Upgrade from Vista to Win7

[TorreDelAguila]

Bit of advice would be very helpful...

Have a Dell Inspiron 530, currently running Vista Home Premium 32-bit.
Would like to update it to Win7 (and then later free to Win10).

Have bought the following (from Software Direct) but am having doubts about whether I can actually use it:

Dell Win7 (All Editions) 32 & 64 bit Reinstallation DVD, p/n VN39F

They have supplied a Dell product key sticker, for Win 7 Pro OA (which has the 25 digit key).

Can I do a clean install with this Reinstallation disc, or does it require Win7 already to be installed on the PC?

Chris

[Enrique]

Hi TorreDelAguila,
Bit of a grey area from the write ups...........
I would do an IMAGE backup of your current system to external disk.
Format the drive and do a clean/Custom install. You have a License key.
Before adding any programs ....check the system activates OK .
Could then do a Win 10 upgrade this will get you a License.
At each stage of the above save a IMAGE copy to external disk, so if a stage goes pear shape then you can just drop back on stage and not to the very beginning.

Have a read around and see if you can get more info (I've not used this install media)

Added::Some general info..........best to stick with 32bit OS if your system is only 2GB main memory.
Reports that Win 10 runs ok on your system.
Could end up with Dual Boot Win 7 and Win 10

Reread my POST...........

[TorreDelAguila]

Hi Enrique,

You've confirmed what I was already thinking through.
It's a fair bit of work simply to totter my way to Win10.
I think I must just buy Win10, and be done with it.
Depend on the PC quite a lot.
Dual Pentium 2.2GHz, 4GB RAM, 32bit.

Also recently replaced my Epson A3 Photo printer with a Canon LBP7780Cx colour laser (A4).
Have used Canon LBP's going right back to LBP8 and LBP4 mono, and always found them good.
Image quality on the 7780 is quite stunning; wondered how good photos would be, and am really impressed.
Fast, too, at 30ppm+ (and auto double-sided).
Miss the A3+, but pocket isn't bottomless!
TBH, got fed up with problems associated with intermittent ink-jet use (clogging, blobbing...), even with an IRIS bulk ink unit.

Thanks, Enrique, for the advice. Will certainly follow it.

[m5rcc]

Would advise not installing Windows 10 on a machine that was originally built for Vista. Firstly it'll run slow with many generic drivers not being available AND Windows 10 is truly awful! Keep it on Windows 7 once you've installed that.

[m5rcc]

I think I must just buy Win10, and be done with it.

No need to buy Windows 10. There is no need to acquire a serial key before hand (so no need to purchase anything). Microsoft are giving away Windows 10 free. Just install from a created memory stick or disk and at the license page choose personal use and Microsoft will auto populate the key and activate windows totally free of charge.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

[Martin Page]

A windows vista machine will not be happy with windows8, let alone windows10... 'it wont like it up it !, Mr Manewring'

[Wicksey]

I have recently upgraded to Win 7 from Vista but I took it into my computer man to do it. My computer is not a named brand and was built for me so it was not so straightforward. I have been told that my computer, at 9 years old, would not be able to run Win 10 even if I wanted it. I have been advised that when Win 7 ceases to be supported in about 4 years, it will be better to then replace my tower unit completely.

[Enrique]

Hi,
"A windows vista machine will not be happy with windows8, let alone windows10".............bit of a too general statement.

Having done a load of Vista to Windows 8.1 and 10..........the systems run much better............

Wicksey:: I have a 11 year old IBM Desk top PC that happily runs windows 10. You can check your system to see if it will run Windows 10.

Either by using the MS Tool ( that requires you to have Windows 10 bits downloaded) or Core info. I'd go for core info as its light and quick.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/sys ... 35722.aspx


you need a processor that supports PAE, NX, and SSE2.

Look for the above having a star against the listing.

[gerryh]

A windows vista machine will not be happy with windows8, let alone windows10... 'it wont like it up it !, Mr Manewring'

Oh dear! perhaps I better stop using Win 10 on what was originally my Windows XP machine that predates Vista.
Cheers
Gerry

[Martin Page]

I know what you mean Gerry I had an old Vista machine that I tried to upgrade. It sorta did ... remember the 'Test your machine for upgrade compatibility' program that Microsoft bought out ...well mine failed on drivers for the ...Coms card, Sound card, various Intel commands, to name but a few ....I still went a head and did it anyway. I remember the sound card and the coms card issues particularly well since there were no suitable driver replacements for then. they had to be physically replaced.
The speed of the system dropped terribly too. and blue death screens became quite prevalent ....as I said in my reply - a windows vista machine will not be happy ....I didn't say it wouldn't work

I some how suspect that you will have either 'updated' your WindowsXP machine or you haven't really appreciated the speed differential with a fully balanced ( RAM and ROM and Chip) machine. From Switch on to Use on my basic windows10 machine is less than 30 Seconds- how long is yours (if you pardon the pun!)