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Your questions: Common questions about upgrading to Windows 7

Here are answers to some common questions about upgrading to Windows 7 from our Windows 7 frequently asked questions page. (And if you need more information and guidance on installing and reinstalling Windows 7, check out this page on the Windows 7 site.)

What’s the difference between the upgrade and full versions of Windows 7?

When purchasing Windows 7, you can choose either an upgrade version or full version. Both upgrade and full versions include the same features. Upgrade versions require that Windows XP or Windows Vista are installed on your computer before installing Windows 7. Full versions don’t require a previous version of Windows to be installed on your computer.

What is an upgrade installation?

An upgrade installation replaces your current version of Windows with Windows 7 and your files, settings, and programs are kept in place on your PC. You can perform an upgrade installation using either the upgrade or full version of Windows 7.

What is a custom (clean) installation?

A custom installation replaces your current version of Windows with Windows 7 but doesn’t preserve your files, settings, and programs (it’s often referred to as a clean installation for this reason). For installation instructions, see Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation). You can perform a custom installation using either the upgrade or full version of Windows 7.

How do I get Windows 7?

You can purchase Windows 7 at retail locations or online. If you have a mini notebook or other PC that doesn’t have a DVD drive, you can purchase and download Windows 7 online at the Microsoft Store.

I’m running Windows XP on my PC. Can I upgrade to Windows 7?

You can buy the upgrade version of Windows 7, but you’ll need to perform a custom installation. This means that you should back up all of your files to an external location and gather the installation discs or setup files for programs that you want to use with Windows 7. For detailed instructions, see Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7.

I’m running Windows Vista on my PC. Can I upgrade to Windows 7?

You can buy the upgrade version of Windows 7. In some cases you can upgrade directly to Windows 7, but in other cases you’ll need to perform a custom installation. The following table shows which editions of Windows Vista can be directly upgraded to Windows 7:

If you’re running this edition of Windows Vista

You can upgrade to this edition of Windows 7

Windows Vista Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Home Premium

Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Business

Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows Vista Ultimate

Windows 7 Ultimate

If you’re currently running a 32-bit version of Windows Vista and want to install a 64-bit version of Windows 7, you’ll need to perform a custom installation. Also, if you’re currently running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista and want to install a 32-bit version of Windows 7 (less common), you’ll need to perform a custom installation. For detailed instructions on performing a custom installation, see Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation).

Can I use upgrade media to install Windows 7 on a computer that doesn’t currently have Windows installed on it?

Windows 7 upgrade media was designed to be used on a computer that has Windows XP or Windows Vista installed on it. You can use upgrade media to install Windows 7 on a computer that doesn’t have Windows XP, Windows Vista, or any version of Windows installed on it by starting (or booting) your computer from the Windows 7 DVD and performing a custom installation. However, you won’t be able to activate Windows 7, which validates that you have a genuine copy of Windows and allows you access to all the features. For more information about activation errors, see Windows 7 activation error: invalid product key and Windows 7 activation error: 0xC004F061.

We recommend that you install Windows XP or Windows Vista before installing Windows 7 using upgrade media. Before you attempt to install Windows 7 using upgrade media on a computer that doesn’t have Windows on it, see Installing and reinstalling Windows 7.

Can I format my hard drive, and then install Windows 7?

If you purchase the full version of Windows 7, you can format your hard drive, and then install Windows 7. If you purchase the upgrade version of Windows 7 and want to format your hard drive, you’ll need to start (or boot) your computer from the Windows 7 DVD, and then perform a custom installation. You can click Drive options (advanced), and then format your hard drive. Don’t use a program from another software manufacturer to format your hard drive before installing Windows 7. If you are using upgrade media and format the drive before starting the installation process, you won’t be able to use the upgrade product key to activate Windows 7. For more information, see Installing and reinstalling Windows 7.

What is the Windows 7 Family Pack?

The Windows 7 Family Pack is a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium that you can install on up to three PCs in your home. It includes both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 installation discs. The Family Pack contains the upgrade version of Windows 7, so all three computers must have Windows XP or Windows Vista installed on them before installing Windows 7. For more information, go to the Special offers webpage.

 

Tags: Windows Vista, what I read, twitter, Microsoft, Windows 7, FAQ.

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“I’m a PC and Windows 7 was my idea.” Perhaps, but the look-and-feel of Windows 7 was done in Redmond

Brandon over in Windows (interesting to write it like that, having recently moved from building 26) posted here about how we really designed the look-and-feel of Windows 7, in contrast to a quote in a short interview from a Microsoft employee not involved in designing Windows 7.

"I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed. If you’re interested in learning more about the design of Windows 7, I suggest reading this AP story with Julie Larson-Green as well as these WSJ (membership required) and Fast Company articles. And here is one of many blog posts on the E7 blog discussing the design process of Windows 7."

All good points, particularly when you read the detailed posts on the E7 blog that cover the development of Windows 7.

Perhaps one can take the latest "I’m a PC and Windows 7 was my idea" commercials a little too seriously (such as this one, Kirsten’s Taskbar 😉

 

Tags: articles, what I read, I’m a PC, Microsoft, Windows, video.

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When it comes to PC security, don’t be a victim… be a participant in your own rescue. Windows 7 can help, too.

As I Tweeted today, over the weekend I read Paul Cooke’s Windows Security Blog post on Windows 7 Vulnerability Claims. (I’ve added a few links if the terms are unfamiliar to you.)

"…most people don’t knowingly have and run known malware on their system. Malware typically makes it onto a system through other avenues like the browser or email program. So while I absolutely agree that anti-virus software is essential to protecting your PC, there are other defenses as well.

"Let me recap some of the Windows 7 security basics. Windows 7 is built upon the security platform of Windows Vista, which included a defense-in-depth approach to help protect customers from malware. This includes features like User Account Control (UAC), Kernel Patch Protection, Windows Service Hardening, Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to name just a few. The result, Windows 7 retains and refines the development processes, including going through the Security Development Lifecycle, and technologies that made Windows Vista the most secure Windows operating system ever released.

"Beyond the core security of Windows 7, we have also done a lot of work with Windows 7 to make it harder for malware to reach a user’s PCs in the first place. One of my favorite new features is the SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer 8. The SmartScreen Filter was built upon the phishing protection in Internet Explorer 7 and (among other new benefits) adds protection from malware. The SmartScreen Filter will notify you when you attempt to download software that is unsafe…"

I agree with Paul and that you should run anti-virus software on Windows 7; our Microsoft Security Essentials is one such way to help keep your PC free of such issues and is available for free.

But you also need to remember: don’t be a victim… be a participant in your own rescue. (So says our COO Kevin Turner, paraphrased ;). 

imageAs I noted in an post from 2006, no matter what OS you run, it doesn’t matter: be prepared. Make you that you have the latest updates to all of your software. Generally, consumers should set up their computers install updates automatically: Windows users may do this by ensuring Automatic Update (AU) is turned on to get the latest updates. (In managed environments (like corporations where an IT Pro manages your machine), talk to your administrator to learn about your updates.) You can also visit Windows Update for the latest updates, but the easiest way is to turn on AU.

"In a comment I received to a recent blog posting on being careful when it comes to viruses, I wanted to mention something when it comes to computer security: whether you have a PC or a Mac, you will have to be concerned about security and protect yourself.

If you own a computer – PC or Mac (and we have both at home) – you should run AV software, have a firewall on your internet connection and practice "safe computing."

"But we have to be careful to reach broad-based conclusions. It’s better to anticipate an attack and be prepared and protected rather than hope that you won’t be the victim of an attack. As I said in a past post, see our Security at home site for more ideas on how to protect your computer. It has info on avoiding online scams with the Microsoft Phishing Filter, anti-virus, anti-spyware, security updates, Office and Windows update tools… well worth your time. Mac users can look here on Apple’s site for more info on protecting your Mac."

For Mac users, of interest is eWeek’s Larry Seltzer’s article on "What Will Apple Do When the Malware Comes?"

As noted in my post earlier this year, follow these six tips for staying safe online, as provided in this article in the Seattle Times on cybersafety:

  1. Protect your privacy and personal information
  2. Be alert online
  3. Delete junk e-mail
  4. Use strong passwords
  5. Use antivirus software and a firewall
  6. Be smart about downloading

Pay particular attention to that last item. As I wrote here, you should only download software from a trusted source – for example, via Microsoft for our products and service – and avoid peer to peer to save yourself an additional security risk.

Additional information and guidance:

 

Tags: Windows Vista, Security, what I read, twitter, Microsoft, Windows 7, Microsoft Security Essentials.

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Winners from the Windows 7 72-Hour Film Festival

Of interest are the top films from the Windows 7 72-Hour Film Festival, held in Seattle last month.

"Seattle-based filmmakers were given 72 hours to create a 30 second to 2 minute film celebrating the launch of Microsoft’s new Windows 7. Genres were picked from a hat (a different genre for each team) and the following elements were required in each film: "Windows 7" mentioned as a prop; a character named "CIO Wiggins", and the line of dialog "The guys in IT are going to like this".

You can view all the results here and enjoy some excellent scripting, including the line in this video: "remember… must not build Building 7…" (which any Microsoftie will appreciate ;).

 

Tags: articles, what I read, twitter, Microsoft, Windows 7.

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From Windows 7 to working with product groups customer satisfaction

Windows 7 UltimateA little more than three years ago as I noted here, I joined the Windows division working in COSD for Jon DeVaan with the rest of his management team (as I initially noted here) to work on Windows 7. I’ve certainly enjoyed the run in Windows, this being my second stint: I joined the engineering program management group when I first moved to Redmond back in 2003. More details are on the blog if you must know.

A couple of months ago as we discussed new roles, one of the positions that interested me was in returning to a corporate role in the company. In my new capacity, I’ll work with product and services groups across the company to improve satisfaction with our customers and partners.  These customer-focus efforts are some of key tenets of our work that we refer to inside Microsoft (in both the business groups and SMSG) as the Customer and Partner Experience (CPE).

This has been an area I truly enjoy, and one that Kevin Turner, our COO sponsors across our sales and marketing groups in close partnership with our product group sponsor Stephen Elop, the  president of the Microsoft Business Division (aka, MBD, home of Office, SharePoint, Exchange, OCS, Dynamics and many other products).

With this move comes a move from my office in the Windows division and later this week across campus to my new home. Sad to leave Windows but excited to move to this new role on the heels of one of the most successful product launches the company has seen in some time.

So over the next few days will be busy as I move offices, shed parts of my old position and move on to my new role. I want to thank my friends in Windows for a wonderful time in the division and I look forward to working with them in a broad capacity.

What this means for folks reading this blog should be a broad view of the work we’re doing across the company to improve customer satisfaction from the perspective of our product teams, and perhaps a few insights as I learn even more about my new surroundings in MBD.

And yes, that includes finding a new parking strategy on days I drive: the commute stays the same.

 

Tags: announcements, Office, Microsoft, Windows 7.

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