Windows 7 Complaints Begin

[mscriv]

Users of the new operating system say the upgrading process is buggy. But once the kinks are worked out, customers are liking Windows 7 a lot more than Vista

Microsoft launched Windows 7 in late October to much fanfare. But, just like with previous Windows upgrades, complaints about bugs have already started rolling in.

A whopping 31% of clients have reported problems with upgrading to Windows 7, according to a recent survey of more than 100,000 customers conducted by consumer helpdesk firm iYogi.

"Most of the problems that customers have with Windows 7 have to do with installation, or application and data migration," said Vishal Dhar, co-founder of iYogi. "These are all fixable problems, but they're annoyances and they're time consuming."

One common gripe, experienced by 9% of installers, is that the half-hour to an hour-long upgrade process gets to the "62% completed" point and then freezes. It's a problem that Microsoft is aware of, and can be fixed by rebooting the computer, going into advanced settings, and typing in a code that instructs the computer to ignore plug-ins.

However, issues didn't stop with the upgrade process. Many users still experienced glitches even after successfully installing Windows 7 on their machines.

Most common among those complaints was that basic "applet" programs, like Mail, Movie Maker and Photo Gallery, were missing. That's because Windows 7 deletes those programs and makes users download them from the Windows Live Essential Web site. IYogi said 26% of their customers were confused about that extra step.

Others had problems getting their computers to work properly: Eight percent said their DVD drives couldn't be found and 2% couldn't sync their iPhones with Windows 7.

One in seven users also complained that the sleek new "Aero" theme doesn't work. The Aero theme enables users to see through a window to view the desktop or other programs that are open behind it. According to iYogi, most of the 14% of users that have problems with Aero don't have the graphics capabilities on their PCs to handle the program.

Other common complaints included an inability to view file extensions, too many "mini-dumps" (memory images saved on the computer when it crashes), problems with the "Aero snap" feature, changes to custom icons and problems with the new taskbar.

Microsoft (MSFT), which debuted Windows 7 on Oct. 22, did not return requests for comment.

Smoother sailing once it's debugged. Once the bugs from upgrading have been worked out, users have had a relatively hassle-free experience. And those who bought a new computer with Windows 7 preloaded have seen the fewest issues.

"Customers who finally get it up and running love Windows 7," said Dhar. "We haven't had a lot of people calling for usability issues, because it's a much more intuitive interface than Windows XP."

That's not to say that Windows 7 is perfect.

According to Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group, one of the biggest annoyances with the new operating system is that the "ribbon menus" at the top of programs have been redesigned and must be relearned. In previous Windows versions, the menus remained very consistent (File, Edit, View, Insert, etc.), but in Windows 7, they can be wildly different from application to application.

"It took me a long while to figure out how to print," said Kerravala. "Microsoft tried to improve the user interface, but there's a learning curve because it's inconsistent."

But all of the gripes about Windows 7 pale in comparison to the angry complaints about Microsoft's previous Windows iteration, Windows Vista. That version was an outright disaster after it was released in 2007. Vista was plagued by bugs, software incompatibilities, sluggishness and annoying security alerts. The episode nearly destroyed the tech giant's reputation with consumers.

"While there are a few bugs, I haven't seen or heard of any show-stoppers," said Laura DiDio, principal analyst at ITIC. "In fact, just the opposite. Some Vista users can't wait to upgrade. So far, this has been a home run for Microsoft."

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I'm sure this article can be discussed rationally and without insult or bias by the various members of the MacRumors community. Thus, I post it for your interest, education, entertainment, and discussion.

 

[GoCubsGo]

It's just sensationalized though because after the kinks of installing are worked out it seems people generally like Windows 7.

IE:

Users of the new operating system say the upgrading process is buggy. But once the kinks are worked out, customers are liking Windows 7 a lot more than Vista

 

[BongoBanger]

That article is comedy gold. I particularly liked the way they described the removal of Mail, etc as a glitch.

A little dose of awesomeness.

 

[flopticalcube]

I have installed it on 4 different machines without any issues. The missing sw can be an annoyance but at least I get to add only what I want. So far, its been fairly smooth sailing.

 

[BongoBanger]

I have installed it on 4 different machines without any issues. The missing sw can be an annoyance but at least I get to add only what I want. So far, its been fairly smooth sailing.

Well their 100,000 customers all phoned the helpdesk so it's a fair spread. Of course several tens of millions didn't but hey ho...

 

[flopticalcube]

Well their 100,000 customers all phoned the helpdesk so it's a fair spread. Of course several tens of millions didn't but hey ho...

That's one of the better things about the Mac community. I never really need to call Apple (and wait on the line for 3 hours) because there is always someone on MR who already has the answer.

 

[KingYaba]

Users of the new operating system say the upgrading process is buggy.

Well no ****. Always clean install. Doesn't matter if you run OS X, Ubuntu, or Windows 7.

I never really need to call Apple (and wait on the line for 3 hours) because there is always someone on MR who already has the answer.

Definitely.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

This thread is such flame bait. Seriously, were you living under a rock for the Leopard update (blue screen of death) or snow leopard update (beachball of death, guest account issues, etc)?

Any new OS is going to have issues, I've actually seen less people complaining about Windows 7 then 10.6...

 

[nanofrog]

Always clean install. Doesn't matter if you run OS X, Ubuntu, or Windows 7.

I take this route as well. Much fewer hassles, and it can help get a lot of unused crap off the disk.

Any new OS is going to have issues, I've actually seen less people complaining about Windows 7 then 10.6...

Quite true, and with SL vs. Win7, I've noticed more complaints with SL as well.

Odd, as I'd expect more issues with 3rd party hardware (drivers) in Win7 to pop up (as it usually does), as it's not a closed system. I'm quite surprised actually.

 

[clevin]

i have to applaud the responses here, so much more reasonable and level-headed.

I upgraded win 7, leopard, and end up with fresh installation on both eventually. Upgrade is never a good option for a good performance for things as important as an OS. and a poll here at MR indicates that majority of MR people here choose to do fresh installation.

Im sorry for OP's ill-intention, but glad to see all the solid response.

 

[mscriv]

Im sorry for OP's ill-intention, but glad to see all the solid response.

And what "ill-intention" is that? I posted the article because I found it interesting and informative. Though I don't have Windows 7 I use both platforms on a daily basis and was actually encouraged to see that this new OS release looks pretty solid.

My statement following the story was intended to be a commentary about how these threads often quickly disintigrate into mud slinging based on personal opinion. I don't believe I threw any mud or made any outlandish claims to encourage it from others.

 

[MisterMe]

And what "ill-intention" is that? I posted the article because I found it interesting and informative. ...

Pay no mind to them. Windows fanboys tend to be a sensitive lot.

 

[YMark]

Im sorry for OP's ill-intention, but glad to see all the solid response.

How did you arrive at that conclusion? I didn't read any such intention.

 

[Darth.Titan]

Why would they cite users' difficulty getting used to the "ribbon" in Microsoft Office as a Windows 7 issue?

According to Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group, one of the biggest annoyances with the new operating system is that the "ribbon menus" at the top of programs have been redesigned and must be relearned. In previous Windows versions, the menus remained very consistent (File, Edit, View, Insert, etc.), but in Windows 7, they can be wildly different from application to application.

The menu change in Office came with Office 2007 that was released almost three years ago. It looks the same in XP, Vista, or Win7.
They make it sound like Windows 7 forces your apps to change their menu appearance. Menu appearance in apps has little to do with the OS. App developers control how their menus look/work.

 

[nanofrog]

Pay no mind to them. Windows fanboys tend to be a sensitive lot.

Apple fanboys are as well. It's by definition.

The rest on either side, are more pragmatic it seems, and realize anything has it's limitations, annoyances,... and deal with them in the overall context with what benefits they get as well.

To me, a computer system (hardware + software) is just a tool. It either helps you get things done well, or it doesn't (in which something needs to be changed to solve it). For some, OS X is the better choice, others Windows, and some are best served by something else, such as Linux.

How did you arrive at that conclusion? I didn't read any such intention.

I didn't read any ill-will in the OP either.

Why would they cite users' difficulty getting used to the "ribbon" in Microsoft Office as a Windows 7 issue?

The menu change in Office came with Office 2007 that was released almost three years ago. It looks the same in XP, Vista, or Win7.
They make it sound like Windows 7 forces your apps to change their menu appearance. Menu appearance in apps has little to do with the OS. App developers control how their menus look/work.

Personally, I'd agree with this, and presume each time theres a new OS, something has to be re-learned to deal with the changes. And in this case, it doesn't seem that difficult to me.

But there is something to be said about the level of changes as it relates to ease of use in general, which may require new training. The less there is, the happier users are, as they don't have to learn new things. For corporations, training = money to be spent, and they're not all that pleased with such a prospect. So they're not intersted in having to re-train with each upgrade. They want to make money, not spend it.

 

[roadbloc]

In all fairness... despite having had very bad experiences with Windows, Windows 7 is very good for Windows. The complaints figures, in my mind, prove at how much a success it's been (except from maybe the upgrade, 31% is a lot). With all the hardware available, Windows 7 copes very well it seems with drivers and hardware, which was always the issue for me.

Good on Microsoft... I just don't like Windows, because essentially, it is still Windows. It still dictates me with UAC and Security Centre alerts, and it has become a lot more complicated to use. That would be my complaint. But since OS X exists, I'm fine.

I tend to think of it as KDE (Windows) vs Gnome (OS X). I've always preferred Gnome, so when I bought a Mac, I loved it.

 

[Terminal.app]

This doesn't surprise me at all. New OSes always have these sorts of issues. Vista did, Snow Leopard did, Leopard did, XP did...etc.