Zune Social: An eagle-eyed member of our zune.net forums was able to find a workaround for those who want to use the Windows 7 RC. It's actually quite simple. Normally, when you try to install the update it will say that you need to update the computer first, but the computer won't have any updates. What's happening is that the computer wants you to move from the Win 7 RC to a retail version of Windows 7.
To bypass this, change the compatibility mode of the installation package to Vista SP2. To perform this right-click on the installation exe file and go into 'troubleshoot compatibility' or some variation there of. Change the compatibility mode to "Vista SP2" then try to run the installation.
It's also recommended that you download the full package install here instead of the small package install over at zune.net.
Much appreciation to CoolGamer512 for the suggestion. If it works for you, head over to the forums and give thanks to him.
Update: While I thought this was a good workaround, primarily because I figured it was using a function of Windows that makes applications compatible by making it work pretending you're using a different OS, Matt Akers was kind enough to break it down about why people with Win 7 RC are running into the non-installation issue.
Don't want to ruin the fun here, and we appreciate the help, but I DO NOT recommend doing this...
There are several fixes to lower level components that are only found in RTM builds of Win7, the RC and lower builds do not contain those fixes, and without said fixes, you could get into a bad state. A really bad state...
So, there is a reason why we block the install, and I encourage you to upgrade to RTM. Not because I want you to buy something from Microsoft, but because you could get into a whole heap of weirdness by installing the Zune software on these unsupported, non-RTM operating systems.
That is all, just wanted to throw the caution out there. Carry on.It's also worth noting that, Windows 7 RC will begin to act wonky by design, anyway...
Starting on March 1, 2010 your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Your work will not be saved during the shutdown.
The Windows 7 RC will fully expire on June 1, 2010. Your PC running the Windows 7 RC will continue shutting down every two hours and your files won’t be saved during shutdown. In addition, your wallpaper will change to a solid black background with a persistent message on your desktop. You’ll also get periodic notifications that Windows isn’t genuine. That means your PC may no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads requiring genuine Windows validation.
So I suggest that you go ahead and upgrade to a retail version of Windows 7 and avoid all of this. :)To avoid interruption, please reinstall a prior version of Windows or move to Windows 7. In either case, you'll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the RC. As with any clean installation, you'll need to back up your data then reinstall your applications and restore the data.
Thanks again for helping us test Windows 7.
Post a Comment