I'm about to upgrade from vista to Win 7. Anything I need to know?

[amerikat]

It's an HP Desktop. Burned my bookmarks, documents and mail folders.

[struggle4progress]

1. I haven't tried it but understand that you can do a clean install from the upgrade disk

A number of people think a clean install is always better than merely upgrading. Whether it's convenient enough may depend on how many applications you would need to reinstall after installing the OS

[amerikat]

2. It's a fairly new computer so I didn't load much because I new I would

be upgrading when Win 7 came out. I'll check out the clean install though. Thanks

[CK_John]

3. Do you have a cloned copy of your current Hard Drive? n/t

[amerikat]

5. I made a set of recovery disc's. But it only restores vista

if the win 7 install fails. I guess I will have a chance to make
Win 7 recovery disc's once it is installed?

[Jazzgirl]

4. I installed Win 7 Professional on a 3 year old laptop last weekend.

I didn't have any problems at all. It had XP on it and I did a clean install. It went online and updated just about every driver I had. The only driver I had to manually install was my sound driver. I have yet to see a crash and all apps are working perfectly. I have been installing every iteration of Windows ever since and this is the least painless install I have ever done. I thought Vista was pretty easy but 7 was much easier. There shouldn't be any surprises.

[amerikat]

6. I haven't really had and problems with Vista.

Just want to upgrade because I can. This a new machine so I don't have much installed
on it. I hope my install goes as good as yours did.

[Jazzgirl]

7. Go for it!

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The first thing I did with Vista was disable UAC. I still haven't in 7 because it is a lot easier to work around. I never get any malware or infections but I do like that little extra layer of protection of the UAC now that they got it where it isn't quite so annoying. Aero looks a lot better in 7 too. I was really shocked that Epson did a driver for my 3 year old printer that I just knew wasn't going to have a driver. I had trouble running Adobe CS4 when I had XP loaded on this computer but it runs wonderfully now. It ran well on my Vista desktop but ran like crap on this laptop until I upgraded to Win 7.

[lpbk2713]

8. Win 7 has a "Classic" setting just like earlier Windows versions.

You can even set it up to look like XP for example until you get more comfortable with Win 7.

[Jersey Devil]

9. Did that with an HP laptop about a month ago

Bought the laptop with a free upgrade to Win 7 in August and when HP sent the disk I installed Win 7 as an upgrade with no problems whatsoever.

[pokerfan]

10. Do not choose a solid color background

If you're the type to prefer a seriously minimal desktop—so much so that you choose a solid-color desktop over setting a custom wallpaper—you may be wondering why-oh-why Windows 7 takes so long to boot your machine. Turns out a bug in Win7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 causes a 30-second delay at login.

http://lifehacker.com/5451159/solid+color-backgrounds-cause-30+second-login-delay-in-windows-7

[amerikat]

11. Upgrade successful. 2 1/2 hours. No problems with the install.

[Jazzgirl]

12. Yay!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[BlueJazz]

13. Go here for decent protection (Free..by Microsoft)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=microsoft+security+essentials&aq=2&aql=&aqi=g10&oq=micro

[madokie]

14. Or better yet,

go here and forget your worries over what to wear when you're surfing the web.
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=44

[pokerfan]

15. +1

[BlueJazz]

16. Yep..I've got a Linux box...but am forced to used Windows for Adobe Audition 3 and SoundForge 10

[Lasher]

17. Wait a minute, do you mean if I do this I don't need antivirus software like McAfee any more?

I'm in the process of turning up my mother's new PC on Windows 7 and it wanted an antivirus program. I downloaded Avast yesterday and that satisfied it. Today I plan to migrate everything over from her old computer that's on XP.

[BlueJazz]

18. I'm a Tech and it's all I use.

:)

[Lasher]

20. Well that's what I'm gonna do.

I've got about 6 months left on a McAffee subscription and I'm gonna blow that away, then download Microsoft Security Essentials. I noticed it works with Vista so I'm good to go. I like things simple and I just realized I can eliminate third party security software, a complication that has existed for decades. Thank you for helping me come to that realization.

Forgive me for having asked about something that must seem obvious, but I was thinking this must be too good to be true. How long has this been available? I can't imagine how I could have missed it until now.

Edit: And I'm gonna remove Avast from my mother's brand new Dell on Windows 7 too. Some of my other family and friends look to me for PC support. I'm going to recommend that they all go to MSE too if they're running Vista or Windows 7.

Edit 2: OK I did some homework.

Microsoft's new anti-virus program offers unassuming alternative
October 25, 2009

You can't always tell if a virus has taken over a Windows computer, but many anti-virus programs leave no doubt about their presence.

They'll embed toolbars in Web browsers and e-mail programs, then pop up notices after downloading the latest virus definitions. The ones that charge for those updates will nag you to renew; the ones that don't may prod you to upgrade to a paid version.

The new, free Microsoft Security Essentials (http://microsoft.com/securityessentials) doesn't follow that pattern. This download for Windows XP, Vista and 7 seems downright meek: You don't have to click past upsells for a premium edition when you install it, and your only hint of its existence afterward may be two icons at the corners of the desktop.

Microsoft Security Essentials can forgo competitors' obnoxious habits because of its corporate parent. Microsoft's day job isn't selling security software, it's selling Windows. (Security Essentials will load only if your computer passes an automated "validation" test to confirm that you have a paid-for copy of its operating system.) Microsoft even axed an earlier, non-free security program called OneCare before shipping this freebie at the end of September.

The combination of "free" and "non-annoying" may be enough to attract users weary of being hectored by their anti-virus software. The same goes for Security Essentials' relatively generous license, which -- unlike most free anti-virus utilities--allows for use in home-based small businesses instead of requiring strictly noncommercial use.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102301064.html

[Earth Bound Misfit]

21. "Microsoft's day job isn't selling security software, it's selling Windows"

About sums it up, IMHO. To be fair, I have read many positive reviews of MSE. I use Avast free and I am very happy with it. :-) If it ain't broke....

Whatever gets you through the night! :hi:

[Lasher]

22. Well I did it.

I can tell my computer is running a little faster. Free at last, free at last.

[pokerfan]

23. I thought their day job was suing people?

Most recently, Tivo...

[footinmouth]

19. My upgrade went smoothly

I upgraded over the top of Vista the first week in November and everything is running smoothly. No problems with the install and all of my software continues to run. I didn't want to do the clean install because I didn't want to have to reload all of my software.