Microsoft Releases Public Vista Beta

FYI, these validation keys can also be used on the tech build 5384, so if you cant get it from microsoft, try the torrent sites.

so you're saying it wont {censored} on my other harddrives if i do that?

No it shouldn't... install it on another partition!

I finished downloading this morning, and have had trouble installing. When I select the harddrive I want, it says its not compatible with installation. Its an IDE, but my SATA isn't detected so I don't know..

Am currently downloading at ~2.1MB/s (on a corporate network). Sweet.

For those who have problems with the direct link download, try to navigate to the MS webpage first, then click on the link in that page.

If you can access the page, you should be able to get a working link (should be some referrer URL that enables the download perhaps?)

why can't download?

Access Denied and

directs me to:

Please go to http://www.windowsvista.com/getready/preview

EDIT:

used flashget:

too many users downloading...

Thank you for your interest in Windows Vista Beta 2.

We are currently experiencing a high level of demand and cannot process your request at this time.

Please check back later for availability. We apologize for any inconvenience.

I had to re-download the ISO from within my Kubuntu Dapper 6.06 LTS box... burned at 16X and now I am posting from within Vista. I must say that Vista is looking MUCH MORE POLISHED than the last time I used it... (Build 5270). Microsoft may have a winner on there hands like it or not... we will have to see how far behind Vista appears once Apple reveals it's hand (Leapord of course...).

EDIT: BTW I am having no trouble with my SATA Drives in AHCI mode guys.

Anyone figure out how to get GRUB to boot Vista beta 2?

Oh, and BTW, Vista is better that OSX. I just can't handle that damn Finder thing.

if u dont like finder there are a few alternatives.. explorer for mac is just like the explorer file manager in XP and my favourite it pathfinder best file manager do anythong and everything app on the planet and it has a replace the finder option (well most of the time) it is very cool go try it. beats he heack out of any file manager on any platform i have used

Windows Vista x86:

http://download.windowsvista.com/dl/previe...CFRE_EN_DVD.iso

Windows Vista x64:

http://download.windowsvista.com/dl/previe...xFRE_EN_DVD.iso

Here you go!

Finder is different to explorer. (microsoft windows)

But having used Explorer for years I am now prefering finder, mostly.

Three things:

1) open a finder window and hit Command + J Make sure All Windows is selected (it should be) then highlight "Show icon preview" then you get thumb nails for movies and videos etc. You can make the icons in some folders be very large (128x128) if you wish too.

2) See the divider in the dock? The left is for programs, the right is for windows and trash and shortcuts to real places on your drive. This is my favorite tip: Drag your applications folder into the dock on the right hand side of this divider. Now, just right click on it, and you get a 'start menu' of your entire applications folder and apps. You can do this for any folders on your system, even your whole hard disk.

3) Any menu item you can make a keyboard shortcut for. Check out keyboard in system preferences. This is a BIG deal to me. I have it so command + N makes a new folder, not command + shift + N. Also, i have it set up so control + option + command + E attaches whatever you have selected to a new email. This works in ANY programs, not just finder...

Also, saving automator workflows as finder plugins is great, if you need to rename the extension of 300 files, or if you want to number things... like if you have a lot of DSC001456.JPG, DSC002252.JPG i can just hightlight them, right click and choose an automation script i've made. It will prompt me for a name, i can type 'holidays' and all the photos will be Holidays_001.jpg, Holidays_002.jpg etc.

still some things i prefer in explorer, but overall things i dislike about finder i can fix / work around. In windows i can't.

No... Finder really sucks. But that PathFinder that someone mentioned earlier is really nice. It's worth it in OSX.

See this: http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=33561

My supervisor wanted to try out vista the other day. so I went and downloaded the thing. We have a good internet pipe and I was getting approx 4.5MB/s (!!!) at one point. It took about 1/2 hour. I burned it off to DVD and tried it on my Gateway Celeron D 331 (2.8Ghz), 768MB RAM, Serial ATA.

Here are my impressions:

Installation: Not bad. Although I think it tried to be too simplified. It didn't ask if it was ok to repartition the disk because it didn't recognize the data on it. But I had been smart and made sure there were no hard drives attached with any needed data on them before installing it.

The installation process took between 30 and 45 minutes. Not too bad really.

Boot up and first impressions.

Boot up looks a lot like XP, probably because it is. After the first reboot, the mouse failed to work. Another reboot fixed it. I don't have a high end graphics card, so I didn't see the Aero effect. It certainly looks nicer than XP's default theme, but it's not as nice as OS X on looks. It doesn't boot any faster than XP, in fact, I think slower (of course it is a beta). It also, just like XP, takes a stupidly long time to shut down. You'd think they could have improved this.

The start menu is much less of a pain in the ass than it used to be. Overall, I would say this is the change I like the most. It provides you with a scrollable list instead of an ever expanding set of menus.

Windows seems to be less annoying in some places (a welcome change, for sure) and more annoying in others. Like I tried the "new" minesweeper and had close 3 boxes before it actually let me play. I'm surprised the damn paper clip didn't come up and try to help me!

All in all, I think people who have referred to Vista as XP Service Pack 3 are right on. The changes, while nice, are not revolutionary, and many of the same things that sucked about windows before are still here. For example, window management still blows. I'm still much happier and productive using OS X.

Anyone else getting an ACPI stop error?

Anyone else getting an ACPI stop error?

What ACPI error... if you're getting the error code after copying at 4% or so.. then you need to re-download the ISO. It happened to me and I just re-downloaded the damn thing using Firefox and it worked. I didn't even burn it to the DVD. I used Nero ImageDrive to install it. Works flawlessly!!

Anyone getting a "Windows was not able to find a suitable volume/partition to install on" sort of error? This error has been plaguing me ever since yesterday morning. :/

What ACPI error... if you're getting the error code after copying at 4% or so.. then you need to re-download the ISO. It happened to me and I just re-downloaded the damn thing using Firefox and it worked. I didn't even burn it to the DVD. I used Nero ImageDrive to install it. Works flawlessly!!

When I boot from the installation DVD I get an infamous blue screen that tells me I need to update my BIOS to support ACPI, even though it is supported just fine.

Is the Public Beta version different than the version that was distributed to developers?

yeah, it is alittle newer. I had the lastest developer ver, and i just got done installing this one. Its a little more stable, and has some more drivers. Its pretty nice.

Just Started it Should be done in an Hour or so @ Currents Speeds. might as well use The 2 Samsungs for something as OS X dont wanna Play nice with em..

Anyone know if nF4 Sata Raid Works on it.?

I'm burning a 64 disc right now, does anyone know how to change the expiration date from 2007 to something later, if this turns out to be ok and not creepy like windows always was?

Oh nevermind, if they have gotten rid of all the creepiness, I'll buy an OEM.

MS says that I should get Aero, but I don't. Stupid Micro$oft.

Is anyone else having this problem with GMA 900?

MS says that I should get Aero, but I don't. Stupid Micro$oft.

Is anyone else having this problem with GMA 900?

Aero is Microsoft's eye candy for Vista. You need a good graphics card to get it though.

MS says that I should get Aero, but I don't. Stupid Micro$oft.

Is anyone else having this problem with GMA 900?

Where do MS say that you should have Aero on your GMA900? I thought Intel hadn't written WDDM drivers for the GMA900, they have written them for the GMA 950 though. Just having a DX9 capable GPU isn't going to get you Aero, you need the WDDM driver to go along with it, which is Intel's job, not Microsoft's. Although most drivers installed along with Vista say they are from Microsoft this isn't really true, the hardware manufacturer gives the driver to MS, who then test it and if satisifed with its stablility will send it out with the OS, it always been this way.