Vista to Windows 7

[agibsonsw]

Hello.
1) I'm happy with my Vista laptop although I hear good things about the speed of Windows 7. I doubt that an "upgrade to" option is sensible - I assume it will leave huge Vista files/backups on my computer? And it costs a bit anyway. (~£100).

2) It's only for my use so I'm thinking "Home Premium". I understand Home Basic is only available in developing countries and Starter is a pre-installed option?

3) But I see that some have been caught out either by systems versions, or inactive keys, etc.. What should I look out for in the description? And would you recommend a (UK) retailer? I see a couple on Amazon for around £80 but I need to be careful that I don't end up with a lemon.

4) Would a full re-format be necessary or recommended? Andy.

[Rui]

I upgraded my laptop from Vista Pro to Windows 7 Pro (and then moved to Ultimate). Things went smoothly and didn't really have any issues.

I know that upgrades are usually frown upon, but I had no willingness to be forced to install everything again. The upgraded version runs and updates fine. On the other hand, a 64 bit version that I clean installed (had XP previously) will have to be rebuilt sometime, as SP1 can't even install.

As far as I know, amazon.uk is the seller for the Windows 7 versions offered there, so there is no risk buying from them. They explicitly identify the OEM editions too.

[DaveA]

So, You have a Vista machine, BUT, they are NOT all in the best shape for Windows 7. I would download and run the Windows 7 advisor before you even think any further. It will tell you what you have and how it will ( or NOT) interface with Windows 7.
Check out http://windows.microsoft.com/upgradeadvisor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you buy online be sure to use a well known source.
Also you may find that you could be a good deal from the OEM of this Vista laptop. They will have the needed drivers for their hardware, where the retail version may have just the generic drivers that will work for a lot of different devices.

[agibsonsw]

Thank you both. I used the Upgrade Advisor and am happy with the results. Concerning the OEM, I would have to take my Advent computer back to PC World and they would likely inflict a service charge - I'm not sure they would just sell me an OEM upgrade/install disc.

Still undecided and I might put this on the back-burner. Thing is, I think I've had my laptop for maybe four years and it works perfectly. It's maybe slow in comparison to Windows 7 but not slow enough to be an issue. Mainly it's very slow to start but I tend to make a brew during this period

My decision would be easier if there were any enticing new features in W7 but my only interest is improved speed. (Most people don't seem to realise that most of the (supposedly) new features of W7 were already available in Vista. "Windows Shake"? - do me a favour!)

Perhaps if I accidently dropped my laptop this would give me an excuse to buy a new one Andy.

[HansV]

If you drop your laptop it will definitely get a Windows Shake!

[agibsonsw]

If you drop your laptop it will definitely get a Windows Shake!

He, he! Funny but (a bit) lame

[JoeP]

I'd say that if you are happy with the way the PC is currently performing leave it be. Take the money you would've spent on the Windows upgrade and put it in a fund towards a new PC.

Joe

[DaveA]

I agree with JoeP, just add the money not spent to your Windows 7 Machine slush fund. In no time at all, you will have the funds to buy the updated machine and will be asking about upgrading to Windows 8.

[viking33]

If you have grown inured to Vista's many quirks and shortcomings, so be it.
I for one, absolutely hated Vista, despite the fact that I got Vista Ultimate as a "freebie" from MS. Windows 7 is a great improvement on Vista.

I do agree that the best move would be to wait until you can upgrade your aging laptop and it's OS to Win 7 at the same time. Win 7 Home Premium is the best version for the average user, unless you have a need for some of the more sophisticated features of Ultimate.

[agibsonsw]

This is all good advice, thank you very much

I'm not sure about "aging laptop" (sic) though; I may have had it for just over 3 years (not 4). I suppose, in computer terms, this is a "generation" .

(Off topic: People moaned about my model - Advent 6552 - only having two USB ports. I've never understood this as USB adaptors can be bought for between £5 and £10.)

My remaining decision is whether to buy a new laptop now (as I've got the cash) or to wait until January, when I might pick up a bargain. But it's not the most important decision in the world..

Regards, Andy.

[Leif]

People moaned about my model... ...only having two USB ports. I've never understood this as USB adaptors can be bought for between £5 and £10....

There is generally a current limit on each port. It should be OK if you are connecting to devices with their own power source, but you could have a problem with multiple devices that take their power from the USB connection.

[StuartR]

There is also a bandwidth limitation on each port. This won't matter for connecting keyboards and mice, but you don't want to connect multiple USB pen drives, external hard drives and other high bandwidth devices to a single USB port.

[John Gray]

People moaned about my model - Advent 6552 - only having two USB ports. I've never understood this as USB adaptors can be bought for between £5 and £10.

In fact you can get USB hubs in the pound shops, but admittedly they tend to be USB 1.1 speed (viz. s l o w).
And a USB 2 socket delivers 5V at 0.5A or less. So an external USB hard drive might need two USB sockets to give enough power to run properly.
Having only two USB sockets rather restricts your flexibility!

[agibsonsw]

Thanks folks

Guess I've never noticed an issue with my mouse, keyboard, dongle and, occasionally, USB drive combination. Andy.

[agibsonsw]

Mmm perhaps this USB "thing" partly explains the issue I have suffered recently when trying to use a USB memory stick.

I thought it had gone away but I've checked again and I now find that plugging in a memory stick, and attempting to open My Computer, causes my computer to crash.

This may be the trigger that causes me to buy a new laptop . If I can't plug in a pen then, when I do any work on my computer, I will need to zip and email the file(s) to myself in order to take it away.

If anyone knows of a tool that might help me resolve this USB pen issue I would be very grateful

[agibsonsw]

..or perhaps I can buy a cable which would enable me to connect directly to my (Windows XP) netbook and transfers files to it? Is this straight-forward? It might be slightly more convenient then emailing.

I might have bluetooth on my netbook - I'll explore this option as well. Andy.