Desperately Seeking Serverguy.

**Garigoun** · #1 22nd May 2009, 02:11

Hi, I posed a query to Bubba on the Windows OS thread and he reccommended I ask Serverguy.

Problem.
Just got new pc with Vista - hate it.
Asked about returning to XP.
Bubba reccomended trying Win7 trial version.
Too scared to try it on my main pc. Have old pc with XP in garage.
would like to network it with my new one. Don't know how.
Distance from router about 10mtrs with two brick walls between.
Have a laptop upstairs wirelessly linked with my desktop.
How do I include the one in the garage that still has XP?
Am on B/band with Sky.
At the moment my only solution seems to involve a very large hammer.
Save my sanity please. TIA.
Gari

**Carbon** · #2 22nd May 2009, 03:05

I'm not sure what you're trying to do here. 'Networking' them won't allow them to use the same OS.

**Bubba** · #3 22nd May 2009, 08:34

He wants to try Win7 on his old computer Carbon, but it is in his garage. The questions he is asking, is will the signal from his router reach his garage through two brick walls, and the one he NEEDS to ask lol, is how to set up a network with Vista (or XP if he changes his new computer to that) and Win7. The main machine will be the one without Win7 on it.

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #4 22nd May 2009, 09:29

Sorry mate, didn't realise you opened a seperate thread. I answered this in the original thread (at least, I think so

, I'll try and find it again to quote into here

)

EDIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie

The distance and walls will be fine for any half decent adapter (ie from a reputable company, but everyone here would make sure you got one from a reputable company anyway

)

More importantly, do you already have a wireless router? If so you can just buy yourself a wireless adapter and you're away.

If not you'll need to buy a router as well (the thing that sends out the signal wirelessly)

But you don't really need internet on the machine for Win7, only if you mean you actually will want to use the internet with it.

If you're just thinking of downloading the file, you can download it on your Vista PC, burn it to disc (which you'd have to do anyway) and stick it in the XP machine, boot up and install.

**Garigoun** · #5 22nd May 2009, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie

Sorry mate, didn't realise you opened a seperate thread. I answered this in the original thread (at least, I think so

, I'll try and find it again to quote into here

)

EDIT

Yes thanks I have a wireless router (I think) I got a router with the Sky B/band package and my wife's laptop is running ok upstairs sharing the b/band. She has XP.

So let's see if I've got this right now. I can download Win7 on my main pc and still keep my installed Vista. Then burn Win 7 to disc and use it on the one in the garage to see how I like it without connecting the garage pc to the other two? Presumably I then have to delete it from my main pc so I can still use Vista (just in case). Then if I get on OK with Win7 I can then install it on my main pc. Sorry if that sounds a muddle, don't know how else to express it.
Gari.

PS. I went to my local pc shop (Independant) to ask how much they wanted to install XP back on my new pc. WAIT FOR IT. £140.
G.

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #6 22nd May 2009, 14:05

Basically right.. but when you download it to your main Vista PC, it won't be installed there. There is literally Zero risk.

It will be saved as a compressed file. You then just need to burn it with Nero or a free .iso tool such as Active@ ISO Burner.

Then stick the disc in the old machine, boot from the disc and run through the easy to follow install instructions.

You can even just to a simple upgrade from within your XP environment.

**Garigoun** · #7 22nd May 2009, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie

Basically right.. but when you download it to your main Vista PC, it won't be installed there. There is literally Zero risk.

It will be saved as a compressed file. You then just need to burn it with Nero or a free .iso tool such as Active@ ISO Burner.

Then stick the disc in the old machine, boot from the disc and run through the easy to follow install instructions.

You can even just to a simple upgrade from within your XP environment.

OK will try that during the week. Got a pile of work and I can't risk a cock up. Will definitely get back to you, appreciate your help v. much.
GAri

**serverguy** · #8 23rd May 2009, 16:08

Sorry for being very slow to get to this thread - I saw my name in the thread title.

I'm going to be honest, if you don't like Vista because of it's interface etc and just want to go back to XP, then the best way is just going to be to go back to XP.

I'm all for trying W7, see if you like it, but it's still going to be a learning curve, you'll have to reinstall the OS again when Windows 7 comes out of beta. It is not meant to be used on your main computer at the moment, it is meant for testing.

The figure you were quoted by your PC shop is not far off what it is going to cost for XP though really. A copy of XP is going to cost the shop about £100 to acquire it legally. Figure in a couple of hours their time to back all your stuff up, reinstall and copy stuff back.

So I would suggest either getting a copy of XP on ebay or buying it on Amazn (I think you can get a copy for £60) and install that. If you need help/advice on installing do not be afraid to ask.

I think that is everything.

**4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie** · #9 24th May 2009, 01:34

Actually SG, I think he doesn't want to risk it on his main Vista PC anyway, hence why we were talking about upgrading to 7 from XP - Unless I've missed something he's going to be doing it on the XP PC he has in his garage.

**Garigoun** · #10 26th May 2009, 08:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by serverguy

Sorry for being very slow to get to this thread - I saw my name in the thread title.

I'm going to be honest, if you don't like Vista because of it's interface etc and just want to go back to XP, then the best way is just going to be to go back to XP.

I'm all for trying W7, see if you like it, but it's still going to be a learning curve, you'll have to reinstall the OS again when Windows 7 comes out of beta. It is not meant to be used on your main computer at the moment, it is meant for testing.

The figure you were quoted by your PC shop is not far off what it is going to cost for XP though really. A copy of XP is going to cost the shop about £100 to acquire it legally. Figure in a couple of hours their time to back all your stuff up, reinstall and copy stuff back.

So I would suggest either getting a copy of XP on ebay or buying it on Amazn (I think you can get a copy for £60) and install that. If you need help/advice on installing do not be afraid to ask.

I think that is everything.

Thanks for getting back to me. I've thought about this all weekend and I'm still ambivalent about Vista although I can actually work with it albeit slowly and with a lot of swearing. Now, today, I'm in all kinds of trouble with perpherals. I run an Epson stylus CX3200 which I'm well happy with but Vista won't load the TWAIN driver for Smart Panel and I use that all the time Tried all kinds of so-called solutions and downloads from the net but no go. The printer and the scanner work fine, it's just the Smart Panel that doesn't. Then I tried to load my Nero programme and it won't let me do that either and I keep getting a bloody irrating panel telling me there is a problem with Acrobat. .
SO, if I reload XP from the disc I got with my old machine plus service pack 2 (providing I can find the authorisation code The XP version is 2002,) if I do this will my other stuff work or will I have further problems? I'll leave the idea of networking the garage pc for the time being, (Maybe forever!)
Gari