upgrading from xp to win 7 requires a clean instal?

i assume a clean instal as in a whipe of the hard drive? if so then why do they call it an upgrade....i meab, what is the point of this upgrade? i figured an upgrade would simply swap out the OS while leaving everything else in tact.

 

Not this upgrade; it's too different. And that's a good thing since it can do things the previous OS (especially XP) could only have dreamed of.

Incidentally, you are suppose to backup your data anyway?

 

what do you mean? i thought an upgrade would completely replace xp with win 7 so there should not be anything to worry about except maybe driver issues.

i have a raid 5 array on this laptop for data security.

 

well, if so (3+ drives in a laptop in raid?), your setup is in the extreme minority (perhaps one of a kind?) and as such you can hardly expect msft to have tested for it.

Bite the bullet, do your backup, and git 'er done.

 

There's a few different definitions to "upgrade".

In the general sense, it usually means moving from something old to a newer, superior product.

In the Windows sense an "upgrade license" checks for an older version of Windows before installing.

Also in the Windows sense, an "upgrade install" means to install an operating system while keeping all the applications and data intact.

As Krane said, you can't perform an upgrade install from XP to 7. You have to clean install.

 

not one of a kind. my laptop holds 3 drives with onboard raid options. backing everything up externally (and to re-instal everything) is too much of a hassle and adds additional cost. i will just stick with xp....oh well.

i do have windows vista oem that came with this laptop but i did not like it so just stuck with xp. i am not sure if vista allows a hassle-free upgrade from xp with an oem disc? if so i can go from xp to vista and then to win 7 again. otherwise i will just stick with xp until i get a new rig in a few years or something.

 

In this case it's only license upgrade, you get Win7 cheaper because you already own a previous product.

 

Hello ARGH,
In terms of Windows XP -No there is no direct "in place" upgrade, you will need to backup your data.
FYI,
MIGRATING FROM Windows XP TO WINDOWS 7
You can visit the official Microsoft Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 site here: http://tinyurl.com/yz2uogt

There are some nice videos tutorials and steps to take when migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7. And yes it is true you cannot directly upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 you can take some steps to ensure a smooth process.

With regard to Windows Vista and Upgrade to WIndows 7:
You can perform a clean install from a Windows 7 upgrade version however you will have to have a valid previous copy of Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista installed to validate the upgrade and activate the product key. 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://bit.ly/3DvynK

For additional assistance with the migration of Windows XP to Windows 7, please go here: http://tinyurl.com/mhbep4

thanks again,
John M
Microsoft Windows Client Team