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05-30-2011, 04:37 PM
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4,800 posts, read 10,740,285 times
Reputation: 8314
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To anyone who has done this:
Did you notice any change in your computer speed? Better, worse or about the same?
Would you recommend upgrading by download or is it better to go to the store and get a Windows 7 upgrade disk?
Overall, was it worth it?
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05-30-2011, 05:05 PM
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11,715 posts, read 36,336,945 times
Reputation: 7514
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Win7 is faster and a nice upgrade from Vista. Personally, I'd order an OEM DVD from Newegg and install it by reformatting the drive. Then you don't have to deal with any upgrade issues. If you have less than 2GB of RAM, I recommend and upgrade from RAM Memory Upgrade: Dell, Mac, Apple, HP, Compaq. USB drives, SSD at Crucial.com.
Windows DVD: Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit English 1-Pack - Operating Systems |
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05-30-2011, 05:45 PM
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Location: Wandering.
3,545 posts, read 5,679,592 times
Reputation: 2654
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia
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+1
I ordered the same disk, and did a clean install. I noticed a positive difference in performance. I already had 4GB RAM from my Vista install so I didn't add any more. |
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05-30-2011, 08:00 PM
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2,791 posts, read 3,434,376 times
Reputation: 5552
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I also recommend doing a clean install versus an upgrade. On the RAM however, if I were you I would check how much you actually use before spending the money to upgrade. Most people only use around 1.5GB of RAM and the rest just sits there useless. I can have two browsers with multiple tabs, MS Word, Adobe Acrobat, IM, email, development software among other things open and running and still only use around 1.5GB. Gamers usually need more RAM but the average computer user usually doesn't need more than 2GB.
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05-30-2011, 08:08 PM
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11,715 posts, read 36,336,945 times
Reputation: 7514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dijkstra
I also recommend doing a clean install versus an upgrade. On the RAM however, if I were you I would check how much you actually use before spending the money to upgrade. Most people only use around 1.5GB of RAM and the rest just sits there useless. I can have two browsers with multiple tabs, MS Word, Adobe Acrobat, IM, email, development software among other things open and running and still only use around 1.5GB. Gamers usually need more RAM but the average computer user usually doesn't need more than 2GB.
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Windows will use additional RAM. I can look at task manager on a 1GB machine and it'll say 75% physical memory used. Double the RAM and it still says 75% but now the system is faster. RAM is cheap. I consider 2 GB the bare minimum to keep from pulling my hair out but 3-4GB isn't much more money. |
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05-30-2011, 08:47 PM
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Location: Northeast NE
696 posts, read 1,518,611 times
Reputation: 283
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kanhawk
go to the store and get a Windows 7 upgrade disk?
Overall, was it worth it?
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Yes go to the store and get the upgrade disk.
The OEM from newegg works for most but when you buy that
"you" are the system builder and Microsoft will send you to the system builder for support if you ever need it. |
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05-30-2011, 09:48 PM
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4,800 posts, read 10,740,285 times
Reputation: 8314
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To those who recommend a clean install instead of an upgrade, won't I lose all my files that I have on Vista if I do it that way?
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05-30-2011, 10:00 PM
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11,715 posts, read 36,336,945 times
Reputation: 7514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kanhawk
To those who recommend a clean install instead of an upgrade, won't I lose all my files that I have on Vista if I do it that way?
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Yes, you will. You'll need to prepare for the procedure by locating all of your important files and copying them to an external hard drive. This is a good exercise in that it forces you to learn exactly where your data is which is the first step in maintaining a good backup of your data. Most of your data will be in c:\users\%username%\ but data can really be stored just about anywhere the application or user chooses to store it.
To see the hidden folders in your user folder, tap the ALT key in Windows Explorer to open the menu bar, then go to Tools, Folder Options, View, "show hidden files.." Many programs store their data and/or settings in c:\%username%\AppData\.
Alternately, Windows can do most of this (without actually teaching you anything about how your data is organized) with the Windows Easy Transfer wizard. |
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05-31-2011, 06:42 AM
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Location: Wandering.
3,545 posts, read 5,679,592 times
Reputation: 2654
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kanhawk
To those who recommend a clean install instead of an upgrade, won't I lose all my files that I have on Vista if I do it that way?
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Yea, but you also get a clean installation with the correct drivers for your hardware, and the correct versions of apps for the version of Windows that you are running.
As EscapeCalifornia points out above, you would have to hunt down the pertinent files after you reinstall. You'll also need to reinstall any third party apps, and possibly some hardware drivers.
One way to deal with this is to pick up a second hard drive. They are relatively cheap, and since you probably don't have a backup you could use the spare drive as a backup once you are done with it.
Install Windows 7 on the new drive, and then you can put the old drive back in (as a second drive) and pull back anything that you need. |
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05-31-2011, 08:03 AM
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Location: WV and Eastport, ME
11,714 posts, read 11,305,024 times
Reputation: 7698
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustMe_T3K
Yes go to the store and get the upgrade disk.
The OEM from newegg works for most but when you buy that
"you" are the system builder and Microsoft will send you to the system builder for support if you ever need it.
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I don't think I know anybody who has EVER called Microsoft for support. That should be a non-issue in making a purchase decision. |
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