Upgrading From Windows 1.0 To Windows 7 499
An anonymous reader writes "YouTube user Andrew Tait has uploaded a video titled Chain of Fools: Upgrading through every version of Windows. Tait starts with MS DOS 5.0 running Windows 1.0 and keeps upgrading the operating system until he reaches Windows 7, taking note of the changes to system settings and application compatibility along the way."
I'm not a fan, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
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Since the smallest disk you need for windows 7 could not possibly be handled by dos or windows 1.0, the whole thing looks contrived to me.
Re:I'm not a fan, but... (Score:5, Informative)
VMware can grow disks. If I were doing this, I'd start out with a ~400Mb disk and grow it from there. MS-DOS 5 could cope with that, and the first time you'd need to grow the disk would probably be at around the Windows 2000/Windows XP install stage I think.
(In this case, it probably requires a bootable Linux distro for resizing the partitions on the virtual hardware disk though.)
VMware can also change the RAM available, too. Again, start small and grow bigger as you go. Whilst I haven't tried something as extreme as this, I've often created a small image (say a 5Gb to 10Gb disk and 256Mb of RAM) when evaluating a distro, only to extend either the RAM or storage at a later date. It's a minor faff, but quite doable...
Re:I'm not a fan, but... (Score:5, Funny)
> VMware can grow disks.
WRONG. All those products in the spam you get or that you see in magazines are just totally useless ripoffs and they'll probably just cause more problems than-- oh, you said DISKS. Sorry, never mind.
Re:I'm not a fan, but... (Score:5, Informative)
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But the article suggests he upgraded his way from dos5 all the way to win7.
I still doubt that is possible without a good old fashion nuking in there somewhere.
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Are you suggesting there was no editing in that video?
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On the file system level, Microsoft did have non-destructive ways to convert file systems, such as CONVERT.EXE [microsoft.com].
For the partition resizing, other posters say that the VM software used has drive resizing abilities, but on a real machine software like Partition Magic (is that still around?) can resize FAT / FAT32 partitions non-destructively, and it could also do the file system conversion stuff in some cases (all a bit IIRC, it's been years since I used it).
I think it could just about be possible with a real
To be "fair", start with a 5-10MB disk (Score:2)
If you want to be fair, you should start with a 5-10MB disk, which is what was available around the time of Windows 1.0/DOS 5.
It would have been physically impossible to keep upgrading a machine this way in reality, as you'd have run into hardware driver issues when upgrading motherboards and hard drives to get the capacity needed for the newer releases of Windows. An interesting experiment to see if the software itself could deal with the upgrades, but hardly noteworthy. I'm more impressed with softwa
Re:I'm not a fan, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
I've been in VMware for 7 years, and yes, this technology is taken for granted these days and there are a bunch of alternatives, but c'mon folks, remember the old days when Workstation just came out. Wasn't it cool? man, the world of opportunities it opened to everybody back then.
I touched my first VM back in 1987 in the IBM mainframe (a 37XX series) and I was just blown away by the concept. Years later I had the chance to work at VMware and I didn't even blinked twice. Yeah, yeah, we've grown pants, and are big boys now, but you would be amazed how many of us old timers are still around and we all recognize each other and share a smile from those days.
Once thing I love about working here is that in spite of all the new stuff that we are doing in higher layers of the stack, and in spite of the "mission critical" impact of the hypervisor these days, we still try to hold on to that sense of awe we first saw, or being a rebel and think outside the box. And yes, some day that may go away, but I must say for me and a bunch of other old timers like me, we'll try as much as we can to keep the spirit that made us cool alive as long as we can.
And the result was? (Score:2)
Not terribly interested in watching a video of OS upgrades (I get quite enough of that on my own) so a text write-up of the results would be dandy. Since the submitter didn't bother, perhaps it's time for an industrious reader to do a proper "review."
Re:And the result was? (Score:5, Informative)
Well, the video's author had the following conclusions -
1) That MSFT should be commended that there is a lot of backwards compatibility for over 20 years of operating systems as evidenced by Doom2, program managers, file structures remaining in tact.
2) That versions of XP, Vista and 7 were a little disappointing that they applied their own theme and color scheme and those settings weren't carried over between versions. Prior versions did in fact keep theme settings.
3) That the upgrade path and process has changed significantly over 20 years (obviously) and while it may have gotten longer (in time spent), it seems to have gotten easier for the end user.
Now, I don't know if I agree with any of the conclusions and I don't know if any of those conclusions are substantive, but that's what I got out of the 10 minute video.
Masochist (Score:2)
Surely a masochist for putting his system through so many reboots!
Put your hand in the box (Score:2)
PAIN!
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An underlying host machine's CPU cycles and RAM were being used, you insensitive clod!
twatface! (Score:2)
Short Version for the Lazy (Score:5, Informative)
-Apps/games installed on DOS 5 still work in Windows 7 unmodified after all the OS upgrade iterations.
-Various Windows setting survived 20 years or so in the same way.
To be fair, this is one of Windows strengths. It's not perfect but lets give credit where credit's due.
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I would have liked to have seen him install something like wordperfect for dos and/or PFS First choice and see how well that lasted over the upgrades...
Re:Short Version for the Lazy (Score:4, Insightful)
And one of it's weaknesses. Imagine if you had to buy pants that have room for a diaper. Or that all cars had provisions for being drawn by a horse. Or every boat had a mast and sails.
Backwards compatibility can become an impediment to a proper design.
Interesting comments here (Score:5, Interesting)
A guy shows how the upgrade procedure goes from DOS -> Windows 7, and instead of making comments on the robustness of the Windows upgrade system or anything even remotely related to the video, instead there are comments about how the poster doesn't use Windows anymore and brags about it.
Jeez, is there any wonder the Linux community is seen as toxic by outsiders?
Re:Interesting comments here (Score:5, Funny)
A Divine Comedy ... (Score:2)
I usually avoid youtube comments, but... (Score:5, Funny)
When I got divorced, my ex asked me to build her a computer. I obliged, and as a parting shot, told her I installed the latest-greatest operating system from Microsoft... hope you enjoyed ME, dear.
Is this the right path? (Score:2)
If the point is to end up at Windows 7, I would think after DOS, he would move onto *OS/2*, then NT 3.5, 4.0, 2K, XP, etc. OS/2 was intended to be the successor to DOS, whereas Windows 1.0 through 3.11 was just a shell that sat on top of DOS.
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MS isn't the only OS vendor with good compat (Score:2)
Is this when I mention what version of emacs I am still running, without so much as a recompile?
/opt/xemacs/bin/xemacs /opt/xemacs/bin/xemacs -> xemacs-19.14 /opt/xemacs/bin/xemacs-19.14 /opt/xemacs/bin/xemacs-19.14
[~] machine:user# uname -a
SunOS machine 5.10 Generic_127127-11 sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Fire-V240 Solaris
[~] machine:user# date
Thu Mar 3 18:50:46 EST 2011
[~] machine:user# ls -l
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root other 12 Jul 22 2010
[~] machine:user# ls -l
-rwxr-xr-x 1 bin bin 10107552 Sep 1 1996
[~] machine:use
Beats Ubuntu - sorry Linux fanatics (Score:2, Interesting)
Sometimes I think Microsoft deserves more credit than nerds want to give them!
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Yeah, it just works until it doesn't. :-)
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Since 10.04 is an LTS, I think I will keep my machines at it. I have several and have upgraded them all without major issues. By the time it expires, all of my machines will be over 5 years old so I will probably upgrade them with something nice from system76. It really does help if you start with a machine preloaded with Linux as all of your drivers and shit will j
But why now? (Score:2)
I take it only recently dawned on Andrew that maybe 640K wasn't enough for everybody?
I did something similar... (Score:2)
And there the progression stopped. A lot of things just stopped working. So I recovered from a ghost of ME, tried again, same thing.
I never did get that particular upgrade to work. Dual-booted for awhile, eventually weaned off ME.
Methinks this is why he chose Win98 -> Win 2K -> XP. Avoids a lot of heartache.
My God, do you remember when we were actually looking forward to ME?
No hardware upgrates to speak of either... (Score:4, Interesting)
Upgrade from a 386 with Win3.1, to Win95 on 486DX, then Win98 a Pentium, Win2000 on Pentium II, etc. Try migrating your settings from one hard drive to another larger one at each step. Perform a few service pack upgrades along the way like a normal user would. Hint: Migrating your systems through multiple hardware & service pack upgrades is a pain in the ass and flaky as hell.
Just try to take an older windows version and copy the files and settings onto AN ALREADY INSTALLED OS that your hardware vendor gave you -- OS pre-installation will be the death of me.
You save time if you wipe the new system, copy the old files from one PC to the other, then use the OEM CD (IF YOU CAN) to "upgrade" the OS back to the newer version... I've had to buy an additional copy of windows (having paid for the one that's pre-installed) just to get a CD that would allow me to upgrade. That's the price you pay for being a loyal Microsoft customer...
Copying the old windows files over to the new larger drive won't copy the master boot record, and even if you do manage to reimage your new system to match the old system Windows will call you a THEIF (user of a pirated copy of windows), and prevent you from upgrading until you to re-validate since the massive hardware change. Good luck booting & revalidating, the old OS drivers don't work on the new system they've been copied over to... "Upgrades" are subject to having a "valid" installation of windows already on the machine.
To note: Another option worked sometimes -- Actually full on install the old OS into the freshly wiped new system. Then, copy all the files / settings, etc (or use migration tool if it exists & your old OS boots on the new machine...) Finally, "updrade" the new machine back to it's original OS version... Got a new machine?! Great! Stop right there, you can't use it till it has thrice installed windows!
Also: I dare you try using a 386 to run Vista.
So what if MS can be upgraded through "EVERY VERSION*" ON THE SAME VIRTUAL HARDWARE without monthly and/or service pack updates? This is a solution in search of a use-case that doesn't exist.
* Well, except ME -- Guess that it isn't possible to upgrade through "every version" then is it?
Old hardware won't run MS's new OSs, and the old OSs don't work on the new hardware (outside of a damn controlled environment VM -- Win3.1 on a x64 quad core? Don't make me laugh -- it won't even support my mouse). Of course using these old OSs for testing & supporting software for legacy systems is a useful ability, but come on...
Actually having lived & worked through the hell that is the upgrade path through multiple windows upgrades w/ data & software migration and different hardware, and then watching how easy it is in a VM is just maddening (Oooh, it COULD have been that easy!? Well, damn, then why wasn't it?! -- rhetorical question [no need for pedantic answers] )
Reality has been quite a bit more frustrating... Lesson learned: NEVER, I repeat NEVER use Windows (outside of a VM), and ALWAYS place your user files on a different drive and/or partition than the operating system -- It makes migration a hell of a lot easier.
Re:I haven't watched the video but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Whenever I hear "too much time on his hands" I think it's really someone saying "I'm jealous because my life is grey and dull without an imagination".
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Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
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The best kind... What's the deal? You have something against warped and twisted?
Re:I haven't watched the video but... (Score:4, Interesting)
should also installed the video driver for higher (Score:4, Interesting)
should of also installed the video driver for higher res / more colors in 3.0 / 3.11 / 95 / 98.
Re:should also installed the video driver for high (Score:4, Informative)
Re:should also installed the video driver for high (Score:5, Insightful)
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This.
And once he is at +5, we'll raise you to +5 just to get the point across.
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you should of spent the mod points elsewhere
Should HAVE, dumbfuck, HAVE.
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It's documented in the urban dictionary, which makes it valid English, since English is not a dead language. Of course, that probably invalidates the urban dictionary definition, which leads to a confusing bit of circular logic.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=should%20of [urbandictionary.com]
Re:should also installed the video driver for high (Score:5, Informative)
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Your link calls it a misspelling. Misspellings aren't correct grammar.
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Re:should also installed the video driver for high (Score:5, Informative)
Should HAVE, dumbfuck, HAVE.
Dumb fuck, dumb fuck, DUMB FUCK.
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Re:I haven't watched the video but... (Score:5, Interesting)
I found the fact that he actually *could* upgrade all the way to Win7 and have applications still work utterly amazing. What other OSes can do that? Maybe linux (or maybe not...), definitely not OSX.
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um that's not true. you can run any of the PowerPC apps on a brand new intel powered machine right now.
with rosetta and classic mode of leopard it isn't hard. not sure about 68k compatability but that is slightly more difficult.
of course given the fact that Apple has switched Processors arch. not just once, but 3 times in that same time makes it a lot more difficult.
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Classic apps won't run on recent versions of OS X, i.e. Snow Leopard or Lion.
I'm not really criticizing Apple for not maintaining compatibility, but your statement that a brand-new Intel Mac will run any PPC app is false.
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It's also disingenious as it uses virtualisation. That's like saying my Win7 machine can run any x86 OS just because I can install VMware Workstation on it.
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Re:I haven't watched the video but... (Score:5, Informative)
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I thought of ME, however he could not use it since there is no upgrade path from ME to anything, it is a dead end.
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Pretty sure you can upgrade from ME to XP.
Using Windows 2000 was, IMHO, inappropriate. He was examining the "consumer" line of Windows, and 2000 wasn't part of that lineup. He should have used ME instead of 2000, then upgraded to XP.
A similar progression from Windows NT 3.1 to 7 would also be interesting to watch as an encore.
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...this strikes me as someone who has too much time on his hands.
Or too many Windows licenses.
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Wait... wouldn't he just need a license for the first one? Upgrades cost less than a full license, right?
-searches-
Looks like an upgrade to Win7 home is $120 while the full license is $200. I wonder how much it'd cost to buy Win 1.0 then upgrade to 7 as quickly as possible? I don't wonder too much though, because I'm not willing to look it up.
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Win7 64 professional full (not upgrade) is available at retail for $99 as an "oem version" from a variety of retailers, incl newegg and amazon. Despite some worry warts claiming otherwise, you can transfer the oem licence to a new computer when you retire the old one (done it, working just fine).
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Re:Too much time on his hands (Score:5, Funny)
+1 Styx
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...this strikes me as someone who has too much time on his hands.
Oh, great, then I have the right job [slashdot.org] for him.
Re:I haven't watched the video but... (Score:5, Funny)
...this strikes me as someone who has too much time on his hands.
... so I thought I'd go on Slashdot and post my opinion on that.
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As George Carlin said, if I could lick myself there, I'd never leave the house.
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if they lick themselves, why don't they lick each other? Is oral sex what really separates the animals from the humans?
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Cats and dogs don't have hands. Well, some do. I've got some in my laboratory that do, but that's a different story.
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And your comment is relevant to the topic because?
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To quote The Church Lady (Score:5, Funny)
FWIW, we have something like 13 computers in our house, and not one of them runs MS software! My wife has a couple of Apple Mac Pro laptops, a Sony Vaio running Scientific Linux, and a netbook running Ubuntu. I have an 8 core workstation running SL6, a laptop running Ubuntu 9.04 and 10.10, an older workstation running Gentoo, an ever older 486 workstation running QNX 4.0, and two Nexus One Android phones. Then there is assorted other stuff (Palm Pilots, iPods, iPhones, etc). I guess you could call our house "Windowless"! :-)
Well... aren't you special..
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This is me, sticking my tongue out and and giving you a raspberry... :->...
Really? Because from here, it just looks like you're being an ass.
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...there is ONE program that I have to use that ONLY runs on Windows, so I run it on an XP virtual machine ... 13 computers in our house, and not one of them runs MS software!
Umm, what? XP isn't MS software?
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Of course not. Just like most games today don't use DirectX and 'nix has okay to piss poor emulation of it.
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You forgot
*story
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The virtual kind. (VMware to be specific.) About 10 years ago I tried installing some versions of Ancient Windows I had sitting around (probably 1.04 and 2.0) on then-current hardware, and failed. The lack of proper EGA video-mode support was the culprit, I think. So this demo would have to have involved some changes of the virtual hardware along the way to keep it going. He probably also had to incr
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the virtual kind.
none, actually (Score:2)
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He used a VMware VM, but I suspect if you grabbed a decent machine from around ~2003 (old enough to just still have windows 95 drivers, new enough to be capable of running Vista and 7) you'd be able to do it all on a single box.
Re:Missing OS (Score:5, Informative)
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And there shouldn't have been. The upgrade from ME was to XP.
Windows 2000 didn't belong in that video.
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No kidding. My boss walked in right when the video shows this guy picking the user name "twatface".
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Apple System 1 to MacOS 10.6 would require an absolute minimum of 3 machines, because the early versions only supported Motorola 68000 machines, MacOS 8.5 onwards required PowerPC, and 10.6 required x86 (10.7 requires x86-64). That part of the test is slightly contrived - it's more credit (or possibly blame) to Intel than to Microsoft: a modern PC still boots in 16-bit real mode and can still run PC DOS 1.0. You certainly wouldn't think about installing Windows 7 on an IBM PC XT. Each version of Windows
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I'm curious if there is any one machine that could run all current versions of windows. If there was one, I suspect it would some sort of Pentium Pro or Pentium 3... or Pentium M, since it is a 32 bit processor (win7 has been
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Makeup for Cats tutorials.
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Windows 7 does snap windows to the sides to take up half the screen. It's probably the most used feature of Windows 7 for me :-) With multiple monitors you need to use WinKey+Cursor key.
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Re: the user directory path. I agree that it took far too long to settle on a simple path. That said, I think the location of that directory is actually fairly irrelevant for the day-to-day activities of most Windows users. Certainly was for me, when I still used it. My relatives put their stuff on the desktop and in Documents without giving a damn where those locations "really" were in the filesystem. And I used to put stuff -- apps and data -- wherever the hell I wanted, mostly on different single-purpose
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It's irrelevant to everyone. It should be referenced with the environment variable %USERPROFILE% (or a suitable API call), because it *could* be anywhere.
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> Why avoid Windows ME?
The question contains its own answer, Grasshopper.
That would have been perhaps more interesting (Score:2)
disappointment with Windows 7 leads to incremental downgrades back to Windows 1.0
I often wondered how many of the windows upgrades were undo-able. I seem to recall having seen that option in various other windows upgrade versions over the years; how many of them would work? Personally I'd be surprised if he even succeeded in downgrading all the way back to XP or 2k (assuming he didn't change his partition tables along the way)...
Re:Hahahahah (Score:5, Funny)
Because he's British.