Upgraded from 32 bit to 64 bit

[spdracer]

I just completed this process and thought I would post my experience doing this. My original install was an upgrade from xp to 7 home premium 32 bit. I decided to upgrade to 64 bit to maximise my memory usage as 32 bit would not recognise my 4gb of ram. When I put the dvd into my drive it gave me a warning that "the operating system is not supported,reboot and boot from cd". After enabling first boot from cd in my bios it went right to the installer and all went well,it even seemed to go a little quicker than the original 32 bit install.After installation completed all the 64 bit drivers were installed for all my hardware and everything is running great. The only device I was not able to install a driver for was a usb hub that windows would not accept the 32 bit drivers for. This device had installed correctly with 32 bit. It did create a Windows.old folder and a program files (x86) folder along with the program files folder. 32 bit programs get installed into the x86 folder. All in all this was a very easy process and I hope this will help anybody that is thinking of doing this

 

[Win7User512]

And how can you upgrade directly from 32bit to 64bit?

Perhaps you can clarify how you accomplished it.

 

[mushroomboy]

He did a clean install of x64 booting from CD off of the Bios. The Windows.old is his old win32 install, really He's just saying that the transition from 32bit to 64bit wasn't as bad as you (he and probably other people) think.

 

[spdracer]

He did a clean install of x64 booting from CD off of the Bios. The Windows.old is his old win32 install, really He's just saying that the transition from 32bit to 64bit wasn't as bad as you (he and probably other people) think.

Exactly. All you have to do is boot from the dvd and you're on your way.

 

[mushroomboy]

Yeah but that's really been since Windows 98? I don't remember how Windows 3.01 installed, I was a lil out of touch because I only had a mac back then. And it wasn't the good kind of mac, it was the crappy mac's that you played Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

 

[Win7User512]

He did a clean install of x64 booting from CD off of the Bios. The Windows.old is his old win32 install, really He's just saying that the transition from 32bit to 64bit wasn't as bad as you (he and probably other people) think.

Oh it seemed like he was describing a clean install but not. I'm surprised it saved his old stuff.

 

[mushroomboy]

It always saves the old stuff with a clean install, it's part of the rollback feature. Well it SHOULD save it, that is what it is ment to do.

 

[Win7User512]

It always saves the old stuff with a clean install, it's part of the rollback feature. Well it SHOULD save it, that is what it is ment to do.

When I do clean installs, I don't just use current disk's state. I delete the partition/format the drive.

 

[mushroomboy]

It always saves the old stuff with a clean install, it's part of the rollback feature. Well it SHOULD save it, that is what it is ment to do.

When I do clean installs, I don't just use current disk's state. I delete the partition/format the drive.

Well yeah, but some of us can't backup data that easily... =P And Vista/Win7 save all the data in Windows.old which can save a lot of hastle. =P

 

[gregrocker]

I would not rely on windows.old as my only backup. It can fail with a failed install.

And since you need to backup files anyway, why not get a cleaner install and boot from the installer to wipe/format HDD?

 

[mushroomboy]

Yeah well I have a broken DVD drive which won't work with DVDs. If I want to wipe I have to install Windows XP, then install Daemon tools and go from there. I know it's a current problem which I'm working on. I'm doing that by waiting for blue ray prices to go down. =S

 

[coolfire]

I have also just successfully did a clean install from Vista Home Premium 32-bit to 7 Home Premium 64-bit through booting from the DVD, and indeed, all my old stuff are in the 'windows.old' folder.

 

[gregrocker]

I have also just successfully did a clean install from Vista Home Premium 32-bit to 7 Home Premium 64-bit through booting from the DVD, and indeed, all my old stuff are in the 'windows.old' folder.

You booted the installer DVD and selected Custom install and it saved a windows.old folder? This is the first I've heard of this. It supposedly only saves windows.old files if run from Windows.

Obviously you didn't use the advanced drive options to format?

 

[mushroomboy]

You don't have to, if you have windows on the computer and you boot from DVD (boot off bios) it still saves windows.old.... It's been doing it for a while now.

 

[gregrocker]

I always format using Installer and have never gotten an windows.old folder, so that must be the exception?

 

[coolfire]

You don't have to, if you have windows on the computer and you boot from DVD (boot off bios) it still saves windows.old.... It's been doing it for a while now.

Yup, that's spot on!

I always format using Installer and have never gotten an windows.old folder, so that must be the exception?

I think it is because you carry out a format? I remember Brink mentioning before that one does not need to format because a custom install also wipes out existing data...

 

[mushroomboy]

You don't have to, if you have windows on the computer and you boot from DVD (boot off bios) it still saves windows.old.... It's been doing it for a while now.

Yup, that's spot on!

I always format using Installer and have never gotten an windows.old folder, so that must be the exception?

I think it is because you carry out a format? I remember Brink mentioning before that one does not need to format because a custom install also wipes out existing data...

Yep! And the BCD will automatically remove the entry for an old windows once you delete the windows.old! (or it'll remove the rollback option).