Migrating from Windows XP 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit

Got an existing PC that is 64-bit compatible, but I've been running
32-bit XP on it for ages. Now it's getting time to leave the XP behind.
Didn't bother with Vista, like most people. I'm going to be going to Win
7 Ultimate 64-bit. Now, I'm aware that there isn't any official
migration path between XP and Win7, and especially not between 32-bit
and 64-bit.

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as XP,
will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different directory? Or do
I need to install to a different disk or partition? I'm asking if it's
possible to dual-boot between them?

Yousuf Khan wrote:
Got an existing PC that is 64-bit compatible, but I've been running
32-bit XP on it for ages. Now it's getting time to leave the XP
behind. Didn't bother with Vista, like most people. I'm going to be
going to Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Now, I'm aware that there isn't any
official migration path between XP and Win7, and especially not
between 32-bit and 64-bit.

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as
XP, will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different
directory? Or do I need to install to a different disk or
partition? I'm asking if it's possible to dual-boot between them?

Last Question:
Yes.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Yousuf Khan wrote:
Got an existing PC that is 64-bit compatible, but I've been running
32-bit XP on it for ages. Now it's getting time to leave the XP
behind. Didn't bother with Vista, like most people. I'm going to be
going to Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Now, I'm aware that there isn't any
official migration path between XP and Win7, and especially not
between 32-bit and 64-bit.

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as XP,
will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different directory?

If you were to install Windows 7 to the same partition, I would imagine
this could be very problematic!

Or do I need to install to a different disk or partition?

That is the normal and recommended course of action.

I'm asking if it's possible to dual-boot between them?

Absolutely.

On 14/02/2010 1:52 AM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
Got an existing PC that is 64-bit compatible, but I've been running
32-bit XP on it for ages. Now it's getting time to leave the XP behind.
Didn't bother with Vista, like most people. I'm going to be going to Win
7 Ultimate 64-bit. Now, I'm aware that there isn't any official
migration path between XP and Win7, and especially not between 32-bit
and 64-bit.

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as XP,
will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different directory? Or do
I need to install to a different disk or partition? I'm asking if it's
possible to dual-boot between them?

Does not really mater, but I suspect it will overwrite.

I say it does not mater as if doing any upgrade, make darn sure your
data is well backed up first. Back it up to another PC or to DVD or to
a USB drive or whatever, just be sure you do a good data backup before
you load the new OS. And test that you can read it too.

These groups are littered with "I upgraded and my data is gone, how do I
get it back?" requests. Just shows they are neophites.

"Yousuf Khan" wrote in message
...
Got an existing PC that is 64-bit compatible, but I've been running 32-bit
XP on it for ages. Now it's getting time to leave the XP behind. Didn't
bother with Vista, like most people. I'm going to be going to Win 7
Ultimate 64-bit. Now, I'm aware that there isn't any official migration
path between XP and Win7, and especially not between 32-bit and 64-bit.

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as XP, will
it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different directory? Or do I need
to install to a different disk or partition? I'm asking if it's possible
to dual-boot between them?

Windows 7 included a card titled: "Upgrading from Windows XP?"

Did you read it?

If you don't have it...
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...p-to-windows-7

"Shenan Stanley" écrivait news:O2pSJdVrKHA.3908
@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:

Yousuf Khan wrote:
Got an existing PC that is 64-bit compatible, but I've been running
32-bit XP on it for ages. Now it's getting time to leave the XP
behind. Didn't bother with Vista, like most people. I'm going to be
going to Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Now, I'm aware that there isn't any
official migration path between XP and Win7, and especially not
between 32-bit and 64-bit.

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as
XP, will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different
directory? Or do I need to install to a different disk or
partition? I'm asking if it's possible to dual-boot between them?

Last Question:
Yes.


You must install to a different disk or partition.

"Daave" écrivait news:u5D3HUZrKHA.728
@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl:


Yousuf Khan wrote:
snip

What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as XP,
will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different directory?

If you were to install Windows 7 to the same partition, I would imagine
this could be very problematic!

Or do I need to install to a different disk or partition?

That is the normal and recommended course of action.

snip

This is normal and recommended for dual-boot only, not for "upgrade".

relic wrote:
Windows 7 included a card titled: "Upgrading from Windows XP?"

Did you read it?

How could I? I purchased a license over Technet. Didn't get any physical
media.


If you don't have it...
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...p-to-windows-7

This one I did see, but it's way too generic, I need more specific info.

Yousuf Khan

If you purchased from Technet then you did not download the ISO media. Why not?

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

"Yousuf Khan" wrote in message ...
relic wrote:
Windows 7 included a card titled: "Upgrading from Windows XP?"

Did you read it?

How could I? I purchased a license over Technet. Didn't get any physical media.


If you don't have it...
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...p-to-windows-7

This one I did see, but it's way too generic, I need more specific info.

Yousuf Khan

Daave wrote:
Yousuf Khan wrote:
What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as XP,
will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different directory?

If you were to install Windows 7 to the same partition, I would imagine
this could be very problematic!

Or do I need to install to a different disk or partition?

That is the normal and recommended course of action.

In the past, I've seen where when you are reinstalling Windows XP, you
are given the choice of overwriting the previous XP or keeping it. If
you chose to keep it, then you'd end up with two separate Windows
directories, one would be the original "c:\windows" and the new one
would be something like "c:\windows.1". Both versions of XP are
operational, and you can just choose which one to boot into via
boot.ini. Is this sort of installation not possible with Win7?

I'm asking if it's possible to dual-boot between them?

Absolutely.


But not from the same partition?

Yousuf Khan

Canuck57 wrote:
Does not really mater, but I suspect it will overwrite.

I say it does not mater as if doing any upgrade, make darn sure your
data is well backed up first. Back it up to another PC or to DVD or to
a USB drive or whatever, just be sure you do a good data backup before
you load the new OS. And test that you can read it too.

That's a little problematic, as I got 800GB in that particular
partition. Difficult to backup to DVD's or USB thumb drives. Even a USB
hard drive would be slow.

These groups are littered with "I upgraded and my data is gone, how do I
get it back?" requests. Just shows they are neophites.

Exactly why I am asking here.

Yousuf Khan

On 14/02/2010 3:46 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
Canuck57 wrote:
Does not really mater, but I suspect it will overwrite.

I say it does not mater as if doing any upgrade, make darn sure your
data is well backed up first. Back it up to another PC or to DVD or to
a USB drive or whatever, just be sure you do a good data backup before
you load the new OS. And test that you can read it too.

That's a little problematic, as I got 800GB in that particular
partition. Difficult to backup to DVD's or USB thumb drives. Even a USB
hard drive would be slow.

These groups are littered with "I upgraded and my data is gone, how do
I get it back?" requests. Just shows they are neophites.

Exactly why I am asking here.

Yousuf Khan

Then buy a external 1TB drive. If the data is worth anything to you, it
is worth backing up anyways. MS-Windows nor the hard drives are that
reliable.

Or take an old PC and retrofit it with big drives. Use the network to
copy it over. I copy 2 TB each week this way. Takes hours but worth
the effort. I too am well past DVDs, and I use Linux Samba, works
great. But just use XP or whatever came with it.

Or just buy a new system, seriously. Saves all the driver messing
around and turn the existing system into a backup system once you have
the new one going.

On Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:16:52 -0700, Canuck57
wrote:

On 14/02/2010 3:46 PM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
That's a little problematic, as I got 800GB in that particular
partition. Difficult to backup to DVD's or USB thumb drives. Even a USB
hard drive would be slow.

Yousuf Khan

Then buy a external 1TB drive. If the data is worth anything to you, it
is worth backing up anyways. MS-Windows nor the hard drives are that
reliable.

Or take an old PC and retrofit it with big drives. Use the network to
copy it over. I copy 2 TB each week this way. Takes hours but worth
the effort. I too am well past DVDs, and I use Linux Samba, works
great. But just use XP or whatever came with it.

Or just buy a new system, seriously. Saves all the driver messing
around and turn the existing system into a backup system once you have
the new one going.

Or add a partition to the existing drive and move the data to the new
partition. You may have to start with a small partition and expand it
a few times until it's big enough to hold all of your data.

Yousuf Khan wrote:
Daave wrote:
Yousuf Khan wrote:
What I need to know is if I install Win7 to the same partition as
XP, will it overwrite XP, or will it install to a different
directory?

If you were to install Windows 7 to the same partition, I would
imagine this could be very problematic!

Or do I need to install to a different disk or partition?

That is the normal and recommended course of action.

In the past, I've seen where when you are reinstalling Windows XP, you
are given the choice of overwriting the previous XP or keeping it. If
you chose to keep it, then you'd end up with two separate Windows
directories, one would be the original "c:\windows" and the new one
would be something like "c:\windows.1". Both versions of XP are
operational, and you can just choose which one to boot into via
boot.ini.

This is considered a Parallel Install and is only recommended in rare
situations (and should be used only as a temporary stopgap measure). I
would avoid a Parallel Install at all costs!

Is this sort of installation not possible with Win7?

I don't know and I don't care. Even if it were possible, it would be a
confusing mess.

I'm asking if it's possible to dual-boot between them?

Absolutely.

But not from the same partition?

Correct. If you are interested in configuring a dual boot, you need to
use different partitions.

Do you want to configure a dual boot? Or do you merely want to "migrate"
(which is what is in the Subject line)?

"Yousuf Khan" wrote in message
...
relic wrote:
Windows 7 included a card titled: "Upgrading from Windows XP?"

Did you read it?

How could I? I purchased a license over Technet. Didn't get any physical
media.


If you don't have it...
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...p-to-windows-7

This one I did see, but it's way too generic, I need more specific info.

If that's too generic, I'd suggest you take you system to a PC Shop and let
them do it.