What is the trick to get this dual-disk Win7 laptop to boot from asingle disk?

Paul wrote:

Writing to Roaming, happens when
a program tries to self-update its Program Files folder
(with say, stored settings). So in general, this is
not a recommended practice, even if you can bodge
the permissions to make it happen. It works that way,
to make the system (slightly) more secure to malware.

Hi Paul,

Again, two things to make clear since you're so helpful:
1. I learned long ago not to CHANGE the Microsoft folders;
so I simply wholly and totally IGNORE them.

As stated, I used to change the %programsdir% & %temp%
and other variables; but that drove me crazy since now
programs could *find* my folders and poop in them.

Plus, plenty of programs were (and I'm sure still are)
written so badly that they don't even respect the
variables. They simply hard code "C:\Program Files" into
their heirarchies, even though I had my first dozen PC's
without any program files directory.

These dumb programs actually CREATED a program files
hierarchy (Apple iTunes comes to mind as one that is so badly
written that it will CREATE a program files directory even
if you don't have one!).

It was just too hard to deal with buggy software that
blindly (and dumbly) assumed you had a program files
folder - so - I just learned to *ignore* the program
files hierarchy - but I no longer touch it or try to
change it.

2. I learned long ago not to PUT ANYTHING in Microsoft Folders;
so I simply wholly and totally IGNORE those too!

In fact, to make things easier for my kids and grandkids,
I tell them all to *never store anything* in a folder that
has a space in the name!

Of course, this isn't wholly accurate, as *some* Microsoft
folders don't have a space; but most do - so it works well
enough for the kids to remember to put nothing ever into
"My Documents" or "Program Files" or "My Music", etc.

So, the first thing I do is delete all the idiotic
links Microsoft creates to "My Music" and "My Pictures",
and "My Videos", etc., all of which lead to garbage over
time.

I teach my kids and grandkids to create a hierarchy
*that makes sense to them* and to stick with it, and
improve it over their lifetime.

Danny D. wrote:
Paul wrote:

It's not a good idea to Repair Install a 64 bit OS, over top of
a 32 bit installation. Normally, the installer logic calls
for a Clean Install in those circumstances. You should only
"match" the size of things, when Repair Installing. It makes
a mess to do otherwise.

Hi Paul,
I see what you mean. My kid had trouble with Minecraft, and Java,
so I will wipe out the disk this morning and start fresh, as you
suggest.

I do appreciate the advice (although there really is only one
way to learn enough to know what *questions* to ask!).

One question, having never installed a 64-bit Windows OS before,
is whether I need all new 64-bit installers or not?

I keep an archive of tons of WINXP programs and operating system
editions in an extremely well-organized functional hierarchy:
-internet browsers (web, ftp, torrent, email, chat, etc.)
-editors & players (audio, video, picture, text, office suites, etc.)
-hardware operation (burners, printers, smartphones, iPods, VOIP, etc.)
-file management (backup, cleaners, defrag, duplicate, zip, etc.)
-security & privacy (anti-virus, spyware, encryption, malware, etc.)
-gaming & programming (sdks, compilers, games, etc.)
-system utils (clocks, disk management, misc utils, etc.)

I'm guessing my WinXP java updates, and my WinXP.net.framework stuff
won't carry over; but what about the rest of the WinXP stuff?


A 64 bit OS needs 64 bit drivers.
Chances are, you won't (initially) need to install drivers. Or
they'll come via Windows Update. So I wouldn't get too excited about
that just yet. I think my machines here, were ready to use. The
only thing out of the ordinary, was I needed to go to Windows
Update to get the right driver for my USB serial port (FTDI, with
virtual COM port).

The 64 bit driver should be "signed". That's a form of
authentication, and a slight nuisance for small developers.
(For example, the author of SpeedFan, needed to sign a
portion of his program, to meet that requirement.) The 32
bit OS can be more forgiving about drivers, and anyone
can bodge together a driver for an OS like that.

The applications can be 32 bit or 64 bit. Either will work,
because the CPU has options to support both. There is a good
chance your laundry list of programs will work. Programs
which rely on certain subsystems, may have the odd problem.

And in some cases, you'd be surprised what you'd find hiding
on the installer DVD. For example, when I installed the
Win 8.1 preview, my game complained it needed a certain
version of DirectX. And I think I found a folder with
just about every version of DirectX I could have wanted.
(That's DirectX 9 support on a DirectX 11 OS.)
So my game ran, once I found and installed the one
with the correct issue date.

A certain level of .NET is already in the OS.
A second version of .NET can be enabled from
Programs and Features, and is considered a
Windows Component of sorts. Windows 7 comes with
..NET 3.5. If you install SP1, you can then install
..NET 4.0 manually (helps some programs, as the
installer for the program demands .NET 4.0).

The installer DVD usually has an "Advisor", which can scan
an existing OS and programs, and warn about things that might
not be compatible. When I installed Windows 8, that was available
separately (as a small download file), or runs when the installer
DVD starts doing its thing. There is a standalone advisor for
Windows 7 and for Windows 8.

I have a bookmark for a "direct download" of the
Windows 7 advisor program. The download starts
immediately when you click this.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/t...displayLang=en

The one for Windows 8 is here.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...e-to-windows-8

To run the standalone version, you need a working OS.
To run the same program, as provided on the installer DVD,
no OS is needed. Instead, it is the first step in an
installation. If there is a "drop dead" issue, such as
your CPU lacks a necessary feature (NX bit), then
the installer stops dead if a critical requirement
is not met. Listing the incompatible programs on
the existing OS, is gravy.

Paul

Danny D. wrote:


BTW, why should it be so difficult to just get *this* working?
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/9...19507cea_o.gif

If you want to do that, you're going to need one of the
add-on programs, such as "ClassicShell". The add-ons
offer options to make a new OS, look like some older OS.

It's possible one of those programs which supports
traditional menus, has some means to do what you want to do.
I don't know the details on this, having never "looked under
the hood" of ClassicShell.

Paul

Danny D. wrote:
Paul wrote:

Writing to Roaming, happens when
a program tries to self-update its Program Files folder
(with say, stored settings). So in general, this is
not a recommended practice, even if you can bodge
the permissions to make it happen. It works that way,
to make the system (slightly) more secure to malware.

Hi Paul,

Again, two things to make clear since you're so helpful:
1. I learned long ago not to CHANGE the Microsoft folders;
so I simply wholly and totally IGNORE them.

As stated, I used to change the %programsdir% & %temp%
and other variables; but that drove me crazy since now
programs could *find* my folders and poop in them.

Plus, plenty of programs were (and I'm sure still are)
written so badly that they don't even respect the
variables. They simply hard code "C:\Program Files" into
their heirarchies, even though I had my first dozen PC's
without any program files directory.

These dumb programs actually CREATED a program files
hierarchy (Apple iTunes comes to mind as one that is so badly
written that it will CREATE a program files directory even
if you don't have one!).

It was just too hard to deal with buggy software that
blindly (and dumbly) assumed you had a program files
folder - so - I just learned to *ignore* the program
files hierarchy - but I no longer touch it or try to
change it.

2. I learned long ago not to PUT ANYTHING in Microsoft Folders;
so I simply wholly and totally IGNORE those too!

In fact, to make things easier for my kids and grandkids,
I tell them all to *never store anything* in a folder that
has a space in the name!

Of course, this isn't wholly accurate, as *some* Microsoft
folders don't have a space; but most do - so it works well
enough for the kids to remember to put nothing ever into
"My Documents" or "Program Files" or "My Music", etc.

So, the first thing I do is delete all the idiotic
links Microsoft creates to "My Music" and "My Pictures",
and "My Videos", etc., all of which lead to garbage over
time.

I teach my kids and grandkids to create a hierarchy
*that makes sense to them* and to stick with it, and
improve it over their lifetime.

All I'm going to say about your approach, is there
will be some "hair loss" involved. "Constantly
swimming against the stream", is going to wear you out.

Remember, that when Microsoft designs these new OSes,
they on purpose, make the developers do things differently.
If you expect the level of compatibility you're talking
about above, well, good luck with that.

This is not a clone of Windows 98, with a coat of paint
on top. It has reparse points, junction points, in fact
the OS attempts to use every feature supported by the
NTFS file system. Whereas, older OSes didn't try to
do that, and some features did not get used. For better
or worse, they've tried to use everything.

It's to the point, that like you, I used to mess around
with all sorts of stuff on WinXP. Like, run WinXP on
FAT32, to "bust the permissions". On the newer OSes,
I don't even feel safe going inside System Volume Information
any more, because that's how I broke Windows 7 and it
would no longer boot! There's plenty of stuff on the
new OSes, I don't dare touch.

Paul

Paul wrote:

A 64 bit OS needs 64 bit drivers.
Chances are, you won't (initially) need to install drivers.

Hi Paul,

I understood that Windows 7 will install *most* 64-bit
drivers needed for a common Dell laptop. The only one I need
to get is the Nvidia 64-bit driver which I'll get from Dell.

they'll come via Windows Update.
Right now, the new 64-bit Windows 7 (after format) is downloading
99 updates at 206MB. Is there an easy way to save this as an
archive, like I used to do with WinXP SP1a, SP2, & SP3?

Thanks!

Paul wrote:

The applications can be 32 bit or 64 bit. Either will work,
because the CPU has options to support both.

Hi Paul,

I have a long list of about 100 programs that I've needed
to use since Win95, Win2K, WinXP, and now, Win7.

Each time I need a program, I simply save the installer
with a web page snapshot to a chosen location in my
installer hierarchy (organized by function).

Then, I install it by the same organization, and I make a
menu to it by the same organization. I do that for all my
PCs, and, when I rebuild a PC, I reproduce it.

So, over the years, the organization of all my programs
is ingrained on my brain, e.g., by cd & dvd hardware
burners are located in (I added blue ray to the name later):
C:\apps\hardware\brcddvd\burners\imgburn

If I can re-use that organization without having to go
to all-new installers, it will be nice.

As a freeware junkie, I've found that the newer versions
of almost everything now contain all sorts of hidden
gotchas, such as Bing, and Ask toolbars, and unwanted
scanners, and all sorts of crapware that the older
programs never had.

Interestingly, I've found almost none of the classic
freeware latest crapware-filled versions have any added
value - so - the older versions actually fit better than
the newer ones anyway.

So, it's good that my older WinXP non-crapware-filled freeware
archives will still work on this new Windows 7 64-bit OS,
which is my first 64-bit Windows OS ever.

Thanks!

Paul wrote:

A certain level of .NET is already in the OS.

Thanks.
I wasn't sure about .net, as in the olden days, I kept a
full download version of 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 handy, as some
freeware (e.g., Paint.NET, SHarepod, etc.) required it.

A second version of .NET can be enabled from
Programs and Features

Hmmm. Should I assume the freeware that needs it (e.g.,
Paint.NET) will ask me to enable it?

There is a standalone advisor for Windows 7
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/t...displayLang=en

Ah, I'll have to run that.

Is there the concept in Windows 7 of a full offline download service
pack that I can run (instead of the 99 updates currently being installed)?

Paul wrote:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/9...19507cea_o.gif

If you want to do that, you're going to need one of the
add-on programs, such as "ClassicShell".

I started looking into the Classic Shell, but, it seemed to be
changing *everything* and all I want is a simple cascaded menu.

It's a shame Windows 7 is a huge step backward in that it doesn't
even have a cascaded menu out of the box. This is something that
has been there since Windows 95 days - and for them to omit it
is sheer idiocy. Sigh.

In addition, all the levels of redirect in Windows 7 is also
absolutely crazy. Mind you, I *do* realize most people can't find
anything when they need it - but *I can* - so all these idiotic levels
of redirect such as the "Library" concept and the idiotic "Recent Places"
concept and the even more idiotic *Recent Documents* concept are sheer
obfuscation to me - since I already KNOW where everything is.

So to have to wade through all that inane *new* "Favories",
"Library", and *Homegroup" obfuscation is something I'm going
to have to figure out how to overcome, now that it's foisted upon
me by Microsoft.

Note: I *do* realize these levels of obfuscation actually *help* people
who have no idea where they put their files; but for people like me,
who know where *every* important file goes *before* I ever put it there,
they're just useless additional levels of redirect. It's sort of like
having links on top of links on top of links in the UNIX world - just
so people (who are mostly idiots) can simply *find* their stuff - when,
if they just figured out WHERE to put stuff in the beginning (it's all
just their data or application data), they'd KNOW where everything was.

Sigh. Another OS ... another learning curve ... just to get *back* to
simplicity.

Paul wrote:

All I'm going to say about your approach, is there
will be some "hair loss" involved. "Constantly
swimming against the stream", is going to wear you out.

Hi Paul,
I understand. I do swim against the current, *at first*,
until I get a handle on the operating system.

But, in the end, I have *total control*, because the only
folders I deal with are "c:\apps" and "c:\data".

So, in the end, once I get a grip on the OS (like I did with
Win95, Win2k, and WinXP), my life is vastly easier than yours
or anyone elses'. This is because I don't have to deal with
links on top of links on top of links on top of links.

However, as you said, *until* I get a grip on the OS, I
do turn a few hairs gray!

Upon first inspection, this Windows 7 is absolutely horrid.
It has links on top of links on top of links on top of links.

For example, this whole concept of "Libraries" is a sham, for
people who can't find their stuff. Same as anything with the
word "Recent" in front of it. Jeeezus. People can't find their
own documents, even though there should be only ONE place
where any one document needs to be stored.

Anyway, I do agree I will lose hair *until* I figure out what
all these levels of redirect are, and how best to remove them.
(They're for people who don't know where they put things.)

Paul wrote:

There's plenty of stuff on the
new OSes, I don't dare touch.

Heh heh... Like you, I used to go inside the Windows folder
and move things around and clean them up, to my liking.

And, I used to try to organize the registry, of all things!

Now, I leave windows at C:\Windows and I (almost) never
run regedit (except to create new commands like "irf" to
open up Irfanview).

The astoundingly huuuuuuge problem with (all) Windows is
that Microsoft keeps adding levels of redirect so people
can find stuff.

If they just kept it simple -and didn't create all these
stupid "Recent Documents" and "My Videos" hierarchies,
life would be a lot simpler for the user who knows where
they put all their files and programs.

And, if programs went into an organized hierarchy,
(organized by FUNCTION, not by brand name), things would
be so much easier for everyone.

Alas, Microsoft didn't do anything to make the hierarchy
simple. Hence, they're left spending valuable developer
time trying to put extra levels of redirect on top of
their idiotic file system to start with.

(For example, they *still* put important files at the
*root* of the primary partition! That's a no no since,
oh, about the 1960s or 1970's; which EVERYONE knows -
but Microsoft.

Sigh. The mess is their fault. All *we* can do is clean
it up.