Windows 7 gripes and problems
 

Ok - before anyone gets the wrong idea - I really like W7.

However, I do have some gripes with it - mainly in the games department.

So here is a thread for those who are playing with it to post their gripes - what doesn't work, what workarounds have you found, etc....

I am running the 32 bit version at the moment. Ok here is my list - so far:

Star Wars Rebellion - older game - wont run. Needs a Dx file that isnt present. You can download the individual file or get a dx9 version - put it in the folder and it still craps out. Also can reg it - but it still doesnt help. This game is a no go moving forward. Compatibility mode also doesnt work for it. Pity.....

Pacific Fighters - The install wont even run. Again, compatiblity mode does nothing.

Narscar Simracing - last decent race sim for nascar put out - installs fine but the cube3d app that configures the graphix crashes - so you can't even go to cheesy default graphics and then modify from in game. Another dead on arrival.

OK - 3 "older" games - from the 90's to more recent stuff.... so how about a brand spanking new game?

Dawn of War 2 perhaps?

Install is fine - run the bugger - and guess what - you get a DX error. Its missing a file. A DX9 file to be exact. Ok - install DX9 (works fine on vista with dx10 after all - so it should work) - guess what - DX9 redist wont install a single file if you run it.... sheesh! However - if you dl just the dll it needs - put that file in your DOW folder - the game will run - thankfully.

So far I haven't gone digging for more - but I will add to this list as I find other stuff. if anyone out there has similiar problems with games, and especially if you find a workaround - post it!

DX9 installed fine for me. :hmmm:

But there are some gripes though;

Quicklaunch; no option to enable. Requires workaround: create new toolbar and manually add location where the folder is.

Start menu; there is an option that stops menu's from opening on mouse hover. But if you tell it not to behave like that, menu's still open. Broken/bug.

Hardware support; impossible to get screen res or refresh right: 1280x960 wasn't available on one PC, it is on this one. But on this one I can't set refresh rate above 60. Force through Rivatuner doesn't work, custom res doesn't work, custom driver doesn't work, nothing. Kinda weird Win7 doesn't properly support CRT monitor; those things have been around longer then PCs. :88)

Can't get rid of Start Menu search box (that I know of).

My mouse (ROCCAT Kone): driver needs to be executed in Vista compat. mode or config utility let's you change options but click "ok" nothing happens.

Scroll rate is flaky: set it to 5 lines, close config util, open it again and it's 500 lines. Try to set it to 1 page at a time, then resets to 500 lines again. Seems the software can't retrieve proper settings from Win7.

Sound: default device and default comm device keep switching; output is send to my mic and input is going to my speakers. :rotfl:

And that's just the more substantial issues I send MS and others feedback on.



Other then that, it's great. :roll:

Did I tell you I like Vista:O:

As far as games, I would guess MS is focusing on the items that most users require. Perhaps gaming is secondary on the list but it is on the list for 7 none-the-less. Just a beta and a good one from what I read about it.

edit: [humor on]I guess we need some kind of Vista Rules banner...[/humor off]

They have a Q&A site up for your issues, maybe they'll respond or include a fix for them.

http://qna.live.com/Search.aspx?tag=windows+7

Hmm, strange problems you have there. Haven't seen any of that on my system, and every game I've tried works without hitches. Granted the list isn't very long, but it does include mostly older stuff.

Here's my gaming history so far. I haven't installed DX9 at all, or any else additional stuff. No workarounds used.
IL2 1946: Ok in DirectX-mode. OpenGL doesn't work thanks to Ati. Folder copied straight from XP without installing anything.
Falcon 4 AF: Ok. Installed from CD.
Arma: Ok. Installed from CD.
Silent Hunter 3: Ok. Installed from CD.
Silent Hunter 4: Ok. Folder copied straight from XP without installing anything.

Not at all Longam. 7 is what Vista was supposed to be:up:

Gaming is pretty good on 7, at least in my case. My games are on secondary drive; I didn't reinstall any of them after moving to 7. Performance is the same or better then XP. For the first time, I've been playing stuff like Crysis and World in Conflict in DX10, works like a charm.

That said, there are lots of people with problems. All seems like a hit or miss afair. Win7 probably stil has a long way to go when it comes to hardware compatibility; getting it to run stable on every possible config.


Btw CaptainHaplo: you can install DX9 in 2 ways; download the entire distro and install from your drive, or run the web-installer which will basically update. Don't know what you tried, but the web installer worked fine for me.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

I ran the redistributable - didnt update a thing on mine. Weird.

I will look into it - but I fully expect that alot of older stuff is going to be bypassed - no money in supporting it.