Installing Vista

Hi, I've never had to install an OS before, I've never even had to back up my HD other than with System Restore or something.If I get a laptop with 64bit installed, but it also comes with 32bit and I want the 32 bit what do I have to do exactly. If I just insert the 32bit disc in will it overright the 64 or something? Or do I have to uninstall the 64 (how the hell do I do that?) before I put the 32 bit in.

SHould I be able to reinstall the 64 later on?

The laptop is a sager 2090, I heard something about there not being any drivers for the 32 bit, where do I get them and when I do how do I install them and how do I install them? Do the drivers have to be loaded before I can install?

Am I suppose to reformat the driver before I install the 32 bit?

Thanks

 

Please? ANyone?

 

I was wondering the same.

I'm also getting an IFL90 (Sager 2090) but without an operating system installed.

I'll be installing Vista myself and I hope its just as easy as installing XP was. If so its just a matter of booting from the CD and using a few menus!

 

I'm shameless.

 

"If so its just a matter of booting from the CD and using a few menus!"

That's exactly what it is. You don't have to worry about overwriting or deleting or anything. The installer is very straightforward, and it formats the entire drive (that means it deletes everything) before writing it's own NT file system, copying files over, etc.

64-bit software has backwards compatibility with 32-bit software, but a 32-bit OS cannot execute 64-bit code. That's all you really need to know.

 

Are you shameless because you are bumping? CMSUDave already answered you in brief, but, to add a bit more....

First, until the laptop is released, we cannot be absolutely certain there are going to be 32-bit drivers. So, I would hold off on plans to re-install. That said,

Set your bios to boot to your optical drive (this is probably the default on your machine, and therefore may not be needed

Insert your Vista CD, then reboot your system to allow the DVD to launch. At your first prompt, press any key to continue the process. Click Next and then click "Install Now" when prompted.

You will now be at the "Get important updates for installation" page. It is highly recommended (if you have an Internet connection at this point) to go ahead and install any available updates to ensure a successful installation. Once you've received the updates, click Next.

You will now be asked for your product key information. Your product key is located on your DVD case. Insert your 25 digit product key then click Next.

Now, you should be at the License Agreement screen. Feel free to read through the whole thing but it is going to take you quite awhile. You must "Accept" the licensing agreement to continue. Click Next once you're comfortable with the licensing agreement.

This next screen contains the main installation options. Select "Custom Install"

Setup will now ask where you would like to install Windows Vista. You will see the available partitions on your system. You will need to select the "boot" partition (usually C . If your boot partition has a previous version of Windows installed on it, you will want to delete this partition and the create a new boot partition.

You do this by selecting DRIVE OPTIONS, then deleting the existing partition, then create a new partition, then format it (all the buttons are on this page.

sit back and watch

 

Thank you both very much. Do you think this might be one of the things that will be very easy when you actually get the CDs?

Little confusion, bc135 says that it will format the system before writings it's own files. But you(gerryf19) say that I have to delete the current partition and reformat it myself. So which?

Also, the laptop has been released, and I think it was confirmed that there were no drivers for the 32 bit. How would something liek this work? Will it install at all without the drivers? And is this something I can download after the install? Or is it absolutlely required to have during installation?

 

in xp there was an option to format the drive or leave it as is--that is not there in Vista, so I am pretty certain I have it correct--though I haven't installed Vista in 6+ months.

I went looking for any drivers for the laptop you mentioned and cannot find them. I thought the laptop was in pre-order mode so far. Once released, then the drivers will be downloadable from either compal or sager.

You might want to ask your reseller if there are 32-but drivers