Views/response/help with free windows 7 upgrade

[ComputerUser]

Hi all! I have a simple question for people who are/have upgraded their laptop/desktops with the free windows 7 upgrade. Clean install or upgrade?! Please give me your views. I know it is better to do a clean install, but i read on somebody's review that with their laptop (my same model HDX16) they had trouble getting the quicklaunch keys to work and a few other things. Personally what experiences/advise do you have?

 

[Kari]

If you search this or any other Windows 7 related forums, you can read that the majority thinks you are crazy if you even think about in-place upgrade. What you can not read is that most of these people have never tried it themselves. It's like an urban myth, waiting the Mythbusters to declare it busted: "My mate had heard that somebody had read that an in-place always fails".

Personally, because of my work, I've done tens, maybe hundreds of in-place upgrade installations from Win95 to Win98, from Win98 to Win2000, from Win2000 to Win XP, from XP to Vista and lately from Vista to Win7. I have never failed to get an upgraded computer to work. I do not know why. Maybe because I understand upgrading an operating system is like anything else in computing: if you prepare and do it right it's going to work, if you don't want to read every dialog on your screen and don't prepare, it's going to fail.

I've made a short checklist to in-place upgraders, you can read it here. However, I have to say if the amount of personal files and applications needed to reinstall is not too big, please do a clean install. An in-place upgrade always works if done right and prepared, but it takes easily a lot longer than doing a clean install, reinstalling software and transferring personal files.

One more thing: HP's QuickLaunch is maybe the most problematic of all HP software, it still has several issues with Win7. I have a few HDX and Pavilion series laptops and I have intentionally uninstalled HP QuickLaunch Buttons from each and every machine.

Whatever you decide, clean or in-place, come back with your issues and questions. You are going to see some answers here to your question telling something like "Only fool does an in-place upgrade" etc. I know I am considered as an unofficial village idiot because of my opinion about in-place upgrade.

I leave it to you to decide. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Kari

 

[richc46]

Hi all! I have a simple question for people who are/have upgraded their laptop/desktops with the free windows 7 upgrade. Clean install or upgrade?! Please give me your views. I know it is better to do a clean install, but i read on somebody's review that with their laptop (my same model HDX16) they had trouble getting the quicklaunch keys to work and a few other things. Personally what experiences/advise do you have?

I did a clean install and am very happy. Lets start out with this thought. You are probably a young person, do you want a nice new car or a beautiful looking car that is waxed, tune up, new tires and even a custom wash, but its 10 years old. Its the same with upgrade.
Any problems that you had, virus etc. is just carried over to the new OS.
The only downside of a clean/custom install are the programs, which have to be reinstalled. If you have many install at the time that you need them. Not a big deal. With the clean install, when you are ready to use it, you know it is really a new OS and not that 1975 Chevy with the new paint job.

 

[richc46]

I just came back with an important thought. You do know that with an upgrade CD, you can do a clean/custom install? If you want to know how, you could ask here or read our tutorials. Thanks

 

[gregrocker]

Check the maker's Support Downloads website page for your model to see if the apps you need are there.

The Upgrade Kit should contain a clean copy DVD of Win7, plus a drivers/apps CD which may also have the apps you want to choose from along with any drivers which are missing after install and Windows Updates delivery.

Boot from the DVD, select Custom install, Drive options to delete all, create New partition(s) as you desire, then format before installing win7 to first partition.

You'll have to reinstall your programs, files but the payoff is a much better Win7 experience.

 

[ComputerUser]

Hi, thanks for the help.

Kari: Great, thanks for the help, I get the feeling you prefer the in-place upgrade. I'll probably take your advice. My upgrade was shipped on monday, so I am expecting it anytime now! My laptop is practically new, i have not placed any files or anything on it, just installed a few of the necessary apps (vlc player, firefox etc.). I do find that the quicklaunch buttons on it are annoying, half of the time not working. Since you have used a lot of hdx laptops and all, maybe you could provide me with some advice/tips with it, since you seem to know a lot more about computers than me. By the way, which is better, a clean install or a upgrade? Many people say that a clean install is better, but since I havent used it much maybe an upgrade is good enough, plus im afraid something wont work when I do a clean install.

richc46: yes, I checked and I would be able to do a clean install with it, so I'll just see the benefits available and I'll read all the advice written from people.

 

[ComputerUser]

Oh yea, Kari, which of the bloatware do you suggest I uninstall? Since I havent uninstalled much of it. Thanks

 

[Kari]

Hi, thanks for the help.

Kari: Great, thanks for the help, I get the feeling you prefer the in-place upgrade.

Am I making you confused when I say No, I do not prefer in-place upgrade? If the amount of files to be transferred and the amount of applications to be reinstalled is not too much, I'd always do a clean install. Partly but not only because a clean install and transferring personal files and reinstalling software can in most cases be faster than an in-place upgrade. It also needs less preparations thus less possibilities to do something wrong.

I'm just saying there are situations when in-place upgrade is a better alternative. I have this "rule of thumb": over 100 GB files to transfer, over 10 large applications to reinstall, I'll do an in-place and recommend it to my customers. I have also been in situation where there simply was no way to get a Vista driver to work on Seven after a clean install, but doing first a factory recovery to Vista and upgrading to Seven everything works.

Oh yea, Kari, which of the bloatware do you suggest I uninstall? Since I havent uninstalled much of it. Thanks

HP HDX series computers come with some really unneeded and unwanted software. The last HDX I upgraded was my wife's laptop. I uninstalled MsWorks, HP MediaSmart, Cyberlink YouCam, Cyberlink DVD suite and HP QuickLaunch Buttons. From software my wife had installed later I uninstalled Nokia PC Suite and Ovi Suite; these two Nokia applications work better when reinstalled on Seven.

Also remember to turn all AV, malware and firewall software off before starting the in-place upgrade process (and of course, turning them back on when finished).

Believe what Upgrade Advisor tells you. If it says some application is not compatible, it isn't. Uninstall before upgrading.

I wish you a smooth upgrade.

Kari

 

[ComputerUser]

Great, thanks. So I think I'm leaning slightly to the side of a clean install, just read a windows 7 magazine. i have absolutely no data to back-up so I guess it wont be much trouble doing it. Only one quick question, on the HDX laptops that you have done a clean install of windows 7 on did you have any driver problems, in terms of webcam not working, fingerprint reader, quicklaunch buttons etc. Thanks, your help is really appreciated!

 

[Kari]

I've done both clean and in-place to HDX, no problems. Fingerprint reader, webcam etc. works.

One important thing: when installing a new OS to a HP computer, the recovery partition does not work anymore. Please burn the recovery DVD set before installing Seven, so you can always do a factory recovery if something goes wrong. Remember HP let's you burn only one set of recovery discs so be careful: check the DVD's are OK (no scratches etc.) and do not run any other applications when burning recovery set. Turn off automatic sleep and hibernation.

Kari

 

[gregrocker]

I've done both clean and in-place to HDX, no problems. Fingerprint reader, webcam etc. works.

One important thing: when installing a new OS to a HP computer, the recovery partition does not work anymore. Please burn the recovery DVD set before installing Seven, so you can always do a factory recovery if something goes wrong. Remember HP let's you burn only one set of recovery discs so be careful: check the DVD's are OK (no scratches etc.) and do not run any other applications when burning recovery set. Turn off automatic sleep and hibernation.
Kari

Then you can delete the recovery partition using the booted Win7 DVD: choose Custom install and use Drive options to delete, create New partition(s), and format before installing Win7 to first partition.

Kari, does he find the software for fing. reader, webcam on Support Downloads page for his model computer, or on apps/drivers disk?

 

[Kari]

Yes, it's all there. Go to HP HDX page and pick your exact HDX model.

Kari