M17-Win7 Install questions

Note to mods: Sorry if this should be in side topics, seeming as this is about my M17 I thought that the main section was alright. If it's in the wrong section please do move it.

I've just bought the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade package, however currently I'm on holiday with only about 60GB free on my hard drive and nothing I can back things up on, so I simply can't do a clean installation for now.

So, how could I go about installing Windows 7 without damaging my files? I'd like to install the 64-bit edition if possible but if that's a problem with my current Vista being 32-bit then I can install 32-bit instead and wait until I can do a clean installation.

1. Is it possible to install over my old 32-bit Vista installation, either in 64-bit 7 or 32-bit 7?

2. If not, is it possible to install Windows 7 alongside Vista in a dualboot configuration? Will this require a second partition in order to do so?

Thanks to anyone who answers my questions.

 

1. Yes. Windows 7 will install either the 32bit or 64bit over Vista without issue.

2. This is also possible and you would not require a second partition. Just a boot manager.

http://www.dualbootpro.org/

or something along those lines.

 

Thanks wraithbane, I think I'll give the dualbootpro thing a shot.

EDIT: Or at least I would if I wanted to pay for it...

 

Just push upgrade it will only touch your system files and leave everything else working.

I did it on my brothers m17

 

Thing is will it upgrade straight from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit 7?

I've got a second partition currently formatting, I'm planning on dualbooting it, and copying all the current program file shortcuts over to 7. It'll do for now at least.

 

It should and if it can't it will stop before it does anything

your safe just push the upgrade button !

 

Meh, I just installed it on the new partition anyway. I'll slowly be moving programs across, installing them in 64-bit where I need to...

 

well thats just no fun !

but in your case some of the prgrams would not work if you did upgrade dueto the 64- 32 bit difference so your may be better in the long run thinking back

 

Yeah, I'm well aware that some programs won't work, which is some of the reason that I installed it in dualboot instead, so that I can still use those 32-bit programs on Vista.

 

Windows 7 Pro and above allows you to run apps in a windowsxp virtual mode. Just letting you know the options.

 

he does not have it and he is not worried about XP compatibility he is worried about the 32 -64 bit differences

 

Moo pretty much answered it. I wasn't going to pay twice the bloody price to get Professional instead, just for XP virtual mode. After all, I already had everything working in Vista. What I'm worried about now is the different bit operating system.

Just to show you the difference...I paid £65 for my home premium upgrade. It would have cost me about £125 for the Pro upgrade, and about £170 for the Ultimate upgrade, for reasons I just can't contemplate.