Win 7 won't upgrade from Vista NTFS version

[birdbrain2]

I'm trying to upgrade my 32bit Vista Home Premium to 32 bit Win 7 Ultimate and keep all my already installed programs. When I reach the Upgrade or Custom boxes on install and hit Upgrade, I get the error message that my current Vista version of NTFS file structure in not supported by Win 7, and, to install I must do a custom Install. How can I change my current Vista NTFS format to one that can be upgraded to Win 7? Isn't there is only one version of NTFS ---- Any help out there? Thanks.

 

[TrainableMan]

NTFS is the file structure of the hard drive and has nothing to do with whether you can upgrade.

You cannot go directly from 32-bit Vista Home Prem. to 32-bit W7 Ultimate, it is not possible, as it is not a valid upgrade path.

To not reinstall all your programs you only have two choices ...
-1. Buy an anytime upgrade to upgrade your Vista to Ultimate and then you can upgrade from Vista Ult to W7 Ult with your DVD.
-2. Return W7 Ult and buy 32-bit W7 Home Prem and then you can upgrade directly from Vista H.P. to W7 H.P.

Otherwise you are still legal to upgrade but it requires a custom install ...
-Do a fresh install of your W7 Ult including reinstalling all your programs.

P.S. If you are going to do a custom install then I suggest if you have 2GB RAM or more then go 64-bit rather than 32-bit if your computer supports it.

Basically a custom install is required to change editions (such as Home Prem to Ultimate or Professional to Home Premium) or OS bit-size (32 to 64 or 64 to 32).

 

[birdbrain2]

TrainableMan,
Thanks, you answered my question..... it greatly angers me that MS's upgrade path graphic on Web site shows Vista Home Premium will upgrade just fine, as did the Win 7 upgrade adviser I ran before trying many hours trying to install and then figure this out.....instead of not telling the whole truth. about having to do a clean install.

 

[TrainableMan]

You know, I believe my memory was wrong. Now that I actually went and pulled up the old chart, it seems to indicate that you should in fact be able to do an in-place install from 32 Vista H.P. to 32 W7 Ultimate.

Here is the chart

So maybe there is something odd about your NTFS hard drive format. I need to look a little further.

UPDATE: I can't find anything related to a difference in NTFS from Vista to W7 and according to the chart you should be able to upgrade in-place. So I apologize for wasting your time because I have no answer to your current situation.