Windows 7 Upgrade Methods
- In the United States, Windows 7 is available in four different editions: Starter Edition, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. Each version installs the same information on your computer, but only Windows 7 Ultimate unlocks all of the features. If you already have Windows 7 on your computer, you can use Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade to purchase an upgrade code which will unlock the features of another Windows 7 edition on your computer, allowing you to upgrade to a better edition of Windows 7 without installing new files. You can access Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade by typing "Windows Anytime Upgrade" in the "Search Programs And Files" box at the bottom of the "Start" menu. Use the on-screen menu to connect to the Internet and select a new version of Windows. Enter your billing information and Windows will automatically upgrade to a new version.
- If you're upgrading to Windows 7 from an older version of Windows, you should verify that your computer's hardware and software is compatible with Windows 7. You can download the Windows 7 upgrade advisor directly from the Microsoft Windows website. The program will scan your computer and notify you if Windows 7 can run on your computer. If it can't, the upgrade advisor will tell you what hardware you need to upgrade before your system can run Windows 7. The upgrade advisor will also tell you which programs on your computer aren't compatible with Windows 7.
- You can purchase a discounted upgrade version of Windows 7 that can upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7; however, you can't upgrade certain versions of Windows Vista to certain versions of Windows 7. If you have Windows Vista Home Basic or Home Premium, you can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium. If you have Windows Vista Business, you can upgrade to Windows 7 Professional. Any version of Windows Vista can upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate. You can't upgrade a 32-bit version of Windows Vista to a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or vice-versa. If you're upgrading from an older Windows operating system, you can't use an upgrade version of Windows 7.
- Windows 7 can install directly on top of Windows Vista without replacing your personal files or programs. If you're installing from an older version of Windows, Windows 7 will need to reformat your hard drive, eliminating all of your personal files and programs. To avoid losing your data, you can back your files up to an external hard drive. Microsoft's Windows Easy Transfer facilitates the data backup and restoration process by moving your important files to your hard drive and then restoring them to the appropriate location on your computer after you've upgraded to Windows 7. Windows Easy Transfer doesn't backup your programs. You'll need to reinstall all of your software from its original installation discs.
- Whether you're using an upgrade version of Windows 7 to upgrade Windows Vista or a full version of Windows 7 to upgrade Windows XP, you can either purchase a physical DVD-ROM version of Windows 7 from a retail store or Microsoft's webpage, or you can purchase a downloadable installer from Microsoft's website. If you're using a DVD, your computer must have a functional DVD drive. You can insert your DVD or open your downloaded installer in your current version of Windows to begin the upgrade process.