Warning to university students and educators purchasing Windows 7 from Digital River

from Stardock Forums

Microsoft is offering Windows 7 to students for $30 for a limited time.  HOWEVER. 

 

As far as I can tell from social.technet, Microsoft and Digital River messed up the OS packaging.  Customers who are currently running XP or Vista 32 bit will be unable to successfully extract and run the Win7 64 download download, even if they intend to format a partition and install.  Note:  You do NOT get an ISO with this purchase.  Customers running a 64 bit OS should have no problem.

There is a workaround to create an iso file that I'll be attempting shortly (from social.answers.microsoft.com):

 

* * SOLUTION * *

There is a way to create an image file dispite recieving this error we seem to be all recieving.

1. You will need to use an additional Microsoft command-line tool, called Oscdimg.
    Details here
    Download here
   
    Download the .zip file and extract it. Then cut and paste the Oscdimg.exe file into your C:\Windows\System32 directory
 
 
2. You now need to start up your command prompt, which can be done by Start->Run then enter 'cmd' into the prompt. (Run as administrator if in Vista!)


3. You should now have the command prompt open, now you need to use the Oscdimg tool to create the image, by entering the following:
   Oscdimg.exe -u2 -bC:\<YOUR DIR> \expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h C:\<YOUR DIR> \expandedSetup C:\<YOUR DIR> \Win7.iso

 For example: Oscdimg.exe -u2 -bC:\Users\James\Downloads\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com -h C:\ Users\James\Downloads \expandedSetup C:\ Users\James\Downloads \Win7.iso
  
   It will now scan the source tree then begin creating the image. PLEASE note: you must replace '<YOUR DIR> ' appropriatly as to where you have downloaded the files.


4. You should now have an image file, called Win7.iso, in the same directory.


5. You can now burn this .iso file to a blank DVD using appropriate software. I personally use PowerISO (You dont need the paid version to burn the image)


6. Viola! You have your not so shiney Windows 7 disk. Restart your computer and install away!



- I take no acknowledgment for this, I dug about and found the info at: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/30470-make-bootable-iso-student-d-l.html
  Thanks SIW2 :)

 

 

So fair warning to anyone purchasing from this source.  You do so at your own risk.  There is little to no support available.  I consider the money I spent today as good as burned.

60,878 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Looks like a pain in the rear.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting vStyler, reply 1
Looks like a pain in the rear.

Tell me about it.  I'm really working to bite my tongue and not spout invective and diatribes all over the place.  So much for this "Microsoft turning over a new leaf" thing.  At least for me.

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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

Typical Microsoft crap. Nothing new. I do have to say that, despite being a long time Linux user, I've been testing Windows 7 on a spare partion for several months now and I begrudgingly admit that it really isn't half bad.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Update.  The ISO workaround worked and I have a valid 7 64 bit install disc (at least as far as I can tell... I'm trusting the people saying that the extracted files' checksum is valid and the file sizes compared between 32 bit and successful 64 bit extractions are equal).

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

This is why I always get the DVD. Even though I got the download, they gave me the option of getting a disk as well, so I did that.

IMHO Digital River has always been a bit questionable. I use them, but I have to be very proactive at making sure everything gets done right whenever I do. Their 100% unnecessary "wrapper" around the Win7 install reminded me of how poor they are. I'd probably blame Digital River more for this issue than Microsoft.

 

On Windows 7 now, and it's fast. Very responsive. I think you'll like it :). It's just Digital River messed up, it appears.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting CobraA1, reply 5
This is why I always get the DVD. Even though I got the download, they gave me the option of getting a disk as well, so I did that.

IMHO Digital River has always been a bit questionable. I use them, but I have to be very proactive at making sure everything gets done right whenever I do. Their 100% unnecessary "wrapper" around the Win7 install reminded me of how poor they are. I'd probably blame Digital River more for this issue than Microsoft.

 

On Windows 7 now, and it's fast. Very responsive. I think you'll like it . It's just Digital River messed up, it appears.

Won't know till I get a new HD today.  One of my two is crunching louder and louder.  So time for a new one and let the second good one go to storage.

What's quiet and reliable?  Barracudas have been my mainstay for a long time because of the noise factor.  Others swear by WD, but ever since the late 90s and the INCREDIBLY LOUD 850mb I had, I've avoided them.  Besides, I used to live in Oklahoma and Seagate was the home team.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Update:

http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/10/24/windows-7-student-upgrade-hell/

 

 

So it finally made it to almost-CNN.  Apple blogger, but what the hey.

 

As for me?  I got a successful DVD burn in three tries and two downloads.  I got the installation finished aaaand?

 

Invalid product key.  The only thing that kept me from spouting loud profanities and committing various illegal violent acts was that my credit card was never actually billed.  Er, I think.  Haven't checked since Saturday.

 

Needing to run my desktop and still wanting to upgrade, I got a retail copy.  That actually installed fine, but....

 

My network connection stopped.  The university had changed their access software from Cisco Clean Access to Safe Connect.  The new regime apparently caused my modem to hold on to an invalid IP if I reset and connected a computer too quickly.  I hadn't noticed and was troubleshooting in all the wrong places.  Finally discovered the issue and got the network connection going again tonight.

 

But.....

 

Windows 7 is giving me consistent BSODs on awakening from sleep mode.  WTF???  I did NOT just go through all the pain of a wasted weekend for THAT.  So doing my best to extract information from a minidump (boy one sure learns a lot about computers during these times...  I really don't want to learn about computers during these times), I traced things back to an apparently well-known display issue: nvlddmkm.sys.  Diagnosis after browsing through untold amounts of trailer-park quality conversation on various forums?  Nvidia needs to update their drivers to work BETTER with Windows 7.

 

Again, WTF?  Have I just been had?  I thought this was supposed to be different.  This was the one time I though it'd actually be a good idea to be an early adopter.  You know, Vista 2.0, cleaner, faster, more stable and all that?  Some of it trumpeted by certain software company presidents and promoters running around on here?  Boy am I a sucker or what. 

 

So let this be a lesson to me.  Absolutely no major release WHATSOEVER goes in my box on street date.  I wait at least 6 months, probably a year before diving in.  I'm not going to be violating the rule no matter how loudly its technet early adopting disciples protest rock solid reliability.  Nertz to that.

 

Ah.  I feel a bit better now.

 

To those in the know, how bad is this display driver thing and what do you think eta might be before they get their act together?  I'm seeing forum threads as old as the beta on this.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Absolutely no problems here on Win 7 installs....with an nVidia card...XFX 1G GTX285 Black Edition.

Installs include...win 7 beta 32bit...win 7 RC1 32 bit....win 7 RC1 64bit....win7 RTM 64bit.

Only Vid issue was with an AGP card.... ATI3850 on another system...win 7 RTM 32bit....but I got it to work....;)

Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Next time, get it off MSDNAA instead :p

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

3 installs with Nvidia Cards...8800GTS, 8400GT, GTX260...all running perfectly fine on Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit with the latest Nvidia drivers.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Looks like a pain in the rear.

 

Working fine for me using that workaround.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting kryo, reply 9
Next time, get it off MSDNAA instead

 

Not in a CS course and apparently only the Business department is signed up (???).  I had acces when I was in Wa. state.

 

Car guy, what brand card is your GTS and can you give me the exact driver number.  Is it 190.7?

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Update:

Turns out all the product key issues had to do with the "upgrade" scheme.  While I was used to just having a "do you have an old disk" check, now it appears that the software makes a check for pre-existing installations *even when doing a format and clean install*.  I don't know how that works, but it does.  The workaround was to install an upgrade of 7 *over* a preexisting installation of 7 and the product cheking accepted that.

So now I've got a "working" copy of both 7 pro and 7 home premium.  Bleah.

The BSODs are NOT gone.  On both home premium and professional, the issue remains for all Nvidia drivers from 185.85 to 191.07.  I suspect this could have something to do with a lack of due diligence on either MSI or Nvidia's part.  I have the 8800 GTS 320mb.  What I'm noticing is that the configuration utility only appears to detect 256.  So it is entirely possible that my card is not supported. (WTH?) 

I don't know what to do.  My bank account is getting low and dropping an extra $100 for a better supported card would be a hard knock to take.

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

That's the thing about Windows - they have to deal with such an enormous variety of configurations, and inevitably some fall through the cracks. Sorry to hear you had some troubles.

 My bank account is getting low and dropping an extra $100 for a better supported card would be a hard knock to take.

Well, if you do decide to get a new one, Tiger Direct is selling a lot of sub-$100 cards, many of them far superior than the one you have right now. It's actually pretty easy to find something cheap right now.

Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

And people complain about regional pricings for games, the german version costs 35€(>50$)

http://www.microsoft.com/germany/windows/offers/windows-7-student-upgrade.aspx

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

Further update:

MSI has been surprisingly good.  I must be incredibly jaded because I saw a lengthy form I had to fill out to get any support (what's your bios revision, what's your ram brand, double sided, etc, etc).  I thought I'd get blown off as is often the case.  Instead I got a response and an actual email conversation.  They said they'd contact Nvidia about the problem.  I'll take that as a quite reasonable version of "we're working on it, hang in there" answer which I was not expecting.

In the interim, I'm reasonably satisfied through running some heavy 3d apps that the BSOD issue is limited only to the sleep issue and that I can live with it for now.  I don't think there are other demons living somewhere in the drivers out to get me.  And otherwise, 7 is a decent OS.  Networking is mostly automatice and the interface is a good one.

 

So "Karma" awarded for this event:

-5: to Microsoft for blowing the academic promotion.

+3: to Microsoft for having decent, quick, helpful support that solved at least one problem.

-10: to Digital River for making Microsoft look bad.

+1: to Digital River for at least answering my emails.

-5: to Digital River for refusing a refund as they'd apparently given to a number of users, giving me boiler plate responses instead.

-2: to Digital River for referring me to Microsoft for product key issues.  It turned out not to be their problem but it could very well have been an invalid ID and I would've been out $30 in that case.

-2: to Nvidia for referring me directly to the card manufaturer for support even though they wrote the software.

-5: to Nvidia for not catching the problem over several iterations before RTM.

+1: to Nvidia for not being AMD/Radeon and their driver support ( ;) )

+2: to MSI for actually responding, if not solving the problem and acting like a team of engineers willing to solve the problem instead of blowing me off.

-5: to Me for getting panicky and upset too quickly and not being emotionally ready for unexpected install problems.

-5: to Me for expecting a smooth install as I'd had for XP and Vista.

-2: to Me for breaking my rule of waiting 6-12 months before installing a new OS, EVEN IF they all say it's more stable and faster than Vista.

+5: to Me for being willing to endure multiple installs to work the problem.

+1: to Me for not going completely off the deep end after having 3-4 unrelated problems rear their heads at the same time.

+1: to Me for getting over the BSOD factor and decide finally to be patient and let the drivers issues work their way through the system.

+5: to you guys being willing to commiserate.

 

Totals:

Microsoft: -2

Digital River: -16

Nvidia: -6

MSI: +2

Me: -5

The Impulse/Wincustomize Community: +5

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top



Car guy, what brand card is your GTS and can you give me the exact driver number. Is it 190.7?

Sorry about the delay in answering your question...I missed it.

Here's what you asked for... EVGA and 191.07.

 

 

Reply #18 from Demigod Forums Top

Honestly I'd give Microsoft a solid +8 for their efforts on Windows 7. It's close to all I could ask of an OS at this point in time. So:

+8 to Microsoft

-31846730287 for Microsoft NL. Those assholes refuse to participate in the prelaunch price cuts, refuse to lower introduction price around launch time, refuse to drop even 1 euro in price even though every other country on this planet has low introduction prices for Win7 at this time. MS NL just says "we are not participating in those offers" and gives us the big finger. Can't believe what fucktards must work there, forgive me for the language but they deserve 100% of it.

In the end I got an upgrade very cheap because of a government employee licence, but MS NL still sucks. MS made a big step towards actually doing what the customer wants.