Windows XP TO Windows 7

[bare]

Hi all ,

im looking to convert to windows 7 as i have ordered a quad core amd from novatech can anyone advice if i should get the 64 x or 32x i am moving the old harddrive from my AMD 3000 +

Thanks

[TheMadDutchDude]

Deffo get the 64bit version.

I wouldn't even bother with the 32bit. Go straight for 64bit. It'll allow you to upgrade to 8GB of RAM if you ever feel the need and I think it is just a better, smoother system with more RAM!

[bare]

Ok so will my system be ok for this ?

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?BB-6204G

Will i have to wipe my harddrive i have a harddrive that has 2 partions which allows me to have 2 drives .

[snakedoc]

That will be perfectly fine with windows 7. Which GPU will you be using? You can either leave the file system intact and you old install will be popped in a folder called "Windows.old" or format one of the "drives" You should not need to delete the partitions.

[bare]

Im not sure about the GPU mate ,
is windows 7 a better option than windows XP? ok so i can install windows 7 on top ? i have loads of space on the c: drive where windows is i keep all the junk on the other partition .


That will be perfectly fine with windows 7. Which GPU will you be using? You can either leave the file system intact and you old install will be popped in a folder called "Windows.old" or format one of the "drives" You should not need to delete the partitions.

Can i format the drive tho as its a harddrive that has 2 drives split meaning there is only 1 harddrive in the pc ?

[snakedoc]

You are better off with Windows 7, it's a far more pleasant experience out of the box and has a very nice interface. GPU can make a difference as you need to ensure it will support Aero. I would think pretty much all PCIe cards will.

To "Format" the drive as you put it. You would need to delete the partitions in "Advanced options" during the install process. It will then create a new partition using all the space it can across the whole drive and install windows there.

When you actually format a drive you do not touch the partitions, they remain intact. This is why you must delete the partitions and create a new one when you want to do the fresh clean install and remove both partitions.

[iGoD ReleNtLeS]

you are best off going x64(bit) i personly dont see the point in them selling x86(32bit) versions anymore, even laptops are sold as standard with 3GB now. You want x64(bit) because it offers 4GB+ RAM support, that is the main reason. You deffinetly need to get a GPU that will support Windows Aero, otherwise you just ruin the whole experience.

[bare]

Thanks for your help :)

[TheTranquilEye]

You may experience driver issues with older peripherals with W7 64. My HP Photosmart 7350 won't play ball or a Logitech webcam. Best to check W7 driver availability beforehand so you know what you're letting yourself in for.

TTE

[dave8691]

TTE above is so right. Have you considered a dual boot with your existing operating system until more drivers become available (hopefully).

[snakedoc]

Most hardware should have drivers for win7 or Vista should also work. Not encountered any hardware myself yet which didn't work. Do you have any specific hardware you need from an old install?

[Kremmen]

In theory 64bit OS's are indeed faster but what if, like me, you have old legacy apps that you still need ?

Plus older games !

[bare]

Might just stick with XP for now ...

[Mr Grapes]

loads of legacy apps run fine in win7 64 bit.
it's a misconception that a 64 bit OS can only run 64 bit compiled apps.

XP 64 was terrible at it, but could do it, Vista 64 was loads better, and I've yet to see a 32 bit app that doesn't run on win7 64

also if you really need it, higher versions of win7 have XP mode, specifically for running legacy apps (not games) and i assume you can specify 32 bit in xp mode, as it runs as a Virtual Machine

[dave8691]

Some good points there mg man, and I largely agree with them. However, there are always exceptions.

Hardware wise I've now got my sound card working properly with a beta driver. After a lot of faffing about I've got my printer working (after a fashion) by loading a Vista 64 bit driver in Vista compatibility mode. However, I've been unable to get my scanner working so far.

Software wise, Adobe Premiere 6.5 (which was very expensive) will not work in any mode. Nor will Paperport 9, which will require a cost implicated upgrade to version 12. Happily, Cool Edit Pro dating back to 2002 works flawlessly in XP compatibility mode.

I take your point about higher versions of Windows 7 and VM, (some interesting thoughts here (http://www.sevenforums.com/virtualization/8505-windows-xp-compatability-mode-vs-vmware.html) ), but currently Windows 7 HP Retail (http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prods/Software/OperatingSystems/Microsoft/GFC-00025.html) is the bargain and what most people will be purchasing.

Having said all that, upgrading to Windows 7 was a good choice for me, but I'm not ready to ditch XP just yet.

[Mr Grapes]

nice thread find there Dave