How To Upgrade From Vista To Windows 7 Clean Install
I have a Compaq Presario CQ60-215DX. Can I upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 or 10? Leslie
Microsoft volition stop supporting Windows Vista on 12 April, so y'all accept less than a month to decide what to practise. The short reply is, yes, you lot can upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 or to the latest Windows 10. Whether it's worth it is another affair.
The main consideration is the hardware. PC manufacturers installed Vista from 2006 to 2009, so most of these machines will exist viii to 10 years old. They are likely to take low specifications, past today'south standards, and their ageing difficult drives are increasingly probable to fail. Users could upgrade these PCs to 4GB of retentivity and replace their hard drives with SSDs to prolong their life, but in many cases, it'south not worth it. They could buy something newer on eBay, or get a refurbished machine from a supplier such as Tier1online.
Bear in mind that doing hardware and software upgrades tin involve quite a lot of work with an uncertain outcome. That's fine for PC hobbyists, simply if you were that sort of person, you wouldn't be using Vista. In fact, yous probably wouldn't have bought a Presario CQ60-215DX. If yours has a dual-core AMD Athlon X2 QL-62 processor, it volition be slow. If it has a single-core Sempron, it belongs in the bin.
People who have faster or newer Vista laptops should find they run better under Windows ten. The minimum useful spec is something like a two.4GHz Core ii Duo T8300 and 4GB of retentivity. This processor has a PassMark CPU score of 1482. Search for your CPU's score at PassMark and come across if information technology's higher. If it's much lower, drop the thought. Life'southward too short.
If in doubt about Windows 10, endeavour it for gratis. Anyone can install it at zero cost only past not activating it (if you lot tin can cope with the nagging to buy it): see below.
You could likewise try installing a version of Linux, such equally Mint 18.ane, which is free. (If you accept problems getting the Wireless LAN menu to work, this might help.)
Linux is not direct compatible with programs such as Microsoft Function, Adobe Creative Suite, Apple tree iTunes and other mainstream software. Check to come across whether you will be able to run all your essentials on Linux, or find usable replacements.
Either way, make a clone of your difficult drive first, so that you can get back to Vista if Windows 7/10/Linux doesn't work properly.
From Vista to Windows vii
If I upgrade to Windows 7, practice I demand to upgrade my programs etc kickoff? Lynn
The upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 is what Microsoft calls "an in-identify upgrade". All your current programs and data should stay the same as they were before. Information technology is, of course, important to back up your PC and all your data outset, considering things sometimes go wrong.
Brand sure that Vista is patched and up-to-date earlier upgrading. You could also update all your PC's drivers to the latest versions – there's some help online – and check your PC manufacturer'due south website for Rom upgrades. However, you don't need to upgrade your programs.
Windows 7 is no longer the current version, and at that place are scammers selling pirate copies, so caveat emptor. Y'all will need to purchase a version that is every bit proficient as or better than your current version of Vista. For example, y'all tin upgrade from Vista Home Basic to Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate. However, you cannot go from Vista Dwelling Premium to Windows 7 Domicile Basic. Run across Windows 7 Upgrade Paths for more details.
Further, in-place upgrades have to go from 32-bit to 32-bit versions, or from 64-fleck to 64-bit versions, non from 32-bit to 64-fleck versions, or vice versa. You tin upgrade from 32-bits to 64-bits – this is a good idea – but only by doing a "clean installation" that removes all your current software and information. To practice this, select the Custom option instead of the usual Upgrade option.
One trouble with upgrading to Windows 7 is that the DVD versions are now many years out of appointment. Once you've installed it, you have to download hundreds of updates, and many of them force reboots. The terminal fourth dimension I did a make clean installation of Windows vii, it was still installing updates three days later.
Either style, I don't recommend upgrading to Windows 7 today, unless it's a stepping stone to Windows x. Windows 10 is much amend than Windows 7, and it's improving all the time. As well, Windows seven reaches the end of its life in 2020, though you may need to purchase a new PC before then.
Upgrading to Windows x
I have a decent PC running Vista – fast processor, 8GB of retention. Is there an easy style to wipe it make clean and do a new install of Windows 10? I accept my data files backed up. Tim
You cannot do an in-identify upgrade from Vista to Windows 10, and therefore Microsoft did not offer Vista users a free upgrade. However, you tin can certainly buy an upgrade to Windows 10 and do a clean installation. (In fact, it doesn't matter which manner circular you practise it. You can install Windows x get-go and so get to the online Windows Shop to pay for information technology.)
You don't need to wipe your current re-create of Vista: the clean installation will take care of it.
To do a make clean installation, y'all can either follow Microsoft'southward instructions and create a DVD or thumbdrive, or you lot tin can buy a retail copy. (With retail copies, you can remove a copy of Windows from i PC and install information technology on another. You can't do that with pre-installed versions, which are locked to the hardware on which they are first installed.)
Technically, information technology's besides belatedly to get a free upgrade from Windows 7 or 8/eight.1 to Windows 10. Nevertheless, even subsequently concluding yr's deadline, Microsoft kept providing upgrades when users typed in their Windows 7 product keys. That may still work. As well, Microsoft has left a loophole past offering free upgrades to people who need assistive technologies such as screen readers. This could obviously be withdrawn at whatsoever time.
Alternatively, you could become a free copy of Windows 10 by joining Microsoft'south Insider testing program and do a clean installation of that.
Finally, y'all could skip past the production key screens and utilise Windows ten without activating it. Some features are express, information technology puts a watermark on your desktop and it will nag you to buy a copy, but it's still a vast improvement on Vista and costs the same as Linux (ie: nothing).
Of course, Microsoft could clench downward on not-activated copies 1 day. Nevertheless, Microsoft wants people to move to Windows 10 then, at the moment, it's putting adoption ahead of profits. And once you've installed Windows 10, all future upgrades are free.
Have you got another question for Jack? Email it to Enquire.Jack@theguardian.com
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2017/mar/16/upgrade-microsoft-windows-vista-options-unsupported
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