Should I Upgrade or Do a Clean Install?
We recommend that you do a fresh install of Windows Vista rather than an upgrade. Vista is a much different operating system than Windows XP. Many of your programs will not work with Vista and doing an upgrade might cause the system to “BLUE SCREEN” rather than boot. No matter which way you choose, you MUST backup all data that you do not want to lose. The Vista DVD has both the upgrade and a full install option, so you will not have to buy a separate DVD - as was necessary with older operating systems.
Follow these steps to hopefully ease your transition from Windows XP to Windows Vista:
First, run the Vista Upgrade Advisor by inserting the Vista DVD and clicking “check compatibility online.” The advisor will check your hardware and advise you of upgrades that are necessary to make your system Vista compatible. It will also check drivers that need to be upgraded, as well as warn you of the needed replacement or upgrade of programs. A word of caution here … we have already experienced the advisor telling us the upgrade was a “go,” and after upgrading, our PC did not boot. This left us with only one choice which was fdisk, format, reload (thank goodness for backing up).
Second, backing up data is fairly easy using the Vista disk when upgrading from Windows XP. Simply insert the DVD in your Windows XP system and run the “Windows Easy Transfer.” This little app will backup email, My Documents, and Favorites. You also need to manually backup nonMicrosoft program files such as Quickbook files, Kodak Share files, iTunes, etc. (any programs that save data to their own directories).
Third, insert your Windows Vista DVD into the DVD ROM of your XP system and select “transfer files and settings from another computer.” Click “Next.” Make sure all programs are closed. You can perform a complete transfer of your data using an external hard drive, a transfer cable, a USB cable, or onto a network. You can also select to backup to CD or DVD. Click “Next” to continue. Click the “Browse” button to navigate to whatever media you have chosen. This app will allow you to transfer all user accounts or just your main account. To transfer just your main account, click on the “Advanced Options” button. The next dialog box will display the files and folders that will be backed up and how much disk space is necessary for that backup. Use “Customize” to fine tune your backup. You are now ready to install Vista!
GOOD LUCK!
Add comment February 14th, 2007