Triona's Tech Tips

As with any new operating system, Windows 7 has a few glitches. Here are some of the most widely-reported problems.

• Some users have experienced problems when upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7. (There is no direct upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7; to do so requires a clean install.) Information on the “endless-reboot bug” can be found here and here.
• For some, the upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 hangs at 62%, an issue referred to as the “62% bug” (see reports here and here).
• Others have reported issues syncing iPhones to Windows 7 PCs with Intel’s P55 Express chipset.
• Some people who purchased the bargain $29.99 student edition have had problems downloading the software. Microsoft says part of the problem is user confusion over whether they have 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows. It’s not always easy to tell which one you have, so I think Microsoft and Digital River (their online software distributor) ought to cut everyone some slack.

In addition there are scattered reports of problems with certain hardware devices and software programs as well as power management on laptops.

I strongly recommend that you begin with multiple good, solid backups before upgrading to Windows 7. And be sure to test those backups before upgrading! Look for my in-depth look at Windows 7 coming on November 15th.

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