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Windows 7 Upgrade Paths
• Clean Install Wipes partition clean and installs Win7 from scratch. If partition contained a previous version of Windows, all programs and data will be lost. Therefore, all data and installation files first must be backed up. Win7 has a utility on DVD called Windows Easy Transfer that helps do this. Here's a good reference describing Windows Easy Transfer: <http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/win7_upgrade_02.asp> Backing up an image of the previous Windows image allows one to return to it if desired (avoid burned bridge).. A clean install is the only way to go from WinXP directly to Win7. A clean install may be used to go from Vista to Win7. A clean install is quite fast, but reinstalling desired programs and restoring data following the clean install can take lots of time. • In-place Install Win7 is installed on top of previous Windows. This only works for going from Vista to Win7. All programs and data are undisturbed (but backup is still recommended). Most Windows gurus prefer to do a clean install of Win7 instead of an in-place installation of top of Vista because it's a cleaner installation that avoids possibility of retaining elements of Vista in the new installation. An in-place installation can take several hours depending on the size of the Vista installation, but all data and programs are intact. • Dual Boot Installation Leave current Windows on PC (XP or Vista) and add Win7 (clean install) to a new partition. When booting, choose desired version of Windows. Note that both Windows can see the file structure of the other Windows making it easy to copy files from one to another (simplifies transition to Win7). Where does new partition come from? 1. Adding the partition onto the existing hard drive if there is enough room. --or-- 2. Adding another hard drive to the PC. (Win7_UpgradePaths.htm) |