Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

[dickey1331]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

I have a question. I have XP right now and I want to upgrade to 7. The only thing i really care on my computer is Itunes. If i do a clean install will I loose all my Itunes songs and if so how would I save them. Is putting them on blank CDs the only option?

[dave374]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

I have a question. I have XP right now and I want to upgrade to 7. The only thing i really care on my computer is Itunes. If i do a clean install will I loose all my Itunes songs and if so how would I save them. Is putting them on blank CDs the only option?

Seriously man.

Don't even think about that upgrade until you buy an external hard drive.

Blank CDs? A joke.

Just spend a little extra, get a 100-200GB external drive and do it right.

I absolutely love my external drive.

[dickey1331]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

yeah thats what i figured. Thanks

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

Yeah but as for iTunes, I see no way in the backup menus within iTunes to backup to an external hard drive. I just had my laptop crash (the motherboard died) and when I got it back up and running the first thing I did was backup iTunes because like dickey the only thing on my laptop I need to save is iTunes stuff. Well after 5 cd's were filled with my purchased music I still have not backed up my entire iTunes because I imagine that would be like 15 cds.

Is there any way to backup iTunes to an external hard drive? I have a huge external hard drive (usb) that I could use but when I go into the iTunes menu it only has the burner listed as a storage device.

And just to clarify, once I get this stuff backed up, I can run Windows 7 from the DVD and just tell it to do a clean install (I think it's listed as custom someone said?) and I don't actually have to format my C: drive before I run the DVD do I?

My Windows 7 shipped out today so I should have it for the weekend.

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

RockingdaMike - what is better about Windows 7 for me:

-runs faster and cooler on a laptop
-you can password protect files and folders individually
-search functions are much better
-grab a window and shake it and all the other windows minimize
-grab a window and take it to the top and it expands to max
-much better (easier) home networking

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head..

[FlyingFinn]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

Yeah but as for iTunes, I see no way in the backup menus within iTunes to backup to an external hard drive. I just had my laptop crash (the motherboard died) and when I got it back up and running the first thing I did was backup iTunes because like dickey the only thing on my laptop I need to save is iTunes stuff. Well after 5 cd's were filled with my purchased music I still have not backed up my entire iTunes because I imagine that would be like 15 cds.

Is there any way to backup iTunes to an external hard drive? I have a huge external hard drive (usb) that I could use but when I go into the iTunes menu it only has the burner listed as a storage device.

And just to clarify, once I get this stuff backed up, I can run Windows 7 from the DVD and just tell it to do a clean install (I think it's listed as custom someone said?) and I don't actually have to format my C: drive before I run the DVD do I?

My Windows 7 shipped out today so I should have it for the weekend.

You will have to reformat your drive create a new partition to do a clean install.

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

Hmm..are you sure? Because when I reinstalled XP on my mom's system (due to a bunch of popups and junk in it) Windows gave me an option to reformat the drive and install Windows fresh.

I guess what i'm asking is this - is this reformat the drive and create a new partition an option during the Windows 7 install when I install it or do I have to do it on my own before I even run the Windows 7 install?

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

dave374 - from reading this article

http://gizmodo.com/5133771/why-you-should-go-64+bit-with-windows-7

it sounds like you are running Windows 7 32-bit. You should check to see if you really are running the 64 bit version. It says in the article Windows 7 32-bit can only utilize 3.3gig of RAM which sounds like the issue you're having.

[dave374]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

dave374 - from reading this article

http://gizmodo.com/5133771/why-you-should-go-64+bit-with-windows-7

it sounds like you are running Windows 7 32-bit. You should check to see if you really are running the 64 bit version. It says in the article Windows 7 32-bit can only utilize 3.3gig of RAM which sounds like the issue you're having.

I'm definitely running 64-bit. It's an OEM version.

If I had to guess the issue - it's my old BIOS and motherboard.

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

I take it you went into the control panel and verified it's the 64-bit then?

This stuff is confusing, no wonder regular non-nerds don't want to have anything to do with this..LOL

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

I just found this on Maximum PC - this looks very interesting as Dennis on It's always Sunny would say...

Vista 32-bit can be upgraded to Windows 7 64-bit using the Upgrade version.

Using the upgrade disks will allow you only to upgrade a 32-bit Vista to a 32-bit Windows 7. Inserting the Windows 7 64-bit upgrade disk will give a message that you can not upgrade a 32-bit Vista to a 64-bit Windows 7. The upgrade disk is a non-bootable DVD, so doing a clean install can not be done directly from the DVD.

How ever there is work around. Keep in mind that moving from 32-bit to 64-bit always means a fresh install!!

What you need is both the Windows 7 332-bit and 64-bit upgrade disks and follow these steps:

-Insert the 32-bit upgrade disk
-Wait for the window with "Install Now" to be displayed.
-Click "Install now"
-When asked, go online to download updates
-Accept license terms
-Wait for the window with the option for Upgrade or Custom/Advanced to appear
-When this window is displayed, eject the 32-bit upgrade disk and insert the 64-bit upgrade disk
-Select Custom/Advanced
-Select the disk and partition on which you want to do the new install
-If you select a disk with an existing Windows installation, you need to confirm you want to install on that disk
-The installation will start with copying Windows files and then Expanding Windows files
-Now the PC will be rebooted, while rebooting pay close attention and wait for the "PRESS ANY KEY TO BOOT FROM CD/DVD" message and hit any key. This step is crucial to this installation so be sure not to miss it. If you do miss this step, then the installation will fail with a DOS window........... You then have to start over again.

You now have created a situation where the installation actually starts all over, however there is no check if your existing OS is 32-bit or 64-bit. So the installation continues:

-Enter your region / language / keyboard settings
-Wait for the windows with "Install Now" to be displayed.
-Click "Install now"
-Accept license terms
-Select Custom/Advanced installation
-Select the disk and partition on which you want to do the new install
-The installation will start with copying Windows files, takes little time and then Expanding Windows files, which is now very slow, so be patient!!!!
-Follow the steps to complete your installation


That's it, your done.

I have tested this on both a Vista 32-bit laptop and a Vista 32-bit desktop and both have now Windows 7 64-bit installed on it.

[dave374]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

I take it you went into the control panel and verified it's the 64-bit then?

This stuff is confusing, no wonder regular non-nerds don't want to have anything to do with this..LOL

Like I said, I think it's a bios or motherboard issue.
I'm not really losing sleep over it.
Just a puzzle I'd like to solve.

And while I'm not a full-fledged nerd, I know enough about PCs not to feel intimidated.

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

Hey I got a question, when you upgrade the IT guy here said it'd ask you for your Windows Vista key, but in some articles I read it asks you for the Vista disk itself. I hope you can do it with a key and not needing the disk because Dell didn't provide me with a Vista disk.

Does anyone know if it gives you an option to do it with just the Windows key or is the old Vista disk required?

[Hova57]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

it should recognize whether the installation was disk or preloaded. if it asks for a disk it usually is an option to search harddrive first. once it finds it on the harddrive then you would have to enter your key

[ODogg]

Re: Anyone upgrading to Windows 7?

Ok, excellent, thanks Hova57, I do have a copy of Vista somewhere but having moved twice I really don't feel like hunting it down..