Windows 7: Upgrading from XP and Vista

Windows 7 officially goes on sale around the world tomorrow.  We went along to a Microsoft launch event this morning to find out more about the latest version of the OS, and in this article, we'll try to answer a simple question: how can you upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7?

We asked Arnaud Lambert from Microsoft to explain the different options.  Here's a summary of how it works:

Current OS	Windows 7 Version	Install Method	Data and Programs Retained?
XP	32 bit	Fresh Install	No
XP	64 bit	Fresh Install	No
Vista 32 bit	32 bit	Update	Yes*
Vista 32 bit	64 bit	Fresh Install	No
Vista 64 bit	64 bit	Update	Yes*

* Note that even though your files and programs should be conserved when moving from some versions of Windows to Windows 7, we still recommend that you back everything up on an external device before you start.  This is generally good practice as hard drives can fail at any moment causing you to lose yore data.

We went on to ask some more general questions ...

Why will some people be able to just perform a simple upgrade to Windows 7?

In the past, the installation of a new operating system has always involved a low-level format of the hard drive--wiping it entirely.  Because Window 7 and Vista share the same kernel, users can update their computers without losing their personal files, applications or drivers.  That isn't true if you're moving from XP, where the whole system will need to reinitialised.

Why can't you go from 32 bit Vista to 64 bit Windows 7?

Here, the problem is more to do with software and drivers, where different versions are available depending on whether you're running a 32 bit or a 64 bit system.  Microsoft can't guarantee that everything will be compatible if you install a 64 bit OS over the top of a 32 bit one.

What's the advantage of a 64 bit version?

It's only worthwhile if you have more than 4 GB of RAM and you use applications that have been specially optimised to run in 64 bit mode.  If you're running the 32 bit version of Vista without any problems, it's best to move to the 32 bit version of Windows 7.

Can I buy an upgrade version of Windows 7 even if I'm running XP and will need to do a clean install?

Yes.  The installation discs for Windows 7 support both upgrading and fresh installs.  You can, therefore, buy an upgrade version and then go for a new install.

Does the box include 32 and 64 bit versions?

Yes.

If my current installation of Vista crashes all the time and keeps giving me blue screens, will Windows 7 change all that?

Not necessarily.  The problem is working out what is causing your computer to crash.  If it's a hardware problem, or a driver issue, then you'll still encounter the same problems after upgrading. 

Don't forget that you can also take a look at our article comparing XP and Vista's performance in a variety of areas.

> Windows 7: faster than Vista and XP?