Switch over to Windows 7 x86

hastyle

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Hey guys, I'm currently running Xp, but I've heard a lot of good thing about windows 7 32bit, is it true that it will perform better then XP? I really only use my pc for Trading Stocks, watching movies, and web surfing. Sometimes I also design with Adobe CS4 Suite.

If i do decide to install Win7 Ultimate edition, I was thinking about leaving Xp intact, should i install 2 copies on one HD, or partition the Hd then install Win7 on the other partition.

Here is my computer specs:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice
2Gb ram
Plenty of Hd space.
 
You cannot install and run multiple copies of Windows on the same partition. Either partition your hard drive accordingly, or use multiple drives.

I wouldn't bother with keeping a separate XP partition though, as most applications will work under Windows 7, and those that don't work can usually be run from within Windows XP Mode.
 

PaCanc

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Hi.

Windows 7 will probably not perform better than XP. Perhaps it will perform worse.
However, it looks better and feels more modern.

I have both XP and Win7 installed. As the other users said, you can't install them both on the same partition. You need one partition for each Windows if you only have one hard disk drive, or you can use 2 hard disk drives.

I haven't found any programs that didn't run under Windows 7, so you might not need to run both XP and Win7; but you should check if you have any applications (usually older ones) that might not run under Win7.
You should check if your processor supports Virtualisation, because if it doesn't, XP mode under Win7 is not an option for you.

And one more thing: since your Athlon is a 64, consider installing Win7 64bit instead of 32bit. There's would be no difference now in your case, but maybe you might want to buy more RAM later, and 32 bit would limit the amount the OS sees to about 3-3.5GB.
 

hastyle

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The more i think about it, I should leave windows XP intact, just in case I want to stay with XP. Should i do the partition in windows xp first, before the restart, boot, setup of windows 7, or can i split my C: once I'm in the setup?

thank you.
 

hastyle

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Thank you for your response,
No my cpu does not support Virtualization, thanks for pointing that out.
I thought 64bit required a faster cpu and more memory? I just figure X64 would run slower, and none of my software even uses 64 bit, so whats the point then. but if it would perform the same, and allow me to run my trading software and possibly allow me to upgrade later on then I would consider that too.



 
The best option is too leave your XP intack untill you very no problems with Win 7 from a software and hardware standpoint.
What I would do is disconnect your XP HDD and connect/use a 2nd HDD to install Win 7. When completted, re-attach XP drive and select at boot time which operating system to use - NO SOFTWARE BOOT Manger to hose up both drives.

(1) For your current system and use - probably not much diff in performance between XP/Win 7 (slight edge -> XP). Only real advantage is system security.

(2) 32 bit vs 64 bit. Unless you plan on excedding 4 gigs of ram, I'd stay with the 32 bit. Most all problems have been solved with 64 bit. That said some hardware vendors are not coming out with 64 bit drivers for "perfectly good" hardware (I have a Scanner that does what I need, But Cannon would rather I buy a newer one). As to the 4 gigs ram w/32 bit - Yes you loss about a 1/2 Gig to MIMO that you would not lose in 64 bit.
In your case - going from 2 to 3.5 gigs in itself would be great.
 


Windows XP will outperform Win7 by a very small margin however, Win7 outperforms Vista. If you are going to make the switch, consider the 64 bit version if your hardware allows ... the ability to use more RAM will come in handy in CS4.

I like to put my entire OS's on separate drives or partitions.....normally when you load a 2nd OS on a 2nd partition, the boot files still reside on the 1st. To avoid that, unplug your existing hard Drive and install Win7 to a new HD. When done, plug the old HD back in and switch between the two via boot priority in the BIOS.
 

hastyle

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I think i rather partition the drive. my other 2 drives, i use for data only, and is running out of room. While my Main drive is 500gb. Is it bad to partition your OS drive and install another OS on it?
 

isamuelson

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For XP mode in Windows 7, you better be sure your CPU can do hardware virtualization, otherwise XP Mode won't work.

Also, don't expect XP mode to work with games, especially 3d accelerated ones.

You can go to Microsoft's website for XP Mode to find a utility to help you determine if your CPU can handle hardware virtualization.

If in the end you cannot do XP mode because of your CPU, you can get still use Virtual PC 2007, Virtual Box from Sun, or VMWare Player (which can now create virtual machines, not just play them). Of course, you need to have the install media for the operating system you want to virtualize. I prefer VMWare Player. It definitely seems to be one that works the best. My next choice would be Virtual Box from Sun. Either one works really well. BTW, all three are free with no expiration date. VMPlayer is completely free for personal home use with no expiration date, but you do have "register" your email with them, but they don't spam you.

What's nice about the XP Mode is that Microsoft has it integrated with your Windows 7 desktop, so XP Mode programs running appear on your task bar and look as if they are running in native Windows 7. Also, they provide you with an XP image to use, so if you don't have install media for XP, you're not out of luck.

As it is, the reason I use a virtualized OS is due to development. I do programming and setting up all the different tools and services I need can bog down my system and my wife hates it. Also, with a virtualized system, I can only install the things I need for development (IIS, Visual Studio and any tools needed, Oracle client to access my Oracle Linux Server, etc) without it affecting my day-to-day programs (and games) I have installed in Windows 7.
 

JessicaD

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Hastyle,

Uh_no is correct -- if you wish to still use certain applications that were only compatible with Windows XP you should probably consider XP Mode. To learn more about XP mode, please go to the following link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/windows-xp-mode

Also, please note that when migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 you will not have an "in place upgrade" option. You will however have the option to select "custom" install when prompted. The Windows 7 install process will then copy all of your data in "My Documents" over to a Windows.old folder within Windows 7 itself. All applications and documents stored in other locations will have to be reinstalled / transferred manually.

For more information on the Windows 7 Upgrade, please go here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Installing-and-reinstalling-Windows-7

For additional assistance with the migration of Windows XP to Windows 7, please go here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ee150430.aspx

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

 

indy5155

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I have heard good things about Windows 7 but really like XP. What I did was to install VMware and installed windows 7 in a virtual machine. I can use it when i want and go back to xp when I am done. It lets me check out windows 7 without doing anything to my xp install. Virtual box from sun will also let you run windows 7 inside your windows xp.