Although I primarily use Ubuntu on my laptop, sometimes I need to face situations where I need to use Windows just to save myself a bit of trouble. So I dual boot Windows with Ubuntu to get the best out of both worlds(though the former has nothing much to offer). When I bought my laptop, I got Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed with it. Also, my timing for ordering my laptop was just perfect. Microsoft started offering free Windows 7 upgrades to people who bought their PC/laptop after 26th June. Though I ordered my laptop on 22nd, the order was processed on 26th and I was eligible to get the free Windows 7 upgrade :). The free Windows 7 upgrades were being managed by the OEMs so I registered with Dell for a free Windows 7 upgrade.
When Windows 7 was released, I had my exams and I completely forgot that I needed to order my free upgrade DVD. Midway through my exams, one fine sunny day, I realized that I hadn’t ordered my upgrade DVD and so I ordered it on 10th November. I received the upgrade DVD on 30th November which is pretty decent considering the fact that I didn’t have to pay a penny for it.
Then it was time to start the Windows 7 Upgrade. The upgrade pack had 2 DVDs- Windows 7 Upgrade advisor and the Windows 7 Home Premium DVD. The upgrade advisor asked me to uninstall a few applications and drivers to prepare for the Windows 7 upgrade. The whole process was a bit time consuming but was hassle-free. Then it was time to actually start the upgrade. The process of the upgrade took around 2 hours or maybe even more. Everything seems to be very time consuming if you compare it with the installation time of Ubuntu. The upgrade advisor installed new versions of the software it had removed prior to the upgrade. The upgrade was successful and I didn’t lose a single file(was a bit apprehensive about it initially) and as expected, it removed GRUB from the MBR and installed its own bootloader. Reinstalling GRUB is something that I’ve done so many times that I can do it with my eyes closed now but this time it was a bit different. This time, I was dealing with GRUB 2. I’ll write more about reinstalling GRUB 2 on Ubuntu in a later post some other day.
I can’t say much about Windows 7 simply because I haven’t used it much. But by first looks, its a nice comeback after the disaster called Vista. The shutdown button is the shutdown button again and overall it looks like an usable OS. I like some of the new features introduced and the best part is that its less demanding in terms of system resources. But well, at the end of the day, its Windows and its in my laptop for use in unavoidable circumstances.
Tags: DVD, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Multi boot, Operating system, Original equipment manufacturer, Windows 7, Windows Vista
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