Windows 7 32-bit version question

[Stewart]

Since you're doing a clean install anyhow, you can go with either 32
or 64-bit. It makes no difference to the disk But, since the OP
was asking about upgrading to Win7 32-bit, that point is moot.

The OP wants to go from XP 32 to Win 7 32....which can be done without
using a clean disk. In fact, the upgrade version requires a version
of Vista/XP to be present.

 

[John Williamson]

The OP wants to go from XP 32 to Win 7 32....which can be done without
using a clean disk. In fact, the upgrade version requires a version
of Vista/XP to be present.

True, when I used the Win 7 Home Premium upgrade version on this
computer a few days ago, I was told that I had to do a clean install, as
XP could not be upgraded without doing this. It won't let you do an "in
situ" upgrade, only a clean(ish) install.

The upgrade created a folder called C:\windows.old that contained all
the contents of the old windows folder and subfolders.

 

[SC Tom]

The OP wants to go from XP 32 to Win 7 32....which can be done without using a clean disk. In fact, the upgrade
version requires a version of Vista/XP to be present.

To quote from the link you provided (and BTW, that's the one I purchased back in 6/09):

"Windows 7 is best experienced on a new PC with the latest hardware, but if your computer meets the minimum
specifications, you can install Windows 7 on a PC running Windows XP. Windows 7 must be "custom" installed (also known
as a "clean" installation) over Windows XP. Before beginning the installation, you'll need to copy your files and
settings to an external drive. After Windows 7 has been installed you will need to re-install all of your programs using
the original installation media and then copy over the files and settings you backed up to your external drive. Because
Windows 7 requires a custom installation, we strongly recommend that you get help with this process from your local
computer service provider."

Doesn't sound like the same results that I got using it to upgrade from Vista to it. If you were able to upgrade
directly from XP to Win7 without having to reinstall all (any) of your programs, or migrating all of the settings from
those programs back into it, I (and probably millions of others) would love to know the secret of your success.

 

[John Williamson]

Yes you can upgrade, but unfortunately an upgrade from XP to Win 7
requires that you format your drive and install Win 7 from scratch. The
upgrade package does include 2 DVDs, one for 32-bit systems and the
other is for 64-bit systems.

That's not entirely true. The full version *may* need you to format and
re-install, but unless it's changed from the RC ultimate trial I used,
there is an option to dual boot.

The upgrade versions don't require a format, but do insist on replacing
your current XP with a fresh installation while leaving your partitions
alone, and backing the installation up.

It may be worth mentioning that any version higher than Home Premium
will let you download the XP mode files from Microsoft, and this mode
has a good compatibility record.

 

[Stewart]

True, when I used the Win 7 Home Premium upgrade version on this
computer a few days ago, I was told that I had to do a clean
install, as XP could not be upgraded without doing this. It won't
let you do an "in situ" upgrade, only a clean(ish) install.

The upgrade created a folder called C:\windows.old that contained
all the contents of the old windows folder and subfolders.

Didn't do that for me....installed fine and all of my programs were
available. Looks like MS in all of it's infinite wisdom is not very
consistent.

 

[Stewart]

To quote from the link you provided (and BTW, that's the one I
purchased back in 6/09):

"Windows 7 is best experienced on a new PC with the latest hardware,
but if your computer meets the minimum specifications, you can
install Windows 7 on a PC running Windows XP. Windows 7 must be
"custom" installed (also known as a "clean" installation) over
Windows XP. Before beginning the installation, you'll need to copy
your files and settings to an external drive. After Windows 7 has
been installed you will need to re-install all of your programs
using the original installation media and then copy over the files
and settings you backed up to your external drive. Because Windows 7
requires a custom installation, we strongly recommend that you get
help with this process from your local computer service provider."

Doesn't sound like the same results that I got using it to upgrade
from Vista to it. If you were able to upgrade directly from XP to
Win7 without having to reinstall all (any) of your programs, or
migrating all of the settings from those programs back into it, I
(and probably millions of others) would love to know the secret of
your success.

It must have been luck...plain and simple luck. I don't recall it
being that much of a hassle...unless, of course, my memory has a
parity error.

 

[Stan Brown]

[floods in Thailand]

It's hard for me to believe that blind luck was on my side for
once. I bought a 3 terabyte WD USB3 drive only a day or two before
someone lit the fuse on the skyrocket. $107 at Costco, as I recall.

Yep, Staples' ad the week after the disaster had 2 TB drives for $99,
and I snapped one up. Free delivery, too.

 

[Leala]

It must have been luck...plain and simple luck. I don't recall it
being that much of a hassle...unless, of course, my memory has a
parity error.

I think your memory has more than a parity error.

 

[Char Jackson]

[floods in Thailand]

It's hard for me to believe that blind luck was on my side for
once. I bought a 3 terabyte WD USB3 drive only a day or two before
someone lit the fuse on the skyrocket. $107 at Costco, as I recall.

Yep, Staples' ad the week after the disaster had 2 TB drives for $99,
and I snapped one up. Free delivery, too.

2TB drives were regularly going for $69 at Newegg before the floods,
with periodic $5 and $10 off coupons available. I'm looking forward to
seeing things get back to normal.

 

[Char Jackson]

The OP wants to go from XP 32 to Win 7 32....which can be done without
using a clean disk. In fact, the upgrade version requires a version
of Vista/XP to be present.

Add 7 to that last line. The upgrade version can even be used to
upgrade itself.

 

[Wolf K]

I did....Win XP pro 32 to Win 7 32 on one of my laptops. There is an
upgrade version that I purchased that once installed all of my
software was still available and working (of course, YMMV).

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Home-Premium-Upgrade/dp/B002DHLUWK

Actually, Win 7 installed itself, placed all the XP stuff (programs,
your user data, etc)) in its own (system) folder, and runs the XP
programs from there. Xp has not been upgraded, but replaced.

HTH
Wolf K.

 

[SC Tom]

Actually, Win 7 installed itself, placed all the XP stuff (programs,
your user data, etc)) in its own (system) folder, and runs the XP
programs from there. Xp has not been upgraded, but replaced.

Without having to reinstall the programs?

 

[Wolf K]

Without having to reinstall the programs?

I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean "create registry keys", I would
think so, else it couldn't find the programs.. The program components
will be in the XP folder.

AIUI, "install" means:
- extract files from compressed archive, and create temporary copies;
- copy most program components into a folder/folder tree;
- copy the rest into one or more system folders;
- create and modify registry keys;
- create file associations;
- change file associations (it shouldn't do this without your explicit
permission).

HTH
Wolf K.

 

[Stewart]

I think your memory has more than a parity error.

I've been hearing that a lot lately......!

 

[SC Tom]

I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean "create registry keys", I would think so, else it couldn't find the programs..
The program components will be in the XP folder.

AIUI, "install" means:
- extract files from compressed archive, and create temporary copies;
- copy most program components into a folder/folder tree;
- copy the rest into one or more system folders;
- create and modify registry keys;
- create file associations;
- change file associations (it shouldn't do this without your explicit permission).

HTH
Wolf K.

Your statement was that Win7 runs the XP programs from the XP program folder. Does this mean that if I have a program
installed on my XP box, then upgrade to Win7 on that PC that I won't have to reinstall that same program to make it run
in Win7? That all I'd have to do is run the program executable and it'll start like it did in XP? I'm finding that as
hard to believe as Stewart's claim

 

[Wolf K]

Your statement was that Win7 runs the XP programs from the XP program
folder. Does this mean that if I have a program installed on my XP box,
then upgrade to Win7 on that PC that I won't have to reinstall that same
program to make it run in Win7? That all I'd have to do is run the
program executable and it'll start like it did in XP? I'm finding that
as hard to believe as Stewart's claim

Why shouldn't it? Pretty well every program I see these days is marked
"For XP/Vista?Windows7". Anyhow, I did a couple of tests, see below. ;-)

If you "upgrade" from XP to Win7, what you are actually doing is
replacing XP with Win7. Win 7 will extract whatever it needs from the XP
installation so as to run XP programs, and puts that in a "XP folder" (I
don't know its exact name, because I didn't do it that way.) You do not
have to reinstall the programs you were/are running under XP. Win7 will
show them in it Programs list. That, as I understand it, is all.

OTOH, if you decide to keep XP on its own partition, then Win7 will
leave it alone. However, you can run XP programs from Win 7 by
navigating to the XP partition and its program folder, then finding the
program you want, and running it. I just did that: I have an old version
of a utility on the XP partition, and a newer one on Win7. I started
first one, then the other, and verified that they were two different
versions. Inference: you can create a shortcut on your W7 desktop to a
program on your XP partition.

Occasionally, when you start am XP program, there will be a hiccup: I
started another utility, and it returned an error message, but ran and
did its stuff anyway. Interesting, but I don't have time (or
inclination) to investigate that further.

Win7 Pro 64-bit.

HTH
Wolf K.

Wolf K.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Tom.

... I won't have to reinstall that same program...

If the app needs to be "installed" so that its setup program can make
entries in the Registry, then, yes, you will need to install it again in
Win7. But if its setup.exe that has the courtesy to ask you WHERE to
install it, then go ahead and point to the location in the WinXP program
files folder; the app's setup should write its files into that location,
overwriting the existing versions of the same files.

You can't mix mix'n'match 32-bit-and 64-bit versions of the same app this
way, of course. But for a dozen years or so I installed a single copy of
Quicken (32-bit only) into my E:\QuickenW folder and ran it from multiple
Windows installations. I first did this when Win95 couldn't read NTFS and
WinNT4 couldn't read FAT32, so I put the QuickenW folder on a FAT(16)
partition that both OSes could read. When the Program Files folder
appeared, and then Program Files (x86) in WinXP x64, I continued to put
Quicken into that same folder, outside the Program Files hierarchy. Each
time I reinstalled Quicken and Windows, I would boot into WinXP x86 (for
example) and install Quicken into E:\QuickenW. Then I would reboot into
Win7 x64 and install Quicken again into E:\QuickenW. After those two
installations, I could enter transactions from Win7 in the morning and read
them from WinXP in the afternoon. And I would always let Quicken backup my
data into a single location, no matter which Windows was running. (As we
know, 32-bit apps run just fine in 64-bit Windows, so the "bitness" of
32-bit Quicken was never a problem.)

I seldom dual-boot now, finally settling on Win7 Ultimate x64. But when I
do boot into WinXP - 64-bit or 32-bit - I can still run Quicken from that
"neutral" location.

Some programs do not need to be Installed. Windows doesn't really care
which folder these reside in; just browse and point to the .exe file and
click. For example, Windows Movie Maker (WMM) in WinXP has been replaced by
Windows Live Movie Maker (WLMM) in my Win7. But I can run WMM in Win7 by
browsing to it in my WinXP's Program Files\Movie Maker folder and clicking
on moviemk.exe. (WMM can do some things that WLMM cannot.)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2011 (Build 15.4.3538.0513) in Win7 Ultimate x64 SP1


"SC Tom" wrote in message

I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean "create registry keys", I would
think so, else it couldn't find the programs.. The program components will
be in the XP folder.

AIUI, "install" means:
- extract files from compressed archive, and create temporary copies;
- copy most program components into a folder/folder tree;
- copy the rest into one or more system folders;
- create and modify registry keys;
- create file associations;
- change file associations (it shouldn't do this without your explicit
permission).

HTH
Wolf K.

Your statement was that Win7 runs the XP programs from the XP program
folder. Does this mean that if I have a program
installed on my XP box, then upgrade to Win7 on that PC that I won't have to
reinstall that same program to make it run
in Win7? That all I'd have to do is run the program executable and it'll
start like it did in XP? I'm finding that as
hard to believe as Stewart's claim

 

[Dominique]

Roy Smith <[email protected]> écrivait nntp-09.dc1.easynews.com:

Yes you can upgrade, but unfortunately an upgrade from XP to Win 7
requires that you format your drive and install Win 7 from scratch.

<snip>

If you do that (format the drive), Seven won't activate, it needs to see an
older valid OS before beginning the installation. To "upgrade" an XP
machine you must choose "Custom" installation, it will replace XP, but the
"Upgrade key" will be validated due to the presence of an older OS.

If you format the drive, you must install Seven without the key and don't
let the installation program check for updates; then immediately upgrade it
with itself this time entering the key, the second time, you can allow the
updates. The first installation will be seen as the older OS.