Windows 7 upgrade question.

I am interested in trying windows 7 but I do not want to jump right in the deep end. I would say my computer abilities are above average but my computer is my primary income earner and I can’t waste time learning a new system while working (I can’t afford any problems at the moment). Can I buy another hard drive, plug it in my computer, install vista(same CD used to install existing windows) then install 7? If possible it seems I would still have access to needed files avoiding loss of any peripheral support or other problems that could occur, I could also transfer at my leisure.

Thanks in advance.

hi normalicy , what you suggest is possible to do you can download a trial version of win7 enterprise and have 90 days to evaluate the system if you like it then buy it look in the tutorial section of the forum for how to dual boot hope that helps

Thank you both so much for the information. I will install today!

you're very welcome ,hope all goes well for you,post back if you have any problems, good luck

Something the other posters didn't mention:

If it was me, I'd want to have an image of the current working system that I could restore in case things went badly wrong. This isn't to suggest that your skills aren't up to the task of creating a dual-boot system, or that Microsoft's installer is bad. You're making a major change, though, and you probably can't afford for things to go wrong.

That said, if your current system is running Vista, it's very likely that it'll run Win7 without trouble. Win7 can usually use Vista drivers, but a lot of hardware that has Vista drivers also has Win7 ones.

If you decide to switch fulltime to Win7, I recommend a clean install. I've generally had more satisfactory results from clean installs than from upgrading-in-place. The clean install takes more work, but I think it's worthwhile.