New
#1
Win 7 installation plan for rebuilt computer - please review/advise.
Current machine is 5 years old, running Win7 Ultimate 32 bit. Doing a hardware refresh after a lightning strike fried some components. (note: system specs is for the replacement equipment)
Downloaded 64 bit Win7 Ultimate +SP1 and made UEFI compatible USB sticks of that as well as 64bit Win7 HP upgrade media.
Plan:
Hook up new SSD to existing computer, run Samsung Magician software to update SSD firmware and check over-provision percentage.
Deactivate the old Win7 Ultimate 32 bit install.
Install new hardware.
Install Win7 via UEFI using Kari's "Old School Geek" tutorial - see question, below.
Install and partition 2TB platter drive, create logical drives for User Profiles (100Gb), Audio, Video, Games, Downloads (250Gb each) and Backups (500Gb). Alternately, make logical drives for Profiles (100Gb) and Data (1.5Tb), then folders for the data types.
Move user profiles to platter drive, link libraries to appropriate logical drives/folders on platter HD.
Run updates, backup "clean" config.
Create user and activate installation.
Questions:
Original W7 Ultimate is 32 bit without SP1 - will I be able to use my license key to install 64 bit *with* SP1? If not, I will attempt to install 64 bit Home Premium upgrade per the "install with upgrade media" tutorial. (N.B.: I don't recall if the 32bit media was OEM or retail)
Does it behoove me to make logical drives for all the data types, or just make logicals for Profiles and Data, then make folders for Audio/Video/Games/Downloads/Backups within the Data logical drive?
Anything in my plan that's a 'deal breaker' (other than the possibility of key mismatches and/or OEM version key for 7 Ultimate)?
Further recommendations?
Thanks for reading!