Comments on the new Windows 7

[TrainableMan]

Cat, how can I install a printer driver in Virtual XP and it solve Windows 7 not printing?

Are you saying I have to install every program that you plan to print from inside Virtual XP as well, as this would sorta defeat the purpose of upgrading to Win 7, or this there some way to Print from IE8 or Word running under Win 7 and send it out via Virtual XP to a printer, treating it like a shared network printer or something??? Cuz that would be kinda neat.

 

[catilley1092]

No, what you'll have to do is play around with it's features, that's what I did, since XP Mode doesn't come with a manual. You have to do into Settings (with XP Mode shut down) and play around. What you want is to get your USB devices working within XP Mode, so that you can print. And some programs, you'll have to install within XP Mode, because some may simply not work in 7, no matter what you do. And too, there may be a forum on these issues, go back to the Windows Virtual PC site, and do some hard looking, some things are hidden. At first, there were no instructions on how to enable hardware virtualization, but finally, they posted the instructions for most popular brands.

Virtualization is not always an easy task, but with some research and experimenting, you can accomplish a lot. My use of the technology is limited, first, I never needed it to begin with, my programs & hardware works perfectly without it. My main purpose for it now is running Windows OS's within a Linux environment, since I like Mint, but can't do without Windows. Not that it's Mint's fault, like corporations refuse to write 64 bit drivers for perfectly fine software/hardware (esp. printers). People would gladly pay for the drivers if they had to, I would pay $10 for a driver that would make my printer work with Mint. There is financial incentive, but the hardware corporations probably pay the software writers off not to produce drivers, so they can push new products. This is the problem, and it needs a hard look at, and a possible investigation into wrongdoings.

The bottom line is, software can be written, but most likely the writers are being suppressed in one way or the other.

Cat