For most PC users, the migration to Microsoft's new
version of Windows will go smoothly — with a little
preparation.
Spending a few minutes getting your system ready before you insert that
Windows 7 installation disc may save you hours of troubleshooting and
repair afterward.
The countdown to Microsoft's official Windows 7 launch to consumers on
Oct. 22 has begun. As WS contributing editor Scott Spanbauer described
in his Oct.
1 Top Story, taking some time to prep your system prior to
the upgrade can go a long way toward ensuring a fruitful Win7
experience.
In addition to Scott's pointers, our readers know of one or two other
tips you can add to your Win7 upgrade preparations. Tom Rosania points
out one way to avoid applications that won't activate:
- "If any of your products have a limit on the number
of times they can be installed with the same serial number, you might
be denied permission to install them as part of a fresh install of
Windows 7. Most of the time, there's nothing you can do about this. You
just have to try the installation and hope that you're under the limit.
"However, some software companies allow you to deactivate the serial
number from your old computer and reactivate it when you reinstall.
This keeps you under the limit. Adobe in particular does this. For
example, in Adobe Acrobat Standard or Professional, you can go to Help,
Activation and click Deactivate. By doing this, you'll stay under the
limit and you'll be able to reinstall the product."
A reader who goes by the name Alrock discovered a
couple of quirks when he used Microsoft's Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor:
- "The Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser doesn't work for x64
XP.… My HP OfficeJet 7210 printer/scanner lacked any 64-bit
drivers from the manufacturer. But as soon as I plugged it into Windows
7 x64, it connected to Microsoft, downloaded working drivers, and
— for the first time since upgrading to a 64-bit OS
— is once again fully functional."
Yes, sometimes Microsoft gets it right. Let's hope
that's not the last time we say that in reference to Windows 7. By the
way, you can download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor beta from
Microsoft's Get
Windows 7 page:
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx>.
Other clutter to clean out prior to Windows 7
Scott's article listed several areas to clean prior
to upgrading Vista to Windows 7. But Victor Sacco would like to add a
couple of nooks and crannies to the list:
- "When running Disk Cleanup, go to Advanced options
(on Vista, select from all users on this computer)
and delete Restore Points and Shadow Copies. Users may be surprised at
how much space is taken up by System Restore data.
"Along with unnecessary programs, uninstall all resident anti-malware
applications: antivirus, antispyware, and third-party firewalls. Unless
the user is running the very latest versions of these apps, they're
likely not Windows 7-compatible. Even if they are, I would still remove
them and reinstall them afterward.
"These programs hook and monitor the system at a very low level, and
there's a real chance they'll interfere with the upgrade. The system
can be temporarily disconnected from the Internet until protection is
reinstalled."
Here's hoping your Windows 7 adventure gets off to
a smooth start.
Copyright © 2009 by WindowsSecrets.com LLC.
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