Windows 7: removing Vista for seven

It may sound a daft issue to most of you but how do I do a clean format of Vista in order to install Seven? I have tried many things but none seem to work. Some years ago, my floppy used to be the tol for these tasks...

Can we have some details of your system, please.

At the moment, if you have sufficient space on your HDD, I recommend a dual (or multi) boot system. This is because Windows 7 is still in Beta, and will cease working in a few months time, meaning that if you just had Windows 7 on your system you would be left with an inoperable machine when this version of Windows 7 expires. At least, with a multi boot, you can still have access to any documents you have created in Windows 7 from Vista.

I would still recommend this for the forthcoming RC release of Windows 7, and would only consider installing Windows 7 as a sole OS once it has been officially released to retail. Even then, I would still have a multi boot system - after all, I have paid for Vista and it is still supported, plus setting up a multi boot system these days is a doddle as everything is automatically taken care of.

From http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...tructions.aspx :

1. 
   Turn on your computer, insert the Windows 7 Beta installation disc you created in step 2 into the computer's DVD or CD drive, and then do one of the following:
   • If you want to replace your computer's existing operating system with the Windows 7 Beta, and you don't need to adjust your disk partitions, go to step 2.
   • 
     If your computer doesn't have an operating system installed, or you want to install the Beta on another disk partition, restart your computer with the installation disc inserted in your CD or DVD drive. If you're asked to press a key to boot from DVD or CD, press any key. If the Install Windows page appears, go to step 2.
     
     If the Install Windows page doesn't appear and you're not asked to press a key to start from DVD or CD, you might have to specify that your computer uses its DVD or CD drive as the startup device. See Start Windows from a CD or DVD. After you select your DVD or CD drive as the startup device, restart your computer, and then start Windows from the installation DVD or CD as previously described.
     
2. On the Install Windows page, follow the instructions, and then click Install now.
3. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation and protect your computer against security threats. You need an Internet connection to get updates.
4. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms. (You must accept to continue the installation.)
5. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom.
6. 
   On the Where do you want to install Windows? page, do one of the following:
   • If you don't want to specify a specific partition to install Windows on, or create partitions on your hard disk, click Next to begin the installation.
   • If you already have another existing partition with enough free space and want to install the Windows 7 Beta on that partition to create a multiboot configuration, select the partition you want to use, and then click Next to begin the installation. (Be sure to install the Beta on a different partition from where your current version of Windows is installed.)
   • If you want to create, extend, delete, or format a partition, click Drive options (advanced), click the option you want, and then follow the instructions. Click Next to begin the installation. (If the Drive options (advanced) option is disabled, you need to start your computer using the installation disc.)
7. Follow the instructions.

Hope this helps you!

Thanks very much to both of you.
I actually used Windows XP CD to format drive C and I installed XP there. As I was leaviong the house this morning I got partition magic to create an additional partition where I intend to install Seven when I get home today

I got tired of maintaining the 2 operating systems.
Went back to my original Vista 64-bit after dual boot problems.
Now I really miss Win 7 speed.
When Windows 7 RC is available I will be very tempted to run it as my sole operating system.

Before you do that BACKUP your VISTA system -- when Windows 7 hits retail you will want to get the much cheaper "Upgrade" version than a fresh new copy -- price difference could be as much as 150 USD.

Backup using GHOST / ACRONIS / PARAGON etc. When retail comes out restore your VISTA system and do the UPGRADE. You'll even be able to do a "CLEAN" install but the system will check whether you have an existing version of VISTA before allowing you to activate "via upgrade" rather than a new full price license.

Once you've backed up the system on to preferably some DVD's - just label them and store them in a safe place until Windows 7 retail hits the streets. Then restore and install your new OS.

Meanwhile you can enjoy using Windows 7 until at least Mar 2010 and you won't have any worries either about install choices when Windows 7 finally does hit the streets.

Dual booting is always a real pain and should be avoided wherever possible.
It's much easier if you really must use different OS'es at times to use Virtual Machines.

Only in the case of some really seriously hardware dependent apps like 3d Video streaming which needs to access the REAL hardware is it still worthwhile to dual boot. 99% of typical applications will run quite easily on a Virtual machine --even more so now the USB 2.0 drivers have all been worked out. As I mentioned before only serious video apps will have any problem in being run on a VM such as TV viewing / DVD playing and maybe (some but by no means all) games and most of these in any case run quite well on Windows 7.

I have an old Film scanner, a Canon N1240U flat bed scanner, an HP Engineering Plotter, a couple of older large A3 size Printers, An old Visioneer Portable pocket sized scanner and several Minidisc recorders. All these apps won't ever have VISTA / Windows 7 drivers but they still work 100% on an XP PRO Virtual machine running on a Windows 7 X-64 host system.

The old fashioned Visioneer portable scanner is particularly useful -- on a Thursday PM I get a time sheet signed -- I scan this and then email it off to the agency who then pay me the following Tuesday. Where I am working it's almost impossible to get decent access to a FAX machine and by emailing a scanned image I've also got an electronic record for my own purposes. I just boot the VM up from the image I've got on a USB stick, plug the scanner it and that's it.


(About 10 of the other free-plancers now all "borrow" my little scanner as well -- and this thing was made in about 1998 -- you just don't see a lot of this type of gear around but it's still incredibly useful).

To repeat

Virtual Machines where you can use them are far far better than dual booting.

Cheers
jimbo




Cheers
jimbo

Thanks Jimbo. Good advice.

I have thought about using VM but I only have Vista Home Premium which apparently will not run VM2007. Only runs on Vista Ultimate, Business etc. acording to MS web site.

It works fine on Vmware workstation / vmware player / vbox - linux only / vmware server on both Linux and Windows platforms.

Vmware player, Vbox (linux only) and vmware server are all free but you need QEMU to build and modify virtual machines if you are using vmware player as this just opens and runs pre-built Virtual Machines.

So long as your CPU is 64 Bit enabled and the virtualisation switch is set in the Bios or by default you can even run a 64 Bit GUEST VM on a 32 Bit Host --for example you can run VISTA HOME PREMIUM 64 bit (or Windows 7 64 bit) on Windows XP.

Download the utility from vmware to check whether your computer can run a 64 bit guest VM -- if it says NO check options in the BIOS.

Cheers
jimbo

despite what MS say about VM2007, it does work on Vista Home Premium, I have it running.
Also Virtual Box from Sun will work very well, possibly better than VM2007

I'll confirm what bgowers says about VPC 2007 working on Vista Home Premium, also. It gives you a warning when it installs, but it works perfectly fine. I have helped a couple of friends install it on their machines, and I also installed it on my laptop, which has Vista Home Premium.