Win 7 question

raga · **on:** December 06, 2009, 01:20:41 PM

Hey everybody, I have a quick question for those more computer savvy then I am. Back home I have a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade disk which I had pre-ordered over the summer in order to get it real cheap, but since then I decided that doing a simple upgrade might cause problems since I've been hearing a clean install is MUCH better to do. I know you can't just pop the Upgrade disk into a computer with a clean hardrive and expect it to work, it has to detect a previous version of Windows first. Now I have found a very useful article that explains to me how to work around this problem but before I start dealing with that I was wondering one thing. If I do a custom install instead of upgrade (this is designed for upgrading Windows XP which cannot upgrade like normal to Win 7, but I'm pretty sure you can do this to Win Vista) and then delete the window.old file thats left behind as the remains of the old operating system, will I be accomplishing the same thing as I would with a clean install?

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2009, 01:48:01 PM

NO. Upgrading the OS is a total waste of time. Upgrading is like a half assed job. Many people don't know about this, but you should have just gotten an OEM version. They're cheaper than even the upgrade versions. The only side effect is you'll get no real support from Microsoft. Big whoop.

: They don't do anything for ya if ya call 'em anyways unless you show up with your checkbook.

Mumbling · **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2009, 02:03:53 PM

I got an upgrade too.. What's the problem with it?

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2009, 02:51:42 PM

Upgrading Windows is nothing like starting out fresh. Upgrading Windows is like building a house on an unstable foundation and then building another house on top of your existing house because it's nicer. You're already sinking because you built your home on a crappy foundation (meaning you didn't do the things you needed to do when you first got or formatted the computer), but then you add the weight of the shinier house on top of that! There are many things you have to do when you first get your computer and/or after you format and if you don't do that (99% of people don't because they don't know how), your foundation is crap. That's why people think computers are crap after a year or two. That is simply NOT TRUE. Most of my computers are around 2 years old, and they're faster than anything you've ever seen.

It's bad enough that you build your home on a crappy foundation, but then when you add the weight of the nice shinier home (in this case, Windows 7), you just sink faster until your head is buried in the sand. I'm not talking about something that doesn't really matter here. Upgraded computers are VERY likely to have severe registry problems and to be gunked up beyond repair (without a format that is) than non-upgraded computers. You do not want to upgrade unless absolutely necessary.

If you accidentally bought an upgrade disk, download the OEM version of Vista from my server and do a clean install with it. Sure you won't have a license to Vista, but that doesn't matter because you can "test" it for 30 days. Just "upgrade" to Windows 7 IMMEDIATELY afterwards and you'll have a computer that's *almost as good as a freshly wiped one.

Mumbling · **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2009, 03:12:56 PM

Hmm well it's my bros laptop and he can do what it whatever he wants

raga · **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2009, 03:47:50 PM

Not exactly what I was asking, I know the problems with upgrading and I am avoiding it. The upgrade disc has two options. One is the simple upgrade from vista, what I don't want to do, the other was designed for those with XP that cannot do a straight upgrade. The second option is what I was considering and I'm a little confused about. I think it takes the old operating system and packages it up in a file called windows.old, and then does a brand new install of Win 7 on empty harddrive space. Afterwards you can delete windows.old and the old operating system is gone. I was wondering if this is roughly equivalent to doing a clean install.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2009, 05:54:48 PM

Far as I know, the windows.old file just backs up your program files from your old computer. Then I don't know what happens to the old XP OS. If you can't do an upgrade from there, it should totally delete it and then put 7 on there while maintaining your old program files in the windows.old folder. That's my guess. But I don't know. I've never upgraded XP to 7 before. Strangely enough, I haven't had any clients request that I upgrade them to Windows 7.

EDIT:
But no, this would not be "roughly equal" to a clean install. There's no real substitution for a clean install. If I were you, I'd put a copy of Vista on there then upgrade it.

raga · **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2009, 06:45:48 PM

Okay thanks, I'll figure something out, I usually do