Windows Fabulous and Incompatible Software

After installing Windows Fabulous and all of my development software, I have only had one problem. I run IIS on my machines in order to test my ClickOnce deployments, web services, etc. I had cleared out the folders of all the test deployment and just left my personal web server in place.

When I went to publish something a couple of weeks ago, I discovered that after receiving the last set of Windows 7 Updates, IIS had mysteriously disappeared from my desktop machine. The c:\inetpub folder was gone, and when I went into Programs and asked to add Windows Components, it said IIS was not installed.

After checking the details of the updates, I noticed they had the word “IIS” sprinkled liberally throughout the update detail information. I haven’t read any other reports of this, but I find it really suspicious that it would disappear for no discernible reason. Maybe it got bored and went on a trip, or its feelings were hurt because I was ignoring it. Note that my  laptop did not suffer the same fate, but it does have deployment folders in that directory.

What about other software being compatible? Throw out that Roxio Creator 2009 disk, just toss it out the window and watch it fly. I tried to ask them about it in August, and they said Windows 7 was a beta. I sent them a screen print of the MSDN page showing it was NOT a beta, and they still said it was a Beta and they didn’t support it and they had no idea when they would support. After a few rounds of this, I gave up. I hear there will be a 2010 version, but I won’t be buying it. Ever. By then, I will have figured out how to use MovieMaker that is available for free for Windows 7, and I can use Windows innate software or iTunes to burn CD’s. So buh-bye Roxio. (Windows 7 won’t mount ISO files, but it will burn them to a DVD.)

I had problems with Yahoo Instant Messenger, but a new version released soon after Windows Fabulous RTM fixed it. (That’s after I sent them an e-mail asking about it, and once again was informed that Windows 7 was a Beta. Guess they figured it out though.)

Much to my surprise, Acronis Disk Director 10 doesn’t support Windows 7. Here’s the entertaining bit. I have a previous build of Acronis DD10, and it installs fine. But if you try to download the current build and install it, it says “not supported for Windows 7.” And yet, it works fine on my Win7 computers, with one exception.

It has a problem on my desktop machine. I think the problem is that the system (boot) drive is not disk#1, and the info they use on reboot assumes that your boot drive is disk #1. I asked them about it, and they claim I have a hardware problem, but I was able to partition the same dang drive under Windows Vista just fine. I’m betting if I climb under the desk, take the computer apart, and switch the hard drive cables, it will work. When I get desperate, I will try it.

So why do they claim DD10 won’t work on Windows Fabulous? I’ve been a huge supporter of Acronis over the years – True Image and Disk Director have been two of my favorite software packages for years. Very reliable, very dependable, and they have always worked, every time, without fail. I have to admit that I wonder if they have a new version of Disk Director coming out next year, and supporting Win7 would definitely be a reason to upgrade. I’m going to blame this on their marketing department, and not on their engineering department. If it’s true, it’s definitely annoying.

I also had compatibility problems with VMWare, but they actually offered to let me install and run the Beta of VMWare Workstation 7 and try it out until it came out RTM. I took them up on that offer, and was able to successfully run it on Windows 7 and create a VM running Windows 7, so that was awesome. VMWare Workstation 7 has now been released.

I haven’t had any other compatibility problems, and I am now running Windows 7 on 3 computers, plus I have two VHDs that I can boot from for testing software. For more info about that, check out Scott Hanselman’s blog post about it. It’s an awesome feature, and I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

Why are you still reading this? Go get a copy of Windows 7 and install it!

Windows 7 Installation Fun

When installing my software, I always start with Office, because most of my information is in Office documents or in OneNote (one of my favorite products of all time). Then I do my development/work software, and then everything else.

I had some precedence problems when installing my development software, primarily this bunch:

Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio 2008 SP-1
Team Explorer (to access Team Foundation System)
SQLServer 2008
Windows 7.0 SDK

I installed the Windows SDK first (there was some issue about the service packs that made me think this was a good idea). Then I installed VS2008, followed by VS2008 SP-1 (this took longer than it did to install Windows 7 — go get some lunch while it’s running) and then Team Explorer. (Anyone see anything wrong with that logic? Keep reading.)

Then I went to install SQLServer 2008. It warns you that it is not compatible with Windows 7, but there’s a service pack for that to install later. After going through what seemed like an infinite number of configuration screens, I finally got to the install, and it wouldn’t install it. It said, "You must install Visual Studio 2008 SP-1 before installing this."

I HAD installed it. I checked it. Yep, still there. I bing-ed my problem, and found something about SQLServer and service packs and the list of the components that it would install, including the VS2008 Shell (integrated mode). That seemed interesting to me. This is also installed by Team Explorer.

So I uninstalled the VS2008 Shell, and tried to install SQLServer2008 again, and lo and behold, it worked! Awesome! (And it reinstalled the VS2008 Shell.) Of course, then I had to install the service pack to SQLServer2008 immediately so it would work with Windows Fabulous.

So I thought I was up and running, and that’s when I realized the problem in my installation order. The SP-1 for Visual Studio also applies to Team Explorer. Oops. So I couldn’t see the Last Check-In date, an addition that I have found invaluable. So I had to re-do the most painful part, and reinstall (repair) Visual Studio 2008 SP-1. (Go get ice cream. Take your time. It’s not faster the second time.)