Installing Windows 7

[gamerguy2]

Hello.

I went out and bought a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium Retail.

The problem is that my old motherboard sound is completely out. I bought a new motherboard and processor.
The old motherboard with the HDD has all my files and games on it.
I want to install Windows 7 on the old HDD connected to the new motherboard and processor.

The HDD has a copy of OEM Windows XP on it.
If I build the new computer with the old HDD, can I just install the Retail Windows 7, keeping my files and programs intact, over the OEM Windows XP with no activation hassles?

Can I install a retail Windows 7 as an upgrade?
Is there any potential problems that might come up installing retail 7 with the file systems intact over the OEM Windows XP?
Or can I just use it as an upgrade and activate it like the OEM XP was not even there?

 

[JackMDS]

You cannot do what is called in place upgrade from Win XP to Win 7

So what to-do?

There are countless way to maintain the WinXP info OS.
It really depends on the tools that you have and what exactly you want to maintain.

The regular End-user way.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx

You can translate the whole XP Drive to a VHD image.

Download this and run it on the WinXP installation.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx

Store the VHD on whatever you have that and store such a File (do not store it on the drive that you intend to use).

Do a clean install of Win 7.

When done copy the VHD file as a regular file to the Drive with Win 7.

When you need anything from the old XP drive log to Win & Computer management open the Disk Management, right click on it and mount the XP as a virtual drive. Copy from it whatever you need.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/win7-attach-vhd.jpg

Or the You Tube way, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Pxn23dFuQ
.

 

[gamerguy2]

Thanks Jack.

Finally bought a full retail. 32 and 64 bit support and now that I have almost 4 pcs built it kind of like a at large political seat. The motherboard without the sound will be very hard to replace, so I am glad I did. Most of my boards can handle over 4 gbs RAM

New question- I have a Vista Upgrade disk for one of my 2 copies of XP. If I install that disk over the XP (even if it matches the other XP) can I then upgrade to Windows 7 without a hassle after using the Vista upgrade disk?

 

[JackMDS]

XP can Upgrade to Vista and Vista can be upgraded to the same type of Win7.

I.e. Vista premium to Win 7 premium etc.

I do not remember how XP to Vista upgrade behaves. If it is not real upgrade that maintains the applications installed as is, you are better off with clean install to Win 7.

If you want to keep a copy of the XP as is you can save it as a VHD File and then mount the XP VHD File in Win 7 and copy content from there.

Download this and run it on the WinXP installation.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx

Store the VHD on whatever you have that and store such a File (do not store it on the drive that you intend to use).

Do a clean install of Win 7.

When done copy the VHD file as a regular file to the Drive with Win 7.

When you need anything from the old XP drive log to Win & Computer management open the Disk Management, right click on it and mount the XP as a virtual drive. Copy from it whatever you need.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/win7-attach-vhd.jpg

Or the You Tube way, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Pxn23dFuQ
.