Hello,
got the official version of Windows 7 Professional 64 bit yesterday.

I guess a lot of people want to switch to Windows 7 and/or a 64 bit operating system, so here are my first impressions:

• during installation of Windows 7 you can now load drivers for your RAID drives from other devices (CD/DVD/USB). Finally no diskette drive needed anymore. Welcome to 2009, Microsoft.

• it's stable. I installed all my programs and had no crash so far, no matter if it's a native 64 bit version or a 32 bit version. Even the 'usual suspects' [tm] behave fine.

• it's fast and responsive

• the Vue 7.51 64 bit version renders definitely faster than the 32 bit version, even with scenes where memory (I upgraded from 4GB to 8GB) is NOT an issue. This is especially nice for the small preview render.

• remember to start it with administrative rights when you enter the serial number, if not you can type it again during the next start. Aaargh...

• the Nvidia driver for my GTX275 graphics card runs smoothly with Vue. There's one scene where for whatever reasons the textures won't show up in the navigation views. All my other scenes work fine. Maybe I forgot the set an option after the new Vue installation.

• like Windows Vista it has (compared to Windows XP) about one zillion unnecessary background services running. Should run even faster when I remove the ones I don't need.

• 8GB RAM rulez.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

You switched from Vista 32 to Windows 7 64 right?

How much memory does it use from your 8 Gb at startup, with the default services loaded and no other process selected?
I am considering upgrading too (from Vista 64).

Quote - You switched from Vista 32 to Windows 7 64 right?

How much memory does it use from your 8 Gb at startup, with the default services loaded and no other process selected?
I am considering upgrading too (from Vista 64).

Nope, from Windows XP.

Disclaimer: the first step I did after installation was to change Windows to the 'Optimized for speed' setting, so my RAM usage values are without all those visual gimmicks Aero offers.

After normal start-up, with a running local RenderCow service, about 1.200 MB were used.

After removing some unnecessary services the value decreased to about 900 MB used.
I guess there's some more room for improvement, but I'll wait until the Windows experts find out more before I render my computer useless by removing an essential service.

Yep I used to use windows XP and Vista, now on  windows 7 and it ranges from .9 -1.4 gig for me I have not cleared the startup files I do not need yet.

Windows 7 is smoother than Vista and a massive improvement over XP (still get the same crashes on all versions though!) .  When it comes to buying windows 7 I may revert back to Vista seeing as I spent £150 on it.

Quote - Windows 7 is smoother than Vista and a massive improvement over XP (still get the same crashes on all versions though!) .

Do you mean crashes of applications of crashes of the OS?

I know of at least one way to crash Vue 7.5 that is OS independent :rolleyes:,
but so far I didn't succeed in crashing Windows 7.
And telling this after about one week of usage means a lot in the Microsoft world :tongue2:

ive been using the rc of win 7 for like 6 - 7 months now, its been fine, very very few crashes, (less than xp)

only curious thing it has done is remove all the oprtions from my start menu, but that doesnt matter, its whats the desktop is for :P

I was running Vista 64bit Ultimate since it's release end 2006 - january 2007 - and it NEVER crashed on me since then - it was the best Windows Version i've used since all the versions i've used beginning with Win 3.1 until end 2006 ... you only needed the right machine and components, to run it, so all 2007 hardware (Quadcore, 6GB Ram, fast 8800 card, since a while now a 9800 GTX+).
And - surely installing all announced official Windows-Updates up to Service Pack 2.
Since running Vista in 64bit mode, i never want to go back to 32bit ... that's history for me - a relict out of older PC times ...

Anyway - the only Problem with Vista was it's larger ressources hunger. So because Windows 7 for me is only a streamlined Vista with a better ressources management, i've switched over to Win 7 now, too.
Before that i've moved my first 500 GB harddrive with 6 partitions and all the files and folders and boot information (including my Vista OS on C:) over to a new 1 TB harddrive using a great software called "Acronis True Image 2010".
The backup from files to folder and even whole partitions and drives (cloning) and keeping all the boot information went fast and flawless (for example to back up the 45 GB content of my C: Vista partition with boot info took only about 15 min. to the 1T drive hooked to the USB port).
After that i only had to exchange the 500 GB and 1T drives in my PC. Starting up the PC it felt like the 1T drive was always installed and my Vista ran perfectly.

I've bought a SystemBuilder Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit Version (cheaper) and just updated my running Vista with Win 7.
After the installation everything was running fine, looked and worked like my 2 year old Vista before (i've had a lot of different applications, games, whatsoever installed) - only the Rivatuner gave me some problems (used it to control fan speed for piece and tranquillity ...). Now using MSI Afterburner Tool for fan speed control - works fine.

Vue 7.4 and Vue 7.5 , Poser 8, Carrara 6 and all other 2D and 3D programs were running right away - no new installation needed.
Except of ZBrush 3.5 and PaintShop Pro X2 Ultimate - they've asked for a new activation at start - but that was done in a minute online and working now flawless.

Otherwise - like Andrewball mentioned - in many places it's running smoother than my Vista before - with some improvements over Vista. But - overall i feel home rightaway in Windows 7, because most of the things and looks are totally familiar to me, because being an enhanced Vista for me.
For someone coming from XP or even older versions of Windows OS it for sure is a new experience - for a short while. Like i got used to Vista in 2007 real quick, everybody switching over to Win 7, should be getting used to it just on the fly ... 

Quote - Yep I used to use windows XP and Vista, now on  windows 7 and it ranges from .9 -1.4 gig for me I have not cleared the startup files I do not need yet.

If that's the case then W7 isn't really interesting on pc's with 4Gb or less. XP takes around 0.5Gb (with firewall, virus and some other non windows background extra's) and that's fine when one has 4GB. Loosing 0.5-1Gb more when you only have 4Gb doesn't really sound enticing at all.

Sure one can hold on to the old times of PC hardware and software forever - but it doesn't make sense anymore.
If someone is saying, they only got 4 GB or less of RAM nowadays, is really getting far behind, what's possible and available now close to 2010 ...
RAM is now as cheap to buy , like it was never before !!

It's so easy and cheap to upgrade to more then 4 GB RAM - unless - you call an outdated machine your own. Maybe someone doesn't have the bucks to spend on something new, then it can't be done, logical, too ...

But everyone should remember - Vista and Win7 are Operating Systems for nowadays PCs, so if someone want's to stick with old stuff, they have to stick with an older OS.
It's quite logical, that XP uses much less RAM and other stuff, because remember, when and for what hardware available at the time, it was written !!??

The same i could compare Windows 98 to Windows XP - Win98 needed less RAM and other resources then WinXP.
So to compare Win 3.1 to Win98 - Win 3.1 ran from 3.5" diskettes - and needed some joke of RAM to nowadays needs ...

So in my opinion this constant and forever lasting comparison between XP and uptodate OS releases is quite a joke. It simply doesn't make sense anymore.
Because new hardware handles easily those new Vista and Win7 OS - and to call 8 GB of RAM your own, is even the cheapest component to get for a PC system.

In the next 5 years XP will have a harder and harder time to keep up with the more and more rising data sizes of images, HD movies, internet websites loads and more ... so everyone will NEED to upgrade to more RAM and more powerful hardware in the coming years ...

Like i've mentioned in my before post - Vista never crashed on me - having even more stuff installed and running, than on Windows XP before ... and i wanted to get rid of XP on mine and my daughters PC at the end of 2006, simply because i got sick of reinstalling the XP system at least once or twice a year - on both PCs - after switching to Vista on both it never happened anymore ... well that's at least what i've experienced (and i'm running graphics- music- video- game- and whatever software on my PC ... so using the full spectrum ...). Okay - that's just my personal experience, can't speak for other ones (just to mention - the only thing, i'm not doing is stuff like overclocking - modding - and stuff like that - because that can be an easy killer ...).

So the simple rule to me is:
if you have older and outdated hardware, keep using XP - if you have pretty new or the newest hardware, make use of the possibilities of newer and fresher Operating Systems.

But in the end, everyone has the right to decide, what they'll be using or what they need.

I've been waiting for "7"  Vista was a "no go" for me!  I appreciate the info.  Now it's time to look for the next computer!

Quote - > Quote - Windows 7 is smoother than Vista and a massive improvement over XP (still get the same crashes on all versions though!) .

Do you mean crashes of applications of crashes of the OS?

I know of at least one way to crash Vue 7.5 that is OS independent :rolleyes:,
but so far I didn't succeed in crashing Windows 7.
And telling this after about one week of usage means a lot in the Microsoft world :tongue2:

No windows 7 is stable as anything, it is the applications that crash, mainly Vue and sometimes photoshop. Really do rate this operating system . Maybe when drivers improve it will be more stable with vue

Quote - > Quote - Yep I used to use windows XP and Vista, now on  windows 7 and it ranges from .9 -1.4 gig for me I have not cleared the startup files I do not need yet.

If that's the case then W7 isn't really interesting on pc's with 4Gb or less. XP takes around 0.5Gb (with firewall, virus and some other non windows background extra's) and that's fine when one has 4GB. Loosing 0.5-1Gb more when you only have 4Gb doesn't really sound enticing at all.

If you are an artist, no matter what OS you have the more ram you have the better. its just that simple. A digital artist should have at least a duo core processor,64 bit OS, as mush ram as you can afford. And a quality Video Card,dual if you can affored it. It will make your life as a digital artist so much easyer and less time consuming.
 
And ram is mush cheaper today,so sticking with XP with the much better windows 7 is just silly,plus support for XP almost over. One example is using zbrush where you will notice your low ram right away when trying to make your model much more detailed and painted. 5million pollygons are no problem on a 64 bit system because you can add as much ram as you need. XP is limited and 64 bit XP just stinks.

PS: You are not loosing any ram, insted of unused ram your most used programs will load very fast because they are in memory already. unused ram is wasted ram,perioud end of storie.

Do you have to run XP mode to get your 32 bit apps to run? I have Vue Pro Studio 7.5 32 bit....and would like to upgrade to Win7 64 bit but have concerns about Painter IX.5 and Vue....

Thanks kindly...

Quote - Do you have to run XP mode to get your 32 bit apps to run? I have Vue Pro Studio 7.5 32 bit....and would like to upgrade to Win7 64 bit but have concerns about Painter IX.5 and Vue....

Thanks kindly...

Of course I can't make a general statement, but the 32 bit graphic programs I use all run well and stable:

• Gimp (I need the 32 bit version because I use a commercial plug-in for which I would need the pay again to get the 64-bit version)

• DAZ-Studio

• the RealFlow Demo

Feel free to add to that list if you have first hand experience.

Kenmo, I didn't realise there was a 7.5 version of pro studio?

Anyway onto the question, Vue will work in 64 bit mode if you have a 64 bit operating system. You don't need to upgrade to 64 bit as when you get Vue it comes in 32 bit/64 bit form anyway, it will use either for whatever operating system you have.

You only need xp mode for some apps that just wont work in Vista/Windows 7, it doesnt matter if they are 32 bit or 64 bit, sometimes they just dont play nice.

Jon