May 1st, 2009

Windows 7 setup secrets

Posted by Ed Bott @ 12:24 am

Categories: Windows 7

Tags: Folder, Disk, Microsoft Windows 7, Clean Install, Installation, Driver, Partition, Secret, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems

Secret #1: Choose the right Setup option

You’ve downloaded the ISO image from Microsoft’s site and burned it to DVD. Now what? At this point, you have two choices as to how to run Setup from the newly created media. The capabilities and behavior of Windows Setup are different depending on which one you choose.

If the system on which you plan to install Windows 7 is already running Windows XP, Vista, or en earlier version of Windows 7, you can start the setup program from within Windows. Or, you can boot the system from the installation media (which might involve going into the system setup screen and changing the order of boot devices). Either way, you’ll see a dialog bhox like this one:

So what’s the difference?

If you run Setup from within Windows:

• You can upgrade Windows Vista or Windows 7 Build 7077 or later.
• You cannot run x64 Setup on a system running an x86 build of Windows, or vice-versa.
• You cannot upgrade Windows XP or any pre-7077 build of Windows 7 (unless you use the workaround I describe later in this post).
• You can install Windows 7 on the same volume as an existing Windows version. (I describe the best way to accomplish this in #4.)
• You cannot make any changes to the layout of a disk; you must use existing partitions, and Setup will not recognize unallocated space.

If you boot from the Windows 7 DVD:

• You cannot upgrade an existing Windows version. Your only option is a custom install.
• You can delete existing partitions, create new partitions, extend an existing disk partition to unallocated space, or designate a block of unallocated space as the setup location.
• You can install Windows 7 on the same volume as an existing Windows version.

In addition, there’s a subtle but significant difference between the initial screens, depending on how you start Setup. If you launch Setup from within Windows, you have the option to run a compatibility check on your existing system. The online compatibility check is not online yet, but should be available soon in beta format.

Clean disks and backed-up drivers –>

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