Hello everyone.
With the Windows 7 RC about to expire i'm racing to get a full version installed, however after hours of googling i'm confused about a few things i hope you don't mind helping me understand.
Firstly, i have read that it is possible to upgrade from the RC to the full version without losing existing data, is this recommended, or even true? I have also read that if you just install over your current OS that your old files will be saved in a windows.old file, again, is this true and is it easy to recover your files afterwards?
Secondly, what exactly is the difference between the full and upgrade versions you can buy? I have read that you can do a clean install from an upgrade version if you are currently running a genuine windows OS, but again i don't know if its true or not.
My last question is similar to my first, and it's to do with backing up and transfering information. Basiclly, which is the best way to do it? I was hoping that i could install without having to back up everything as i don't own anything suitable for backing up onto (around 180gb of data).
If a clean install is the only way to go, would it be a viable idea to buy another internal HDD and transfer my data onto that, remove it then reinstall it and transfer my data back onto my original drive? Would it be as simple as just copy/pasting files onto a HDD (internal or external) and then back, and would things such as antivirus software continue to work?
Thanks for taking the time to go through this, and apologies for my barrage of questions, this is my first experience of removing/reinstalling an OS!
Thank you in advance,
Doug.
With the Windows 7 RC about to expire i'm racing to get a full version installed, however after hours of googling i'm confused about a few things i hope you don't mind helping me understand.
Firstly, i have read that it is possible to upgrade from the RC to the full version without losing existing data, is this recommended, or even true? I have also read that if you just install over your current OS that your old files will be saved in a windows.old file, again, is this true and is it easy to recover your files afterwards?
Secondly, what exactly is the difference between the full and upgrade versions you can buy? I have read that you can do a clean install from an upgrade version if you are currently running a genuine windows OS, but again i don't know if its true or not.
My last question is similar to my first, and it's to do with backing up and transfering information. Basiclly, which is the best way to do it? I was hoping that i could install without having to back up everything as i don't own anything suitable for backing up onto (around 180gb of data).
If a clean install is the only way to go, would it be a viable idea to buy another internal HDD and transfer my data onto that, remove it then reinstall it and transfer my data back onto my original drive? Would it be as simple as just copy/pasting files onto a HDD (internal or external) and then back, and would things such as antivirus software continue to work?
Thanks for taking the time to go through this, and apologies for my barrage of questions, this is my first experience of removing/reinstalling an OS!
Thank you in advance,
Doug.
