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Microsoft is struggling to find answers for people whose attempt to upgrade to Windows 7 has sent their machine into an endless reboot cycle.Reports of the problem first began appearing on Microsoft's support forum on Friday, the day after the operating system was first released. According to the complaints, Windows 7 claims the upgrade has failed and that Vista will be restored.
However, when the machine reboots it offers the same error and reboots again in an endless circle. Despite numerous reports of the problem, it seems Microsoft is still no closer to an answer and tempers are becoming frayed.
Following the crowd only takes you so far.
Ever see that Simpsons episode where Homer designed a car? This is Homer's attempt at OS development :).
What's remarkable is that there aren't more problems reported or that any large scale upgrade is possible.
Still . . there's got to be a better "no problem" way . . right? :-/
I'm a big believer in holding back when new software is released, on production machines I can't afford to spend days pulling my hair out in frustration. Let the early adopters find the bugs and hopefully by the time I get to installing it will be plain sailing.
References are available on request. Programmers and analysts hate me because I expose all their failings.
BTW, that new mac commercial, where every new MS OS guy says her promises that the new OS will be awesome, is hilarious....
if not billions of PCs are running MS's OS, and how many variations of PC hardware / peripherals / software, including software versions that represents, it's somewhat of a given that some problems will only be identified/remedied post-release.
True. But a lot of the blame for the spaghetti mess lands squarely on Microsoft's shoulders.
I bet will see this on the next PC vs. Mac commercial.
I'm no MS fanboy/apologist, but when you think about how many 100s of millions, if not billions of PCs are running MS's OS, and how many variations of PC hardware / peripherals / software, including software versions that represents, it's somewhat of a given that some problems will only be identified/remedied post-release.
Upgrades are what give any Windows OS a black eye. It's a problem with a lot of software, not just Microsoft. I'd expect the pros here to recognize that.
3 months bare minimum have elapsed since release, preferably 6 months. This gives others a chance to uncover any hidden bugs and come up with solutions.
You have researched a clear migration plan for all critical software. Some will work, some will need to be updated, some will need to be replaced. This is a good time to figure out which ones you can live without. Use the 3 to 6 months after the OS's release to figure out which is which. (Sounds tough, but thanks to google, you can figure this out usually in a couple of hours).
You have backed up all your data files. Not just the critical ones. ALL of them. If you don't, then that one spreadsheet you thought you'd never need is the one you suddenly can't live without 6 months after you've killed it.
Pull your old system hard drive and set it on a shelf. Hard drives are cheap. New OS, New Hard Drive.
Disconnect any secondary hard drives/storage, but leave in place.
Install that spanking new hard drive you bought for your new OS. Install new OS on said new hard drive. If everything goes according to plan, start reconnecting the secondary hard drives/storage. One by one, install your software according to your migration plan.
If things go wrong, try a second time just in case you fat fingered. After the second failure, re-insert the old hard drive you had with your previous OS and software. Go back to Google and try and figure out why it all went so wrong.
It sounds time consuming and labour intensive, and... well, it kinda is. But if you do it right, "transition day" is far more likely to succeed, and has a much lower stress level.
And the above advice applies to any significant OS upgrade. Mac, Linux, MS, Solaris, whatever.
Joe Consumer won't do it. That's why Joe Consumer isn't making a good living in IT. Don't be Joe Consumer.
True...but obviously it CAN be engineered INTO products.
An answer has yet to be found for all users, who began reporting the problem last Friday after watching the upgrade stall two-thirds of the way through the process.
Microsoft's new catch phrase. "We Brick Your Computer".
Vista users who bought the upgrade are frustrated at the loss of their computers:
"You people at Microsoft just don't get it, do you?" protested a user tagged as "FJP57" on the thread. "The problem for many here is that the store-bought upgrade, not just the download, is failing in all types and makes of computers. Read the posts. It's not isolated. There is NO BOOT MENU OPTION TO LOAD VISTA AGAIN. IT'S GONE. The boot cycles over and over again. It's that simple. This is not an operator error. It's a Microsoft problem."
I've an 19" G5 imac at home that's been upgraded years ago with the OS in place. Just plain worked before and after the upgrade, it's booted every single day since then. So it is possible to upgrade OSes. Just not those made by Microsoft.
We should not let Microsoft yet again lower the expectations people can have in a product cause Microsoft is incapable of making sure the consumers get a good result.
If they produce upgrades and sell them to consumers, then they better make sure that they do work. End of story.
If it doesn't work (reliably) they should not be allowed to sell it (as such).
This starts to smell like a US class action lawsuit waiting to happen :)
Having the previous OS and hard drive up on the shelf where you can easily see it is a key factor in keeping upgrade stress levels under control. If something goes wrong, let your eyes drift to that drive, safe and cozy... If the on-screen problem isn't too terribly bad, seeing that backup drive may even elicit a smile...
Jim
Why is it that I can reinstall a FREE Linux OS on a production server hosting many websites generating lots of income and feel confident that it will work.
Yet, run the risk of having a broken Windows desktop by using an EXPENSIVE advertised Microsoft upgrade?
Is it possible that MS rushed Win 7 without the proper beta testing?
Still . . there's got to be a better "no problem" way . . right? :-/
sure there is, microsoft starts telling you what hardware you are allowed to use like apple does. *blah*
Is it possible that MS rushed Win 7 without the proper beta testing?
The issue we're seeing here is a feature/function that MS never included in any of the betas and was totally unknown to people outside Microsoft until October 22. MS never answered any inquiries about the upgrade process and how it would work. This was a last minute addition to the process that wasn't tested outside MS (to my knowledge).
For those having endless reboot it is more time consuming but simple. Can't supply links, but free software is easy enough to Bing?
Your repair kit made on a working computer: A bootable CD with partition software(free, download it).
Make new partition with fresh install of Win7 or Vista.
Now you have a clean OS. You may have to change boot order in bios.
If you want to continue with the upgrade from within your working OS(requires patience) there are several working solutions at social.answers.microsoft.com.
Clean OS option: format old partition and then merge new/old partitions.
Thanks MS for making this a prosperous but busy week....
(Edited for more clarity)
Why is it that I can reinstall a FREE Linux OS on a production server hosting many websites generating lots of income and feel confident that it will work.
we are talking about UPGRADES not reinstalls. sure you can install windows 7 over windows 7 all day long and feel fine about it. Before SFC that is actually what you normally did to repair OS file coruption due to virus or nasty 3rd party apps.
go upgrade to a different version of linux and tell me how that goes.
go upgrade to a different version of linux and tell me how that goes.
I just did a Linux upgrade and it was really difficult. LOL. "Yum Upgrade" and "Up2date"
Since 2001, I have never had a Linux upgrade fail.
