seem to get the Nvidia drivers to install. the sound drivers off the creative site....well the one for vista comes up with a message saying that i have the wrong operating system, and that i need to install vista or later........and the XP64bit driver installs, but nothing comes out of the speakers. so no sound as of yet -_-

one of my system files went bad yesterday, and i used the recovery on the vista disk. i have to say im liking the little features. like if you hover over the bar at the bottom it shows whats on the window. and areo is cool. the new start menu is cool as well.

gaz

[Reitau]

i have the same fading problems. i also cant seem to get the Nvidia drivers to install. the sound drivers off the creative site....well the one for vista comes up with a message saying that i have the wrong operating system, and that i need to install vista or later........and the XP64bit driver installs, but nothing comes out of the speakers. so no sound as of yet -_-

one of my system files went bad yesterday, and i used the recovery on the vista disk. i have to say im liking the little features. like if you hover over the bar at the bottom it shows whats on the window. and areo is cool. the new start menu is cool as well.

gaz

I like the RSS feed wiget or whatever its called... on that note I cant seem to get the WizD feed working?

[steglegs]

Hey all, Downloaded vista beta file. windows shows it as being 4Gb. after burning to DVD it shows it as 140Mb, have i missed or done something wrong?
havent tried using the disc yet bit late to start messing about with it now.

[furious trout]

Hey all, Downloaded vista beta file. windows shows it as being 4Gb. after burning to DVD it shows it as 140Mb, have i missed or done something wrong?
havent tried using the disc yet bit late to start messing about with it now.
Sounds like the DVD didn't burn properly to me....:shrug:
It does a media check in the install anyway so you'll find out one way or another I guess.

[steglegs]

Tried using the disk, didnt work. tried burning another 1, same thing.

[furious trout]

Tried using the disk, didnt work. tried burning another 1, same thing.
Corrupted download by the looks of things then.

[steglegs]

What CD/DVD burning do you use, ive tried intervideo disc master 2, that reduced the file to 140Mb. i also tried nero but that would not let me burn anything bigger than 2Gb.:confused:

[furious trout]

What CD/DVD burning do you use, ive tried intervideo disc master 2, that reduced the file to 140Mb. i also tried nero but that would not let me burn anything bigger than 2Gb.:confused:
I use Nero....no probs for me :shrug: