The Windows 7 Upgrade Saga 

One hour of Windows 7. Perfection.

sometimes it's really hard to explain to someone why I get so excited about a video like this. For some it sounds like the most boring thing to watch and they really can't get it. I feel like an alien

The fact that the 6931 build had a slow fade out of the "Preparing your Desktop" screen to then slowly fading in the desktop, that's junk you'd think people would do nowadays, but to see i was in a pre-beta build of Windows 7, in addition to that progress bar for the boot is kinda crazy!

Win7 was the cutest, friendliest Windows environment MS created. Sometimes it feels like all of the improvements they made with this OS were thrown out with 10 and 11. But 8 was def the beginning of Chaos

Windows 7: The best windows ever released. No ads, no junk, no force updates, no tour to skip and no bloatware. An operating system that just worked very stable and looked good. 13 Years of use and no single crash or bluescreen.

There's a direct correlation between how entertaining these long form videos are going to be and how dejected Michael sounds in the intro. Love the channel and great work as always!

70 minutes of Michael MJD content... And it's about Windows 7. This will be exciting 👍

Fun fact, Windows 7 was released to critical acclaim in the year 2009 and called as the "Snow Leopard killer" - Snow Leopard being Apple's Mac OS X version 10.6, also released in the same year to critical acclaim. Personally, I was 18 at that time and had just started college. Windows 7 brought a lot of college memories and I always wanted a Mac/iPhone since forever but they were too expensive. Only got my first iPhone in 2015 - the iPhone 6S Plus and my first Mac - Mac mini M1 in 2020. But yeah, Windows 7 was probably THE best version of Windows ever.

A full hour of Win 7 upgrades? Truly a saga worthy of the name.

one of my favorite details is how the RAM specification changes between each build: sometimes it's 2.99, sometimes it's 2.00, and other times it's 4.00! it's a gamble on whether or not you'll be able to multitask!

An hour of Michael AND Windows 7???? Perfect

I have never seen Windows 7 beta builds being installed on an actual computer. It's cool to see them being experimented on that HP laptop though. Nice work!

This video just goes to show that it's always best to do a clean installation!

Continue making these upgrade saga videos, please. I really enjoy watching how Windows developed.

In all the builds where Aero Peek doesn't seem to work, maybe it's just disabled (in the sense of "not chosen"), so maybe you can try to right-click the show desktop button and see if there is an option like "Show desktop on hover". I've seen that option in the right-click menu for the show desktop button and sometimes it wasn't selected.

Back in the day, we'd update, then immediately do a fresh install. The way to do it for cheap. I definately remember that you couldn't go from beta to RTM. It was well advertised at the time.

Windows 7 is my favorite OS of all time, I used to have a Lenovo ThinkPad T61 11.4 inch and I had Windows 7 Enterprise on it

Note: the "autounattend.xml" file is to preset some stuff in the setup. It probably has an entry that blocks the upgrade completely (or forces a clean install) as the upgrade folder only contains .NET framework files, which are not required for an upgrade lol

Hi, I think now that 22h2 will be the final 10 build you should do an upgrade saga not through betas but through rtm builds (1507,1511,1607,1703…)

These are some of my favorite types of videos on this channel. There's just something so calming about being taken on a chill tour of the steps taken towards creating an OS. Moreso when Everything Goes Wrong...™ and we just get to hang out while you problem solve. Love that kinda thing

a few years ago i reinstalled windows 7 home premium rtm on my old pc and got through all that, it was a pain but kinda nostalgic getting all these updates...

Another great video!!! Really enjoy these upgrade saga videos!

Thanks Michael, I watched from start to finish, on my Win7 machine.

I thought you're going to make the upgrade until the Windows 7 RTM Service Pack 1 (Build 7601) but there's not any significative diferences between the first 2009 realease (7600) and the SP1 (7601), so its ok. Awesone video, i liked to see how the Windows Vista gradually was converting into the Windows 7

one of the best video series of all time! It's like the usual druaga1 stuff but in a different era of time lol

These vids are amazing! Keep it up my guy!

You're using an ancient version of the 6510b BIOS. Update it to a newer version, and you will get the option to change the date and time.

Am I the only one who noticed that the internal DVD drive was open till the end. That's why maybe it didn't detect it. Also, you could have tried resetting folder options and see if the Computer option appears. What is TS Workspaces? Like is it something that is a leftover of previous builds. Windows Power shell 1.0 and PowerShell 2.0 are also leftovers. You should really do a video to compare this Windows 7 RTM build with Leftovers to a clean Windows 7 RTM build. This would be a great video if there are several discrepancy. It was a very interesting video :)

One minute and 41 seconds into an MJD video, and something is already off. Perfection! Seriously though, thank you for helping us to understand the complexity of installing on older software, especially on older systems.

My favorite OS Is here! Thanks for this video Michael! Really apreciate it!!!!! !

Love watching these sagas! It’s great to see a new one after a couple of years

this is the first video I’ve watched of yours in a pretty long time and it’s great

At the start of the video, on the left, the tag from the power cable + the IBM logo on the white background, makes the shape of Nevada.

Awesome video, Michael!

My favorite type of video on this channel is finally back!

16:10 Sometime ago, I ran into a problem with Windows Vista's activation in my VM. I used the online activation button to open IE. Then, I opened Explorer. Finally, I used GPEDIT to disallow the program that checks the activation (I don't remember it's name now) from running. Free Vista 👌

I remember watching the Windows 7 “Release Party” on “Windows Weekly” with Paul Thurott, good times.

I still miss the Aero Glass + Aurora visual style of Windows Vista and Windows 7. It just looked so good (most of the time). Even Windows 11, though improved from 10, feels bland and incomplete in comparison.

Omg thank u Michael for making my Sunday 🥹

Nice to see the upgrade saga get a sequel or whatever the ammount is

A delightful 1 hour of MJD Windows 7! Just what I've been waiting for.

Love the video man!

This channel is one of my favourites

One hour of mjd CANT WAIT!

Nice one Michael as always

70 minutes of my favorite OS?? Heck yes..

Despite its hate i think windows 8 would also be an interesting one to look at

Windows 7 builds are always interesting to me because having spent so much time with post-reset Vista it's weird that they actually *finished* it.

Awesome video! It would be cool to see a Windows 8 upgrade saga video happen one day.

0:00 Intro 2:52 Build 6469 (Milestone 1) 3:12 Setup loads 6:23 Windows is restarting 8:16 Loading into Windows OOBE/Windows Setup 9:44 Preparing your desktop... 9:51 Windows loads Noteworthy Changes 10:46 NT Version (6.1) 11:10 WEX BUILD Account 11:29 Early version of the Super Bar 13:14 Early version of libraries 14:42 "Hidden" boot screen (No GUI Boot) 15:17 Activation Screen 16:50 Changing themes to see if they change 18:45 Tries to install a display driver 19:38 Build 6608 (Milestone 2) 19:42 Setup Loads 19:59 Compatibility error 21:48 Build 6519 (Staged) (Milestone 1) 22:42 Setup loads 23:47 Loading into Windows OOBE/Windows Setup 24:12 Preparing your desktop... 24:18 Windows loads Noteworthy Changes 25:06 Super Bar with pinned icons 25:59 Libraries 26:28 New boot screen 26:51 "Spicing up" the theme 27:39 Build 6608 (Milestone 2) 27:57 Setup loads 28:48 Preparing your desktop... 29:22 Windows loads Noteworthy Changes 29:57 Enabling the Super Bar 32:15 Winver 33:19 Build 6801 (Milestone 3) 33:45 Setup loads 34:30 Installation error 34:45 Build 6931 (Pre-Beta) 35:44 Setup loads 36:45 Starting Windows 37:07 Preparing your desktop... 37:13 Windows loads Noteworthy Changes 38:17 Aero glass theme 39:12 New start menu 39:30 Areo Peek and Super Bar don't work 40:33 Redesigned explorer 41:02 Build 7000 (Beta) 41:14 Setup loads 41:41 Upgrade disabled (Partial Upgrade) 43:15 Exiting setup 43:14 Build 7100 (Release Candidate) 43:19 Setup loads 43:39 Upgrade disabled 45:29 Build 6931 (Pre-Beta) 47:48 Blue Pill 48:02 Super Bar and Aero Peek are enabled 49:16 Exiting setup 49:16 Build 6941 (Pre-Beta) 51:08 Setup loads 52:14 Boot screen 52:25 Preparing your desktop... 52:52 Windows loads 55:28 Build 7100 (Release Candidate) 55:28 Setup loads 55:56 Upgrade disabled 56:07 Build 6931 (Pre-Beta) 56:17 Build 7000 (Beta) 57:31 Setup loads 57:47 Windows loads 1:00:32 Build 7100 (Release Candidate) 1:00:36 Setup loads 1:01:00 Compatibility error 1:02:33 Build 6931 (Pre-Beta) 1:02:36 Build 7600 (RTM) (Windows 7) 1:02:41 Compatibility error 1:02:46 Build 6931 (Pre-Beta) 1:03:26 Modified Build 7100 (Release Candidate) 1:04:21 Setup loads 1:04:30 Windows loads 1:04:45 Modified Build 7600 (RTM) (Windows 7) 1:06:37 Setup loads 1:07:09 Windows loads 1:08:43 Outro

Man seeing this beta builds of Windows 7 is so good as it is still one of my favorite version of Windows even after 15 years

14:53 omg that's so beautiful! Where have the designs gone over the years.. Why good style of everything ended with Windows 7

Nice video!

Cant wait for windows 8 upgrade saga

Just moved over from Win 7, absolutely loved it! It's a shame that the newer Windows never kept the same look that Win 7 had, but oh well. I ended up changing how my Win 11 looked to "Win 7" (Doesn't look exactly like Win 7 but it looks similar so me switching over isn't as jarring haha!), if they ever change newer Windows to look more similar to how Win 7 looked I think it'd be great, but the new logo is just *more recognizable now* (Still think Edge being forced was a bad decision though). Overall I spent 12 years on Win 7 and never regretted it

Love your content... great vids

Betta builds. Man those were some good times.

You could really do with an IODD device to save all this disk burning. I use one regularly in my IT job and I can't imagine going back to burning CDs and formatting USBs all the time.

Windows 7, what a great OS! Like this channel! Keep going!!

I actually have the exact same laptop in my collection, also running Windows 7. I got mine for 8€. Nice! For context, i buy old laptops and computer stuff locally online. i have over 8 working laptops and even more desktops.

Finally actually interesting video imo ofc

I just noticed 1 video left until 700 total videos on this channel

1:00 You say that like we dont want a mega long viedo

That was just plain fun to watch.

Hey MJD, if you're making a video on the development history of Windows 2000, don't rush dude. Just take your time 😊

There is a Consumer Preview version of Windows 8 that can run on the 98PC, I tested it on real hardware that doesn't have a PAE/NX bit.

i was JUST about to go back and rewatch your Win1.0 -> Win7 upgrade saga lol. Fantastic timing!

Funny enough 31:26, I have Task Manager Pinned to my Taskbar to this day.

Love your videos

"[...] I don't want to jinx myself" has to be the most often-used sentence in this video XD

Amazing!

Yay! Another adventure!

You videos are amazing 😻

Ey, looking awesome.

GREAT VID

41:45 “The partition you selected might contain files from a previous Windows installation. If it does, these files will be moved to a folder named Windows.old. You will be able to access the information in Windows.old, but you will not be able to use your previous version of Windows.” If I recall correctly, we had a MateBook D15 that used to have Windows 10 (now it’s running Windows 11 with a bunch of stuff on it), when we upgraded it, I could’ve seen the Windows.old folder and its purpose is to keep remnants of the previous Windows installation that used to be on it. (Edit: That MateBook D15 is currently with my mother in Japan)

nostalgia was waiting for another video like this

The best Windows since XP.

micheal thanks for telling about legacyupdates. my win 7 is now good with all updates.

That comic sans looks glorious😂 It never gets old.

I'm currently making dinner and listening to this video as a podcast. Mostly because I like these tech topic, but also because I really believe you're Falcon from Gameranx. (I'm watching you 😂)

Hi Michael, I think you can make a video where you upgrade through some Windows 8 beta builds, it would be interesting

Bound to hit a nail on the coffin, on the same stretch of road, because of this saga

Windows 7 is legit relaxin' i haven't used it in probably yrs :)

this was a perfect video

9:28 I am surprised that I am watching this on Oct 3, 2023 in Singapore! :)

this reminds me of the good old days when windows was actually more fun and customisable

How do you update windows 7 to a latter version? You have a disk for each?

It even doesn't need another part of the upgrade saga. It's full with 1 hour and 10 minutes shows us all Windows 7 developement builds that every single one has it's own exciting features... Even now, Windows 7 is the fastest and the best Windows OS ever Microsoft released (in my opinion). I also have a laptop with Windows 7 Ultimate, I started to use it everytime. However, in July of 2022, I bought a Windows 11 laptop but still, I have a virtual machine with Windows 7 installed, and use that OS. Windows 7 is really the best operating system since 2009.

Hey Michael, just wanted to say I love your content. I am 12 and I love retro tech. Your channel is awesome.

That modified install cd was most likely modified by someone working in IT that instlled it onto alot of pcs or on a bunch of vms considering that file based on its name seems to be for a unattended install. That would also explain why it changed to the lightweight ui because realistically if you are using windows 7 for some type of business application you don't want to use the Aero ui its just way to much unnecessary processing overhead.

how did u install build 6469 without any activation error?

You should do a windows 8/8.1 Upgrade saga

6:28 I'm not gonna lie, I totally expected a Linode sponsorship segment.

now, to wait for the windows 8 (or 8.1 depending on if he does both in the same video) upgrade saga

Save yourself money on dvds. Use a flash drive with ventoy. If you're using a computer that doesn't allow booting from usb then get a cd with plop boot manager. It allows you to boot from anything even if the computer doesn't natively support it.

Hi I have been watching your videos for a while now and they inspire me to work with old computers and electronics. You need to do a collection tour soon. Please comment on this if you read it

Watched every second of this video, good entertainment.

NEW MJD VIDEO!!!! LETS GOOO

Woah.. So much builds...