Indiana University: IT Training Tips Blog

Note: Windows 7 has been released to IU students faculty and staff earlier than anticipated.  This article has been updated to reflect the new information.

Windows 7 is now available to IU students, faculty and staff, so it's a good time to think about whether or not you will want to upgrade, and start taking steps to prepare for the upgrade.

In this post, we'll examine some resources you can use to help make your decision, and try to answer some common questions that might arise.

How to get Windows 7

At IU, you can go to any IU Bookstore to purchase the Ultimate edition for $20.  As of now, only the Ultimate edition will be available, but both 32-bit and 64-bit versions will be available.

32-bit or 64-bit?

The difference between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions will not be apparent just by using the operating system.  From the end-users perspective, they are identical.  However, the 64-bit version of the OS allows Windows to use greater amounts of memory.  A 64-bit operating system requires a 64-bit compatible processor.  If your computer was built in the last 3 years, it is likely capable of using a 64-bit operating system, but check with your computers manufacturer to be certain.

32-bit operating systems have been the default version for a long time, and if you purchased a computer more than a year ago, it likely had a 32-bit OS installed.  The monikers '32-bit' and '64-bit' refers to the size of the numbers your computer can keep track of.  For lack of a better analogy, it determines how high your computer can count.  With 32-bit addressing, the computer can count as high as 232. For a long time, this was sufficient for computers.  However, as memory requirements get larger, computers have run into a limit.  Your 32-bit computer can only keep track of about 4GB worth of memory, and because of other limitations, even if you have 4GB of RAM in your 32-bit machine, it is probably only utilizing about 3.5 GB.

Should I move to 64-bit?

If you plan on adding 4GB of RAM to your system, then moving to a 64-bit OS would be a good idea.  However, you cannot simply upgrade your OS from 32-bit to 64-bit.  You must do a completely clean installation, which requires some planning and forethought, not to mention time.

Computers that can have more than 4GB of RAM installed in the system are just starting to become common, so if your computer is more than a year old, it is likely it is not possible to install more than 4GB of RAM because of various technical limitations.  Still, you will likely see a performance boost by moving from a 32-bit to a 64-bit operating system.

Be aware that you will need new drivers for your hardware that are specifically written for a 64-bit operating system, but these are fairly common, and shouldn't be hard to find.  You might also notice that some software manufacturers release '64-bit' versions of their applications.  Most of the time, you can still use the 32-bit version, as the OS will be backwards compatible, but after moving to 64-bit, you should choose the 64-bit version of software when applicable.

The bottom line: If you are upgrading and doing a clean install anyway, there's no compelling reason not to move to 64-bit if your hardware can handle it.  However, moving to 64-bit should probably not be your only reason for upgrading.

For more information on 32-bit vs. 64-bit, including ways to tell if your machine can run a 64-bit OS, see this help article from Microsoft.

Preparing for Windows 7

Now that we understand how to get the software, and which version to get, let's talk about preparing your system for Windows 7.

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Windows 7 is Microsoft's followup to Windows Vista, and it will be released to the general public on October 22nd.  Windows 7 has been referred to in many tech blogs as an enhanced version of Vista, and in some ways this is true, but there are some significant changes to the interface, and in this video we will examine some of these interface changes focusing on the taskbar.  We will also look at some changes to arranging windows on screen, as well as talking about how Windows 7 handles Gadgets.

Windows 7 First Look

Windows 7 will be available to the general public on October 22nd, and is already available in some professional settings, but keep an eye on the UITS news page to find out when IU students, faculty and staff can get their own personal copies.

Back in the day, one of the more tantalizing promises of the internet was the ability to shop favorite stores while still wearing jammies. (For those of us living in small college towns, it seems like there's no shame in wearing jammies anywhere - shopping, school, out to dinner - but I digress). We're now at the point where the internet wave has also brought the ability for many folks to work a full-time, professional job while still wearing their jammies, via telecommuting.(Seen at right is the Business Bib, a suit-falsie so that jammies-wearing telecommuters can still look professional when in a videoconference.)

Many Windows users are familiar with Remote Desktop, which allows you to access your work computer, say, from your home or elsewhere. Depending on the robustness of your internet connection, however, you may find that Remote Desktop sometimes lags or provides a slow screen refresh, so that moving your mouse results in action on-screen several seconds later.  In this post, I'll cover how to change a few settings in order to improve the performance of Remote Desktop so that you can be just as efficient in your jammies as you are when actually at school or work.

Four Steps to a Faster Remote Desktop Experience

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There's an old adage that the only sure things in life are death, taxes... and that new operating systems from Microsoft will require more powerful computers. (What?  Your grandparents didn't tell you about that last part? )

A (Brief) History of Microsoft Operating Systems

Many people (myself included) grow weary (and poor!) from endless upgrade cycles: each new software release seems to require an additional investment in a new, or upgraded, computer. Look at Microsoft's absolute bare minimum system requirements for their most recent operating systems: (more...)