PA3CLQ's Leuke Linken Nr. 413

 

Computer upgrade/

Hi All

I have a laptop with XP that I want to upgrade for N1MM+ with W7.

I have the W7 install CD and am wondering, do I just insert the CD and go from there or is there anything else

I need to do to the computer before I put the CD in.

Thanks and 73

Tom W7WHY

REM :

Save all of your important data to a thumb drive..
AL, K0VM

REM :

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/help/upgrading-from-windows-xp-to-windows-7#T1=tab01

73, Jim N7US

REM :

Tom, this may not be the best idea.

As I think other responses have already shown, there is really no “upgrade” path from Windows XP to Windows 7.

(In Microsoft parlance, an “upgrade” preserves your programs and user files.) Generally, “upgrades” are only supported

when upgrading from one OS to the next OS up the line. (Current upgrades from Windows 7 to Windows 10 are an exception.

These do keep “your stuff.”)

There probably is an upgrade available to you from your version of XP to equivalent version of Vista.

Then, I suppose, you might be able do an upgrade to 7.

But…upgrading a laptop from one OS to another can be harrowing and time consuming, due to the specialized components in them

that will need updated drivers.

These may not be available for Windows 7.

However, if you decide you want to go ahead directly with the Windows 7 disc, I strongly suggest you do an image backup of your

hard drive before attempting the change.

This way, you’ll be able get back to where you are by restoring XP to the laptop if the move to Windows 7 fails.

And if it is successful, you will need to re-copy all your user files and re-install your programs.

73, Mark WA9IVH

REM :

Tom,

Your migration to Windows 7 will in reality be an Install, and not an Upgrade.

All of your data and settings will be lost.

I’ve done this a few times, and found the easiest/safest/fastest route was to buy a new hard drive.

Replace the existing XP hard drive with the new drive and install Windows 7.

When you are confident that Windows 7 is working properly (internet working, anti-virus installed, user accounts identified, printer drivers

loaded... all that stuff) attach the XP drive as a second disk drive and begin copying all of your files, programs, and settings from the XP drive to the W7 drive.

-larry (K8UT)

REM :

Tom,
I agree with Larry.

Good hard drives have gotten pretty inexpensive, and replacing them is easy in most laptops --

IF it uses the newer SATA type of drive.

It's NOT easy if the laptop uses the older PATA drive, which, AFAIK, is no longer manufactured.

If you do buy a new drive, go for a Solid State Drive -- it will make your computer run a lot faster.
AE6KS, a local who does IT for a lot of small biz here, told me to buy Samsung EVO.

I have 256GB in this machine.

You'll also have to buy (or borrow) an adapter to connect your old drive to the "new" laptop.
For an older laptop that uses a PATA drive, I put out an SOS on the NCCC reflector and K2RD found a spare in a drawer that he'd removed from a
machine at work.
73, Jim K9YC

REM :

Another thing to consider.

Once you get W7 on it, AND IF pc is compatible with W10.

MS will gently force you to free upgrade to W10 until around April this year.

There are ways to stop it, but something else to think about.

My guess is since PC is XP class it can’t run W10 so MS won’t try to get you to upgrade.

Bob

REM :

How would you stop it?????

Tnx Mike

REM :

You need to use the registry editor.

That may be a show stopper for some, but here goes…

To block the upgrade to Windows 10 through Windows Update, specify the following registry value:
Subkey: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
DWORD value:
DisableOSUpgrade = 1

And the full article / KB

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080351

This above is recent info from MS posted on 1/22/16.

I have a ton of pointers to recent Windows articles here:

http://n2scj.net/windows

Bob

REM :

FWIW, there are Solid State Drives that utilize the older PATA (parallel ATA) interface.

I have installed several of these in older laptops.

They work great and help extend the useful life of those machines.
I did a quick search on eBay for "SSD 2.5 pata" and came up with 190 new drives listed right now.

The vast majority were under $80 for a 128-Gb unit.
Larry's suggestion is my recommended method too (a new drive in the computer with the new OS, the old drive in an external case with access to your old data).
73 de Bob - K
ØRC in MN
REM :

My guess is since PC is XP class it can’t run W10 so MS won’t try to get you to upgrade.

Bob

REM :

Oh yes it will!
Les, G4OGB

REM :

Tom,

If your laptop can only accommodate one hard drive at-a-time, order a USB-to-SATA adapter when you order the new hard drive.

They cost about $15 at Newegg.

Plug the old hard drive into a USB port.

 It will glacially slow... but would allow the two-hard-drive-transfer mentioned in my previous response.

Larry (K8UT)

REM :

There is also a tool available from microsoft which you may want to try called Easy Transfer.
More info can be found here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/transfer-files-settings-from-another-computer#1TC=windows-7

To download the version to use on the XP machine go here:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7349

I used this many times upgrading machines from xp to 7
I also agree with the replacing of the drive, that is how I handled my personal machines.
73, Bob

REM :

AND...
Depending on the age of your hardware, some technologies may have been abandoned by their vendor and not have suitable drivers for WIN7/8/10...

Think motherboard chip sets/graphics/audio.. Likely a very rare situation but it has bite me.
AL, K0VM

REM :

That is a possibility, But so far I have not run into anything I couldn't run 10 on.
As a matter of fact, I have found, 0 will actually run better than 7 on some older hardware.

Windows 10 uses a different boot loader than Windows 7.

I don’t recall the exact differences.

Not sure if that impacts you and your “other” OS.

If your Windows 7 machine is compatible (or even close), you should be seeing the white Windows 10 flag in the system tray which will nag you to upgrade.

If you don’t see it by now, either something is wrong denying you the upgrade or you have blocked the free Win 10 upgrade.

It’s not free much longer…
Bob

REM :

I run Windows 7 and Debian 8 (Jessie) on a dual-boot machine.

I use Windows 7 only for N1MM+ (and occasional EZNEC fun).
I am considering the upgrade to Windows 10.

Has anyone who has done this seen problems with the dual boot?
Thanks. cln - Nick WB5BKL Lake Buchanan, TX

REM :

I did triple boot…

WinXP,

Win7,

Win 10…

Use a NEW installation, and custom windows directory, now Windows.

OR… use a different disk…

BUT… windows 10 wants C:

73, Terry W1TR

REM :

Hola

my secondary PC is a dual boot.
It had Win7 and Linux Lite(32bits).

A few months ago, I decided to run the windows10 upgrade expecting the Linux to be erased on the process.

After doing the proper backups, windows10 was upgraded and to my surprise, it preserved the dual boot (I may have inadvertly elected it).

One of the things I noticed is that Linux OS changes the PC clock to UTC time and when booted again on windows10, I need to readjust it.

Luis XE2B

 

73, your Editor PA3CLQ

 

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