Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
  • CNET
  • All How to posts

How to

Upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7

If you're upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 it should be a fairly easy install. You can do what's called an in-place upgrade as long you install the same version of Windows 7 as you have of Vista.

For instance, if you have Windows Vista Home premium you can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium. You can also go from Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional, and from Vista Ultimate to 7 Ultimate. Any other upgrade, like Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional, will require a clean install. That means you can't just turn Vista into 7. You have to export all your data, erase the hard drive, and then reinstall all your applications and data. A lot of computer experts think you should do a clean install anyway, just to make sure your machine runs better.

See our video for upgrading XP to Windows 7 for that process.

But if you're lucky enough to be able to do an in-place upgrade and want to, here's what you do.… Read more

Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7

Many of you did not upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, but are planning to upgrade to Windows 7. How dare you leave the Microsoft upgrade path? As a punishment, you can't upgrade directly from XP to 7; you have to do what's called a clean install, which means you have to jump through some hoops to keep your old data and programs.

Not to worry, we'll show you a couple ways to deal with the pain of installing Windows 7 on your XP machine. And afterward, Microsoft will forgive you your trespasses. Maybe.

Before you start, do these three things.

1. Run the Windows 7 upgrade adviser. It will let you know if your computer can handle any version of Windows 7.

2. Check the Windows 7 compatibility center. This is different than the upgrade adviser. It will tell you if you need to update your drivers or apps to make them work in 7.

3. Make a copy of your hard drive, just in case things go horribly wrong. I recommend using Macrium Reflect; it's a free download available from Download.com.

OK, now you're ready to upgrade.… Read more

Make a shortcut to your unread Gmail

One thing about e-mail, no matter how much more convenient it is over opening a letter and reading a piece of paper, we always want to make it easier. Here's a trick for making a shortcut to your unread e-mail in Gmail in Firefox.

Gmail makes it easy to bookmark different parts of itself. For instance: you can book mark your in-box at mail.google.com/mail/#inbox. That keyword after the pound sign is the key. Change that to #sent and you can book mark your sent e-mail.

Unread mail doesn't have a nifty keyword like that. … Read more

Upgrade your laptop's hard drive

When you buy a laptop you usually get the biggest hard drive you can afford, right? But at some point it starts to seem small. It must be all those episodes of "Venture Brothers" you downloaded. Here's how to upgrade your laptop to a bigger hard drive and give yourself some breathing room.

First you need to find a hard drive. Look online for the best deals. Obviously you want to pick one with more gigabytes of storage space, but pay attention to rpm, too. That tells you how fast the hard drive spins. The faster the … Read more

Test your ISP's speed

All Internet service providers try to tout the speed you get if you give them your money and it's easy enough to compare speeds with dollars and find the best value. But do you really get the speeds they advertise? Here's how to test to see how fast your ISP really is, and research the speeds of your provider's competitors.

Speed tests abound on the Internet. Some are more complicated than others and their accuracy can be questionable. I like the speed test at dslreports.com. You don't even have to know what kind of service … Read more

Use the Zune HD with a Mac

Who says you can't use the Zune HD with a Mac? Well, I did, for one...but contrary to popular belief I sometimes actually enjoy admitting when I'm wrong. As a Mac user with a penchant for non-iPod MP3 players, I often feel left out in the cold, especially when I see shiny new devices like the Zune HD. Sure, I could always use Boot Camp, but I prefer not to clutter up my pretty Mac with Windows XP, thankyouverymuch. Plus, dual booting isn't exactly a seamless experience.

That's where VMWare Fusion comes into play. At $… Read more

Facebook for Android 1.0: First Look

Facebook's freshly overhauled iPhone app (Facebook for iPhone 3.0) is so stuffed with goodies, that we were anticipating a similar bounty of features with the much-awaited Facebook for Android.

Shame on the Google/Facebook development team (mostly Google's, with consulting from Facebook) for creating an abbreviated app that fails to offer a complete Facebook.com experience, and shame on us for holding Google up to the high standards we've come to expect from, well, Google.

Having said that, the Facebook for Android 1.0 application is by no means a failed application. Its features are limited, … Read more