February 3rd, 2010

Will your new Windows 7 PC support XP Mode?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 11:07 am

Categories: Hardware, Virtualization, Windows 7

Tags: Notebook, PC, Microsoft Windows XP, CPU, Intel Corp., HAV, E5300, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows, Cloud Computing

Last May, a few months before Windows 7 was released to manufacturing, I looked at the then-current crop of CPUs available for business PC buyers and identified a potential sticking point: Some of the most popular Intel CPUs available at the time didn’t support hardware-assisted virtualization (HAV). That made them incompatible with the newly announced Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode, a crucial compatibility feature in Windows 7. (For details about Intel CPU support, see “How many Intel CPUs will fail the XP Mode test in Windows 7?” For a closer look at Windows XP Mode, see this video demo.)

The problem is that Windows Virtual PC requires hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT for Intel CPUs, AMD-V for AMD processors). And the late-2008/early-2009 CPU lineup from Intel was notoriously inconsistent in its support for VT.

So, is that issue still a sticking point for corporate customers considering a Windows 7 upgrade in 2010? My quick survey of the current PC market says you’re much less likely to run into virtualization problems today, but at most online shopping sites you’ll have a hard time finding details about virtualization support for specific models. Here’s a recap:

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February 1st, 2010

Can Microsoft close the app gap with Apple's iPad?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 10:50 am

Categories: Apple, Tablet PC, Touch, Windows 7

Tags: PC, Tablet PC, Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., App, Internet Explorer 8, Office 2010 Beta, IE8, Tablets, Desktops

Update 1-Feb, 3:30PM PST: See corrections below regarding Media Center support.

I’ve owned a Tablet PC for roughly seven years, nearly as long as they’ve been around. In fact, I’m composing this post on a Dell Latitude XT2 running Windows 7. That hardware/software combo supports multi-touch in addition to accepting input from a pen. So when Apple announced the iPad last week, I looked at it from a slightly different perspective than most. It’s clear that Apple has also been looking carefully at the technologies that Microsoft has been refining for the past decade, and I can confidently predict that Apple will do a much better job of implementing those features than any of Microsoft’s partners have done so far.

Why? Because Apple understands something that Microsoft has yet to figure out: Apps matter. Nearly eight years after its introduction, the Tablet and touch technology in Windows is nothing short of spectacular, especially the parts that recognize handwritten input. And yet it’s still nearly impossible to assemble a full suite of Windows apps that were designed to work well on a touch-enabled PC.

In a few months, when iPads are actually shipping, we’ll all be able to compare the two platforms for ourselves. Meanwhile, we can look at what Apple has announced and what it has already accomplished with the iPod Touch and iPhone and make some pretty easy projections. I certainly hope that Microsoft and its partners are already doing exactly that.

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January 26th, 2010

Unlock thumbnail previews for Firefox 3.6 on Windows 7

Posted by Ed Bott @ 8:54 am

Categories: Firefox, Tips, Windows 7

Tags: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Windows 7, Web Browsers, Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software, Internet, Ed Bott

Firefox users, if you’re running the most recent release on Windows 7 you need to make a tiny tweak to your browser’s configuration. Some early adopters wrote about this topic back in November, in conjunction with the 3.6 beta release (The How-To Geek and Download Squad, for example). But I haven’t seen this mentioned much since the official release of Firefox 3.6 a few days ago, so here’s an update and a quick tutorial for those who bypassed the beta.

By default, Firefox shows a single thumbnail when you hover the mouse pointer over its icon in the Windows 7 taskbar with Aero enabled. Here’s what it looks like:

The problem is, this particular Firefox window actually contains four open tabs, and it could contain dozens. It sort of defeats the purpose of the Aero preview feature if you have to open a window before you can scan which browser tabs you have open. IE8 does it right, showing all open tabs in thumbnail previews when you point to its icon. So how do you add the same feature to Firefox 3.6? Simple:

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January 12th, 2010

94 more secret Windows shortcuts

Posted by Ed Bott @ 6:25 pm

Categories: Windows 7

Tags: Profile, Folder, Shortcut, SendTo Folder, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Ed Bott

Last week the blogosphere went temporarily insane over a simple GUID that displays a list of Control Panel shortcuts. It’s not even close to deserving the “God mode” label, but I’m still hearing about it. As I noted in response, that’s only one of 39 GUID shortcuts available in Windows 7. But even those are esoteric and mostly of interest to programmers and geeks.

But there’s another, much larger class of well-hidden Windows shortcuts that are useful to everyone, not just techies. I dug through my notes for Windows 7 Inside Out and found a treasure trove of information about these shortcuts. They wound up on the cutting-room floor for that first edition, but are scheduled to be in the expanded second edition in a year or so.

The shortcuts I’m referring to involve the shell command, which is curiously undocumented in the Windows 7 Help files or on Microsoft’s web site. The idea is to give Windows programs and users access to common locations using the Windows shell, Windows Explorer. The syntax is simple—you type shell, followed by a colon and the name of the shell folder location. That list of folder locations is hard to memorize, with lots of inconsistencies especially in regard to spacing. For example, the shell shortcut for the shared Downloads folder is shell:CommonDownloads, whereas the equivalent shortcut to the shared Documents folder is shell:Common Documents. And the command will not tolerate typos. If you add a space in the former or leave out the space in the latter, the shortcuts won’t work. The good news is that these commands are not case-sensitive, so you can ignore the sometimes odd capitalization.

Despite the syntactic challenges, these shortcuts are very useful for some tasks. They’re especially good for fast typists who don’t want to move their hands from the keyboard to do a bunch of mouse movements. If that’s you, tap the Windows key to open the Start menu with the insertion point already positioned in the Search box. Then type shell: followed by the location.

I’ve broken the full list of 94 shortcuts into four groups, each with its own page. If you want to dive right in, here are the links to click. But I suggest you keep reading for some examples of shortcuts that I find worth memorizing.

Note that many, but not all, of these shortcuts work with Windows Vista, and a smaller subset work with Windows XP. For this post I assume you’re using Windows 7.

• Page 2: Folders from current user profiles Use these Shell shortcuts for fast access to data stores in the currently logged-on user profile and the shared Public user profile.
• Page 3: Other interesting per-user folders These shell: commands help you get to collections of user data outside of your visible user profile.
• Page 4: Virtual folders and Control Panel shortcuts Windows Explorer is capable of displaying all sorts of data from folders that can’t be reached by starting at a drive letter.
• Page 5: System and per-machine folders These locations contain data that is available to every user.

The following list includes my favorite Windows shell shortcuts, those that I use regularly:

shell:Profile
This opens your user profile folder (on a default installation, you’ll find this at c:\users\username). You can get the same results by clicking your account name at the top of the Start menu’s right column. This location is also accessible via the environment variable %userprofile%.

shell:Personal
Typing this command takes you straight to the Documents folder in your user profile. You can reach the same destination by clicking the Documents shortcut on the Start menu’s right column.

shell:SendTo
This one solves a real usability problem for Windows users who are used to running with hidden files visible. If you look in your user profile folder, you’ll see a normally hidden SendTo shortcut. But clicking that shortcut displays this error message:

That’s because this shortcut is actually a junction, created for backwards compatibility. The real SendTo folder is several subfolders deep in your profile’s hidden AppData folder. After you use the shell command to open this file, you can add shortcuts that appear on the Send To menu when you right-click a file or folder. Add a shortcut to your favorite text or hex editor and you can view any file by sending it to that shortcut with a right-click.

shell:Public
Use this command to open the default collection of shared folders on your machine. If you use Homegroups, these folders act as dropboxes for shared libraries on your system, and this is an easy way to see (and search) their contents in one window.

shell:Common Startup and shell:Startup
Which shortcuts are loaded automatically when you start Windows? Program installers often create a shortcut that run automatically at startup. Some even offer the choice of running for just your account or for all users. You’ll find these shortcuts in two separate Startup folders, one buried deep in the hidden AppData folder of your user profile, the other in the hidden ProgramData folder, which is in the root of your system drive.

shell:ConnectionsFolder
This might not be the most elegant way to get to the Network Connections folder, but it’s definitely faster than the official path. Without this trick, you have to stumble to the Network and Sharing Center, then click Change Adapter Settings in the navigation pane.

shell:Programs and shell:Common Programs
These two folders (from your personal profile and the ProgramData folder, respectively) combine to create the All Programs list on your Start Menu. The mouse-driven alternative is to click the Start menu, right-click All Programs, and choose Open (for your profile) or Open All Users (for the much more densely populated list available to any user account).

shell:AppData and shell:Local AppData
These shortcuts open the Roaming Application Data and Local Application Data folders, respectively. In everyday use, you don’t need (or event want) access to these folders, but knowing their whereabouts is handy when you want to work directly with saved settings for a program. You’ll find Firefox and Thunderbird user profiles here, and most e-mail programs (including Outlook and Windows Live Mail) store the files containing saved messages and contacts here as well.

shell:Cookies and shell:cache
These shortcuts are, without question, the fastest way to see information saved by Internet Explorer. The first shortcut lets you inspect and manage saved cookies; the second opens the Temporary Internet Files folder. The alternative involves much spelunking through the Internet Options dialog box and is not recommended for long-term sanity.

Want to see the entire list? Click that link on the right.

Page 2: Folders from current user profiles –>

January 8th, 2010

The ultimate 'God Mode' list: 39 secret Windows 7 shortcuts

Posted by Ed Bott @ 6:02 am

Categories: Windows 7, Windows Vista

Tags: Shortcut, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Ed Bott

For some reason that only the gods of the blogosphere can explain, an old Windows trick took on new life this week. If you create a new folder using an arbitrary name, followed by a period and the GUID {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, you end up with a categorized list of Control Panel tasks. As I explained last weekend, there’s nothing new or hidden in this list, but calling it “God mode” seems to have given this tip wings. Even Steven Sinofsky got into the act, sending a list of 15 additional GUID-based shortcuts to my colleague Ina Fried at CNET.

So, that must be it, right? If Sinofsky has spoken then surely there can’t be any more.

Ha. I had compiled a list of these shortcuts for use in Windows 7 Inside Out but cut this section for space reasons. (It is slated to appear in the Deluxe edition, due next year.) I found that list the other day and just finished testing all of these shortcuts on a pair of clean Windows 7 installations. Here, then, is my Ultimate List of ‘God Mode’ shortcuts for Windows 7.

As with the other shortcuts, the process of turning one of these GUIDs into a shortcut that opens a shell folder or Control Panel item is straightforward. Start by right-clicking any empty space on the desktop or in a folder. Right-click and choose New, Folder. Type the name you want to appear under the shortcut, followed by a period and then the GUID shown in the list here, complete with curly braces on either end. Press enter and voila, you’re done.

I’ve divided the list into two groups:

• 14 GUID shortcuts that work only in Windows 7 (or later)
• 25 GUID shortcuts that work in Windows Vista and Windows 7 (or later)

Sorry, XP users, you’re out of luck.

Update: For those who are wondering how to make use of these shortcuts, here’s one trick I use. Create a shortcut in your Documents folder or on the Desktop. Call it something distinctive, like My Custom Control Panel. Now create a handful of GUID-based folders in here for the Control Panel shortcuts and shell folders you use most often. When you open that folder, you’ll see only the items you want, with no additional clutter. Unlike standard shortcuts, there’s no little arrow on the icon, and the Address bar always allows you to go right back to your custom folder. If you drag that icon onto the Start menu or onto the Taskbar’s icon, you can pin it for quicker access.

‘God mode’ shortcuts for Windows 7 only –>

December 7th, 2009

Windows 7 Family Pack offer: 'ended' or 'sold out'?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 3:27 pm

Categories: Windows 7

Tags: PC, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Ed Bott

When it announced its plan to offer a Family Pack upgrade for Windows 7 (three Home Premium licenses at a drastic discount), Microsoft said it would be a “limited time offer.” Last week, less than six weeks after it went on sale, online sources of the retail packaged product started disappearing. Is it gone for good?

I’ve asked Microsoft repeatedly for comment and received only this terse statement in response:

The Windows 7 Family Pack was introduced as a limited time offer while supplies last in select geographies. Response has been very positive and in some cases, the offer has sold out. Customers interested in upgrading their PCs should purchase Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate upgrade products.

My blogging colleague Mary Jo Foley thinks that the Family Pack offer might come back. I’m not sure what to think.

Historically, this sort of deal doesn’t come back. Microsoft offered a “screaming deal” on Windows 7 upgrades for two weeks in late June and early July, right after the product was released to manufacturing. That half-price offer was well received by beta testers and early adopters, but there’s no sign it’s returning. Similarly, when Microsoft offered a Family Pack for Vista (same name, very different offer), the deal lasted for a few months and then disappeared, never to be seen again.

And now, just to confuse customers and analysts a little more, Microsoft has subtly tweaked the wording on its web page for the Family Pack SKU. This morning, the page said “The Windows 7 Family Pack offer has ended.” A few hours later, it was tweaked to read, “The Windows 7 Family Pack is now sold out through many of our partners.”

If you’re a glass-half-full sort, you could take that subtle change in wording as a sign that the Family Pack is poised to make a comeback sometime next year. The glass-half-empty crowd can interpret it as Microsoft’s way of emphasizing that the deal is absolutely, positively over: “No more copies in the warehouse, sorry.” I take it as a sign that the Windows marketing team doesn’t have a clue about what it wants to do, and its fragmented, contradictory messaging is a sign of its internal confusion. How clueless is their communication strategy? I can’t even find out which executive is responsible for the decision so I can ask what on earth they’re thinking and make a pitch on behalf of the Windows community. (If anyone at Microsoft wants to ‘fess up, you know how to reach me.)

The oddest thing about this whole situation is that Microsoft is treating the Family Pack as a temporary price cut rather than as a product that meets a distinct need for its customers. Look, multi-PC households are common, and the Family Pack is already well accepted. Microsoft doesn’t call its Office Home and Student product a Family Pack, but every copy comes with the right to install it on three PCs in a single household, just like the Windows 7 Family Pack. And of course, Apple has validated the category with its $199, five-copies-per-household OS X Family Pack, which it reduced to $49 for Snow Leopard.

It’s really short-sighted for Microsoft to discourage consumers from upgrading as many of their household PCs as possible to Windows 7. Many of the consumer features of new OS (especially the HomeGroup feature and Play To media streaming) work best when Windows 7 is running on multiple PCs in a home network. A household with three Windows 7 PCs is going to be able to do a lot more interesting and fun things than one with a single Windows 7 PC and two others running Vista or XP. That interesting/fun experience translates into positive word of mouth, which means more upgraders in more households.

In this economy, at a cost of $120 per upgrade, I am certain that many heads of multi-PC households will choose to move only one PC to Windows 7 (by buying a retail box or getting Windows 7 preinstalled on a new PC). I’m equally certain that many if not most of them would jump at the three-copies-for-$150 Family Pack deal if it returned. When I pencil it out on the back of an envelope, bringing back the Family Pack means everyone wins: Microsoft gets more money from those incremental upgrades on PCs that might otherwise have stuck with XP. Its customers are happier, and they tell their friends. And Apple has one less item on its list of anti-Windows talking points.

December 7th, 2009

The 'black screen of death': fact, fiction, or FUD?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 4:00 am

Categories: Apple, Windows 7, Windows Vista

Tags: Notebook, Apple Macintosh, Screen, Microsoft Windows 7, PC, Start-up, Microsoft Windows Vista, Issue, Apple Mac OS X, Hardware

Here’s what you need to know about the so-called Black Screen of Death: There’s no such thing.

Yes, yes, I know: The mainstream and tech press published hundreds of stories last week using that term to describe a supposedly new phenomenon affecting Windows PCs. Virtually all of those stories were rehashes of sloppy reporting based on a blog post from a minor security company that later admitted it was wrong and apologized for the story. But as I explain in this post, startup problems are not new to PC hardware and operating systems, and the phenomenon definitely isn’t limited to the Windows operating system.

Editors at tech sites love to write “Black screen of death,” because it echoes the well-known “Blue Screen of Death,” or BSOD—a dreaded event in any Windows user’s workday, to be sure. But it’s not a fair comparison: that distinctive blue screen is not a bug, it’s a feature, more properly known as a STOP error. STOP errors allow Windows to respond to a catastrophic hardware or software failure that prevents the system from continuing to operate. A STOP error captures diagnostic information about the source of the failure and displays it as white text on a blue background. If you see a BSOD, there are debugging tools and well-documented troubleshooting techniques you can use to resolve it.

By contrast, when your PC or Mac torments you with a black screen (or, more accurately, a blank screen), all you know for sure is that the startup process failed at some point. Unlike with a BSOD, there’s no crash file to analyze, no tools you can use to figure out the root cause. The first step in the troubleshooting process involves figuring out where the problem lies, which can be anywhere in the chain of events that begins when you push the power button. It might be a bad system configuration, faulty hardware, defective third-party software, a buggy driver, a race condition or hang in a system service, corruption in the file system or registry, or malware.

So what does it mean if you start your PC or Mac and end up staring at a blank screen instead of seeing your familiar user environment? If you’re using Windows Vista or Windows 7, there are some known causes that I’ll list later in this post. But first, I want to dispel the myth that this sort of trouble is widespread, new, or unique to Windows.

Next page: Black screens on Windows, OS X, and Linux –>

November 15th, 2009

Is it OK to use OEM Windows on your own PC? Don't ask Microsoft

Posted by Ed Bott @ 3:00 pm

Categories: Windows 7

Tags: PC, OEM, Microsoft Corp., Bing, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows, Tools & Techniques, Operating Systems, Software, Management

If Microsoft expects its customers to take license agreements seriously, it has a responsibility to communicate the terms of those agreements to its customers clearly and unambiguously. As I noted earlier this month, Microsoft does a generally poor job of explaining its complicated rules for how Windows licensing works. But I deliberately left one type of Windows license off that list, because it deserves its own special place in the Corporate Communications Hall of Shame.

I’m talking about OEM System Builder licenses for Windows desktop editions. If you look at any online shopping site that caters to PC enthusiasts, you’ll find these copies displayed alongside the upgrade and full license packages that Microsoft says retail customers are supposed to buy. My friend and fellow Windows expert Paul Thurrott just posted a thorough look at the Windows 7 OEM System Builder package, complete with pictures. If you’re building your own PC or looking for installation media that won’t make you jump through hoops to install it, this product is extremely attractive, because it’s significantly less expensive than a full retail license. The installation media works almost exactly like a full retail copy of Windows, except that it can’t be used to perform upgrades, only a custom (clean) install. After installation, an OEM copy is essentially indistinguishable from a retail copy.

Many readers tell me they bought that software and installed it on their own new (or old) PC, happily saving a significant chunk of change in the process. According to Microsoft, they are violating the terms of the OEM System Builder license agreement, which says, in convoluted language, that you must install the software using the OEM Preinstallation Kit and then resell the PC to a third party. If you install that software on your own PC, you don’t have a “genuine” copy of Windows.

Read the rest of this entry »

November 12th, 2009

Your top Windows 7 questions, answered

Posted by Ed Bott @ 4:19 pm

Categories: Windows 7

Tags: 32-bit, 64-bit, PC, Product Key, Microsoft Windows 7 Compatibility Center, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Ed Bott

I get mail. Whoa, do I get mail.

Since Windows 7 launched on October 22, my e-mail inbox has been deluged with questions, comments, and pleas for help. I can’t possibly reply to them all personally, so I thought I would answer some of the most common/interesting/provocative questions here. So, without further ado…

How do I know whether I can use the 64-bit version of Windows 7 on my PC? Should I even bother?

If you have 4 GB (or more) of RAM, or if you think you might want to use that much memory someday, then yes, you should consider a 64-bit version of Windows 7. The issues involved are the same as they were in August 2008, when I answered some similar questions about Windows Vista. If you’re interested in the technical background, go read that post.

With the exception of some very cheap PCs and netbooks, most PCs manufactured in the past three years or so will run a 64-bit version of Windows. The easiest way to check your system for compatibility is to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which runs on XP and Vista. Click the 64-bit tab to see the full report.

I’m thinking of upgrading from a 32-bit version of Windows to 64-bit. What should I watch out for?

The biggest stumbling block for x64 upgraders is compatibility, either with a business-critical application or a favorite device. In my experience, printers, scanners, and multifunction devices are most likely to cause problems. Most 32-bit programs will run just fine under 64-bit Windows, but some don’t, and 16-bit Windows programs won’t run at all. You might be able to resolve some compatibility problems using Windows XP Mode, which allows you to connect USB devices to a 32-bit virtual machine.

Oh, and you must do a custom installation to move from 32-bit to 64-bit. An in-place upgrade isn’t supported.

My retail box includes 32-bit and 64-bit disks but only has a single product key. Will that key work for either edition?

Yes. The format of a product key identifies a specific edition of Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and so on) as well as whether it’s a full or upgrade product. But it doesn’t care at all about the 32/64-bit question. The key will work with either version.

There are two DVDs in the Windows 7 box. Does that mean I can install one on my desktop PC and the other on my notebook PC?

If you purchased the Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack upgrade, then the answer is yes. In fact, you can use the single product key in that box to upgrade three separate PCs in the same household from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7. But if you purchased a single full or upgrade copy of Windows 7, then you can install it on one and only one PC.

I bought a full copy of Windows 7 Ultimate and installed it on one PC that I own. But then I changed my mind and decided that I really want to use it on a different PC. How do I move it?

Under the terms of the license agreement, you are expected to remove the installation on your first computer and replace it with either the original operating system or another properly licensed upgrade copy. I assume you will do that, either before or after you complete your replacement installation.

Use the installation media to set up Windows on the second computer using the same product key you used on the first PC. When your new installation tries to activate over the Internet, the activation will fail (because you’ve already used that key). You will be given the option to use telephone activation. Dial the number for your region and follow the instructions to enter the codes you see on the screen. An automated voice or a live person will ask you how many computers this version is installed on. The correct answer is “1.” If they ask, explain that you installed it on the wrong computer and completely removed it. You will then get the code to activate the new installation.

Is the student upgrade version of Windows 7 the same as the retail version?

If you’re referring to the Windows 7 Academic Offer ($29.99 for an upgrade copy of Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional), the answer is yes. You get a product key via e-mail, along with a link that allows you to download either a 32-bit or 64-bit copy of Windows 7. I’ve heard and read horror stories of long download times from Digital River, Microsoft’s fulfillment partner for this offer. Those might have been glitches caused by the crush of traffic right after launch; my download completed in an hour over a DSL line without any incidents.

The download also comes in an executable format that requires you to extract the setup files to a folder on your hard disk and then kick off the installation from your current version of Windows. But if you have a retail copy of Windows 7, you can skip the download. Use the installation DVD from the retail box (32-bit or 64-bit) and the product key from your confirmation e-mail. I tested this exact scenario, and it works perfectly.

Is there a site or list that identifies software and hardware that will work with Windows 7?

Yes. Microsoft’s Windows 7 Compatibility Center is organized by category and is fairly easy to use. It is most useful for identifying products that have been officially certified as compatible with Windows 7; you’ll find many products that are still listed as Unknown and might require further research.

After I did a clean install of Windows 7, some devices weren’t working, or worked incorrectly. Where do I find the right drivers?

Start by running Windows Update and pay special attention to the Optional Updates section. If devices are still missing, check the manufacturer’s website. In some (but not all) cases, a Windows Vista driver will work. If your portable or desktop computer has an Nvidia graphics adapter or chipset that isn’t working properly, go to the Nvidia drivers page and choose Option 2 to install an ActiveX control that scans your system and can provide the correct driver. This option succeeded for me on an HP notebook that stubbornly refused to install the older Vista driver and wouldn’t enable the full Aero interface without it.

That’s that for this week’s installment. Next week, I’ll look at a couple of questions that require more complex answers, including step-by-step instructions.

November 6th, 2009

Seven perfectly legal ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)

Posted by Ed Bott @ 6:21 am

Categories: Licensing, Microsoft, Microsoft Office, Windows 7

Tags: Microsoft Developer Network, License, PC, Student, Microsoft Corp., Subscription, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems

Only suckers pay retail.

If you’ve read any reviews of Windows 7, you’ve seen references to its price list, which ranges from $120 for a Home Premium upgrade to $320 for a fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate.

Well, guess what? You don’t have to pay that much. Most people have much better options available, if you know where to look. As I’ve detailed here, the best deals go to PC manufacturers, which you benefit from if you buy a new PC.

But there are plenty of other discounts available as well. In this post, I’ve researched deals in three separate categories: upgrade offers available to anyone, special deals just for students, and subscriptions intended for technical professionals and developers.

Most of the details I include here apply to Windows customers in the United States, but some offers are also available in other countries. Where possible, I have tried to track down those details and include the names of countries where equivalent offers exist. If you live outside the U.S., follow these links to find prices and terms for your country.

My goal in this post is to point you to deals that customers legitimately qualify for. I am not trying to encourage attempts by anyone to get away with something you’re not entitled to. If there are restrictions for a specific offer, I’ve noted them here.

[Update 6-Nov 1:00PM PST: Several people in the comments have asked why I didn't iunclude the Microsoft Action Pack in this post. Two reasons: First, it is available only to bona fide system builders, and that's a fairly small group of people. Second, and more importantly, the licenses it includes expire and must be decommissioned if you fail to renew your MAP agreement each year. Every other example I have here includes Windows licenses that are good in perpetuity. I will cover System Builder pricing and licensing in more detail next week. Stay tuned.]

Ready to get started? Pick a category and go.

Page 2: Upgrade offers You can save as much as 58% off the regular cost of a Windows 7 upgrade if you know how to buy smart. I’ve found three options.

Page 3: Special deals for students If you’re enrolled in a college or university, even taking a single course at your local community college, you can get Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for $30. Students in technical or design majors can get Windows 7 (and many other Microsoft programs) for free if their university or college is signed up for the right programs.

Page 4: Windows (and much more) by subscriptions Are you an IT pro, a Windows enthusiast, or a professional developer? For a surprisingly low annual fee, you can get access to a staggering amount of Microsoft software, including every version of Windows or Office. There are some restrictions, so be sure to read the details carefully.

Next page: Easy (and cheap) upgrades –>