Hey, just have a few questions that need clearing about the student offer thing. 1.How does downloading an operating system work? just like installing a game yet puff new operating system? - always done format and disc, but is that really... recommended? 2.I heard something about £7 more for a backup disc or something? if true, can someone explain? 3.If it's window 7 prof, you need to format, how does it work if it's data stored on the hard drive? 4.my gf has XP home, if she purcahsed the upgrade would she be able to do with without a format etc? 5. I'm about to buy a new rig, if I could make use of it would I need to install and op system, then install that? or would it have something to do with a disc etc? Cheers.
Form what I know, all Student offer are upgrades license, so you need Windows 2000 or XP or Vista (32 or 64-bit), to be eligible for the upgrade. Exactly the steps of the process such as force a clean install (ie: you don't have a previous Windows installed because you formatted your HDD or a new HDD) are still unknown. The process works like this: - Depending on the offer options of your region you may or may not have the option to order a the official Win7 disk at a small fees (pays disk + shipping + box). I fyou choose not to order the disk, a download link to an ISO disk image will be provided. - Once downloaded, ensure that the download is proper by checking the MD5 hashes provided on Microsoft. This is a code to check you can easily check to see if the files doesn't have missing or wrong bits. It's not perfect, but reduces the chance of errors. I suggest to use a Download Manager to down a OS, and NEVER pause or interrupt the download. - Once done, using your burning disk software such as imgBurn (freeware), load the ISO onto the program to exact it and burn a disk. Remember to NOT just put the ISO on to the disk, as this is will just give you 1 file onto the disk, which is just the ISO file as is, and that would be totally useless. If you are scared or don't know, use a perfect condition rewritable (new preferably) DVD, and check out the help documentation of your burning software. rewritable disk allows you to redo the disk if you miss up, and save from throwing away a disk. - Once done, this will be your Win7 Upgrade disk. To install Windows 7, insert the Win7 Upgrade disk in your DVD drive of your computer. Restart your computer, go into the BIOS and set your optical drive to boot first and then your HDD, if it's not already the case. Then, upon computer restart, you will have a message that says something like "Press any key to boot from disk...", do so. Once done, you are ready you will be greeted with a Windows normal setup wizard style graphic which will guide you in performing the upgrade or clean install (clean install if an upgrade can't be performed). Of course, before doing the installation of Win7, ensure that all your data is backup. - A clean install will format the partition where your previous Windows is, so all data is loss. - An Upgrade will keep your data, and have it all moved to a folder called Windows.OLD which you can delete if you don't need it anymore after install. In such case, a backup is STILL HIGHLY recommended just in the case that the Update fail. Please note that you need a DVD burner and DVD disk to burn and install Windows 7. Else you can contact Microsoft for a possible 7 disk Windows 7, or the room full floppies version (ok fine, I lied about the floppy version of WIn7) . But my point is I think you would prefer the DVD, like everyone else
Cheers man, getting a bit better of an understanding about it now. I have windows 7 pre-ordered at £65 as it is, but may as well go halfs on £65+30 with my brother so we both get windows 7 etc. This all seems reasonable enough. Cheers
I can only answer some of the above, It's £30 for the download only which you can burn to a DVD yourself once downloaded, and it costs an extra £9 for an official DVD to be sent to you as well if you choose to do that. And as far as I know with Windows 7 Professional you won't be forced to format as obviously they can't force you to format if you only have one drive and that's where all your documents etc are. I think your girlfriend will be able to upgrade from XP Home to Windows 7 but I'm unsure. Sorry I can't answer with more info.
For your £7 (though I think it wanted to charge me £9 for a Professional 64bit disk) you will get a disc with W7 on it, not a blank (that's just stingy )
I said it costs £9 extra not £7 mate. And it comes with an official Microsoft Disc of Windows 7 not just a blank disc with Windows 7 on . Oh if you choose not to get the official disc, you can still burn the iso you download to disc and save yourself £9.
What annoys me is the fact you have to deside between 32bit and 64bit. Personally im thinking of moving over to 64bit but i know some of the stuff i use only works in 32bit so would personally like the choice. Why is it that the retail boxes come with both but with the student upgrade you have to make the choice before you buy?
Not true, you can install from flash memory should you're motherboard support booting from USB. Similar steps as mentioned, use something like WinRAR to extract the files from the ISO file to the USB memory stick. You will also need to set up a boot sector on the drive but there are hundreds of tutorials on the net on how to do this. In the bios set USB memory (or some similarly worded option) to the top in boot order. Restart and off you go. During the install the computer will need to reboot itself. The first time it does this, be sure to enter the bios before the install continues so that you can change your boot preferences back to HDD being top. If you fail to do this then there are 2 possible outcomes: 1- computer will take longer to boot as each time it gives you option to boot from other device before continuing (annoying but not the end of the world) 2- the setup will start again and will never get past the first reboot (annoying and the end of the world )
On other forums, people were having issues (like under Vista) due to incompatible memory sticks USB with the motherboard. It's too complicated to even be considered. If you have time to do it, go ahead, but the DVD router is more sure and faster to prepare.
How is it complicated? We mostly all have 64-bit CPU's, we are doing a transition to utilizing our 64-bit CPU. It's simple, if you have 4 or more GB of RAM, you must go 64-bit, if you have no you have the choice between 32 and 64-bit. In such case, if you are a multi-tasker, or use demanding software, and have peripherals newer than 2006, then 64-bit is what you should pick, else 32-bit. And of course, if you don't have a 64-bit CPU it will be a 32-bit. If you use old software (not games), then get Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, as you have XP Mode, which literary runs Windows XP 32-bit on Windows 7 32 or 64-bit, allowing you to run your old software. Like so: Notice the XP borders of the application at the center of screen. If you want, you can say what these applications are, and we will see if they are alternatives to them, which you might not know about. You get both student or not, upgrade or full. The ONLY person that has to choose is the OEM license, but those are supposed to be for system builder, which should in theory know if the computer they build should use Windows 7 64-bit or 32-bit.
Thanks for the reply, the way the student deal is setup suggests that it only comes with one or the other (32bit or 64bit). I just thought that this decision would mean i would be stuck with it. I will be now getting it. Many thanks for all the help over the last week on this subject.
Well it depends on your deal, they are SOOOO MANY Student deals all different world wide form Microsoft. So as long as you keep your deal in secrecy as your doing now, I go with deals in US/Canada, like this one:http://windows7.digitalriver.com/st...=Uduf7AoHAkUAAAxN52YAAAAO&rests=1255617293322, and MSDNAA where you can download both versions for free.
Yes, with that offer you do have to choose (the receipt for me specifically says 64bit version ordered) but when it's so cheap, so what? You're not going to install both if you had both, are you? Just go for 64 bit, and as Pro is the same price as HP, I'd say go for Pro as well
just curious if i upgrade to windows 7 from vista, will i lose all my saved pictures/music files thats stored in my documents, ie will i need to format for windows 7, or if i just upgrade to windows 7, will all my pics and music still be in my docs when windows 7 is installed thanks guys take care
I still recommend a backup, in the case the upgrade fails and you end up with this Vista/7 monstrosity on your hard drive
cheers lads nice to know all my pics and music will be safe, and i will back it up first goodbytes lol thanks again take care
Just to be a bit more specific, the Upgrade option the three above are talking about is only available if going from a specific Vista version to the same version (or a better version) of 7. For example, if you have Vista Home Premium, that can be upgraded to 7 Home Premium, keeping all of your files in their current folder etc. However, it can't be upgraded to 7 Pro, so you'd (ideally) backup all of your data, then do a custom install of 7 Pro (still with the Upgrade disc), and the installer can automatically backup your data as well, but of course it might miss a crucial file you've buried in an obscure folder. Hope that helps (See here, then go FAQ for the official table)
