XP, Vista upgrade to Windows 7 ?!

[Andy B]

I've a great little VAIO laptop but it does struggle at times! I'm suspicious of the Vista OS on it. I've got Windows 7 on my new desktop and love it.

Now my question, how best to upgrade to Windows 7 on the laptop? Easy enough on the face of it, but when I bought the VAIO it came with a Sony - supplied 'downgrade' disk so I could go back to XP. Should I buy a copy of Windows 7 and load straight over Vista or should I go from Vista to XP and then upgrade to 7?

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

You can upgrade from Vista to Win7 very simple, it worked well for me.
You can do a clean install, and in case going from XP, you have to do clean install. Upgrade worked perfick for me, follow the instructions and that was it!
Was a septic until I done it. Quite pleased.
Bin

 

[gsbiker]

It depends on your laptops specification? Generally, if your computer can run Vista on your laptop then just upgrade to Win7 but you really want 2Gb RAM ideally. Win7 is better than Vista but it's very similar to look at!

 

[illustratedman]

7

7 definetly better than vista, much quicker boot up etc. If you do new install over vista it will create a file named windows.old with all your old files etc in it so you dont lose anything, then you can delete as you see fit.

 

[Dickieboy]

Any computer with Vista installed will run better with Win7 installed

 

[Packer]

As a representative of a software house said to me this morning, "Win7 is less bad than Vista apart from the lack of backwards compatibility."

Buy a Mac or try Linux.

 

[gsbiker]

As a representative of a software house said to me this morning, "Win7 is less bad than Vista apart from the lack of backwards compatibility."

Buy a Mac or try Linux.

Macs are way over priced and too expensive for most computer users and linux is more for enthusiasts.

 

[Andy B]

It's got 2 Gb of memory but what I am trying to ensure is that if I go to 7 there's nothing left of the old Vista that would continue to take up too much space and risk slowing it down.

I think the answer from comments above is that it won't.

I'd love to justify a Mac but I can't - not for the foreseeable future whilst I have a good spec 12 month old VAIO with all the software.

 

[scud]

It's got 2 Gb of memory but what I am trying to ensure is that if I go to 7 there's nothing left of the old Vista that would continue to take up too much space and risk slowing it down.

I think the answer from comments above is that it won't.

I had a VAIO that I upgraded from Vista to 7, with the upgrade disk from MS.

It left Vista files in a newly created folder, copying all you old system files into it, so it just sits on the HDD taking space; but not slowing the machine down, as it won't be accessing the file regularly.

IIRC, all "upgrades" will work along this line, in order to allow the upgrade to be uninstalled.

 

[GSmonkey]

Buy a new retail Windows 7 (not OEM as they're tied to one machine for life). Copy personal stuff to a external drive.

Then load the full version, formatting the C: drive as you go. Nice clean install.

 

[gsbiker]

Buy a new retail Windows 7 (not OEM as they're tied to one machine for life).

Thats not true - thats not been my experience!

SOME vista licenses from manufacturers are unusable and I think the same is true for Win7. I've found some Toshiba Vista laptops for example that when installing a new copy of Vista from a OEM disc it won't accept the license right from the start yet some other models do? I can't figure it out? It's a licensing issue from the manufacturers Windows license not OEM. I've recently installed Vista using a Dell manufacturer license and Toshiba via my OEM disc, yet 2x other Toshiba Windows licenses and an Acer would not accept the key code. It's very frustrating when I've come across this and frankly it stinks of greed!

If you buy a Full OEM disc + license you can install without formatting the hard drive which puts all the old files into a folder called "Windows old" which takes up space or you can format the drive through advanced setup then install a clean copy, all depends what you want to do if you sell it = with or without Windows 7? If without then you need to be able to go back to Vista somehow, recovery disc?

 

[Wberesford]

Macs are way over priced and too expensive for most computer users and linux is more for enthusiasts.

Coming from an IT professional one can only assume this to be opinion based!

Yes MACs are more expensive to begin with, a bit like BMW bikes......but they damn well do as they say on the tin, without the constant need to massage, update, patch, trouble shoot etc in the same way you do Windows machines.

I am loyal to neither and have both (lots of!) so the above is my opinion.......

As for the Q at hand. Recommend purchasing Windows 7 (32 / 64bit ur call!), formatting your current hdd (after backing up your data / settings) and install from fresh. The settle in for the driver hunt depending on the quality of $ony support............and you think Macs are expensive...........

Warren

 

[Andy B]

Yes MACs are more expensive to begin with, a bit like BMW bikes......but they damn well do as they say on the tin, without the constant need to massage, update, patch, trouble shoot etc in the same way you do Windows machines.

Yes - but do they rust!

 

[Wberesford]

Yes - but do they rust!

Says he with an 05 plated BMW , or were you suggesting that MACs rust......? I haver left my MAC out in the rain........far too expensive for that

 

[gsbiker]

Well I am an IT professional and that is my opinion. I'm not against MACs, I'm considering buying one in the future but come on last year I rebuilt my PC with top of the range CPU, Top of the range 10K HDD, 8 Gb RAM, top of the range Win7 64bit blah blah blah alot less than buying a MAC and I can keep doing that with the latest of whatever. Once I spend my £1500-£2000 on a iMAC you can't upgrade! There like laptops - disposable! THIS is what puts me off not to mention all the costs in changing software!

For the average computer user a MAC is well overpriced................and MAC products are not perfect as I own an iPhone and have done since first release and let me tell you I've had some VERY frustrating experiences after new bloody updates from MACs I can tell you. And don't get me started on the mobileme! Windows 7 is a great operating system!

The door swings both ways! and this is my opinion like you voiced yours!

 

[Wberesford]

Well I am an IT professional and that is my opinion. I'm not against MACs, I'm considering buying one in the future but come on last year I rebuilt my PC with top of the range CPU, Top of the range 10K HDD, 8 Gb RAM, top of the range Win7 64bit blah blah blah alot less than buying a MAC and I can keep doing that with the latest of whatever. Once I spend my £1500-£2000 on a iMAC you can't upgrade! There like laptops - disposable! THIS is what puts me off not to mention all the costs in changing software!

For the average computer user a MAC is well overpriced................and MAC products are not perfect as I own an iPhone and have done since first release and let me tell you I've had some VERY frustrating experiences after new bloody updates from MACs I can tell you. And don't get me started on the mobileme! Windows 7 is a great operating system!

The door swings both ways! and this is my opinion like you voiced yours!

OK Mr IT Professional - that was obviously a nerve I touched to provoke such a response.......as a professional however shouldn't you provide an all round NON BIASED opinion and leave it to the individual to make up their own mind fully armed with all the facts..............Or do you consider all non technicians to be 'average' computer users???

I don't believe I suggested that MACs were perfect, however I certainly didn't assume that 'average' users would find them overpriced or that linux was 'for enthusiasts'........hhhmmmmmmm lets ponder that sweeping generalisation shall we.

At the end of the day, its what ever suites a persons needs best.....back to the original post at hand.......I don't believe there was even a mention of Mac's.

Will the Vaio (made by $ony) take Windows 7.........in short.......Yes.

Enjoy.