This thread contains the following sections relating to Windows 7 (updated for RC1 build 7100) on the ASUS Eee PC 900HA.

- Screenshots
- Before You Begin
- Drivers
- Known Issues
- Boot Time Comparisons
- Boot Videos
- FAQ

Scroll to find what you are looking for, or use your browsers search feature and type in those titles to jump to that section.




Screenshots:

Desktop:


Control Panel:


System Information:


MSPaint:


WordPad:


Network Share:


Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting




Before You Begin

- It's always a good idea to enable the update feature when it asks before installation (downloads latest setup files)
- Enable automatic updates after installation (new drivers and bug fixes come out regularly)
- Make sure WiFi and Webcam is enabed in BIOS so Windows can install the correct drivers for it.



Drivers:

I have contacted ASUS regarding the lack of proper Windows 7 drivers, and their response was that they will not support Windows 7 until it is released. That means no driver support and no technical inquires will be answered that relate to Windows 7.

- WiFi Driver
Use the driver that was automatically installed by Windows 7. Do not install any automatic updates relating to wifi.

- Ethernet Driver
The Ethernet driver will not auto-install. Use the 900HA/XP Ethernet driver from the CD or from the ASUS website.

- Intel Video Driver
Use the WDDM 1.0 driver that was automatically installed by Windows 7. There should be an update available to fix a few video bugs through Windows Update.

- SuperHybridEngine
Use the 900HA/XP SuperHybridEngine file from the CD or from the ASUS website.
   
- ACPI Driver
A generic ACPI driver will auto-install, but you will have limited function key support. You will want to use the S101 Vista ACPI driver located at the link below until ASUS releases a Windows 7 driver.
http://rapidshare.com/files/181422571/A … Driver.zip
1) Uninstall your current ACPI driver if you have already tried installing it. If you are using the generic ACPI driver that was auto-installed, you don't need to uninstall it.
2) Extract the zip file.
3) Run Asus ACPI Driver.msi

- High Definition Audio Driver
Download the latest version of the High Definition Audio Driver from Realtek. A new version is released every few weeks:
1) Visit http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dow … Down=false
2) Select the "I accept to the above" checkbox.
3) Click the OK button once it is enabled.
4) Click one of the download links next to "Vista Driver(32/64 bits) Driver only (Executable file)"
5) Run the setup application.
After installation when you are asked to restart, explorer.exe might hang when it tries playing the log off sound. Click "Force Restart".

- Microsoft Camera Driver
Use the preinstalled driver that was automatically installed by Windows 7. You'll need the camera enabled before Windows 7 will install drivers for it.

- Card Reader
This one is a little different. Windows 7 will install the correct driver automatically, but you will need to insert some media in the card reader before it detects it and auto-installs the driver.

- Eee Storage
There are reports that Eee Storage is not compatible with Windows 7. You can still access Eee Storage at http://www.eeestorage.com/ and you'll find that transfers are also quicker using the web interface.


Known issues:

Glitches:
- Fn+F5 (external display) is not functioning correctly. Use Win+P to cycle through projector settings instead.
- AsTray resolutions not working (800x600 works on mine, but it won't go back).
- Expect a 25% decrease in battery run time.
- Slower resume from hibernation (compared to XP). 
- Switching to Windows Classic Style will disable onhover Desktop Preview since Aero is disabled. You have to click it to make it work. 


Non-working Programs:
- Daemon Tools (use UltraISO with VirtualDisk instead, or check the Daemon Tools forums for a fix)
- Eee Storage is not compatible (will throw 7 into a loop).
- EeeCTL will need to be run with Administrator privileges, or else you will get strange errors.



Boot Time Comparisons:

Windows 7:
From boot menu to welcome screen, it's about 22 seconds.
From boot menu to IE8 home page fully loaded, it's about 41 seconds.

Windows XP:
From boot menu to welcome screen, it's about 35 seconds.
From boot menu to IE6 home page fully loaded, it's about 55 seconds.

*not including time it took for bluetooth mouse to disconnect right before starting IE6, and not counting the time it took to enter a one digit extremely insecure password, also not including the time it took to select the right boot menu OS.

It seems that Windows 7 is faster than XP, however, the Windows 7 partition is not as loaded down as the XP partition. For example, Daemon Tools adds about 7 seconds to boot time on XP alone. y yet.

Also, good news for those Boot Booster fans, it seems to work fine with the new NTLDR.



Boot Videos:

- Windows 7 boot video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mLcpZgKHvU

- XP vs 7 boot comparison video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC_P9byXdzI

Videos were just posted, so high quality probably won't be available for a few days. Also, the webcam was running in high exposure mode since it was the only way to get a clear screen shot, so it's low FPS and you will see some ghosting, so the sluggish feel is not really the system, it's just a sucky webcam.

System is a stock 900HA except for a 2GB RAM upgrade and a bluetooth dongle.



FAQ:

These questions have been asked here and in other threads on EeeUser.com more than once.

Where can I get Windows 7? What about a valid CD key?
RC1 is available from Microsoft through July 2009 at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window … load.aspx. It uses the same recycled keys from Beta (they are not unique). Starting March 1, 2010, RC1 will begin restarting every 2 hours. On June 1, 2010, the RC expires.

Why am I getting errors saying that Intel igfxext.exe is not running?
This error is the result of an incompatible ACPI driver which is searching for a file that no longer exists on the new Windows 7 video driver. There is no known fix except to install the Vista Intel video driver or wait for ASUS to release Windows 7 drivers.

Why aren't my function keys working?
In order for function keys to work, you first need all the related drivers installed (Realtek audio drivers, and Intel display drivers). Second, you will need the Vista S101 ACPI driver installed. See the drivers list above.

How much disk space will be used up if I don't vLite?
After drivers are installed, expect just under 10GB to be used total. On SSD equipped Eee's, that is a problem. But on the 900HA, this amounts to less than 7% of your total disk capacity.

How do I make Windows 7 look like Windows XP?
The Windows Classic Style is the closest to Windows XP (it's actually the default style for Windows 2000). Right click the desktop, click personalize, and then select the second theme under Ease of Access Themes. You might also want to try the Windows 7 Basic theme.

Why isn't Windows 7 detecting my Webcam, WiFi adapter, or Card Reader?
First, make sure your wireless adapter is powered on (Fn+F2). If it was powered off or disabled in BIOS during the install process, it wouldn't automatically install the drivers for it. Sometimes Eee's disable the webcam or wireless (usually right after a BIOS update). To fix this, reboot your Eee and press F2 to enter BIOS. Go to the Advanced tab and select Onboard Devices Configuration. Make sure all your devices are set to [Enabled]. Press F10 to save and exit. Once Windows 7 boots up and you log in, it should automatically install drivers for your previously undetected devices. For the card reader, you will need media inserted for Windows 7 to automatically install drivers.

How do I update my CD key and reactivate Windows?
Right click My Computer and go to Properties. On the bottom of the System Properties window should be a link to change your CD key. After you change your key, you should be prompted to activate it. Alternatively, you can use cmd:
1. Run cmd as administrator.
2. Type the following:
slmgr.vbs -ipl type-product-key-here
3. Now that you changed your key, you will want to activate, so run this as well:
slmgr.vbs -ato

How do I start all over with a fresh install of both Windows XP and Window 7?
Here is my method I chose when starting fresh on my 128GB SSD. You might want to do differently, depending on the size of your drive and how you want things set up.
1. Plug in an external DVD drive and pop in your 900HA restore DVD.
2. Power on your Eee while holding the Esc key. If you don't get a boot device menu, you may need to hold F2 instead and disable boot booster in BIOS, and then try again. You can press Esc any time during POST to bring up the boot menu.
3. Select your external DVD drive, and boot to the recovery utility. The utility will ask you if you want to perform a system restore. Confirm that you do, and then proceed with the instructions on the screen. The whole process only took a few minutes and a couple of reboots for me. Yes, it will restore to a drive that's smaller or larger than the stock 160GB drive.
4. Once in Windows XP, download and install EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition from http://www.easeus.com/download.htm.
5. Run EASUS Partition Manager Home Edition.
6. Right click and delete the backup partition and the empty partition from under Disk 1 (select "Delete Partition" at the prompt). Do not delete C: (Windows XP) or the unnamed one (BootBooster).
7. Right click partition C: from under Disk 1 and select Resize/Move. Resize the partition to 35840MB (35GB).
8. Right click the unallocated space and select Create. Set the partition type as "Primary" and set the partition size to 35840MB (35GB). Do not assign a drive letter, and do not format the partition. This will be set up later by Windows 7.
9. Right click the remaining unallocated space and select Create. Set the partition type as "Primary" and this time, use up all the disk space that remains (in my case 48289MB). Format as NTFS. It's important to make this partition (for a total of 4 primary partitions) so as to force Windows 7 to not make the additional 200MB partition. It's also useful to have this partition for system backups and file storage, so they can be easily accessed from both operating systems.
10. Apply the changes, and select yes if prompted to restart.
11. Pop in the Windows 7 DVD, restart, and boot to it using the same method as step 2.
12. Go through the installation process until you get to the Windows 7 partition manager. Select the second partition (it should be empty and have no label, but may be referred to as "Disk 0 Partition 2", and be 35GB in size). Click the Next button, and continue the installation process.
13. Once installation is complete, you can restart your Eee. You should be prompted with a boot menu. "Earlier Version of Windows" is XP.

How do I rename "Earlier Version of Windows" to make it say "Windows XP"?
1. Download EasyBCD from http://neosmart.net/downloads/software/ … 01.7.2.exe and install it from within Windows 7.
2. Click the Change Settings button under the EasyBCD Toolbox.
3. Under Entry-Based Settings, select Earlier Version of Windows from the menu.
4. Next to Name, Change Earlier Version of Windows to "Windows XP".
5. Click Save Settings.
6. Go to Tools > Restart Computer. Select Yes. When your system restarts, the Windows Boot Manager should reflect the changes you just made.

Last edited by kubel (2009-06-08 5:08:23 pm)