Upgrading to Windows 7: Essential Steps

Considering an Upgrade?

Upgrading your PC from Windows Vista to Windows 7 is a fairly simple, though time consuming, project. The first thing to do before you upgrade is go to Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 and read what they, Microsoft, have to say.

What you need to know

There are considerations about the difference between doing an easy, automatic upgrade or doing a custom upgrade. It simply depends on what version of Vista you have and what version of Windows 7 you want to move to. Basically you can’t upgrade to a lower equivalent version automatically. For example, you can’t automatically upgrade from Vista Business to Windows 7 Home Premium, that’s considered a downgrade; you have to do a custom install.

One big difference here: the ‘automatic’ upgrade moves all of your programs, files, and settings; with the custom upgrade you have to be responsible for doing that yourself. To do a custom upgrade, go to Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation).

Words to the Wise

If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, take it to a professional. The last thing you want is a slick hard drive with nothing on it but garbage and an operating system, or even worse, nothing!

Upgrading: Step by Step

Before you start, you need to print out the instructions, since Microsoft loves to reboot your system for you several times during an upgrade and you need to know what’s going on and what to do next at all times.

• Now, make sure that your programs and devices will work with Windows 7. Download and run the free upgrade advisor from the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor webpage on the Microsoft website. It will help find possible issues with your system’s hardware, devices, or programs that might have an effect on your installation and gives you recommendations on how to handle them.
• You also need to go to the Windows 7 Compatibility Center and get compatible drivers, downloads, and updates.
• Next, you need to back up everything on your system that you want to keep. That can’t be stressed enough; it is truly a situation where “better safe than sorry” means a lot! It will be too bad and too late if the power goes out in the middle of your upgrade and you don’t have a backup.
• The last thing to do before you start the process is to run your anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-adware programs to get your system as clean and problem-free as possible (you do have those, don’t you).

Now you’re ready to start your upgrade to the new Windows 7!