Has anybody upgraded from Win XP 32 bit to Win 7 64 bit? Is there a noticable differance and how easy was the install? I'm thinking of doing the upgrade and wanted some advice. Thanks
Win XP to Win 7
- Thread starter meatloaf
- Start date
- Mar 31, 2010
- 73
You can upgrade XP 32 bit to Seven 32 bit, but you can't upgrade XP 32 bit to Seven 64 bit. That requires a full removal & install. I recommend a complete install of Seven every time anyway. It doesn't leave the XP stuff cluttering up the install like upgrading does.
Why do you want to install the 64 bit instead of 32 bit? Do you have a 64 bit processor? Do you have more then 4 gigs of ram?
I figured that a full clean install would be the best route to go but I just wanted to see what everyones opinion would be. And yes I do have 4 gigs of memory and a 64 bit processor.
Thanks
Thanks
I made a full clean install from Vista to 7/64, and am certainly glad I did. It might have been different if this laptop had been XP, 'cause I LIKE XP, but I like 7 too. W7 is a solid OS. It's safer and suspend/hibernate/resume is far better. I have found some old hardware, ie., a scanner, for which there is no driver on 7, but those are pretty few. All in all, I am quite happy with it.
As an aside, I should mention that I ****HATE**** Vista. Hate, hate hate. See me hate. Raw, unadulterated loathing boiling, seething hatred. Pure agape hate. Oh, and someday, ask me how I feel about Vista...
As an aside, I should mention that I ****HATE**** Vista. Hate, hate hate. See me hate. Raw, unadulterated loathing boiling, seething hatred. Pure agape hate. Oh, and someday, ask me how I feel about Vista...
Ohm_Boy
I get the feeling that you dislike Vista. :lol: When I got my computer I also got the free upgrade to Vista. After 24 hours I uninstalled it and went back to XP. 24 hours was enough for me.
I get the feeling that you dislike Vista. :lol: When I got my computer I also got the free upgrade to Vista. After 24 hours I uninstalled it and went back to XP. 24 hours was enough for me.
meatloaf said:
Well if you only have 4 gigs of ram and 64 bit processor, unless you plan on adding more ram later on, the 32 bit would be better for you. Since you have a 64 bit processor the 32 bit version would run a lot better.
I've got a new laptop that came with Win7. I run XP on my desktops and prefer it. You can "downgrade" to XP but only with a full Win7, which my laptop does not have. A lot of corporations have done that "downgrade." My XPs are pro versions and I've been very happy with them for a few years now. I know that Win7 is an improvement over Vista, but I'd happily get rid of Win7 and go for XP if I could. I guess it depends on what your needs are, mine are business apps and internet, not so much heavy video. I haven't done a survey of available software for Win7 since last year, but it was much more limited. Is there a compelling reason to go to Win7?
Shorelover said:
So if there were no software issues and all your software worked the same, would you still choose xp over 7?
You probably know this, but unless you are using a 64 bit OS, you can't use more than 3 GB of RAM. The WIN 64 bit OS is also supposed more secure and can address memory faster. I went from Vista 32 to Win 7 Pro 64-bit & have found programs are more stable (& I could use all my memory).
FWIW, I just installed IE 9 beta. So far so good.
FWIW, I just installed IE 9 beta. So far so good.
Shorelover said:
It certainly is a tough question. I have been a big XP fan since it replaced Win98SE, although I do recall switching the start menus over to 98 style on a few installations in the early days, 'cause I liked it better. Thanks, guys... I'd forgotten about that.
I've done everything with XP, from laptops, workstations, standalone systems and corporate networks that spanned continents. It has pretty much always been ready and reliable.
I also like W7. I run Ultimate and Enterprise. Mostly. It's smooth and stable, and beyond some interface nuances, I find it comfortable. I do not like some things... preview panels, the new picture viewer, not having an 'up' button in Explorer...
But I also do some internet security work, and that can sometimes take me places I shouldn't be. W7 DEP, especially 64bit, is far safer than all but 64bit XP.
Oh yeah, I also keep an installation of XP in a virtual machine (actually 2) for those times when only XP will do. Also for when I need a test-bed I can simply wipe back to a known state when needed. :-D
Also, I freakin' HATE Vista. Don't know if I mentioned that.
Taz said:
In my laptop I have 4 gigs and 3.5 is usable. So yes you can use more than 3 gigs.
Taz said:
A 32 bit OS a process can address up to 4 gigs of memory. With Windows 2003 R2 32 bit you can have and utilize over 4 gigs of ram. While any one process can't address more than 4 gigs or RAM, multiple process can utilize all the machines memory.
WRT the OPs post. If it's an older machine, I would stick with XP. A newer machine Core2 or better, as others have suggested, I would backup your data, wipe XP and run a clean install. I have a 64 bit Win 7 desktop at work and it does run well. I up to about 100+ days w/o reboot, that is amazing for Windows. The 64 bit OS does complicate some things, there are some program incompatibilities and I had difficulties with printer drivers for a while. Also, if you plan to connect to 32 bit ODCB applications, you have to hunt down the 32 bit ODBC setup as opposed to the 64 that starts by default. The two don't share any settings.
I just got a new laptop a few months ago and I opted for the 32 bit Windows 7 to avoid any hassles.
If you have compelling reason for 64 bit, more RAM, app development, I'd stick with the 32 bit to avoid any hassles.
I must be the only person on the face of the earth that has had zero issues with Vista, mine works perfectly although I did build this computer specifically for a 64bit OS and needed Vista to take advantage of the 4gb of ram etc. I was an early adopter of Vista and heard horror stories but they never happened to me, guess I am just lucky. I got a cheap offer from MS to upgrade to Win7 but I haven't decided yet, Vista works so well for me I am hesitant to make the switch. Then again I never had much problems with XP either, I still use XP on my company laptop so I use both everyday. However don't get me started on Win98, I burned the copy I had just so I can never install it on another computer again...really liked Win2000 and NT4 too, I keep an original early Win95 disk around just for an old 486 I run...it blazes on that old processor.
On my 2nd year crash free with Vista, the only problem I had was an integrated sound card driver issue which was the result of lack of MS certification of the sound card driver which was resolved with a release of a certified driver.
On my 2nd year crash free with Vista, the only problem I had was an integrated sound card driver issue which was the result of lack of MS certification of the sound card driver which was resolved with a release of a certified driver.
mynewpool said:
I stand corrected.
My Dell desktop was unable to make available more than 3.1 GB as configured. This MSDN Library http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx provides memory limits for Microsoft OS products.Will go back in my box (I mean go finish my drainage honey-do project to keep FL downpours from flooding my pool deck).
4JawChuck said:
I *HAVE* an NT 3.5 CD, and I could make you one heck of a deal on it. Pretty sure I have Win3.1 somewhere, too, if you're interested, but that would be on floppies.
Incidentally, my problem(s) with Vista did not involve Vista not doing what it was supposed to do, it was simply that everything it did was difficult and cumbersome and counter-intuitive. Also, that MAC-PC commercial with the dark-sunglasses agent-type leaning in and asking for confirmation of everything ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxOIebkmrqs ) just seemed a little too dead on for me. You may not realize this, but I freakin' HATE Vista.
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