Windows 7 - From XP to Win 7

I have a Dell Precision 690 running XP Pro. I want to change to Win 7 OS. Please either answer the following or direct me to the correct forum (and I wasted a lot of time trying to get support from Dell):

Is there a motherboard that I can have installed on my 690 which would convert my 32 bit to a 64 bit and allow me to install Windows 7, have support for more than 4 GB RAM, and have support my existing harddrives?

Thank you

Hello philwright, welcome to Seven Forums!


Have you run the Windows 7 upgrade advisor?

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

Hi philwright, you could download GRC*|*SecurAble: Determine Processor Security Features*|** Which would let you know if your system is 64bit capable.

Welcome, philwright. From what I've read via searches on the current Dell 690, it looks like your machine will have no problem handling Win 7, unless your machine is older & has a different motherboard than this one:
http://www.dell.com/us/en/gen/deskto...&~tab=specstab

Like The Bare Foot Kid says, try the Win 7 Upgrade Advisor to be sure.

You may not need a new motherboard, but I would suggest increasing your RAM to 8GB if you intend to install the 64 bit version.. Your motherboard probably has 4 dimm slots (some models have 8) & it looks like you have 4 x 1GB quad channel DDR2 memory. You would have to get 4 x 2GB or 2 x 4GB memory modules. Go to

RAM Memory Upgrade: Dell, Mac, Apple, HP, Compaq. USB drives, SSD at Crucial.com

and select the System Scanner tab > Scan My Computer. It is a great tool for determining the type of memory & maximum capacity your system will handle.

Also, your XEON 5040 is virtualization technology capable - in case you want to run a virtual disc with Win XP on it, which is a free download from Microsoft when you have Win 7:

Download Windows XP Mode

You should be ok as the 690 has 32 & 64 bit vista support and most of your hardware should be compatible with Windows 7 and if you have any problems you can install vista drivers in compatibility mode if they wont install normally -

To install a driver/program in compatibility mode - right click the setup.exe file - click properties - click compatibility - check run in compatibility with vista - check run as administrator - leave the rest blank. Start setup.exe and install.

Below is your driver page at the Dell site :
Drivers & Downloads

Thought I should mention XP mode is available only on Pro, Ultimate, and Enterprize.

Good point, Britton30!

Cheaper to buy a new computer.